Red Wine Glaetzer Anaperenna 2019. The Glaetzer family are pioneering Barossa winemakers, having arrived in the valley in 1888 after emigrating to Australia from Brandenberg in Germany. Colin Glaetzer founded his own winery in 1995 after working for local producers including Barossa Valley estate. In keeping with family tradition his son, Ben, also became a winemaker and at the tender age of 26 was awarded Qantas Young Winemaker of the Year. This powerful red blend is named after Anna Perenna”, a Roman goddess associated with the New Year, and is composed primarily of Shiraz along with a smaller quantity of Cabernet Sauvignon grapes. The fruit comes from prime vineyards in the cooler Ebenezer sub-region in the north of Barossa. The Shiraz vines are aged 30-100 years old while the Cabernet varies in age between 30-130 years old. The high proportion of extremely old vines helps to create a rich, voluptuous style of wine with plenty of intense fruit and dried fruit character. The grapes are vinified in open top fermenters and the young wine is then matured in new French oak barrels for 16 months. The wine is then bottled without filtering to showcase the full beauty of the fruit and terroir. The result is a powerful, full bodied red with ample tannins and a firm structure which is bursting with dark berry, herbal and spiced notes.
2019
Red Wine Glaetzer Anaperenna 2019
Red Wine Greywacke Pinot Noir 2019. Kevin Judd worked as a winemaker for Cloudy Bay for some 25 years, helping to put Marlborough on the world map for Sauvignon Blanc. Greywacke is his own label which he founded in 2009 and named after the grey river stones which are so common in the region. Judd makes his wines at Dog Point Winery in Brancott Valley, sourcing fruit from the Southern Valleys and Wairau Plains. The grapes for this stunning Pinot are sourced from Marlborough’s Southern Valleys with most coming from the Yarrum Vineyard. Conditions here are ideal for making elegant Pinot Noir thanks to the hillside vineyards and mixed soils which contain varying amounts of clay, loam and gravel. The grapes are carefully harvested by hand and chilled once they arrive in the winery before being fermented in open tanks using wild yeasts. The young wine is then transferred to French oak barrels for 16 months before the blending and bottling takes place. Deep cassis, blackberry and dark plum notes seduce on the nose while the first sip is dominated by crushed berries, hints of clove and cinnamon, and tobacco leaf on the long finish. The medium body and well-rounded texture is complemented by refined tannins, an elegant structure and subtle freshness which provides balance and poise.
2019
Red Wine Hahn Pinot Noir 2019. Crafted from 100% Pinot Noir grapes grown in the Arroyo Seco and Santa Lucia Highlands AVA’s, the Hahn Pinot Noir is classic California Pinot: a fruit forward bouquet of cherry, blackberry, and cinnamon are followed by a juicy palate rich with flavors of black plum, earthy cedar, dried blueberry, and fragrant herbs. A soft and slightly tart finish with velvety supple tannins leave you immediately wanting another sip. This light to medium bodied red would be well paired with an herbed roast chicken, a filet of grilled salmon, or with a peppery aged firm cheese such as pecorino. The Hahn Family was founded in 1980 with the idea that the Santa Lucia Highlands, and Monterey County in general, was a grape-growing and winemaking region that could match the best California could offer. And they put themselves on the map quickly, leading to the establishment of the cool climate Santa Lucia Highlands AVA in 1991. Grown in gravelly alluvial soils which allow for excellent drainage and warm daytime temperatures, the fruit for this wine inherits an intensity, richness, and complexity that lead to its amazing quality-to-price ratio. The Hahn Pinot Noir is then aged for 8 months in 40% new French oak barrels and 60% neutral oak barrels, giving it its characteristic cinnamon and cedar aromas and flavors.
2019