Whether in a theatre gallery or art gallery, it’s a place where one’s senses are aroused. A flamboyant variety like Gewürztraminer also makes an emphatic appeal to the senses with its exotic and perfumed bouquet and lingering finish.
2023 Vintage
Seductive aromas of white spice and rose petals, this dry style has a muscat character with hints of crystallized ginger, and a full-bodied palate which is elegant and everlasting.” Olly Masters (Winemaker)
Vintage Notes
Overall, it was an excellent season in Central Otago with warm temperatures and very little rainfall. Early in the season, cool and cloudy weather impacted flowering which had us concerned about the subsequent fruit set but it wasn’t an issue. The warm and settled conditions throughout the season enabled excellent canopy growth. There was much less
impact from the usual spring winds and we had some well-timed rain at the end of the season. All these factors resulted in above average berry weights with bunch numbers also high from the previous season’s ideal conditions. This resulted in a record total crop, and whilst positive, the conditions did require an extra level of vineyard management with multiple row passes to ensure quality was maintained. This Gewürztraminer was hand-picked at 4.4 T/ha and Growing Degree Days (GDDs) were 1167.
Food Match
Gewürztraminer is an extremely food-friendly wine that’s perfect with spicy food (Thai, Indian, and Mexican) as well as rich German-style schnitzel and sausages. It is also a particularly good match with pungent and soft cheeses, (oily) wild game, foie gras, and smoked salmon.
Details
| Region | Central Otago, New Zealand | Vineyard | Estate-grown, single vineyard |
| Sub-region | Bendigo | Variety/ Clones | 456 |
| Planting | 2005, Altitude: 288 – 313m | Harvested | 17 April 2023 |
| Harvest Analysis | Brix: 25.2 / pH: 3.52 / TA: 4.7 g/l | Bottled | 23 August 2023 (Stelvin closure) |
| Wine Analysis | Alc: 14% / pH: 3.43 / TA: 4.3 g/l | Cellaring | 1 – 6+ years |
| Residual Sugar | 3.2 g/l | Style | Dry |
Winemaking
This year bunch weights were a bit lighter–lower crops can cause vines to go into a more vegetative growth cycle and ripening took a little longer. Phenolics (tannin) are an important consideration with Gewürztraminer, hence 100% of the fruit was whole bunch pressed. We fermented 100% of the wine in older French oak barrels to help extend the palate length. Wild yeasts were used for 50% of the barrels and the remainder inoculated with commercial yeast. All the ferments proceeded well and finished near dry (3g/L). The resulting wine still shows intense varietal expression and has a gentle palate.
