2022 Whitehaven Marlborough Gewürztraminer
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TASTING NOTE
Colour / Appearance: Pale lemon with a bright clarity.
Aroma / Bouquet: Fragrant notes of rose flowers, lychee and honey suckle, combined with hints of cardamom and 5-spice powder.
Palate: Flavours of ripe orange, lychee and ginger spice. Generously weighted and finely textured, this wine has gentle acidity with a streak of seashell minerality ensuring a long, cleansing finish.
Cellaring: This wine is ready to be enjoyed now or within six years of the vintage date.
Serve: Lightly chilled.
Food Match: This wine is made to be enjoyed best with food. We recommend dishes with aromatic spices and flavours, such as Moroccan, Thai or Chinese dishes.
WINE ANALYSIS
Alcohol: 13.5%
Residual Sugar: 9.5 g/L
Titratable Acidity: 4.5g/L
pH: 3.68
VITICULTURE
Harvest Date: March 21st and 28th, 2022.
Climate: The 2022 growing season started with soil moisture at capacity, following an unusually wet winter which had seen flooding in parts of the region. Pleasingly, the region did not suffer any major frost events and despite conditions in November being a little wet, the warmth that went with it meant that flowering was not drawn out and resulted in good fruit set and the prospect of healthy yields. The remainder of the season was punctuated by cooler weather and rainfall events and we were vigilant around disease pressure as we entered the harvest period. Harvest was later this year and Brix accumulation was slow. We experienced another rain event in the final third of March which then required us to harvest as quickly as possible in many blocks in order to retain pure fruit expression. This is where Whitehaven’s new receival building came to the fore, allowing greater throughput while maintain the quality focus and attention to detail that Whitehaven prides itself on.
Grape Growing: The fruit for this wine was sourced from vineyards located in the Wairau (70%) and Waihopai (30%) valleys of Marlborough. Pruned to 2-3 cane VSP, these vines are carefully managed over the growing season with the aim of producing beautifully ripe, clean fruit come harvest time.
Winemaking:
The grapes were hand-picked when the fruit reached optimum ripeness. At the winery the grapes were then destemmed/crushed and then left to soak inside the press for up to 24 hours before pressing off. After 24-36 hours of settling, the juice was racked to stainless steel tanks, then warmed and inoculated with an aromatic yeast strain. Following fermentation, the wine was left on its yeast lees for 3 months before filtration and bottling on the 12th of September 2022.
- A delicious gewurz with a smoky, blanched almond and apple character. Some melon too. Medium to full body. Fruity finish. Vegan. Sustainable. James Suckling, 90/100 Pts.
- A solid, clearly varietal wine in a fresh, tangy and vibrant style. White rose petal, lychee and pot-pourri flavours with a crisp, dry-ish finish. 90/100 Pts. Bob Campbell, MW, NZ, Nov 2022
- Bright, even, pale straw-yellow. The nose is soft and appealing, with aromas of tropical fruit of melon and lychee underlining rose water and spice. Medium-bodied, off-dry to taste, aromas of lychee and melon interweaved pear, rose water and fresh ginger. The wine is elegantly presented; fresh acidity carries well-proportioned aromas to a moreish, dry finish. Match this with Pad-Thai and prawns with chilli over the next 3 years. Candice Chow, NZ, Nov 2022
- Wonderfully aromatic and enticing, the bouquet shows mango, pineapple, lychee and rose petal aromas with a hint of spicy overtone. The succulent palate displays excellent weight and richly textured mouthfeel, finishing long and flavoursome. Varietally true and hugely appealing. Sam Kim, NZ, 93/100, 5 stars.
- A deserved winner of a string of gold medals thanks to its intensely aromatic flavours of Turkish Delight, honey, rose essence and ripe tropical fruit. Marlborough Gewurztraminer has a refreshing acidity that adds zing and length to balance this wine's opulence. Joelle Thomson, 18.5/20 Pts.
