For some reason, this is significantly more expensive in Australia than New Zealand, but in the grand scheme of sauvignon, it’s well worth it. It’s raised an echelon thanks to its impressively textured structure of finely gravelly mouthfeel and lingering, textural persistence, an accurate portrayal of stony, limestone-influenced soils adjacent to the Huangarua River. The […]
readArticles
Purposely picked late in the season to capture exquisite notes of poached pear ripeness, the key to this wine is that it retains its delicacy, poise and persistence in the midst of succulence and a touch of residual sweetness. Grown on the northern edge of the Martinborough Terrace gravels, it retains an undercurrent of gravelly […]
read“My philosophy when it comes to choosing a vineyard is that if it’s made sparkling base, I want it! You can’t beat natural acidity!” With such a mandate, it’s no surprise that Sam Coverdale’s top chardonnay is sourced from the Mornington’s highest vineyard. The result is an exciting wine of focus and tightly honed restraint, […]
readSam Coverdale’s first premium pinot captures the linear focus and cooler expression of Mornington that comes from the lofty position of its highest vineyard. It’s an attractively textural style that harmonises perfumed elegance with well-textured structure. Powerful red fruits and rose hip fragrance are supported by tangy acidity and fine, supple tannins. $46 direct.
readThere is both confidence and grace here, a difficult combination to achieve in SSB fermented entirely in new oak – surely a testimony to both the predominance of semillon in the blend and to the expertise of the estate. This is a tightly focused style that completely soaks up very classy new oak, expressing itself […]
readThe more I come to know Mt Difficulty and see its wines at various stages of life, the more I appreciate that these are pinots engineered for the long-haul. True to the style of the house, this is a release built more around structure and tannin than fruit and generosity, a refreshing and noble counterpoint […]
readGimonnet’s home village of Cuis is a high-tensile expression of the northern Cote des Blancs, rounded out with reserve wines back to 2002, stored in bottles rather than tanks. The result is the quintessential blanc de blancs aperitif, delightfully pristine and pure, with crisp lemon and grapefruit and refined lemon blossom. Notes of almond nut […]
readBelles Annees was first created for America, a blend of different vintages of Gastronome with significant amounts of reserve vintages to create more complexity and body. A slightly lower pressure produces less bubbles, making for a more vinous, accessible and food-friendly style. It’s powerful by elegant Gimonnet standards, with ripe peach, preserved lemon, rich mixed […]
readA strong representation of grand cru Cote des Blancs terroirs makes Gastronome a highlight of the Gimonnet line, and the great vintage of 2008 makes this the finest since 2002. Such is the breathtaking delicacy of chardonnay from this vintage that experiencing this wine is akin to the sensation of stepping outside and taking your […]
readFleuron is perhaps the most complete picture of Gimonnet, a blend of every village of the estate. The powerful white fruits of the village of Cramant take the lead, leaping out of the glass in a display of starfruit, pear, apple and spice. It quickly pulls into a taut, mineral finish where deep-set chalky minerality […]
read