Glengarry's Sunday ramblings of all things vinous, grain and glorious. The Sunday Sediment. Issue One Hundred and Five Brittany, Welcome to the One Hundred and Fifth edition of The Sunday Sediment, a collection of what’s new, what’s on and what’s happening instore at Glengarry and within the world of wine. Sip away.
VEUVE CLICQUOT | LA GRAND DAME 2008
Veuve Clicquot’s La Grande Dame is a classic, a sublimely silky and elegant tribute to the visionary Madame Clicquot that stands tall in the pantheon of prestige champagnes. The combination of that heady provenance with the extraordinary vintage that was 2008 delivers a tour de force of power and finesse. Aged for 10 years in Veuve Clicquot’s century-old cellars, La Grande Dame 2008 is an exclusive blend of six of the House’s eight historical Grands Crus. Cellar Master Dominique Dermarville has taken the proportion of Pinot Noir to another level; at 92% it’s the highest ever for La Grande Dame. Read More..
FRANCE | THE RHONE VALLEY
In the north are some of Syrah’s finest expressions. The south plays host to Grenache and the Rhone’s peerless blended wines, Vacqueyras, Vinsobres and Chateauneuf-duPape. In between are the generic, great-value Cotes du Rhone wines. While 95% of Rhone production is red, there is delight to be found in the floral fragrances of a Muscat Beaumes-deVenise or the lush apricot and creme fraiche nuances of a Condrieu. Read More..
MONT REDON Established back in 1344, Chateau Mont-Redon is distinctly old-school; it is, indeed, one of the oldest wine-producing estates in France, as well as the largest single property in Chateauneufdu-Pape.
The estate includes 100 hectares of the most perfectly-sited vineyards in the appellation. They operate from a manual they themselves call (with some justification) ‘ancient know-how.’ This involves hand selection of the fruit, a balanced blend of numerous varieties to highlight the aromatic qualities of the wines, sustained maceration to obtain the required depth and structure, and a refined barrel aging programme.
The estate is currently in the hands of the related Abeille and Fabre families, who have been in charge here since 1923. With a continuing focus on innovation and a seamless generational transition currently underway, Mont-Redon’s future as one of the great crus looks set to be as bright as its past. Read More..
FRANCE | SOUTH OF FRANCE
Down along France’s southern coast, the restrictions of the Appellation Controlee system in general give way to a freedom around vine cultivation. The benign climate delivers long, sunny days for ripening, while a moderating
coastal influence keeps much disease at bay. The current wave of winemakers are intent on quality, and extolling the attributes of their terroir. Read More..
DOMAINE PAUL MAS Les Domaines Paul Mas is a group of four family estates covering 100 ha (250 acres) of vineyard on the hills bordering the Herault Valley in Languedoc in the south of France. They are near the Mediterranean sea, close to the small town of Pezenas which inspired the famous playwright Moliere, and not too far from such magnificent historic sites as the Canal du Midi (constructed in 1790 by Paul Riquet) and Valmagne Abbey.
"The story of our wines started in 1892: our family were originally farmers near SaintPargoire and Saint-Pons-de-Mauchiens in Herault County in Languedoc. We subsequently expanded towards Montpellier (the regional capital not far from Sete) and towards Pezenas. In 1892 Auguste Mas farmed 22 acres of vineyard on the Mas de Bicq and in 1934 Raymond Mas, Auguste's son, extended the farm by buying the Montredon Estate with over 35 acres of vineyard". Read More..
A TASTE OF SPAIN | GOOD SPANISH DRINKING
FINCA NUEVA Finca Nueva is the younger sibling of Rioja’s highly respected and almost mythical Allende winery, the creation of one of Spain’s finest winemakers, Miguel Ángel de Gregorio, and his sister Mercedes. Finca Nueva was created as a device to shrug aside the constraints of Riojan tradition and allow the talented and influential Miguel Ángel a wider scope for his skills. The winery is based on 20 hectares of vines in Briones that are not used for Allende. While the Allende wines are serious in nature – tannic wines derived from vines immersed in iron-rich clay – the Finca Nueva expressions are fruitier and more immediately accessible, grown on largely calcareous soils and crafted with a new generation of wine drinkers in mind. Read More..
TASTINGS AND EVENTS
WINE GEEKS | THE GREAT WHITE WINES OF FRANCE France is home to some of the most diverse landscapes of the old world, with numerous wine producing regions scattered across it. It is unsurprising to see stylistic diversity of wines to match. To fully appreciate its diversity, we have found a few treats from the more prestigious white wine producing regions of France. We have looked for wine with reasonable bottle age, styles you may not necessarily try every day, and with an average bottle price of $90. Read more....
WHEN: Thursday 1 August WHERE: Glengarry Mt Eden Village, 417 Mount Eden Road Mount Eden TIME: 7.00pm
SHADES OF ROSE | SOUTHERN FRANCE To think, 10 years ago, the word 'rose' in New Zealand meant nothing more than a beautiful flower. Fast forward to 2019 and now it’s as much a 'go to' wine style as any Marlborough Sauv, and what’s not to love? The only problem with rose is where to start! We thought, why not run a tasting series that's all about rose? So that's just what we've done. Four nights of fivestar rose tasting.
WHEN: Thursday 8 August WHERE: Glengarry Mt Eden Village, 417 Mount Eden Road Mount Eden TIME: 7.00pm
Night one, we zoom around Southern France and compare the three appellations of Languedoc, Southern Rhone, and Provence. Night two, we explore roses from Europe, Australia and South America. Night three, we taste roses from New Zealand's 2019 vintage. For our fourth and final night, we focus on methode traditional rose and of course champagne. Read more....
CA DEL BOSCO AND CHAMPAGNE We hesitated before we put the title on this tasting. It is tempting to put 'Ca del Bosco versus Champagne' but it is not a tasting whereby we pick a winner, more of an exploration of the styles. Our expectation is that we will enjoy every wine for its own charm and personality. The story of Ca del Bosco began in the 1960's when Anna Maria Zanella bought a little house surrounded by chestnut trees in little known area called Franciocorta, where she planted vines. For her son Maurizio, it was a lightning bolt that ignited a vision, he then went to Champagne and came back determined to make something similar. What was once a Chestnut wood has now become one of the most trailblazing wineries in Italy. On the flip side we have the champagnes - as far as history and marketing themselves goes, as a region they are unbeatable. This will be a fun evening with a little bit of serious thrown in as we taste through these wines.
WHEN: Wednesday 14 August WHERE: Glengarry Thorndon, 53 Hutt Rd Thorndon TIME: 6.00pm
Read more....
MEET THE WINE MAKER | RICHARD PAINTER, LEFT FIELD Like all great wine makers, Richard ‘fell’ into a passion for wine. While studying Geography at the University of Otago, Richard worked numerous bar jobs. He soon found a love for wine, and the science behind the wine making process. It was only natural for him to start making wine, and thus, enjoying the best of both worlds.
WHEN: Wednesday 21 August WHERE: Glengarry Mt Eden Village, 417 Mount Eden Road Mount Eden TIME: 7.00pm
Working through various wine making regions of NZ and the USA, Richard eventually found his home in the Hawke's Bay, and the bold red wines that the Gimblett Gravels produce. After three years as the assistant wine maker for Vidal, he now leads the team at Te Awa. Join us for a night of great yarns and great wines from Te Awa's Left Field range. Read more....
ANNUAL 1ST GROWTH BORDEAUX TASTING - THE INCREDIBLE 2016 VINTAGE As Bordeaux specialists, each year when the latest vintage of En Primeur arrives, we like to taste the best of the best. The 1st Growths are the greatest Cabernet and Merlot dominant wines in the world and have held this position for hundreds of years. Embark on the vinous journey of a lifetime, as we taste our way through over $14k worth of the magnificent 2016 vintage. It was thought 2015 would be hard to top, but now in bottle 2016 is even better, and looking like one of the finest vintages of all time. This is a very rare opportunity to try these phenomenal Bordeaux side by side and hear the history and stories of each Chateau.
WHEN: Thursday 22 August WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park, 118 Wellesley St West Auckland TIME: 7.00pm
Click to see what we will be tasting...
MALT CLUB | GLENMORANGIE GRAND VINTAGE 1991 LAUNCH Tonight we will be getting an exclusive look at the new 1991 Grand Vintage single malt, the 4th release in this series. With Glenmorangie one of the first distilleries to release and market a cask finished single malt we will taste through their extended maturation range, the likes of Lasanta and Quinta Ruban, before finishing the evening with the 1991 which was aged in ex Oloroso Sherry casks and finished in Burgundy barrels. WHEN: Wednesday 28 August WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park, 118 Wellesley St West Auckland TIME: 7.00pm
Read more....
WESTMERE WINE CLUB AUGUST | LEFT FIELD WITH RICHARD PAINTER Left Field is part of the Te Awa Collection, a trio of entities fashioned by the able and experienced winemaking team of Richard Painter and Ant Mackenzie, its pulse emanating from the heart of Hawke's Bay's globally regarded Gimblett Gravels. The winemakers literally went to the left side of the vineyard in their search for inspiration, and while these are not edgy explorations of obscure varietals, they are nonetheless finely executed expressions made by expert winemakers, approachable, consumer-oriented and much more than a mere branding exercise. Painter and Mackenzie source their fruit from selected premium regional vineyards to craft wines that are sophisticated without being stand-offish.
WHEN: Thursday 22 August WHERE: Glengarry Westmere, 164 Garnet Rd Westmere TIME: 7.00pm
Read more....
TAKAPUNA WINECLUB | DOG POINT VINEYARD WITH MATT SUTHERLAND
WHEN: Tuesday 3 September WHERE: Glengarry Takapuna, Cnr Hurstmere & Killarney Takapuna TIME: 7.00pm
Since 2002 Dog Point Vineyard have earned local and international acclaim for their take on classic Marlborough wines. Certified organic and with a passion for regional distinctiveness, Dog Point are also known and unusual for their focus being on just three varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. For this tasting we will taste their expressions of these classic varieties, and with a spotlight on their barrel fermented and aged Sauvignon Blanc - the Section 94. Produced from some of the oldest vines in Marlborough, the Section 94 is a unique style of wine that not only is markedly different in tasting profile from a more "traditional" New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, but one can also be cellared and aged. Read more....
FINE WINES OF NEW ZEALAND | CHARDONNAY Glengarry Wines are putting together two unique master classes in August to celebrate the Fine Wines of New Zealand 2019 list. These evenings will be hosted by Sam Harrop MW, one of the team who selected the wines for the list, and winemakers from each winery. The first evening will be focused on Chardonnay, looking at recent and past vintages from four of the wineries in the Fine Wines list. The second will be on New Zealand’s up and coming red wine star, Syrah, as with the Chardonnay looking at recent and past vintages. These will be memorable and unique events that will sell out. The Chardonnay Master Class will include Dog Point, Greywacke, Kumeu River and Neudorf. Read more....
That's it for this week's Sunday Sediment. Issue One Hundred and Six will be winging its way to your inbox next Sunday. Cheers,
Jak Jakicevich
WHEN: Wednesday 4 September WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park, 118 Wellesley St West Auckland TIME: 7.00pm