Glengarry's Sunday ramblings of all things vinous, grain and glorious. The Sunday Sediment. Issue One Hundred and Seven
Welcome to the One Hundred and Seventh 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.
WINELETTER #254 AUGUST 2019 | AUSTRALIA
Overly-extracted; irritatingly bold, excessively alcoholic; are these your go-to Australian descriptors? Wine descriptors. Wine. When it comes to wine, these aren’t the terms you’re looking for, to coin a phrase; but, Australian wine has changed, mate, so sit up. While you’ll still come across your brash, white-noise Aussie wines, more and more of the Lucky Country’s winemakers are taking it back a notch, while making the most of the exceptional vine age they’re graced with. Much like venturing into the gobsmacking New Releases section of your digital music platform, the challenge is that when you’re standing in front of the shelves, you just don’t know what you’re looking at. To aid you in this venture and help you navigate, we’ve ditched the varietyregion- winery-type designations and divided the wines into ‘how they taste’ categories. You’re welcome. So climb down from your high horse, cobber, and come in for a cool, refreshing tipple. No worries, mate.
A massive wine glut, a need to compete for exports, a new generation of winemakers lovingly nurturing a different point of view; all of these things have had an impact. Many of those Next-Genners have travelled and then returned home with new ways of thinking, resulting in some very clever and accomplished winemakers currently plying their art across the ditch that are more than worthy of your attention.
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BOLD & OPULENT
A wee nod to the Old School styles, though not as derogatory as the previously stated descriptors. Looking for the tried and true? These are bold, full bodied and may benefit from a little cellaring. Read More..
PETER LEHMANN The famous Barossa wine region is a little over an hour by car north of Adelaide, South Australia’s capital and it is here that the Peter Lehmann Wines winery was built in 1979. The first vintage was processed in 1980 and in 1982 the winery was formally named Peter Lehmann Wines. From then on, its wines have been marketed under the Peter Lehmann Wines label.
As well as purchasing grapes from about 185 local independent growers, Peter Lehmann Wines has its own vineyards, which produce about 2% of its requirements. Chief winemaker Andrew Wigan heads the four person team of talented winemakers and it is the contribution of
all members that goes into making Peter Lehmann Wines. Sadly Peter Lehmann passed away on June 28, 2013. His contribution to the industry as a whole was acknowledged in 2009 with an International Wine Challenge Lifetime Achievement Award. Read More..
CHATEAU MONT REDON | RHONE VALLEY ROYALTY
Established in 1344 (a full century-and-a-half before Christopher Columbus ‘discovered’ the New World), Château Mont-Redon is one of the oldest wine-producing estates in France, as well as the largest single property in Chateauneufdu-Pape. Along with all that provenance, there’s a new focus on taking things into the future, with quality ever at the forefront. A recent change has seen managers Jean Abeille and Didier Fabre retire and the next generation take the lead, with Pierre Fabre at the helm. Recent upgrades include an optical sorting machine, whereby a photo is taken of every single berry to determine whether it meets the criteria, with only the best ones kept. Next off
the press is a Gigondas which Pierre has made from grapes purchased off a great site. MontRedon also own vineyards in the Lirac and Cotes du Rhone appellations, as well as undertaking a foray into Provencal rose via their Chateau Riotor label. Fingers, pies, and all that. Included in the line-up this month is the 2018 white Cotes du Rhone, a new import for us. Made up of around 55% Viognier, the balance of the blend is Grenache Blanc and Roussanne. An ideal wine for early drinking, unlike the Chateauneuf-du-Pape Blanc, which is made for aging. Read More..
A TASTE OF NELSON | SMALL PLAYERS ON A BIG STAGE
Nelson has been attracting artists, artisans and lifestylers for decades and this is, in some ways, reflected in the wineries one finds in the South
Island’s most northerly wine region. Producing just over 3% of New Zealand’s wine, it is somewhat overshadowed by big-noting regional siblings like Marlborough and Central Otago; but the intrigue of Nelson is that it is not so easily classified. The soil types and mesoclimates of the vineyards vary considerably, delivering a diversity of styles and character. Wineries are mainly located in the Upper Moutere, Waimea Plains and Brightwater sub-regions, and the whole region enjoys a sunny maritime climate boasting warm daytime temperatures moderated by sea breezes. Most of the wineries are small, boutique-style family operations, often run on sustainable and/or BioGrow principles. The quality is excellent, the expressions offering plenty of versatility to go with their distinctive terroir-driven qualities. These are great food wines, and well worth the investment. Read More..
TASTINGS AND EVENTS
DEVONPORT WINE CLUB | CARRICK WINES Located in the heart of Bannockburn, Carrick vineyards grow classic Central Otago Pinot Noir, as well as Pinot Gris, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. Fully organic, they also produce a number of natural wines. Devonport Glengarry is fortunate to have Rosie, the new winemaker for Carrick, available to talk you
WHEN: Wednesday 14 August WHERE: Glengarry Devonport, Cnr Clarence & Wynyard Devonport TIME: 7.00pm
through a selection of their wines, and answer any questions you may have about the wine, region, or winemaking process. Read more....
MICHEL GROS BURGUNDY | NEW VS OLD Vosne Romanee is the greatest Pinot Noir village in the world, and the Gros family dynasty there dates back to 1830. Michel is the oldest of Jean Gros's children, and took over the family Domaine from his father in 1975. He produces some very fine wine, and has had repeated accolades over the years, including being the 'International Wine Challenge’s Red Winemaker of the Year' two years running (2009-2010). These are powerful concentrated Burgundies that age superbly, made using using heavily toasted barrels as his father before him. Tonight our Fine Wine Manager Regan McCaffery, will lead us through the history of the Domaine, and then compare the fantastic 2016 vintage against an older bottling of the same wine.
WHEN: Thursday 15 August WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park, 118 Wellesley St West Auckland n TIME: 7.00pm
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TAKAPUNA WINE CLUB | ESCARPMENT WITH LARRY MCKENNA Escarpment Vineyard was established in 1999 as a joint business venture between Robert and Mem Kirby (of Australia's Village Roadshow), and Larry and Sue McKenna. Collectively, these four directors bring to Escarpment a world of experience, skill and understanding.
WHEN: Thursday 15 August WHERE: Glengarry Takapuna, Cnr Hurstmere & Killarney Takapuna TIME: 7.00pm
Larry has firmly established himself as a leading winemaker in these parts and is particularly renowned and respected as one of New Zealand's pre-eminent Pinot Noir producers. Referred to by various wine writers and authorities as everything from the Prince of Pinot Noir, to the Godfather of Pinot Noir, to a Pinot Noir legend, Larry McKenna has built himself a solid reputation for understanding and
gaining the best out of this typically stubborn and capricious grape. 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. 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.
WHEN: Wednesday 21 August WHERE: Glengarry Mt Eden Village, 417 Mount Eden Road Mount Eden TIME: 7.00pm
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GREY LYNN WINE CLUB | BORDEAUX
WHEN: Wednesday 21 August WHERE: Glengarry Grey Lynn, 23 Williamson Ave Grey Lynn TIME: 7.00pm
To celebrate the opening of our new tasting room at Glengarry Grey Lynn, Liz will be presenting a Bordeaux tasting that will see you sampling some of the very finest wines of the region - you’ll leave with an abundance of new knowledge and stories in tow. The line-up has been set: The tasting will start with Aile d’Argent Blanc, the white wine of Bordeaux first growth, the legendary Chateau Mouton Rothschild. From there we’ll explore ...Read more....
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. Read more....
WHEN: Wednesday 28 August WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park, 118 Wellesley St West Auckland TIME: 7.00pm
WESTMERE WINE CLUB AUGUST | LEFT FIELD WITH RICHARD PAINTER
WHEN: Thursday 22 August WHERE: Glengarry Westmere, 164 Garnet Rd Westmere TIME: 7.00pm
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. Read more....
BEST OF 2016 BORDEAUX | WELLINGTON The 2016 Vintage has again set a new benchmark for Bordeaux, at this stage it is looking like it will surpass the superb 2015s. This is an opportunity to try some of the finest wines in the world, from each of the major
appellations (including some 100 point Chateau), without the millionaire price tag of the 1st Growths. We will be tasting Chateau Carbonnieux Blanc - Graves 2016, La Fleur Petrus Pomerol 2016, Belair Monange - St Emilion 2016, Domaine de Chevalier - PessacLeognan 2016, Pavillion Rouge du Chateau Margaux - Margaux 2016, Pichon Lalande Pauillac 2016, Leoville Barton - St Julian 2016, Cos d'Estournel - St Estephe 2016.
WELLINGTON WHEN: Wednesday 28 August WHERE: Glengarry Thorndon, 53 Hutt Rd Thorndon TIME: 6.00pm
AUCKLAND WHEN: Thursday 29 August WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park, 118 Wellesley St West Auckland TIME: 7.00pm
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.
WHEN: Wednesday 4 September WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park, 118 Wellesley St West Auckland TIME: 7.00pm
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THE WORLD'S FINEST SHERRY | WITH GUILLERMO ARCE FROM VALDESPINO "The World's Oldest and Most Outstanding Sherry Producer".
WHEN: Thursday 5 September WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park, 118 Wellesley St West Auckland TIME: 7.00pm
The Valdespino family have been involved in the sherry trade since 1430, making Valdespino the oldest sherry Bodegas in existance. Tonight Guillermo Arce is here from Jerez in Southern Spain, to present the oldest and and finest of all of their V.O.R.S bottlings(Very Old Rare Sherries). These Soleras were established towards the end of the 19th Century, and are amongst the greatest and most expensive sherries ever produced. Each one represents over 100 years of careful selection by generations of expert cellar masters. Read more....
CHAMPAGNE | DAVID VS GOLIATH They say 'great things come in small packages'. As for Champagne, one can equally say that
they also come in large packages, with some houses producing nearly 28 million bottles of deliciousness every year. In recent years, we have seen the rise of Grower Champagnes (the David if you will), producing unique styles reflective of a single village’s terroir. A style which largely contrasts the larger houses, who create blends from multiple cuvees across variable landscapes and with a bucket load more reserve wine to provide some extra depth. Join us and come try and pick out the David of four pairings, or simply be seduced by the charm and finesse that is champagne; Grower or not. Read more....
That's it for this week's Sunday Sediment. Issue One Hundred and Eight will be winging its way to your inbox next Sunday. Cheers,
Jak Jakicevich
WHEN: Thursday 26 September WHERE: Glengarry Mt Eden Village, 417 Mount Eden Road Mount Eden TIME: 7.00pm