Gruner Veltliner 2022

This is our fourth vintage of Gruner Veltliner. It comes from our Jacksons Road vineyard in the premium grape-growing area of Marlborough. We consciously remove fruit during the ripening season so that the remaining low yielding fruit ripens perfectly and without any pressure from disease. 2017 was a tricky vintage with late season rains. Fortunately, because we crop low, we ripen earlier than most and were able to harvest our grapes before the rains hit, albeit at slightly lower brix than usual.  We were very happy with the fruit that came in, in perfectly clean condition with great flavours. The fruit was all machine harvested in the cool of the night, treated very gently throughout the whole wine-making process and handled totally in stainless steel to retain the aromatics. It was fermented quite dry to produce a very minerally, food friendly wine.

A clear, pale lemon in colour, the immediate impression on the nose is spice, citrus, mineral, delightful garden florals, and delicate stone-fruits; notably peach and nectarine. The palate follows on in this grain with very refreshing, refined, elegant, subtle, spicy flavours. There are obvious stone-fruit characters of peach and nectarine, alongside minerals and river stones, sugar snap peas and subtle herbal notes. It is a crisp wine with lovely acid balance, delicate fruitiness and noticeably dry and elegant to taste. It finishes long and lingering with “Gruner’s” typical white pepper closing note. This is a very elegant and refined wine, and very food friendly. We expect it to age beautifully for several years.

Technical Notes

Alcohol: 12.4%, Acidity: 5.5, PH: 3.17, Residual Sugar: 4.0 g/l.       

Reviews

It is finely scented on the nose showing white flesh stone fruit, lemon peel, grapefruit and subtle flinty characters, leading to a focused and beautifully weighted palate that is bright and linear. The wine offers excellent fruit purity and vibrancy, superbly structured by steely acidity. At its best: now 2023.       ****1/2     91/100

                                                                                                                       Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, Sept 2018

Floral and expressive with peach, citrus and tangy grassiness, stonefruits with aeration. Fatness on entry, almost a soapy softness, but the acid floods in to snap it back into line. Lime, cut grass and some exotic fruit flavours on a luscious, rich mid-palate before a little chalkiness on the close. 

Bright, fresh and fun with different flavours to explore. Very Good – Excellent

                                                                                               Mark Henderson, Otago Daily Times, August 2019