Glengarry's Sunday ramblings of all things vinous, grain and glorious. The Sunday Sediment. Issue Ninety-Seven Sarah, Welcome to the Ninety-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.
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JUNE WINE LETTER 252 | ITALY
Our love affair with the home of artists, gladiators, sinking cities and pizza goes back to the dawn of time when the first Glengarry store was just a cave in a hill, and we’ve been importing beautifully designed Italian gems to titillate New Zealand’s tastebuds ever since. Italians do the quality to value ratio extremely well. They are also fiercely proud of their regional fare, and tend to eat and drink the stuff made just down the road; thus a proliferation of vinos based on indigenous varieties can be found throughout the Italian wine portfolio. We source our imports from the length and breadth of Italy, ticking off the top wine-producing regions, benchmark producers and whatever new up-and-coming gems we can uncover. From everyday tasty tipples to the serious top-end titans, Italy really does have something for everybody. Read More..
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ITALY | VENETO
Veneto delivers great value Soave, Valpolicella and Bardolino wines. Less than half of the wine produced is able to be labelled with the Italian quality mark of DOC, with large quantities of IGT (table wine) produced there, making it an important region for quantity. It is also home to the superstar Amarone, and to the sparkling Prosecco wines made in ConeglianoValdobbiadene.
PASQUA
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They're very cosmopolitan, the Brothers Pasqua, as far from the image of the peasant Italian winemaker as you could possibly imagine. One of Italy's leading independent, privately-owned wine companies, Pasqua are also one of the few wineries of the Veneto region to actually headquarter themselves in the heart of the commercial district in the middle of the city of Verona.
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In balance to their urbane air, the family have 80 years of experience working the land here, and have been big drivers of the region's success, ensuring wines like Soave and Valpolicella are known throughout the winedrinking world. The Pasqua family are dedicated to producing high-quality grapes and making great value wines that artfully express the character of the Italian wine regions. While they do produce exceptional value entry-level wines, Pasqua also have a reputation for crafting beautifully made, top-end and Amarone-style expressions. Read More..
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CHAMPAGNE | POL ROGER
With power and elegance its hallmark, Pol Roger has been producing some of the world’s finest champagnes for more than 160 years. Founded in 1849, the company is one of the few Grandes Marques houses still familyowned and operated. Pol Roger holds some 92 ha of vines surrounding Epernay that provide a good percentage of its needs. The balance is sourced mainly from Premier cru and Grand cru vineyards averaging 95 points. That ranks Pol Roger close to the highest quality
From 2001 to 2011, the winery underwent a
classification possible among the Grandes
complete renovation to ensure that each
Marques.
individual cuvee is vinified to optimum quality and consistency levels. Prior to blending, each fruit parcel is separated by village, grower and grape variety. Once blended, each cuvee is dosed with a high percentage of reserve wine, hand-riddled and aged in the seven kilometres of cellars (at 9.5°C, the coolest in the region) that run beneath the Epernay chateau. In effect, every Pol Roger champagne is handmade. Nothing is outsourced, and production from vineyard to bottle is entirely controlled. Read More...
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ROCKBURN | SUPERB NEW SINGLE VINEYARD
Beyond their own exceptional sites, Rockburn source fruit from select vineyards around the many and varied sub-regions of Central Otago. Once in a while, the nuances of site and season conspire to generate fruit that is far too interesting to blend away, and Rockburn choose instead to bottle it as a single vineyard expression of terroir, distinct from their estate bottlings. The Chosen Pinot Noir 2018 is sourced from a Gibbston vineyard. Crafted for immediate enjoyment, this rare single vineyard wine can be drunk now, or cellared if you so choose. With no animal fining products, it’s a sure-fire vegan hit as well. Read More..
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ABOUTWINE | VEGA -SICILIA
Next up was Valbuena 5ยบ, the second wine from the Vega Sicilia Estate. This is made from around 95% Tinto Fino with 5% Merlot. Its name come from the fact it is aged for five years, between wood and in the bottle. French and American wood from new and used barrels and vats, a long and complex process for a There is no shortage of world class wine
great wine. We tasted the current release
tastings here at Glengarry. Many of them
2013, the 2011 and the 2010. Valbuena is
hosted by our Fine Wine Manager Regan
priced at around $230 a bottle and is a large
McCaffery. Last week was the wines of the
step up from ALION, the fruit being much
iconic Ribera del Duero producer Vega Sicilia.
darker and more intense, with a significantly
For over 150 years this was the choice of
longer aging potential.
Kings, and became the most famous, collected and expensive wine of Spain.
UNICO is the Vega Sicilia flagship at over $600 a bottle. The qualities of the majority Tinto Fino Although the estate name of Vega Sicilia was
and Cabernet sauvignon in different
first mentioned in 1577, the first vines were
proportions, are assembled to perfection in this
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only planted in 1864. Don Eloy Lecanda had
wine. After its fermentation in wooden vats, its
trained in winemaking in Bordeaux, and when
goes through what is probably the world’s
he first planted the vineyards, apart from the
longest ageing of a red wine, over 10 years
traditional Tempranillo he also included
between wood and bottle. The different stages
Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenere, Petit Verdot,
take place in different types of barrel: American
Malbec and, oddly enough, Pinot Noir, in his
and French wood, new and used 225-litre
plantings from 18,000 vine cuttings he brought
barrels, 20,000-litre vats, each batch is what
with him. The extensive use of Bordeaux
determines the type of wood and the time
varieties was unusual in the Ribera del Duero
spent in each container. After the stage in the
at the time. By 1882, Eloy Lecanda had
wood, it is aged in the bottle to complete a long
500,000 vines planted at Vega Sicilia. The
and complex ageing process. It will normally
estate’s two key labels – Valbuena and Unico
spend 6 years in wood and three to five years
were created in 1915, pioneering Vega Sicilia’s
in the bottle before release. We drank the
now signature winemaking process of long
UNICO 2006 which is stunning now, but will
periods of oxidative aging in barrel.
only reward further cellaring over the next twenty to thirty years. Incredibly concentrated and rich, but with a real delicacy and elegance due to its perfect balance.
We started with three vintages of ALION, their
Finally a very special wine, the Vega Sicilia
other estate in Ribera del Duero. Situated just
UNICO Reserva Especial. This is a red wine
15 miles from Vega Sicilia it was stablished in
with no vintage, that is a tribute to tradition that
1991 to produce a more modern style. Made
has fallen out of use in Spanish wineries.
from 100% Tinto Fino (Tempranillo), it is aged
Produced by means of the assemblage of
around 15 months in 100% new French oak.
different great harvests, this practice fell into
These three vintages perfectly showed the
disuse as the market found it hard to grasp the
progression of age, starting with the
concept. The Reserva Especial is their wine
concentrated 2014 where the oak was still
with the greatest personality, it combines the
noticeable, the 2011 which was much more
complexity of the UNICO multiplied by different
integrated and was starting to show some
vintages. Only the best years are used to
secondary characteristics. Finally the 2007
produce Reserva Especial, as such our bottles
which was a beautiful savoury example of a
were a blend of 1996, 1998 and 2002.
mature Ribera de Duero. At around $140 a
Remarkably it was showing almost no age
bottle this is great value for such a stunning
whatsoever, an immense immortal wine that
wine.
you must try once in your life. Read More..
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TASTINGS AND EVENTS
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
WHEN: Wednesday 28 August
aged in ex Oloroso Sherry casks and finished
WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park,
in Burgundy barrels.
118 Wellesley St West Auckland TIME: 7.00pm
Read more....
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NEW FROM THE GLENLIVET | JERVOIS RD Glengarry Spirits will play host to The Glenlivet brand Ambassador, David Wallace, to launch a new release from The Glenlivet range. Selected specifically for New Zealand, this Single Cask edition is ex American Oak and bottled at cask strength and with only 204 bottles produced we had better check one of them! We will also taste our way through the
WHEN: Friday 23 August
age range (12 year, 18 year and 25 year old)
WHERE: Glengarry Jervois Rd,
as well as the new Captains Reserve Cognac
54 Jervois Rd Ponsonby
finish.
TIME: 7.00pm
Read more....
BURGUNDY 2016 | THORNDON The 2016 Burgundy vintage was very complicated, you would almost think that they are getting used to this in Burgundy now as they seem to be constantly challenged by the weather, but 2016 seemed to throw everyhting at them. However the Burgundians have managed to make a silk purse out of a sows ear and produced a stunning vintage. There is a draw back and that is that yields are down, so much so that it is being described as a rare
WHEN: Wednesday 17 July
vintage. The wines are generally thought to be
WHERE: Glengarry Thorndon,
more classic and less weighty with intense fruit
53 Hutt Rd Thorndon TIME: 6.00pm
and fresh aromatic qualities. These wines are classic and unique and this is a great opportunity to gain insight in to this tricky vintage. We will taste two wines from four producers. Read more....
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MALT CLUB | WORLD'S SMALLEST INDEPENDENT BOTTLER, WEMYSS As an independent bottler of whisky, Wemyss (pronounced ‘weems’) is a family owned business based in Scotland and has a long association with whisky dating back to the turn of the 19th Century. Wemyss approach to whisky aims to select only the very highest quality of malt whiskies and in doing so make them more accessible and understandable by
WHEN: Thursday 11 July
using the tasting and aromas of individual
WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park,
whiskies to identify each bottling. Book your
118 Wellesley St West Auckland
seats for July’s Malt Club early because it will
TIME: 7.00pm
sell out! We’ll have the latest release bottlings full of eclectic drams, hand selected by Jak Jakicevich. Read more....
MOUNT EDEN WINE CLUB | CHAMPAGNE VS WORLD With centuries of experience, and a unique terroir, is it no wonder the Champagne Region is seen as the ancestral heart of sparkling wines. Though over the recent years, we have seen the popularity of previously overlooked styles, like Prosecco, rise across the global landscape. So how does it all stack up? Tonight, we will blind taste four different
WHEN: Thursday 4 July
Champagnes against various styles from Italy,
WHERE: Glengarry Mt Eden,
Australia, NZ, and Spain. Who knows, you may
417 Mount Eden Road Mount Eden
even find a new potential favourite for an
TIME: 7.00pm
upcoming Mid-Winter Christmas! Read more....
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HEROES OF THE BAROSSA - WITH CRAIG STANSBOROUGH & STUART BLACKWELL | AUCKLAND & WELLINGTON A very special evening with two of the greatest winemakers from the Barossa Valley. Grant Burge's family history in the region dates back to 1855, with their outstanding Meschach Shiraz one of Australias most iconic wines.
WELLINGTON WHEN: Thursday 3 July
Their chief winemaker Craig Stansborough has
WHERE: Glengarry Thorndon,
been with the company 24 years and was AUS winemaker of the year in 2014. St Hallett has
53 Hutt Rd Thorndon TIME: 6.00pm
been producing fine wines since it was
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established in 1944. No one knows the Barossa Valley better than senior winemaker Stuart Blackwell, who has been making wine there for over 40 years. These two produce wines from some of the oldest vineyards in the
AUCKLAND
world. Craig and Stuart know the nuances of
WHEN: Thursday 4 July
the region intimately, the seasons, the soil, and
WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park,
the varieties. They have a deep understanding
118 Wellesley St West Auckland
of the rich tapestry of site and climatic
TIME: 7.00pm
variances, but also an appreciation of the
Read more...
importance of dedicated growers and ‘old vine’Shiraz.
MALT CLUB | SMALL CRAFT DISTILLERIES OF THE WORLD As with craft beer, craft whisky has enjoyed a growing boom in the past couple decades with new distilleries popping up worldwide. There’s no rush when it comes to whisky distillation and the new kids on the block seem to welcome that. So, what does it mean to be a ‘craft distiller’ and how do they match up to the big guys in the market? Join us on the 27th
WHEN: Thursday 27 June
June as we explore their artisan with Jak
WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park,
covering Scotland, America and New Zealand.
118 Wellesley St West Auckland
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TIME: 7.00pm Read more....
ORNELLAIA & MASSETO - SUPER TUSCAN MASTERCLASS Tonight is a very special vertical tasting that we have been preparing for many years. Positioned in DOC Bolgheri district on the Tuscan coast of Western Italy, Tenuta dell'Ornellaia is one of the world's finest wine estates. For many connoisseurs, Ornellaia is more consistently excellent and polished than
WHEN: Thursday 20 June
its immediate neighbour Sassicaia, the original
WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park,
'Super Tuscan'. Ornellaia is also a classic
118 Wellesley St West Auckland
Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon,
TIME: 7.00pm
Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot. Read more....
PIEDMONT UNRAVELED | JERVOIS In June, our focus at Glengarry is on Italian wines. Italian wines can be confusing, and Piedmont is no exception. Barolo, Barbera, Barbaresco, Nebbiolo, Dolcetto, Cortese, Asti, Alba, Arneis, Turin, it goes on and on. The wines are awesome but even more so when you can get your head around them. Join us in the Jervois cellar to try and unravel some of this enjoyable mystery. As always, we will
WHEN: Wednesday 19 June
match the wines with dishes from Didas. This
WHERE: Glengarry Jervois Rd,
tasting is limited to 12 guests so please book
54 Jervois Rd Ponsonby
early.
TIME: 7.00pm
Read more....
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ITALIAN ROAD TRIP | THORNDON Italy is a country that is swimming in wine, but how do you which wine to buy? I have made it a personal mission to try as many Italian Wines as I can, from the brooding Barolos produced in Piedmont in the North to the sunshine vines of Sicily in the South, Italy has something for everyone. The range of styles varies tremendously, there are sweet effervescant bubbles, stylish Roses and of course their red WHEN: Wednesday 19 June
wines that they are renowned for. This is a
WHERE: Glengarry Thorndon,
great opportunity to try wines from different
53 Hutt Rd Thorndon
regions side by side. I will also be serving
TIME: 6.00pm
wonderful Italian cheeses and charcuterie as an accompaniment so we can immerse orurselves in all things Italian. Read more....
WESTMERE WINE CLUB - JUNE | WITH PATRICK FROM RIMU GROVE In the early 1990s, Patrick Stowe toured New Zealand, falling for Nelson’s Bronte Peninsular. He returned to buy seven hectares there and, in 1995, he established Rimu Grove. His philosophy was simple: do everything it takes to get the most out of the vineyard – hands-on, plenty of hard work, very little machinery but loads of buckets. Patrick loves great Burgundy,
WHEN: Wednesday 19 June
and believes if any country in the world was
WHERE: Glengarry Westmere,
tailor-made for Pinot Noir, it’s New Zealand,
164 Garnet Rd Westmere
with its intense sunshine, special soils and long
TIME: 7.00pm
growing period so perfect for ripening grapes: “The vineyard has a temperate, maritime microclimate with high sunshine hours. We don’t use machinery in the vineyard; it is entirely hand-managed to maintain low cropping levels and all the fruit is hand-picked.”
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Read more....
GLENGARRY WINE ACADEMY | STAGE ONE Over the last 20+ years, the Glengarry Wine Academy has established itself as one of the leading wine educators in New Zealand. Initially created to train Glengarry staff, it is also widely used by the hospitality industry and wine enthusiasts. Informative, but never intimidating, the Glengarry Wine Academy WHEN: Wednesday 12th June,
courses are an opportunity for beginners as
Wednesday 19th June,
well as experienced aficionados to expand
Wednesday 26th June, and Wednesday 3rd July
their knowledge and develop their interest.
WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park, In stage 1 you learn about the varieties, stage
118 Wellesley St West Auckland
2 you explore their differing personalities
TIME: 7.00pm
around the world. In Stage 3 you take a major look a key wine making regions in the world. This course dives under the cover, you learn all about the great wines of Bordeaux, Burgundy and many more. Read more....
MOUNT EDEN WINE CLUB | THE PECULIAR REDS OF THE MEDITERRANEAN With over 300 different red grape varieties across the globe, it's safe to say there will be a decent handful (or more accurately, a bucketful) of varieties you have yet to try – or have even heard of! We'll focus on the reds from Europe, where centuries of history helped carve the foundation of today's wine producing
WHEN: Thursday 13 June
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regions, from the Middle East to the Spanish
WHERE: Glengarry Mt Eden Village,
Coast.
417 Mount Eden Road Mount Eden TIME: 7.00pm
Tonight we will taste various grape varieties, and explore the different wine making traditions and regulations. Our tour will begin in Lebanon, one of the oldest wine producing regions, where the Phoenicians domesticated grapes 5000 years ago. Then we'll visit the northern Provinces of Italy, hike the volcanic slopes of Sicily, and finish with a quick visit to Galicia and Valencia of Spain. Read more....
TAKAPUNA WINE CLUB | THE VOLCANIC WINES OF ITALY Towering high over Sicily, Mt Etna was said to be the home of the fiery forges of Hephaestus. While still one of the world's most active volcanoes, more recent visitors might be forgiven for thinking that an association with Dionysus might have been just as appropriate. Indeed, Etna itself is the oldest of all DOCs in WHEN: Wednesday 12 June
Sicily, established before even the much more
WHERE: Glengarry Takapuna,
well-known Marsala denomination. Tonight, we
Cnr Hurstmere & Killarney Takapuna
will try some of these uniquely situated wines,
TIME: 7.00pm
tasting the range of Terrazze dell'Etna. Hand produced in small volumes atop incredibly inhospitable slopes, these are special wines. Don't miss the chance to try these back to back! Read more....
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ARDBEG CARNIVAL | GLENGARRY SPIRITS This year Ardbeg add a dash of carnival to their Ardbeg Day. They have released a limited edition bottling in Auckland that is retail exclusive to the Ardbeg Embassy at 54 Jervois Rd. Come and join us at Glengarry Spirits on June 1st for food, fun and tastings. Purchase the special Ardbeg, available from that day and only at out Glengarry Spirits store.
WHEN: Saturday 1 June WHERE: Glengarry Spirits,
Read more....
54 Jervois Rd Ponsonby TIME: 1.00pm
PYRAMID VALLEY 2019 RELEASE WITH HUW KINCH | AUCKLAND Pyramid Valley have been arguably New Zealand's most exciting and interesting producer for the last decade. But there's been a lot of change in North Canterbury over the last year, since this very special property was purchased by Brian Seth and Steve Smith MW. We went down recently and there was tension in the air, would the wines be as good? No
WHEN: Thursday 30 May
need to worry, they are every bit as good, and
WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park
so much is better! Everything is still
118 Wellesley Street, Auckland
biodynamically grown and made, but with more
TIME: 7.00pm
precision and clarity, as well as some exciting new wines! Read more....
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TAKAPUNA WINE CLUB | MEET THE WINEMAKER, GIANNI FLEGO A true New Zealand original, Villa Maria Wine Estates, is over 55 years old, proudly displayed in Glengarry Wineletters from the early days, front and centre. You do have to appreciate what it has taken over the years to get this world-class, family-owned winery to its prestigious position, and you can put it down to the talent, attention to detail, and sheer determination of its founder Sir George Fistonich and his team. Join us as Gianni Flego, one of Villa Maria's winemakers, takes us through the winemaking process and we taste some of the top Villa Maria wines. As always, we have limited seats, so secure yours now! Read more....
That's it for this week's Sunday Sediment. Issue Ninety-Eight will be winging its way to your inbox next Sunday. Cheers,
Jak Jakicevich
WHEN: Wednesday 29 May WHERE: Glengarry Takapuna, Cnr Hurstmere & Killarney Takapuna TIME: 7.00pm