Blank Canvas Marlborough Grüner Veltliner 2015

Blank Canvas Marlborough Grüner Veltliner 2015Dry style French oak Mandarin & tangelo Grilled banana "This has a rich, developed feel with round peaches and mangoes, delivered in a textural, full ish style with some grilled banana notes to close" James Suckling, Jamessuckling. com, Feb 2020 A wine of wonderful, pure aromatics this Grner Veltliner exemplifies classic notes of mandarin and tangelo with an underlying trace of white pepper. The subtle toast and cedar aromatics from fermentation in

• Dry style
• French oak
• Mandarin & tangelo
• Grilled banana

"This has a rich, developed feel with round peaches and mangoes, delivered in a textural, full-ish style with some grilled-banana notes to close" James Suckling, Jamessuckling.com, Feb 2020

A wine of wonderful, pure aromatics this Grüner Veltliner exemplifies classic notes of mandarin and tangelo with an underlying trace of white pepper. The subtle toast and cedar aromatics from fermentation in 60% French oak puncheon fill out the savoury components and flesh out the mid-palate. Desiring the richness and texture that only comes with age this wine has been cellared for several years before release. The result is a complex, rich and weighty rendition of an Austrian classic.

The 2015 vintage in Marlborough was one of the earliest and driest in recent years, with rainfall being just 40% of the long-term average whie growing degree days were 10% more. It was therefore a very favourable vintage for Grüner Veltliner with the Berekah vineyard experiance a long ripening period and consequent intense flavour development.

The fruit came from a single vineyard in the Rapaura subregion belonging to grower and long-term friends Malcolm and Jill Adams. Berekah Estate has two hectares of Grüner Veltliner planted with a mixture of the two clones available in New Zealand. It was a Matt's suggestion that Malcolm took the lunge to plant the new-fangled variety and with now six vintages under its belt it is performing very well on the free-draining, young alluvial and loam soils. The vines are VSP trained and cane-pruned.

The grapes were harvested by hand during the cool early morning near the end of the Marlborough harvest. Quick transport to the winery saw the grapes being de-stemmed, crushed and ressed in a gentle pneumatic press to avoid skin-contact and the extraction of harsh phelonics. 60% of the clear free run juice was run to French oak puncheons (20% new oak) to ferment, while the balance was placed in tank to ferment at cool temperatures. Once fermentation was complete it was racked and matured on fine lees for 10 months in tank and barrel. It was gently filtered and bottled on the 10th March 2016.

Food Pairing: With its citrus and hints of white pepper, this wine is a beautiful dish with ceviche, any grilled white fish or chicken infused with orange or paried with an orange and almond salad.