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AU $1,245.00
incl GST
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Esk Valley, The Terraces, Cabernets, 2004 (6 bottles @ $207.50 per bottle)
The sun shines from the north and the terraced rows of low-yielding Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc grapevines are protected from prevailing winds. Gordon Russell the ex winemaker's philosophy was to simplify the winemaking as much as possible so the wine is "made in the vineyard", as the saying goes. Controlling the pruning time of the three varieties makes it possible for all the grapes to reach optimum ripeness at the same time. Therefore they can be harvested together and it only takes a day. Regardless of variety the grapes are crushed together into one of the winery's 70-year-old open-topped concrete fermenters for fermentation and maceration. Hand plunging is tedious but gentle. Several days later the wine is pressed and transferred to new French oak barriques for malolactic fermentation and ageing. Just 300 six packs were made of the 2004.
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"To compare the quality of this wine we have to look towards the great wines of St Emilion and Pomerol. Dark ruby red in colour. Compact and haunting aromas of super quality dark Swiss chocolate, Christmas cake, bran and dark fruits - very deep set aromas. The palate displays pristine and deep fresh blackberry and black plum underpinned by almost invisible coating tannins. It is slightly more backward, and slightly darker than the reserve. Again the palate shows an extra touch of weight but never is the wine forced or over extracted. The fruit is allowed to speak here, the structure is very finely boned, elegant, gentle fresh (perfect ripeness) and long. This is benchmark red wine of the absolute highest quality. This wine will not be cheap, but be assured it delivers at its price tag. I would expect this wine, if looked after, to age gracefully for more than a decade. Perhaps let it sleep for a year, but after that it will also be hard to resist young. Special occasion 'claret'. Immaculate". Craig Thomson, www.kiwiwinefanclub.co.nz.
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AU $836.70
incl GST
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"At this level I really start to look to compare to some of NZ's greatest ever Bordeaux style reds. We have reached yet another level of astonishing quality. Very dark ruby in the glass. The nose is quite restrained but does give up the sought after red currant and fruitcake notes. The palate is sensational with added power on the palate and super complexity. Blackberry and red currant palate, with underlying layers of mint at just the faintest volume, gives this jaw dropping quality. The texture is all velvet and the structure so finely boned and controlled. This wine is sensual and intellectual, extremely refined and graceful. Worth every cent. This wine will cellar for a decade or more but is so interesting now, it will be hard to resist". Craig Thomson, www.kiwiwinefanclub.co.nz.
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AU $534.00
incl GST
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