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Tuesday, August 2, 2022

New Zealand Wine Tasting - Marlborough - Day 1 (Mar. 2020)

Marlborough Wine Region, South Island, New Zealand

After a fine afternoon of wine tasting on Waiheke Island, I caught a late-morning flight the day after, a Monday, to New Zealand's largest and most famous wine region - Marlborough. Located on the South Island, this was the first of two days of wine tasting in Marlborough.

My first stop of the day was Greywacke, the Marlborough label of one of New Zealand's finest winemakers, the legendary Kevin Judd. I was first introduced to Greywacke back in 2016 and have been enamoured with Kevin's wines ever since. And when I landed at Marlborough Airport (BHE) just west of Blenheim, I was excited to have Kevin personally come and pick me up from the airport. We headed straight to the winery - where they had just recently move to - on Kennedys Road in the Omaka Valley, and I met his wife, Kimberley, and the rest of the team for a lovely, home-cooked lunch.

After lunch, Kevin and I headed over to the building next door and he took me through his amazing portfolio of wines, including a few back vintages. Kevin was born in England and grew up and studied winemaking in Australia. He moved to New Zealand in 1983 and built his reputation as one of Marlborough's pioneer winemakers at Cloudy Bay, where he was the founding winemaker. But, after 25 years at Cloudy Bay, he decided to fulfill a long-held dream to have his own winery and in 2009 established Greywacke (pronounced: grey-wacky) with his wife Kimberley. He registered the name back in 1993, while with Cloudy Bay, thinking that one day he might use it for his own label. The name "Greywacke" comes from the high prevalence of rounded greywacke river stones that are found in their first Marlborough vineyard located in Rapaura, a short drive northeast of where the winery is located now. These stones, like other stones found in other vineyards throughout the wine world, have an impact on the vines and the grapes that grow from them. Seeing the greywacke stone on this trip was on my wish list, and mission was accomplished as Kevin had one on the table where we tasted the wines.

The high quality wines at Greywacke are made from mature vineyards within the central Wairau Plains and the Southern Valleys. Much of the fruit is sourced from vineyards owned by the Sutherland family (a friend dating back to their days at Cloudy Bay and now part-owners of Dog Point), while additional fruit comes from select sites within these sub-regions. The Greywacke portfolio is primarily focused on Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, but there are also limited releases of Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, and Riesling. There are also a couple of botrytis-affected wines. I was surprised to learn that a portion of every wine throughout the Greywacke portfolio undergoes wild fermentation. Most notable are the Wild Sauvignon and Pinot Noir, both of which were 100% wild fermented. As I learned during my visit to Marlborough, many wineries are using this natural fermentation technique.

All of the wines I tasted from Greywacke were just lovely. Some of these wines do make an appearance in LCBO VINTAGES, while the rest can be ordered through their agent, Connexion Oenophilia. Wine reviews of a few of my favourites are provided below.

In addition to producing fine wines, I didn't realize that Kevin is also very passionate about and excels in photography. All of the pictures on Greywacke's labels were photographed by Kevin. He also has a few books that showcase some of his works, including The Landscape of New Zealand Wine. To view Kevin's books and prints, visit Kevin Judd Photography.

My second stop of the day was a short drive north to Dog Point Vineyard. Ivan and Margaret Sutherland of the aforementioned Sutherland family were among the earliest Marlborough wine industry pioneers - planting grapes in the region in the late 1970s. Ivan, along with Kevin Judd, helped build Cloudy Bay, and they were eventually joined by James Healy. However, in 2004, Ivan & Margaret, along with James & (wife) Wendy wanted to return to a more 'hands-on' approach and launched Dog Point with fruit from the 2002 vintage.

The name 'Dog Point' dates back to the earliest European settlement in Marlborough, when boundary dogs were used to fence in the herds of sheep. Some of these dogs wandered off and formed their own packs, eventually coming back to attack the sheep. Over time, the settlers removed these wild dogs from the area and named it Dog Point.

Today, the four founders of Dog Point are still actively involved in the day-to-day operations of the winery. Dog Point owns some of the oldest vineyards in Marlborough with vines that are 30+ years old. All of the grapes are grown in organic vineyards certified under BioGro New Zealand and hand-picked. The entire Dog Point portfolio consists of just four wines - enabling them to focus on creating high-quality wines of great character. All of the wines are vinified in a low interventionist method, without any fining and minimal filtration, with the goal of producing wines that can be cellared and aged.

At Dog Point, I met up with Jak Nash who gave me a quick tour of the property in the DP classic car that you see on their website. We stopped at a few different points, including a hill that had clay soils and was known for producing the high quality Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that goes into their own wines. Overlooking the hill was a gorgeous view of the Southern Valleys vineyards, some of which are their own. The extraordinary 2020 harvest looks to be yet another very special vintage.

I tasted all four of their current releases - which are all vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free - and each wine is fantastic! Wine reviews of my top three are provided below. While one or two wines from the Dog Point portfolio may come to LCBO VINTAGES, you can also reach out to their agent Noble Estates Wine & Spirits to order the full lineup of Dog Point wines.

The final stop of the day was a short drive north to Whitehaven Wines, located at the northern edge of the Wairau Valley and bordering the Wairau River. General Manager Simon Toneycliffe gave me a brief tour of the estate vineyards, some which are approaching 30 years old before we headed into the winery to learn about Whitehaven and taste a few wines.

Whitehaven Wines was one of Marlborough's pioneering wine businesses when it was established in 1994 by Greg and Sue White after sheltering in a yacht in the Marlborough Sounds during the Pacific hurricane season and thought the area would be a nice place to start a new project. The winery is named Whitehaven for the importance of family and the calming port 'haven' they'd found while anchored in Marlborough - hence the anchor in the logo. Today, Whitehaven is led by Sue White, continuing the dream she shared with her late husband Greg, while their daughter Samantha will steer the company into the future.

To make the wines, the fruit comes from around 45 estate owned or managed vineyards, or from contract grower vineyards across Marlborough's three sub-regions - Wairau, Awatere. and Southern Valleys. This practice is quite common in the wine world, but I learned is especially common in New Zealand. What I found surprising is the sheer number of vineyards where the fruit can come from. For example, Whitehaven's White Label Sauvignon Blanc comes from these 45 vineyards across the Awatere, Wairau, and Southern Valleys, with grapes from each vineyard vinified separately prior to creating the final blend. Many of their contract growers have been part of the Whitehaven 'family' for a long time. In total, Whitehaven has access to more than 200 hectares of vines, and all of the vineyards (including grower vineyards) are Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) accredited. In 2019, Whitehaven became a member of Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) - assuring, among other criteria, that they only use Marlborough fruit for their Sauvignon Blanc wines.

After tasting the wines with winemakers Diana Katardzhieva and Rowan Langdon, we toured the production facility that was recently renovated with further improvements and expansion coming soon. I also had the opportunity to go up the catwalk and get a gorgeous view of the Wairau Valley. It was quite windy on this day, but perfectly suitable for winegrowing as the wind helps cool the grapes. Upon completion of the tour, I enjoyed a fine BBQ dinner at Diana's home and accompanied with many Whitehaven wines, including some back vintages. Rowan also joined us and I thank both of you and your partners for a wonderful evening and hospitality!

Whitehaven wines are available at the LCBO (including VINTAGES), with wines from the rest of their portfolio available through their agent - E. & J. Gallo Winery Canada.

Tasting Notes:

GREYWACKE WILD SAUVIGNON 2017 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#282806) (XD) - $39
From clay soils. Wild fermented with two-thirds undergoing full malolactic fermentation in oak barrels, and spending 8 months on the lees. This Sauvignon Blanc has a fresh, oak influenced, and balanced nose of orchard fruit, stone fruit, and hints of citrus with yeasty, leesy, and herbal characters adding further complexities. It's medium-full bodied and quite fleshy on the palate with lovely spicy replays plus citrusy and lemon flavours, all supported by fresh, lively acids. A textural wonder with ripe fruits, subtle oak, and excellent length on the finish. Score: 93 pts

GREYWACKE CHARDONNAY 2016 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (XD) - $45
2 clones of Chardonnay from 4 vineyards. Pressed straight to barrel and underwent natural indigenous yeast fermentation, followed by malolactic fermentation in French oak barriques (20% new). This Chardonnay has a rich, highly aromatic, oak influenced nose that is smoky with buttered popcorn, and baked apple, pear, and stone fruit aromas. It's full-bodied on the rich, creamy palate with very nice smoky-flinty replays and apple flavours. It has fresh, succulent acids to go along with a tight structure and very good length on flinty, orchard fruit finish. Score: 93 pts

GREYWACKE PINOT NOIR 2017 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#402651) (XD) - $46
Made with Dijon clones from vineyards in the Southern Valleys, this Pinot Noir has a fresh, open, fragrant, and complex nose of raspberry and black cherry mingling with earthy, forest floor, beetroot, clove, strawberry, and cherry notes, along with hints of floral. It's light-to-medium bodied with lovely aroma replays on the pretty palate with some tannins on the back-palate. Acids are balanced. Earthy, beetroot, spice, and black cherry notes linger on the long finish. Score: 92 pts

DOG POINT SECTION 94 SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#325977) (XD) - $44.95
A single vineyard parcel grown on silt/clay loam soils that was wild fermented and aged for 18 months in older French oak barrels, this has a highly aromatic and reductive nose layered over citrus, melon, and subtle smoky oak aromas. It's medium-full bodied with lively acids that brighten that palate. Lovely flavours of spice, citrus, melon, and passion fruit notes with touches of herbal characters. Palate quenching with excellent length on the finish. Score: 92 pts

Dog Point Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (92 pts)

DOG POINT CHARDONNAY 2017 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#238568) (XD) - $45
From the oldest vines in Marlborough which were planted in 1981 and a clonal combination of 70% Mendoza and 30% Clone 95. Wild fermented in barrels. It has a fairly intense nose that is reductive in style with smoky, flinty, buttered popcorn, golden apple, peach, stone fruit aromas that are very clean and offer purity of fruit. The medium-full bodied palate is spiced with golden apple, peach, and citrus flavours that flow through the juicy, succulent mid-palate. Nice replays. Excellent length on the long, juicy finish. Score: 93 pts

DOG POINT PINOT NOIR 2017 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#329672) (XD) - $50
Mostly Dijon clones from vines planted in 1983 (the oldest in Marlborough), wild fermented (15% whole bunch) and matured in French oak barrels (35% new) for 18 months. The medium-high to highly aromatic nose is clean, elegant, and perfumed with lovely black cherry, dried tea leaf, dark cherry, earthy, cherry, beetroot, and anise aromas. It's medium+ bodied, elegant, and quite concentrated with pleasing black cherry, mulberry, and cassis flavours with subtle oak spice notes. Nicely balanced throughout with clean acids and fine tannins. Lovely earthy, forest floor, and black cherry notes linger on the long finish, with excellent length. Score: 92 pts

WHITEHAVEN GREG SINGLE VINEYARD SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019 - Awatere Valley, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#325944) (XD) - $23.95
Fresh, elegant aromatics are clean and ripe with melon, citrus, wet rock minerality, and grapefruit notes. It's medium+ bodied on the fresh, broad palate with nicely ripe melon replays, followed by some mineral, gooseberry, and nettle flavours. It's got fresh acids and a long, crisp, and lightly spiced finish. Score: 91 pts

Whitehaven Greg Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2019 (91 pts)

WHITEHAVEN PINOT GRIS 2018 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#447516) (XD) - $19.95
From estate grown fruit, the fresh, medium+ intensity aromatics offer stone fruits, melon, pear, honeysuckle, and floral characters with a touch of cotton candy. The medium-full bodied has a kiss of sweetness with spiced melon, quince, and pear flavours and a touch of herb. With 5 months of lees contact, it is nicely textured with very good acidity, while the finish is long and palate quenching. Score: 89 pts

WHITEHAVEN PINOT NOIR 2016 - Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand (#532929) (XD) - $26.95
A 50/50 blend of Pinot Noir from the Awatere and Southern Valleys, this has a medium-high intensity nose that is clean with red and black fruits, black cherry, raspberry, plum, dark berry, and spice, along with some earthy tones and hints of tea leaf. The medium-full bodied palate is structured and quite concentrated with nice red and black fruit replays. Raspberry, tomato leaf, and whiffs of tea leaf and mineral also appear on the flavour profile. Acids are still quite juicy, while the finish length is very good. Score: 90 pts

Cave de Roquebrun La Grange des Combes Saint-Chinian-Roquebrun 2013 (Midi) - Wine Review

Tonight's red wine review is a lovely GSM blend from Languedoc that I purchased from the February 6th LCBO VINTAGES Release back in 2016.

It is produced by Cave de Roquebrun with grapes from the Saint-Chinian sub-appellation of Saint-Chinian-Roquebrun in southern France. The blend consists of 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache and 20% Mourvèdre that was grown 30 km north of Beziers on the schistous hillside of Roquebrun facing south-southeast. It was vinified by whole bunch maceration and fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks.

As a perennial favourite of mine, I've enjoyed many previous vintages of this wine over the years, including most recently the 2015 Cave de Roquebrun La Grange des Combes Saint-Chinian-Roquebrun at the beginning of the year. The latest edition is available in LCBO VINTAGES now.

Cave de Roquebrun La Grange des Combes Saint-Chinian-Roquebrun 2013 (91 pts)

Tasting Note:

CAVE DE ROQUEBRUN LA GRANGE DES COMBES SAINT-CHINIAN-ROQUEBRUN 2013 - AC, Midi, France (#155804) (XD) - $18.95
Blend of 50% Syrah, 30% Grenache, and 20% Mourvèdre that was raised entirely in tank. Deep garnet colour. Intense, finely aromatic, and maturing notes of savoury, wet earth, dried florals, and dried dark berry. It's medium-full bodied and spicy with dried dark berry, savoury earth, dried spices, and hints of dried florals. Smooth, refined tannins have matured and integrated very nicely. Still has very good structure and juicy acidity. Well-balanced, slightly tangy, and tapering to a minerally, earthy, succulent, and long finish. Should continue to drink well for a few more years. Great buy! Score: 91 pts

Domaine Hamelin Vau Ligneau Chablis 1er Cru 2019 (Burgundy) - Wine Review

Tonight's wine review is an excellent Chablis Premier Cru from the Vau Ligneau Climat in Burgundy that arrived at the LCBO as part of the recent July 28th LCBO VINTAGES Online Exclusives Release and is available purchase only through lcbo.com.

I enjoyed the excellent 2019 Domaine Hamelin Beauroy Chablis 1er Cru last month (it is still available in stores now!) and am delighted to taste another wine from the same producer. Domaine Hamelin was founded in 1840 by Gustave Hamelin when he planted two hectares of vines alongside his mixed farm. Over the next few generations, the family property was further expanded and developed. Today, Domaine Hamelin is run by the sixth and seventh generations of the family with Thierry and his son Charles continuing to perpetuate the Chablis wine tradition using the knowledge passed down over the generations. Together, they craft their wines using a mix of ancient traditions and modern techniques to create Chablis wines that perfectly represent their terroirs.

Crafted with 100% Chardonnay, the grapes for this white wine were grown in the Vallée de Vaux de Long in the village of Beines. The 3.5 hectare vineyard extends from the bottom of the valley to the end of very steep slopes, and facing south-southeast. The vines were planted between 1978 and 1980 on Kimmeridgian limestone subsoils (which are from the Late Jurrasic Epoch more than 150 million years old) and borders on the slightly younger Portlandian limestone at the top of the valley, providing elegance and body typical of Premier Cru Chablis wines such as this. The valley is quite closed, resulting in a micro-climate that is highly suitable for good grape maturation, and combined with the soils, allows the grapes to fully express itself and place.

As the 2019 vintage is described as probably one of the best vintages ever in Burgundy, one can expect this white wine from Burgundy to also be excellent. Let's see how this 2019 Chablis Premier Cru is tasting tonight...

Domaine Hamelin Vau Ligneau Chablis 1er Cru 2019 (93 pts)

Tasting Note:

DOMAINE HAMELIN VAU LIGNEAU CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2019 - AC, Burgundy, France (#21405) (XD) - $39.95
Beautiful, fresh, intensely aromatic nose offers ripe lemon citrus, leesy mineral, golden apple, and lactic notes. The medium+ bodied palate is refined and elegant with more lemon citrus, golden apple, and mineral replays joined by subtle spicy tones and a twist of honey. Acids are fresh and crisp. There's good tension between the fruit and acidity, and it's nicely balanced overall. Lovely mineral, lemon citrus, and apple notes are subtly smoky on the finish, with excellent length. Highly recommended buy! Score: 93 pts

One other excellent Chablis by Domaine Hamelin is available at the LCBO, while others from their portfolio can be ordered through their Agent - Connexion Oenophilia.

July 28, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Release Wine Picks: Online Exclusives

LCBO Wine Picks: July 28, 2022 VINTAGES Release

The July 28, 2022 LCBO VINTAGES Online Exclusives Release is the latest in a series of monthly online-only releases that are available exclusively on lcbo.com. There are forty-six wines as part of this Online Exclusives release and twelve are included among my recommendations. All of these wines should be available for purchase online via lcbo.com by Thursday.

There is no theme for these Online Exclusives Releases, so we begin with my top red wine picks from the release. The only blend among the red wines is the wine from Greece that is actually a blend of 87% Xinomavro and 13% Syrah. From Italy, there is a fine Barolo made with Nebbiolo that has some age on it, as well as a Brunello di Montalcino that is crafted with 100% Sangiovese. The last two single varietal wines are a Hawke's Bay red that is made with Syrah, while the Australian red is crafted with 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.

Among my white wine recommendations, the only blend within the group is hails from Spain and consists of 50% Viura, 30% Malvasía, and 20% Garnacha Blanca that was fermented and aged in French oak barrels. The Pinot Grigio also spent some time in oak, while the Chinon (which is made with Chenin Blanc) was aged on its lees. The Riesling from Austria is crafted in a dry style, while the sixth wine in the group is actually an organic and biodynamic skin-fermented white wine, also known as Orange Wine, that is made with the Vidal grape variety.

Southbrook Vidal Skin Fermented White Orange Wine 2020 (90 pts)

For sweet wine lovers, the dessert wine from Spain is a botrytis affected blend composed of 50% Merseguera and 50% Chardonnay.

Enjoy my wine picks from this Release! Cheers!

Red Wine:

DAMILANO LECINQUEVIGNE BAROLO 2013 - DOCG, Piedmont, Italy (#454488) (XD) - $38.95
CRAGGY RANGE GIMBLETT GRAVELS VINEYARD SYRAH 2019 - Hawke’s Bay, North Island, Marlborough, New Zealand (#22879) (XD) - $39.95
BLACK ANGUS CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2017 - Single vineyard, Heathcote, Victoria, Australia (#23789) (XD) - $49.95
KIR-YIANNI DIAPOROS SINGLE VINEYARD XINOMAVRO 2017 - PGI Imathia, Macedonia, Greece (#14131) (XD) - $49.95
RIDOLFI BRUNELLO DI MONTALCINO 2016 - DOCG, Tuscany, Italy (#644963) (XD) - $59.95

White Wine:

COULY-DUTHEIL LES CHANTEAUX CHINON BLANC 2019 - AC, Loire, France (#532705) (D) - $26.95
SIERRA CANTABRIA ORGANZA 2018 - DOCa Rioja, Spain (#26684) (XD) - $29.95
SOUTHBROOK VIDAL SKIN FERMENTED WHITE ORANGE WINE 2020 - Estate grown, VQA Ontario, Canada (#628065) (XD) - $29.95 90 pts wine review
PETER ZEMMER GIATL RISERVA PINOT GRIGIO 2018 - DOC Alto Adige, Italy (#11605) (XD) - $39.95
DOMAINE HAMELIN VAU LIGNEAU CHABLIS 1ER CRU 2019 - AC, Burgundy, France (#21405) (XD) - $39.95 93 pts wine review
PICHLER-KRUTZLER RIED LOIBENBERG WACHAU RIESLING 2019 - DAC, Wachau, Austria (#25719) (XD) - $69.95

Dessert Wine:

FINCA SAN BLAS DULCE UTIEL REQUENA 2016 - DO, Utiel-Requena, Spain (#25534) (S) (500 mL) - $57.95

Somm Grand Cru - Wine Reviews

Tonight's wine reviews are a trio of lovely wines from Spain that I received back in March as part of my Somm Grand Cru Membership.

Somm is a free Wine and Culinary App that is available for both Android and iOS devices. Through the app, Somm provides free wine recommendations based on food pairings and your personal preferences. An upgrade to the Somm Cru Membership adds perks such as complimentary wine at restaurants, discounts at hotels, and free wine tastings at wineries, as well as free shipping and discounts from wine agencies.

I enjoyed the top tier Somm Grand Cru Membership, which not only includes all of the perks from Cru Membership, but also adds three specially selected bottles of wine which are delivered to your door every month. The wines are selected by a rotating group of Somm's partners, with generally two bundles for you to choose from, and wine delivery occurring at the end of the month. For March, the wine bundles were curated by Cosecha Imports.

Somm Grand Cru also includes exclusive invitations to sommelier-led virtual and in-person tastings. I attended a special in-person wine tasting event at the end of March which was hosted by Master Sommelier Elyse Lambert of Somm and focused on Celebrating Women's History Month and indigenous varieties from Spain.