2014 Whitehaven Gewürztraminer
Accolades
Pure Gold - Air New Zealand Wine Awards
Gold Medal - NZ International Wine Show
Tasting Note
Colour / Appearance:Mid-deep straw, with a gold hue. Aroma / Bouquet:An intensely aromatic wine with aromas of lifted rose petal and ginger spice, with a hint of Turkish delight. Palate:A medium bodied wine with fragrant aromatic and spice flavours filling the palate and persisting on a lengthy finish. The wine exhibits a delicate oily texture. Cellaring:This Gewurztraminer can be cellared for several years and will gain varietal and honeyed bottle-age complexity. However, the wine is already in good balance and can be enjoyed immediately. Food Match:Gewurztraminer is best enjoyed with food. We recommend dishes with aromatic spices and flavours, such as Moroccan, Thai or Chinese dishes. Serve:Lightly chilled.
Wine Analysis
Alcohol:13.5%Residual Sugar:22 g/L Titratable Acidity:4.1 g/L pH:3.69
Viticulture
Climate:The season started with an early bud burst due to a warm winter. A warm, dry spring and early summer resulted in ideal growing conditions and healthy yields. Mid-season rain spells also aided plant growth and canopy vigour. Some cooler weather over January was followed by a warm, dry ripening period. Vine Management:100% Gewürztraminer grapes grown on free-draining, stony, silty loam. Vines are trained to two or three canes on a standard trellis, with balanced pruning, shoot thinning, tucking and trimming to achieve an open, healthy canopy.
Vinification
Winemaking:The fruit was hand-picked, de-stemmed and held with the skins in the press for 24 hours. The free run juice and light pressings were separated and cold settled. A portion of the wine was fermented in a large oak oval, with the balance in stainless steel. The ferments were stopped with some residual sugar to aid texture and mouth feel. Winemaker:Sam Smail