Spade Oak Viognier 07

Spade Oak Gisborne Viognier 2007 (18.5-/20), 14.4% alc, 6% Chardonnay, wild yeasts, 16 months in French oak, 50% MLF.  Full, bright, light golden yellow in colour.  A very full, broad, open style, quite fat on nose with apricots and peachy fruit, quite dense and solid.  On palate, very fulsome and rich, plump and creamy textured, oozing sweet fruit, quite exotic and decadent, some nutty, nougat nuances showing.  Drinking on a plateau now.  RC Sept 10

With 65 hectares planted, nearly 45% of New Zealand’s Viognier comes from Gisborne. It is appropriate the Spade Oak Viognier is one of the most fully-textured and complex yet seen in this country. At 14.4% alc, and 5.3 g/l rs, this is full, broad dry and weighty, with great depth. The aromas and flavours of apricots, orange zest and spices are interwoven with a strong vanilla and roasted nut and oak elements. The wine opens up in the glass to reveal an expansive palate that coats the mouth; layers continuously unfolding. 94% Viognier, 6% Chardonnay, wild yeast fermented and matured for 16 months in seasoned French oak, 50% of the wine underwent malo conversion. 125 cases were made, and the bottles sealed by the revolutionary glass-stopper Vino-Lok closure developed in Germany. This is a serious wine to serve at a fine dinner. RC March 09

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