Napier, Hawke’s Bay, Saturday 4th of February
2006. 15.00 pm
Around 15.00 pm I entered the wine tasting room of
Esk Valley, just north of Napier.
Their winemaker Gordon Russell explained to me the
characteristics of the Verdelho grape.
It has the most tiny berries he’s ever seen,
with a lots of pips and very thick skin. This gives
very low juice per grape, with high acidity in them.
So far, the Esk Valley Verdelho is the only one made
in New Zealand, so Gordon Russel can be seen as the
pioneer on this variety. He picked the early ripening
grapes, planted on Gimblett Gravel, for this vintage
2005 at around 24 Brix while it can easily go to 28
Brix.
As he explained: ´´You like to have not
to much of their natural acidity (picking as late
as possible) but because it reaches such high sugar
levels easily (brix) you can’t pick them very
late or you would end up with a far to high alcohol
level or to much residue sugar in the wine (stop fermentation
before all the sugar is converted into alcohol)´´.
Pressing the grapes gently (because otherwise the
thick skins will give to much bitter tannins) to get
enough juice out of them to have something left to
work with is also a challenge.
The white Verdelho grape, originally a Portuguese
variety, is mainly used for the making of Madeira:
a fortified wine from the island Madeira belonging
to Portugal. But in Australia also, some straight
or fortified white Verdelho wines are made.
On the tasting table there were five different examples
of Verdelho. Four from Australia, including a fortified
sample and the only one from New Zealand, so far,
the: Esk Valley Verdelho 2005,
Hawke’s Bay. Alcohol level around 14%.
With a alcohol percentage of around 14%, half of the
wine was matured on 4-6 year old barrels, half of
it in stainless steel tanks.
Very fresh and clean nose, lovely citrus, some gravel
comes through and a little nutty.
Dry light bodied wine, lots of gentle pure fruit-acidity
as from citrus on the palate. A little grapefruit
bitter and some almonds in a round mouth feeling.
And although the alcohol is high, the concentration
of the wine keep this well balanced. Some minerals
in the fresh medium long aftertaste. A great food
wine, clean, fresh, minerally and well balanced.
Chestnut-Grove Verdelho 2004, Western
Australia.
Light fruity with more tropical fruit impressions.
Round more fat palate, dry light bodied with fresh
fruit aromas as from ripe grapes, melon and passion
fruit. Lower in acidity and medium alcohol, but with
13,2% alcohol it has not such a good balance as the
New Zealand example.
Almost off dry medium long aftertaste, from residue
sugar I guess.
Margan Verdelho 2005, Hunter Valley,
New South Wales, Australia.
Fresh medium intense nose, with a fruity touch and
some minerals as from chalk.
Very dry fresh full bodied wine with lots of yellow
fruit. Medium acidity, some chalk on the wide palate
as well. Bit dryish long aftertaste which holds lovely
citrus freshness.
Potts Bleasdale Verdelho 2004, Langhorne
Creek, South Australia.
Fruity nose of unripe pineapple and some citrus underneath.
Little tinkle on the tongue to start with, very fresh
light plus bodied wine with medium plus level of integrated
alcohol. Some minerals and dryish in the medium long
aftertaste which again shows good fruit acidity freshness.
Potts Bleasdale Fortified Verdelho non
vintage 18% alcohol, Langhorne Creek,
South Australia.
Verdelho is at Bleasdale for over 120 years. These
grapes where picked at 16 Brix. After the fermentation
was stopped by adding alcohol, this wine was matured
in small casks, just under the roof. After maturation
is was blended to an average age of 6 years.
Bright cognac yellow colored wine with a slight green
touch in the rim.
Concentrated nose with sweetness and silt in perfect
balance, sherry-like.
Sweet full bodied wine, lovely silt taste next to
dried grapes and well balanced acidity level. Almost
liquorish long aftertaste.
The Australian Verdelho´s had a more wider
palate, bit fat almost. You could also taste riper
fruit from a warmer wine region. And in the aftertaste
they missed the high cleanliness and elegant fruit
acids which I found in the New Zealand example. The
Fortified Verdelho was a pleasure to taste. An elegant
well made fortified wine.
Gordon Russel asked me if I was interested in tasting
the Esk Valley range of wines. Who wouldn’t
? Their Esk Valley Riesling 2004,
made from 3 vineyards with an average age of 25 year
old vines, gave a fresh lively citrussy nose. Off
dry, light bodied, fruity as from lime and peaches,
minerally, well integrated medium alcohol and very
clean. An easy to drink wine with medium fruit-acidity.
Some bitter of lime-zest in the aftertaste.
The Esk Valley Pinot Gris 2005 had a real elegant
nose, almost austere, little oidium, some spiciness
that came more through on the broad palate. Little
floral, this medium bodied wine,
some minerals, medium level acidity and well integrated
medium alcohol. Very clean and dry medium long aftertaste.
Well balanced wine, well made. Drink now or keep for
another 2-3 years. ´´The best wine he
made´´ said Gordon Russel. The Esk Valley Rose 2005
made from dominant Merlot (90%) with some Malbec was
a fruit driven light plus bodied easy to drink rose
with a little spiciness in the end.
From the black label I tastes the Reserve Chardonnay
2005 first, made from 2 vineyards (clone 95 and clone
15) and matured in 30% new French oak. A beautiful
creamy but elegant nose with some little (indigenous)
yeast. Fresh broad palate, fresh medium citrus acidity,
well balanced medium plus alcohol and heaps of fresh
fruit like ripe pear, melon and pineapple with some
toast underneath. Elegant Chardonnay.
And later their Bordeaux blend 2004, deep concentrated
garnet color with some purple towards the rim. Lots
of black fruit, round bodied wine, bit inky like in
good Bordeaux reds.
Their Shiraz 2004, looked in style more like a Rhone
than from their neighbour country Australia. Much
more elegant, higher acidity, juicy fruit, medium
spicy and lots of minerals.
The Reserve Bordeaux blend 2002,
came last but definitely not least. A very high quality
red, concentrated nose, mouth filling. Powerful full
bodied red, lots of black fruit as from berries and
currents with a little herbal touch and spiciness
from the malbec. Juicy underneath from the Merlot
and cedar, marzipan and ripe black fruit from the
Cabernet Sauvignon. Enough tannins to give it a couple
more years, but verry soft ripe tannins, so drinking
now is a real pleasure too.
Before I left, the bottles we tasted were closed again
after adding some ´dry ice´ (carbon dioxide)
in them. This sweep out all the air (oxygen) in order
to slow down the natural development of the wine.
It will keep opened bottles of wines much longer alive.
