Country: France Region: Rhone
Varietal: Grenache Blend Vintage: 2018
Colour: Red Style: Dry
Producer: Domaine Grand Romane
Description:The jewel in the crown from this top Rhone producer. Very enticing wine packed with spice and red fruits. Dry with lots of concentration. A very fine Gigondas.
Tasting Note:Lovely depth of dark ruby colour. This Southern Rhone wine has lots of ripe red berry fruits, white pepper spices and a gutsy savoury quality. It will improve over the next few years - if you can wait that long.
Food Matches: Red Meat / Beef / Lamb
Country: New Zealand Region: Marlborough
Varietal: Pinot Gris Vintage: 2023
Colour: White Style: Dry
Producer: Greywacke
The name "Greywacke" was adopted by Kevin for his first Marlborough vineyard located in Rapaura in recognition of the high prevalence of rounded greywacke river stones in the soils of the vineyard, a sedimentary rock which is widely found in Marlborough. Kevin Judd is also New Zealand's finest wine photographer and has recently published a book "The Landscape of New Zealand Wine".
Vinification Description:The fruit for this wine was grown at Wrekin Terrace Vineyard in the Brancott Valley, a valley floor site on gravelly clay-loam soils typical of the Southern Valleys. The vines were a 50/50 mix of the Selection Ovaille and Mission clones, both of which have modest bunch and berry size. The vines were trained on a two-cane VSP (vertical shoot positioning) trellis and careful shoot and bunch thinning was carried out to produce a crop level of 7.5 tonnes/hectare. All Greywacke wines are produced from vineyards that are accredited to the Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) program, and most of the vineyards are in conversion to become certified organic.
Tasting Note: A bowl of freshly picked stone fruit fleshy white peaches, plump golden apricots and sun-ripened nectarines a wine with rich, ripe aromas balanced by a floral purity. The palate is luscious and textural, reminiscent of homemade apple pie with rich buttery pastry and a faint hint of cinnamon. This is a wine with considerable depth and richness.
Food Matches: Chicken / Veal / Fish / Spicy