 2009 Once the Botrytis fungus gets a foothold in a block of grapes, especially a thin skinned variety like Sauvignon Blanc, it can be very hard to avoid its reappearance year after year. The extent to which the green eyed monster manifests itself as “noble” however, very much depends on the weather in the month after the normal harvest dates. It is difficult to forget the way winter set in with a thud on the 27th April this year making warm sunny afternoons a rare commodity until almost August. As a result, the raisining of the berries was slow to occur and despite an agonising wait until mid June to pick the grapes, the sugar levels did not climb to the crazy heights of the previous season. The result is a medium weight wine, which steps the fine line between the oft called late harvest style and a full blown Sticky with all the dexterity of Robyn Hood dancing on the castle parapet. At 155 g/L Residual Sugar it is not to be sneezed at but in order to maintain balance, we had to keep the alcohol and acidity low and tread carefully to ensure subtlety of texture and protect its considerable finesse. Hence, a laid back wine which is very easy to sip as it glides over the senses with the velvet ease of a well practiced lap dancer. Chilled down on a balmy summer evening, the Christmas cake and ginger infused toffee-apple flavours will be a real conversation starter while the matchbox-tinder texture and tangy crispness impart a pearly lustre to the finish. It shows a wry coyness yet when left in the bottle overnight, this incorrigible youngster developed the intensity and depth of a wolf dressed in lambs clothing. If you’re game, try it with a creamy cauliflower soup
2009 After writing 3 sets of tasting notes for these “sticky” mothers-of-all-wines, I am fast running out of superlatives! Each is different but I have come to realise they owe little of their enormous character and flavour profiles to their varietal heritage. Of more importance is the ripeness of the grapes at the point at which botrytis sets in, the weather thereafter, the steel-balled patience of both viticulturist and winemaker and finally the fermentation environment provided and maintained for the yeast to grow and carry out their ancient biblical conversion. The generous pond of deep golden colour, like the swish of the Vicars stole on Sunday morning, heralds the serious nature of what is to follow. From the glass rises sweet honeydew melon, frangipani, and lush dried apricot aromas. Butterscotch, pungent rose water and crystallised ginger show classically what happens when the blessed rot invades defenceless ripe grapes. The first impression to thump home on the palate is the viscosity –thick, creamy and uncommonly good, you can feel the tackiness between the tongue and cheek as if it might set at any moment. At the same time the wine is tantalisingly prickly like shattered ice swirling in a margarita mix during blending. Huge intensity with gushy flavours of sticky-dried figs and oven-fresh hokey pokey overwhelm the senses with a liveliness not seen since Iggy Pop first hit the stage bare-chested. Powerful acidity engenders balance yet is so rounded and rolled into the myriad of other parameters that it is hard to identify in this truly seamless wine. A truly heavenly creature!
2009 If parting is such sweet sorrow, reunion is surely the stuff of song writers and poets and can ironically but easily evoke true tears of joy. It has been 5 years since we produced a sticky from this underdog variety and I have missed it like a left arm that’s been blown off in a war. It could be the kind of emotional force on which the Rocky movies were premised but I struggle to find words to describe the first joyous moment of imbibing; as two old chums were reunited. The hue is rich and static as it glows like the Wairarapa Bow –an iconic windblown cloud formation- illuminated by the full moon in springtime. The lush nose springboards from the glass and encapsulates the attention with heady aromas of boiled caramel lolly, overripe apricot kernel and fresh gingerbread men resplendent with M&M jacket buttons. Some unabashedly brash yet sexy perfume allures and melds with lemon-honey dripping from hot crisp rye toast and there are hints of banana-bike chews and the muffled scent of sweet pumpkin pie. The palate is thick and lush and shows superb balance. Over the years, many drinks have been described as an “orgasm in a glass” but I am warning you, hang onto your belt buckles, this is exquisite! The seamlessness is such that it is almost impossible to distinguish the individual elements that make it so. A surreal combination of unctuous sweetness, single minded acidity, heavy handed fruitiness and a corrugated iron structure all bowing in unison before a pleated phenolic curtain is guaranteed to bring the house down as the senses rise in a standing ovation. In a daring attempt to ensure the geodesic balance was achieved, the alcohol was left deliberately low at 8%, stranding the residual sugar at a heart stopping 250g/l. A jug of this, a loaf of onion and parmesan ciabatta and thou…
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Our dessert wines are available in 375ml bottles only. We believe our dessert wines are best served at approximately 8-9 degrees Celsius. |
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