Gladstone Vineyard – 2012 Summer Releases

FEATURED WINES IN THIS REVIEW

• Gladstone Vineyard Gladstone Riesling 2011
  Riesling from New Zealand - Wairarapa & Wellington

  Review Date : 02-Feb-2012

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Fruit from the ‘Winery Block' from 25 y.o. vines, hand-picked and WBP, then cool-fermented to 11.9% alc. and 7 g/L rs. The TA is high 9.3 g/L with a low 2.85 pH. Very pale straw colour with green hues, this has a delicate and fine, tightly bound, pure nose of lime juice, green apples, acacia florals and minerals. Very dry and tightly crisp, the acidity is mouthwatering. Concentrated and fine-textured, the palate features a flavour core of apples and limes infused with minerals. Nuances unfold slowly with time in the glass and the wine has excellent line and good length. The wine is youthful and somewhat austere at present, but will develop to show much greater interest and become richer with bottle age. It is a good candidate for the cellar, and will keep another 6-8+ years and no doubt merit a higher rating. Serve as an aperitif or with shellfish. 17.5+/20 Feb 2012 RRP $25.00
• Gladstone Vineyard Gladstone Viognier 2011
  Viognier from New Zealand - Wairarapa & Wellington

  Review Date : 02-Feb-2012

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Bright, pale, green-hued straw-yellow colour, pale on edge. This is elegant and well-proportioned on bouquet with good depth of exotic floral perfumes with notes of fresh herbs. Very tight, pure and minerally, this is clearly youthful. Dry to taste and medium-weighted, the flavours are tightly bound, but intense and penetrating. Attractive pure floral-infused nectarine and apricot notes show, and the palate is linear and driven with fresh, lively acidity which leads to a moderately long, steely finish. A tight, linear and racy Viognier, showing cool elegance and cut. This will become richer over the next 3+ years. Match with seafood and poultry. ‘Dakins Road' block fruit hand-picked, WBP and stainless-steel fermented to 13.3% alc. and 1.79 g/L rs, the wine given lees work. 17.0+/20 Feb 2012 RRP $28.00
• Gladstone Vineyard Gladstone Pinot Noir 2010
  Pinot Noir from New Zealand - Wairarapa & Wellington

  Review Date : 25-Mar-2013

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Good depth of colour, ruby-red with some purple still, a little garnet also. This is tight and firm on bouquet, showing density and depth, with ripe, dark red berry fruit aromas, the nose quite fine in its fragrance in expression. Medium-full bodied, red berry fruits and dark plum flavours form a deep core. There is good structure and tannin extraction and balanced acidity. Together, this has a linearity to the core, and the wine has sweetness and drive with liveliness and tension. Very subtle herb interest is apparent, and the wine shows well with good aromatic character. This has developed well in the bottle, becoming richer and sweeter. 18.5+/20 Mar 2013 Clones 5, 6, 13, 115, 667, 777 and Abel from the ‘Dakins Road' and ‘Gladstone' blocks, hand-picked, given a cold soak and fermented to 14.5% alc., the wine spending up to 4 weeks on skins. The wine was aged 10 months in 30% new French oak. Moderately deep ruby-red colour with purple hues, light on rim. This has a bold and lively nose of dark red berry fruits along with savoury dried herb and spice aromas, the oak in good balance, all forming a concentrated and deep amalgam of interest. Medium-full bodied, this has a concentrated and rich array of flavours with dark red berry fruits, herbs, game and spicy oak that unfold and fill the palate. The wine has balanced tannin extraction, the textures tending soft and round, providing attractive suppleness, with restrained acidity enhancing the richness. The wine carries a sustained finish of savoury red fruits. This is a full-flavoured and bold wine showing an array of complex flavours that will match mushroom and duckdishes over the next 4-6 years. 18.5-/20 Feb 2012 RRP $45.00