The Ovello site has more clay, and the resulting wines are plump and fruit forward meaning they often drink earlier, as well as being super age worthy too. Classic ripe cherry notes that develop autumnal qualities and  more of the tar and spice that Barbaresco is famous for with age.

Ovello is one of the great red wines of Italy and is made entirely from the great structured red grape, Nebbiolo; exceptional in taste, complexity and its ability to age for at least a decade, evolving into a silky delicious wine over this time. It's made by the Produttori del Barbaresco. This highly respected winery cooperative was founded in 1958 and now has 51 members who collectively own approximately 100 hectares of the entire appellation, which means they own approximately a seventh of the appellation. The single vineyard wines, such as this one, are only made in highly rated vintages (all of the grapes go into a blend in other years) and released after four years maturation in the riserva programme.

All single vineyard cru wines from Produttori del Barbaresco are fermented at 30°C and given 32 days of skin contact time before being pressed in large oak barrels for 36 months of matu

Montefico is one of the richer of the Cru wines from Produttori coming from a warm clay soil site. A deep and lush wine that is more forward in its youth but that will still profit from long cellar ageing.

Made entirely from the highly structured, exceptionally age worthy Nebbiolo grape in the small and outstanding wine area of Barbaresco by Produttori del Barbaresco. This highly respected winery cooperative was founded in 1958 and now has 51 members who collectively own approximately 100 hectares of the entire appellation, which means they own approximately a seventh of the appellation. The single vineyard wines, such as this one, are only made in highly rated vintages (all of the grapes go into a blend in other years) and released after four years maturation in the riserva programme. 

All single vineyard cru wines from Produttori del Barbaresco are fermented at 30°C and given 32 days of skin contact time before being pressed in large oak barrels for 36 months of maturation in wood followed by a further nine months aging in bottle, prior to release. 

100% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Cornerstone Vineyard

It’s all in the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. Aromas of wild dark berry fruits, crushed autumn leaves dark and integrated oak. This characterful wine has intense blackcurrant with power and long graphie tannins. The quintessential ‘iron fist in a silk glove’.

Hugo, my brother, is a talented artist and is always ready to lend a hand with Chateau Garage. His silhouette appeared in the driveway at 10 o’clock at night to help press the last of this Cabernet to barrel. I was exhausted from pressing all day and he got me through. Here’s to Hugo!

An excellent Cabernet Sauvignon from the Gimblett Gravels, made in Ollie's Garage an elegant Cabernet Sauvignon from a very difficult vintage & a testament to Ollie Powrie's Winemaking.

Harvested on the 10th of April and destemmed to 500 L Amphora.  Light punch downs using hands and once fermented sealed up on skins for 150 days / 5 months and then pressed to a single seasoned French oak barrel. 5 months in barrel before being bottled under cork in the driveway.

The result is a wine that has very well integrated soft tannin, cherry & raspberry fruit up front into dark chocolate nutmeg & capsicum like herbaceous notes on the finish.

Cabernet Sauvignon has great cellaring potential & this wine while drinking well now, has all the components to develop in bottle between 3-15 years.

TASTING NOTE 

Not one bound by convention, The Marlborist Grande Sauvignon is a bold departure from the classic Marlborough style. Fermented entirely with naturally occurring yeast in a mixture of old French oak barrels and puncheons, it is an alternative style of sauvignon blanc with an alluring array of grilled peach, candied pineapple and brioche with hints of elderflower and almond. This is a moreish wine with a rich, creamy palate underpinned by a long, citrus finish. 

VITICULTURE 

Fruit was sourced three exceptional sites within the Southern Valleys and Renwick. Largely grown on Loess clay soils and river terraces where young, alluvial soils overlay deep deposits of greywacke stone, the combination of free-draining soils and naturally low yields allowed the vines to ripen small, golden bunches of intensely flavoured fruit. 

WINEMAKING 

A combination of machine and hand-picked fruit was harvested over a week-long period beginning late March. The grapes were transported directly to the winery where they were gently pressed and cold settled for three days. The juice was racked to a mixture of old French oak barrels and puncheons and left to spontaneously ferment by indigenous, ‘wild’ yeast, a process that took several months to complete. Occasional lees stirring and partial malolactic fermentation occurred over a 15 month period of maturation in French oak before the blend was assembled and settled prior to bottling in July.

TASTING NOTE

The Marlborist Chardonnay is a rich, dry elegant wine that is both intricate and textural with an enticing combination of roasted hazelnuts, brioche, citrus blossom and golden-queen peach with hints of clove spice and vanilla. This is a finely balanced wine with a creamy palate underpinned by a long, citrus finish. 

VITICULTURE

Fruit was sourced from two exceptional vineyards; The Wrekin in the Brancott Valley, a beautiful biodynamic and organic-certified hillside vineyard where clone 95 chardonnay is grown on clay loam soils and Cable Bay Vineyard in the lower Awatere Valley, where high density old Mendoza clone vines are grown on a stony, alluvial terrace. The combination of free-draining soils and naturally low yields allowed the vines to ripen small, golden bunches of intensely flavoured fruit. 

WINEMAKING

Picking commenced on March 27th at the Wrekin and finished on April 6th at Cable Bay, from where the fruit was transported directly to the winery where the grapes were gently whole-bunch pressed to a mixture of French oak barrels and puncheons (15% new). A portion was chilled overnight before pressing to oak the next morning. Spontaneous fermentation by indigenous, ‘wild’ yeast, took place at ambient temperatures, a process that took several months to complete. Occasional lees stirring and a full malolactic fermentation occurred before the wine was transferred out of oak after 15 months. Each batch was left on lees and kept separate until June when the blend was assembled and settled prior to bottling in July.

Iridium is a dark and juicy red with great structure for drinking now and it's a keeper. It is made from The Boneline vineyard's and some of New Zealand's oldest Cabernet vines, which grow at the winery's natural amphitheatre on the banks of the Waipara river, which is a heat trap during North Canterbury's dry summers. This site is well suited to ripening late growing grape varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. All grapes are hand picked, hand sorted and slow fermented before being matured for 18 months in French oak.