To celebrate #DrinkChenin Day we are offering a 10% discount on all our delicious Chenin Blanc wines until Sunday 17th June 2018! Use the discount code FFWChenin10 at checkout to receive 10% off your purchases and enjoy a delicious glass of chilled Chenin Blanc.
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International Pinot Noir Day – 18th August 2018
Happy Pinot Noir Day
Today is International Pinot Noir Day, and to join in the celebrations around the world, we are offering a 10% discount on our fantastic range of Pinot Noir wines.
Enter discount code 2018PN10 at checkout
(offer valid until Sunday 19th August)
Frontier Fine Wines has a portfolio of award winning Pinot Noir from Chile, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa to suit all palates and style preferences.
Our range includes Pinot Noirs from some of the most admired New World Pinot Noir Pioneers including Escarpment, Bouchard Finlayson, Paul Cluver and Catherine Marshall.
Pinot Noir is one of the world’s most popular grape varieties, with its wonderfully heady perfumes, and thrillingly pure, sweet, red berry flavours of raspberry, loganberry, mulberry, cherry and strawberry.
Its the grape that stars in some of the world’s most expensive and rare red wines when grown in its home territory of Burgundy, however is making a home for itself in the New World, with some fantastic (and amazing value for money) wines now being produced.
Place your order on one of our New World Pinot Noir gems today.
Belhara Estate Wines from Argentina
Frontier Fine Wines are delighted to be stocking a new range of Argentinean wines from Belhara Estate, a family owned winery with it’s Estate Vineyards located in the high altitudes of the prestigious Uco Valley Of Mendoza, within the premium appellations of Altamira, Gualtallary and Tupungato.
The estate is comprised of 3 estate vineyards with altitudes between 1100 and 1400 meters above sea level. Belhara Estate focuses on crafting artisanal red blends and single vineyard wines with their 180 hectares of planted vineyards, some of which include 80 year old vines for some of their Malbec, Cabernet Franc and Bonarda varietal plantings.
Stephen Huse, Owner and Director of Winemaking received his formal training at the University of Bordeaux obtaining a Diploma of Enology as well as a Master of Science in Winemaking & Viticulture. Before taking up the reigns at Belhara in 2013. Stephen subsequently worked for wineries such as Chateau Margaux and Mouton Rothschild in France, followed by Harlan Estate and Merryvale Vineyards in the Napa Valley.
We are offering an introductory 10% discount on our new Belhara Estate range of wines by entering discount code BEW10 at checkout. This offer is valid until Wednesday 31st October 2018 and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offers.
Groote Post’s The Old Man’s Blend Wines ideal for Father’s Day
It’s Father’s Day on Sunday 16th June 2019, the perfect day for Dad to enjoy The Old Man’s Blend wines from Groote Post: Serious Wines at Seriously Good Prices!
The Old Man’s Blend range came into being in 2001 at the behest of Groote Post’s ‘Old Man’, Peter Pentz, who asked the family to blend him a red wine to enjoy as his winter evening tipple. The enormous popularity of The Old Man’s Blend Red established a Groote Post tradition, with The Old Man’s Blend White subsequently added to the range.
Groote Post’s The Old Man’s Blend White 2017
This wine is a blend of Sauvignon Blanc, Chenin Blanc and Semillon. The varietals are vinified separately, then blended in different ratios until the blend meets The Old Man’s approval. Displaying gorgeous tropical fruit notes, a fresh lively acidity livens the palate and lovely guava and green apple flavours linger on the finish.
Groote Post’s The Old Man’s Blend Red 2017
This wine is a blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz and Cabernet Franc. During the winemaking and wood maturation, the cultivars are kept apart, and The Old Man takes part in rigorous tasting sessions to decide on the final blend. This is a down-to-earth, ripe-fruit-driven blend. Cherry, mulberry and cedar wood are prominent on the nose with soft tannins on the palate giving a smooth finish.
Groote Post’s The Old Man’s Blend wines, seriously good wines at seriously good prices.
THE RISE OF QUOIN ROCK: A STELLENBOSCH ICON RETURNS
Frontier Fine Wines are delighted to be stocking a new range of South African wines from acclaimed Stellenbosch estate Quoin Rock, who relaunched their range of premium wines in 2018, six years after the Gaiduk family purchased the 200-hectare farm on the western slopes of the Simonsberg Mountains.
“This region is known as the Napa Valley of South Africa. If you want to create the very best red wine, this is the place to be,” says Denis Gaiduk, Managing Director of Quoin Rock.
When the Gaiduk family took ownership of the estate in 2012 “We could see the enormous potential on the property, all the basics were there,” explains viticulturist Nico Walters, who set to work on three years of intensive rehabilitation across the farm which involved rejuvenating neglected vineyards, uprooting poorly performing blocks, and replanting 11 hectares of vine to introduce new clones and cultivars to the farm. Today, 36 hectares of vineyard are spread across the 200-hectare property, allowing plenty of room for future expansion.
Walters also looks after an additional 11 hectares of vineyards on Boskloof farm, Quoin Rock’s sister-property in the Elim district on the windswept Agulhas Plain. Here the cool climate and extreme coastal terroir create memorable Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, with grapes high in acidity and minerality offering the perfect foil to the fruit-forward vineyards of Stellenbosch.
With premium grapes arriving from two unique vineyard sites, it’s no surprise that Quoin Rock winemaker Jacques Maree likes to take a hands-off approach in the cellar. “We want to be as true to our terroir as possible. We have a particular style of wine that we want to produce, but that process begins in the vineyard. It’s about respecting the terroir and what the vineyards give us,” says Maree.
Along with a dedication to rejuvenating the farm’s unique vineyards, Quoin Rock has seen major investment in updating to the latest cellar technology. Quoin Rock’s modern cellar facilities allow Maree enormous freedom to experiment, with individual vineyard blocks harvested at optimal ripeness and each vinified separately to provide a complex palate of blending components. While the new technology ultimately makes the winemaking process easier, “in the end it’s all about improving the quality of the wines,” says Maree.
That certainly shows in the flagship release, the Quoin Rock Red Blend 2015. A three-way Bordeaux-style blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (66%), Cabernet Franc (19%) and Merlot (15%), it’s a fruit-forward wine with firm tannins, and a luscious combination of dark berries, leather, cassis and cranberry notes.
There’s similar intensity in the Quoin Rock Shiraz 2015, with fruit sourced from its Stellenbosch vineyards. “It’s a layered wine,” says Maree. “There are plenty of dark fruits, but it still has some white pepper spice and floral jasmine notes. On the palate it’s a bold wine without being flabby. The acidity cuts neatly through the density of the wine, giving a lengthy finish.”
While this corner of the Simonsberg is notable for producing world-class red wines, Quoin Rock’s unique terroir ensures its white varietals are equally superb. The Quoin Rock Chardonnay 2017 is crafted from a blend of vineyards, marrying the riper tropical flavours of Stellenbosch fruit with the citrus and lime character of the Elim vineyards. The Elim grapes are fermented in egg shaped concrete and wooden vessels to preserve freshness, followed by 10 months of maturation in barrel before blending and bottling. The result? “A fresh style of Chardonnay that still has good body. There’s a creamy mid-palate, but with good acidity,” says Maree. “I like to bottle my white wines a little earlier to capture the fresh fruit components.”
For the Quoin Rock White Blend 2017, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc (85%) and Semillon (15%), Maree and Walters work with fruit from both Stellenbosch and Elim to create a layered, complex white wine in the Bordeaux tradition. The Sauvignon Blanc is predominantly sourced from Stellenbosch vineyards planted high on the property, the altitude ensuring a cooling ocean effect. To add further complexity a small component of Sauvignon Blanc from Elim is included in the blend, introducing acidity and minerality to the tropical notes of the Stellenbosch fruit.
An enticing addition to the portfolio is the inclusion of a dessert wine; the Quoin Rock Vine-Dried Sauvignon Blanc 2017. Unlike a Noble Late Harvest, which requires the spontaneous formation of noble rot, Quoin Rock’s skilled viticultural team work carefully in the vineyards to produce a sweet wine high in acidity and intense in flavour. This is achieved by crimping the vine stems in the last weeks of harvest. By stemming the flow of water and nutrients to the grapes, “you hit the pause button on the grape’s development,” explains Walters. But with the grape still exposed to the sun and winds of Stellenbosch in the hot harvest season, the bunches begin to shrivel and dry out, intensifying the flavours and sugars in the grape. After careful vinification the result is a sweet wine in perfect balance, the high acidity off-setting the sweetness and intensity of tropical fruit notes. Made in the style of iconic French cellar Château d’Yquem, “I suggest that it is served ice cold,” says Maree. “That helps the acidity cut through the viscosity of the sugar.”
Alongside the flagship Quoin Rock portfolio is the premium Namysto range, a pair of more accessible wines made for earlier enjoyment. Namysto means ‘necklace’ in Ukrainian, and the label artwork highlights the cultural link between Africa and the Ukraine, the home country of the Gaiduk family. “The Namysto wines are made in a different style to our Quoin Rock range,” explains Maree. “We have really focused on the drinkability of the wine, working towards ripe and juicy fruit notes with softer tannin structures.”
The Namysto Shiraz / Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 blend is a fine example of this approach, blending the structure and tannin of Cabernet Sauvignon with the fruit forward character of Shiraz.
Awarded a Gold Medal at the 2019 International Wine Challenge, the Namysto Sauvignon Blanc / Semillon 2017 does the same for the Bordeaux cultivars of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon, with a perfect balance of vibrant tropical fruit and freshness.
Last, but certainly not least, is the launch of the Quoin Rock Méthode Cap Classique 2013. A classic blend of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, the current release spent a remarkable 52 months in bottle, maturing on the lees, resulting in a memorable bubbly of crisp minerality on the nose, and a palate brimming with green apple, honey-oats and lime. The perfect wine to celebrate the rebirth of Quoin Rock!
Why the higher alcohol levels?
Talk often turns to an apparent increase in alcohol by volume, in modern wine. More specifically, talk often arrives with a negative tone as “more mature” individuals hark back to the good old days, where the alcoholic volume of most wines rarely seemed to exceed 12.5%… Indeed, 12.5% alcohol seemed almost as consistent as the 75cl bottle within which the various liquids were contained! Why are alcohols seemingly so much greater these days?
What changed, where, when and why?!
Initially I think it is fair to say that Mother Nature has a few things to answer for. As global warming has seemingly fast-tracked in recent years, sending shockwaves through the marginal wine growing regions of the world, the ability to attain phenolic as well as physical ripeness is greatly improved. In short, when you attain full ripeness, potential alcohol increases. The decision to harvest is in the hands of the winemaker – part of their intuition, their ethos and ultimately, their potential genius. In years gone by, making wine could become very much a painting by numbers exercise, regardless of each vintage’s individual characteristic or limitation. Nowadays the modern viticulture and vinification techniques on hand aid and assist growers to enhance their offering naturally, which allows for greater sun exposure and ripeness in the vineyard, which therefore increases potential alcohol. Perhaps higher alcohol is more of a 21st Century phenomenon?
Another phenomenon of the modern wine market place is that of the “critic”. Step forward Mr Parker, a man famous for his attraction to rich, densely-flavoured wine styles. Chasing the critic scores helps to increase a wine’s desirability in the market place and make the growers more money – it seems logical that if your wine appeals to a certain palate, you will be rewarded in points. So why not turn up the dials during production? Stories are rife of “special Parker bottles”, presented to the man himself by unscrupulous wine producers during en primeur tastings. Seemingly a particular barrel had been manipulated to present the château in the best light possible, to ensure a high score. Raisening of grapes on the vine, particularly in St-Emilion, has also hit the news. Bordeaux’s take on Amarone? Seemingly so….
Beyond production, selection of varietal as well as trends towards the New World have altered perception of potential alcohols. Grenache is a variety which has high potential alcohol, as is Mourvèdre. These varieties are finding a place in more and more blends around the world. As far as regions go, I don’t believe that there is a wine-loving individual alive who doesn’t associate higher than average alcohol with… say… Barossa Shiraz. One of Australia’s leading regions for the cultivation of the country’s most famous red grape variety, it is synonymous with bold, richly-fruited, concentrated styles with a higher than usual alcohol content. Recently I read an interview with Julian Barrot of Domaine Barroche in Châteauneuf du Pape. As a region it too has had its critics when it comes to alcohol content. Julian’s reaction was a simple one;
“For us, the alcohol level is not a concern. What is very important is to pick up the grapes when they’re perfectly ripe, and in this case, if you pick up healthy grapes with the right ripeness, you will be able to make a balanced wine and you will not feel the alcohol, even if it’s more than 15 degrees…. Sometimes we will even harvest a plot twice, if one part is ready and the other part is not ready. In this case, you’re able to have very balanced wines, and you don’t feel the alcohol level. People who taste our wines will not feel the alcohol level.”
Back in the Barossa briefly, and following Julian Barrot’s lead above, Rolf Binder is a grower who retains femininity in his Shiraz which is largely unequalled in Barossa. He is a genius with a deft touch who produces wines of controlled opulence, full of depth, character and which are finely balanced on a vinous knife-edge. They have heady alcohol content, sure, but they have freshness, tannin, vigour and life. They hold the expansiveness of the finest côte-rôtie with a weightlessness on the palate that compares with the very greatest wines on earth. At 14.5% alcohol, Rolf’s 2002 Hanisch Shiraz was utterly beguiling and absorbing. One of the single greatest new world reds I have ever tasted, and 100% in balance. With lower alcohol in the glass, perhaps it would only have been a shadow of itself? It would no longer remain complete and therefore project merely a dilution of the wine’s greatness?
Perhaps modern wine drinkers who wish to push their palates and test the boundaries of their senses, look for extremes of fruit expression and density as a reward for their endeavours. An expression which is fairly muted within the wine trade is “talk dry, drink sweet”. The rise of Amarone in the UK, as well as Argentinean Malbec show that the UK consumer looks for boldly-flavoured, alcoholic wines with richness often more akin to a melted bar of Dairy Milk. They seem up for the fight that a blockbuster red seems to offer. Mollydooker in Australia’s McLaren Vale produce stunningly concentrated reds which, with alcohols often in excess of 16% alcohol, manage to retain impressive balance in the glass. These are late harvest wines which have been managed in the vineyard as much as they have in the cellar. They are fruit forward, immediate and explosive in their fruit concentration. No other McLaren Vale grower can match, or tries to copy, the lead of Mollydooker, however, their brand is in huge demand around the world. By delaying their harvest date as much as they possibly can, Mollydooker can craft these black, brooding berries into unique wine. Yes they spark controversy wherever they are opened, but why not? Perhaps modern palates cry out for the sweetness, body and texture afforded by higher alcohol.
For those wine lovers who dream of alcohol back at the 12.5% level, then there are always options out there. Often, by picking your region carefully you can enhance your chances of success. Elgin in the cool climbs of South Africa’s Western Cape cultivates aromatic white varieties such as Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. It also produces fantastic Pinot Noir and delicate Merlot. Zingy freshness and purity of fruit expression are the trademarks of growers such as Catherine Marshall and Paul Cluver Wines. Minerality, tension, verve and… lower alcohol are all there. Truly modern expressions for the modern wine drinker.
Ultimately, the wonder of wine is that no two bottles are ever the same. High alcohol doesn’t automatically mean a lack of balance, as much as lower alcohol doesn’t necessarily correspond to high quality.
Bremerton – Langhorne Creek defined
Bremerton isn’t just another Aussie winery; it is the pulse and heartbeat of South Australia’s Langhorne Creek. Owned and run by the Willson family since its inception in 1988, Bremerton has forged an enviable reputation for quality and value whilst at the same time supporting development into new varietal plantings and figure-heading innovation within the region.
I was lucky enough to visit Bremerton last year and had a rare opportunity to meet the Willson family. What I found was a group of people committed to promoting the fruits of their labour, with drive and ambition but at the same time a humble appreciation of their unique terroir in Langhorne Creek. It is unquestionable that winemaker Bec Willson and her sister Lucy steer the Bremerton ship under the guiding eyes of father Craig and mother Mignonne. It really is a family affair combined with genuine pride of place.
Langhorne Creek is south east of Adelaide, not far from the famed vineyards of McLaren Vale. It is a unique region as it sits on the rich soil of the Bremer River flood plain. Fresh cool evening breezes from Lake Alexandrina provide a micro climate of mild to warm summer days and cool evenings, perfect for the long ripening of the grapes. The resultant harvest produces intense and sought after cool climate flavours in the Bremerton wines, which are very much on-trend and beautifully suited to the palates of many modern wine drinkers. The predominant varieties grown are Cabernet Sauvignon and Shiraz, with plantings of Sauvignon Blanc, Verdelho, Chardonnay, Malbec and Petit Verdot.
The winemaking team, headed by family winemaker Rebecca ‘Bec’ Willson has taken the quality of the Bremerton portfolio to new highs. Bec seeks the finest possible estate-grown fruit to craft traditional, full-bodied, full-flavoured, mouth-filling wines that show a consistency of style whilst encouraging the true varietal characteristics to be expressed.
In the cellar, the winery has invested heavily in a premium French and American oak programme using 220 litre barriques to ensure subtle and complementary oak influences. The winery utilises traditional open top fermenters, made from stainless steel and a purpose-built barrel cellar for maturation.
Bec and her Marketing Manager sister Lucy, have focused the family’s wine range on high quality and individual wines. They have given Bremerton a strong foothold in the highly competitive Aussie wine market, with Rebecca’s first label at age 25 (the 1997 Cabernet Sauvignon) winning a trophy and rated Third Best Cabernet in Australia by Winestate magazine. Since then the Willson sisters have worked tirelessly to anchor Bremerton as Langhorne Creek’s strongest force – with exceptional quality Malbec and Fiano coming through the ranks, there is no suggestion they plan to put their feet up any time soon!
South Africa: inspiring times
Since the early 1990s, South Africa has enjoyed a peaceful, positive and democratic existence. Dynamic and enormously diverse as a nation, South Africa’s Western Cape offers the very same attributes in its winemaking tradition and history, which dates back over three and a half centuries.
As the shackles of apartheid fell loose, established winemakers re-emerged onto the international scene, followed by a full scale explosion of new wines, wineries and international investment. In turn, this has helped to attract more highly qualified winemakers to ply their trade in the Cape; surely the most beautiful winemaking region of the world.
As winemaking has intensified, so too have the number of varietals cultivated. Indeed, new wine regions have come into being during this period as an understanding of terroir, climate, vine variety and aspect have come into play. Improved winemaking techniques and vineyard management have help to bolster the quality of fruit received by the winery. Garagiste, small scale growers producing wonderfully unique, hand-crafted wines are at every turn, as is the emergence of the maverick winemakers in the expansive Swartland region, to the north of Cape Town.
The varieties vary with region; however Chenin Blanc, the famous white variety of the Loire Valley in France truly shines in the South African sun. It arguably holds the country’s greatest potential on the world scene. Here it has the potential to produce dry, full-bodied, floral examples which are at the same time immediate, whilst conversely holding the capacity to develop beautifully in bottle. Old vine examples offer even greater complexity and potential – look out for the showstopping pair of Stellenbosch examples; DeMorgenzon Reserve Chenin Blanc and Kaapzicht’s ultra rare 1947 Chenin Blanc which heralds from the nation’s second oldest Chenin vineyard. Of the reds, Pinotage is the ‘marmite’ variety which offers plush, richly-flavoured wines which work wonderfully in the right winemaking hands. Frontier has the pleasure of offering two great examples at both ends of the stylistic spectrum; Spice Route’s Swartland Pinotage is modern and beautifully styled, and Kaapzicht’s Stellenbosch Pinotage, which has a classic, gutsy, more traditional feel. Both are outstanding. Elsewhere, Sauvignon Blanc in the region of Darling; Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Noir in the cool climes of Elgin; Bordeaux varietals (and especially blends) from the iconic Stellenbosch region and Rhône varietals, both red and white, from the uber-trendy Swartland. South Africa does have it all.
In a nutshell, these are inspiring times for South African wine as the country starts to fully develop its own identity. As it delivers day by day on the vast potential which exists, there is no doubt that the Rainbow Nation is the most dynamic and focused wine producing region of the New World. Its potential for greatness is matched only by its desire to succeed.
Frontier Fine Wines is extremely proud to have direct links to some of the true trailblazers of South African wine. A selection of their stunning wines can be found just a few clicks away.
New Wave Australia
Italian varietals, grown in Australia, are taking the UK market by storm. Enlivening and reinvigorating the Australian offering to a new generation of wine buyers along the way, these niche bottlings are food friendly, earthy, characterful and full of European soul. Add to these impressive facets the fruit richness and playfulness synonymous with Aussie wines and you are on to a winning formula!
So numbered has been the emergence of star cuvées over the past 18 months that you may be under the impression that someone in Australia has simply turned the taps on to this burgeoning trend, but thankfully not so. In fact, the reverse is true. Winemakers have been growing a range of Italian and key European varietals for some time. Looking for something different in their regional offerings or looking to grow varieties for blending purposes, cuttings were sent over for use in nursery programmes followed by extensive periods of quarantine for the vines prior to planting and commercialisation. To this end, most of the key releases which fall under the “new wave” category show relatively young vine age.
Disproving this very myth, Frontier offer the wines of Australia’s “original” Italiaphile, Mark Lloyd of Coriole Estate in South Australia’s McLaren Vale. Far from being a new kid on the block, Mark championed the strengths of European varietals many moons ago, in fact, amongst many others Mark’s Sangiovese vines represent the oldest in the country – planted in 1985. There are also significant plantings of Fiano, Nero d’Avola, Prosecco and Barbera. Beyond Italian varieties, the latest wine out of the Coriole blocks is Picpoul. Driven by his love of the rare Languedoc white grape’s distinctive character, Mark has been patient in developing his own Picpoul crop. Vines imported in 2008 remained in quarantine until 2011, when a pair of approved vines was released to Coriole for propagation. Picpoul vines now cover only half a hectare, and many are not fully grown, but enough grapes were picked in 2015 to enable the first commercial release.
Beyond Coriole, Frontier are proud to offer a range of new wave varietals from across the country; Grüner-Veltliner, Tempranillo, Pinot Grigio, Verdejo and Malbec amongst them. Matching variety to terroir and climate has seen great success, encouraging a more youthful wine-buying public to connect with a nation seen by many to produce just two varieties – Chardonnay and Shiraz.
The dawning of a new day in varietal expression and regional variation is upon us. There are many internationally-lauded releases setting the market alight and with no sense of the trend dissipating. Watch this space for exciting new wines, flavours, textures and tales over the coming months. Move over Pinot Noir… McLaren Vale Nero d’Avola has arrived! ;)
New Zealand: Sauvignon Blanc is not the only fruit…
There was a time when New Zealand was just about Sauvignon Blanc. There was little else in fact, pitched to the world in a burgundy-shaped bottle emblazoned most notably with a grey, almost misty-cove like image… The contents of the bottle pushed the virtues of the Sauvignon Blanc varietal to the world in a way which at that point in time had never been seen before, delivering flavours and textures that were inconceivable to an audience whose only prior exposure to Sauvignon was likely to have been a simple, flinty Sancerre. In fact, given the lack of varietal labelling in France, it is quite likely that they did not even realise they had been drinking Sauvignon Blanc at all! Density in the glass, a room full of gooseberry aromatics and a taste more about purity of fruit than the oak chips delivered by most mainstream Australian Chardonnays at the time; it was the dawning of a new day for New Zealand wine and it is fair to say that they have never looked back.
Sauvignon was, and still is, a variety which divides opinion. Its very status as a noble varietal is often brought into question due to the general inability of its wines to age well. It is a curious beast marauding and dominating the market like few other varieties do – it’s a love or hate style, with a split seemingly about 50/50. Sauvignon Blanc… the Marmite of the wine world.
But New Zealand has come a long, long way since the early days of Cloudy Bay et al. Sauvignon Blanc is not the only fruit and Marlborough is not the only region.
With an emphasis on lighter-styled reds and aromatic whites, Syrah from Gimblet Gravels in Hawkes Bay, world class Chardonnay from Kumeu River and the emergence of regions such as Martinborough in the North Island excelling in Pinot Noir have set New Zealand on fire in international markets.
Elsewhere, let us not forget the quality and value to be found from Waipara on the east coast of the South Island, together with the world’s most southerly wine-producing region; Central Otago. Here the country’s potential for world class Pinot Noir is arguably at its greatest. For a region which barely existed on the international wine map as recently as the mid-nineties, ‘Central’ really does represent the calling-card for the ‘new’ New Zealand.
As innovation and experimentation speeds, new varietals such as Albariño and Lagrein have found their way into the vineyards with Stanley Estates in Marlborough’s Awatere Valley a front runner in the field. Five vintages on from New Zealand’s first commercial Albariño bottling, the cuvée is gathering in style, composure and substance with every new release, with vine age and the winemaker’s know-how enriching the process each and every year. This is very much a reflection of the New Zealand wine industry at large.
A modern day success story like no other in the world of wine; New Zealand is far from a one trick pony.
Lunch with Larry McKenna
Escarpment Vineyards in New Zealand’s Martinborough region is home to one of the country’s most iconic and influential winemakers. Larry McKenna is, simply, a living legend. From his involvement with Martinborough Vineyards back in 1986 (becoming the region’s first professional winemaker in the process) to the present day, Larry has set about defining the terroir of this rapidly emerging Pinot Noir hotspot. Realising early on that Pinot Noir could thrive in his corner of the southern hemisphere Larry planted a number of vineyards, including the now famous Kupe vineyard, to highlight just how good Martinborough could be. Various clones, including the notorious gum-boot clone of Romanée-Conti fame were utilised, together with Burgundian-style high density planting in the Kupe site. Having established Escarpment back in 1999, the vineyards are now really hitting their stride.
I was lucky enough to attend a lunch hosted by Larry recently, where he introduced us to the latest instalment of his Insight Series of single vineyard Pinot Noirs, the 2014s. Following on from the hugely-lauded 2013 releases, stylistically each cuvée was very individual in the glass, with the different vineyard expressions surely capable of finding an appreciative audience; from elegant and refined Burgundy-inspired Kiwa to deeply-flavoured and unashamedly New World Pahi. The Te Rehua vineyard is Chambolle-Musigny in New World clothes; full of black cherry and plum flavours. We finished with Larry’s jewel in the crown; Kupe. Bold and intoxicating, there is a core of intensity and tightly-wound, ultra-fine tannins. With a density of cherry fruit with disarmingly approachable structure and freshness, Kupe is a singular wine and a star of New Zealand Pinot Noir. Larry’s 2014s were quite simply astonishing.
Though difficult to source in volume, such is the demand, Larry’s wines offer great value. Frontier are very honoured to receive a direct allocation of these fabulous wines to offer to our customers so please do drop me an email if you would like to secure a bottle or two!
As a final note, I wanted to mention part of a conversation I had with Larry just after the tasting. He told me that he had hardly slept the previous night; such were his nerves over the looming 2014 vintage launch that we had just attended. It shows the human side of the great man that even after all of these years and after rafts of outstanding reviews and awards, he should still get butterflies over the performance of his beautiful wines.
He needn’t have worried, though I am kind of glad he did. It is this attention to detail which has made him the hero he is, and rendered his wines the expressive heartbeat of Martinborough.
Celebrate Drink Chenin Day
To celebrate #DrinkChenin Day we are offering a 10% discount on all our delicious Chenin Blanc wines until Sunday 17th June 2018! Use the discount code FFWChenin10 at checkout to receive 10% off your purchases and enjoy a delicious glass of chilled Chenin Blanc.