JULY 2021 FEATURED WINES
WINE ONE: KINDELI VERANO
About: This is a complete picture of Alex’s vineyard. He uses every variety grown on his vineyard, co-fermenting in three lots and then blending. It is made from Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, and Syrah. There was some stem inclusion, some direct press, some skin contact. Ageing and fermentation were almost entirely in stainless steel. As usual, the wine is bottled unfined, unfiltered, and without SO2.
Taste: This wine is somewhere between pink and orange in the glass. After a quick and vigorous decant, it begins to show itself: spunky, promiscuous, impish. You’ll find aromas of watermelon rind, blood orange, pink gooseberry, dandelion stems, peony, galaxy hops, Szechuan peppercorns, and lychee. It’s madness. The palate is zesty, with fruity acidity, a botanical grip, and a subtle herbaceousness. This vintage has more fat. You’ll find further flavours of grapefruit, matcha, river stones, white strawberry, coriander, and underripe papaya on the finish.
Pairing:
Ariel Pink - Only In My Dreams
Neon Indian - Deadbeat Summer
Delorean - Walk High
Toro y Moi - Thanks Vision
Classixx & Nancy Whang - All You’re Waiting For
Slugabed - Travel Sweets
Soft Hair - Lying Has To Stop
WINE TWO: THE HERMIT RAM SKIN FERMENTED SAUVIGNON BLANC
About: This wine comes from two sites in the Waipara Valley, just north of Christchurch. Most of the fruit is destemmed and fermented on skins for six weeks, while a small amount undergoes whole-cluster semi-carbonic-maceration. There is minimal cap management as excessive extraction is not the goal. After malolactic conversion, the wine is bottled unfined, unfiltered, and without sulphur.
Taste: This wine is medium gold in the glass with hints of green. The nose immediately brings me to the ocean: mysterious, salty, transient. You’ll find aromas of white peach, silver needle tea, passionfruit, warm hay, lime pith, cucumber skins, pine nut, kombu, and dried apple. The palate is equally saline, with subtle tannins that add to the wine’s presence. It billows and rolls. The acidity is fresh but fits seamlessly into the fruit. On the finish, you’ll find further flavours of dried nettle, kiwi, sweet sage, pear skins, sunflower seeds, and sencha. Remarkable.
Pairing:
Patrick Watson - Man Like You
Devendra Banhart - Korean Dogwood
Bert Jansch - Walking This Road
Sam Amidon - My Old Friend
Kaia Kater - Canyonland
Rachel Sermanni - Little Prayer
Cold Specks - Holland
Elizabeth Cotton - Honey Baby Your Papa Cares For You
WINE THREE: FRANZ WENINGER BLAUFRANKISCH
About: Franz’s entry-level Blaufrankisch comes from 30 diverse plots around Mittelburgenland. The richness of Loam is balanced by the freshness of Limestone and vice versa. The vines range from 5-35 years old. The grapes are destemmed into tank for ten days of fermentation on skins. It is then pressed off into neutral large-format barrels for an eighteen-month élevage. It is bottled unfiltered with 24ppm tSO2.
Taste: This wine is medium purple in the glass. The nose is incredibly pretty, with aromas of wild blueberry, cedar, yarrow, pink peppercorns, violet, black plums, and saskatoon berry. The palate is energetic, nimble, and fleet. It dances on invigorating acidity - reminiscent of a cool mountain breeze, clean and refreshing. It has fine-grained tannins, which add structure. Despite being a middleweight, it is fully saturated with flavour. On the finish, you’ll find hints of juniper, huckleberry, gunpowder, sage, and iris.
Pairing:
Matthew Halsall - Cherry Blossom
Joe Henderson - Watlz for Zweetie
Lee Morgan - Since I Fell For You
Alpha Mist - Coasting
Dego & Kaidi - Orbiting Uhura
Kamasi Washington - Hub-Tones
Sun Ra - Blithe Spirit Dance