AUSTRALIA WIDE SHIPPING INCLUDED
Waipara’s Springs Vineyard is home to a single plot of 40-year-old vines, thought to be some of the—if not the—oldest in the country. The own-rooted Mendoza clone vines bury deep into the Omihi clay soils, and the age of the vines is far from the only attraction here.
Sheltered by the Teviot hills from the prevailing cool easterly winds, the site’s relatively high midsummer warmth and low rainfall during the growing season make for a unique location in a marginal climate. The set of conditions has not been lost on Pyramid Valley, which has been leasing and managing this vineyard (without synthetic chemicals or fertilisers) since 2019.
Stomped by foot and spontaneously fermented with high solids in French oak, the 2022 aged for 12 months on full lees without sulphur. It was then racked and blended to concrete Tulipes, where it rested on fine lees for another six months. The result is awash with complex umami (salty/nutty/flinty) tones and compact stone-fruited presence seamlessly bolted onto Northern European verticality with an alluringly coiled finish. The Force is strong with this one.
“Savoury characters are a feature of this wine, giving it a real sense of place. Intense flavours suggest good cellaring potential although the wine is already fairly tasty.” 96 points, Bob Campbell, The Real Review
“Pretty combination of fresh fruit and hints of wood fermentation and aging. Full and layered, with a texture that shows structure and brightness. Long and very flavorful.” 94 points, James Suckling, jamessuckling.com
“Flesh and pulp, charisma and depth of flavour. It feels fresh with its course of mandarin and pink grapefruit juice under honey toast, red apple, cashew nuts, talc, lime and flinty mineral elements. Has a slurpiness, a loose knit kind of frisky appeal and a deliciousness in the ‘comfort food of chardonnay’ kind of way, though there’s so much detail in mineral, fruit, judicious oak seasoning and savouriness to elevate. Lovely stuff.” 94 points, Mike Bennie, The Wine Front
