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Summer Newsletter 2007/08 Dear Friends What a nail biter of a harvest for 2007 ! Cool wet weather after Easter meant that the grapes took much longer to reach full ripeness. All we could do was wait and wait and wait........ When harvest did start it was May and everything had to be picked within two weeks. What a scramble ! The positive side of the long wait was that the grapes were beautifully ripe and have made wonderful wine. Unfortunately, it was a low volume season because of a poor flowering in early summer. The result is that the wine is great but there's not much of it, especially for Conroys Pinot Noir .... how frustrating ! There is much talk of global warming but we would describe the weather patterns as more like Rock 'n Roll ! We had the warmest May for many years but then temperatures plunged dramatically to the coldest winter for many years. June brought major snow and July brought major hoar frosts - by July 25 there had been only 23 hours of sunshine for the month. Not great for pruning grapes but the local curlers were ecstatic as they were able to hold a bonspiel – a two day tournament on the natural ice in the Ida Valley with a temperature of minus12c during play ! With the intensity of cold during winter, spring has been very slow to warm and is looks as though we're about two weeks behind in growth. Our fingers are crossed for warm weather during flowering in December and a bumper crop.
New Wines for Summer The Rose 2007 is our very first Rose and is unusual for Central Otago as it's made from Cabernet Sauvignon rather than Pinot Noir. The Cabernet was too ripe to make in traditional style so Kevin pressed it straight off the skins to give a delicate blush rather than strong red. It's flavours are of apricots and toffee. We suggest that you chill it right down and serve the Rose with cheeses. A lovely lunchtime wine during summer. Otago Gold 2007 is made in its usual style – soft, easy drinking wine that has its own unique fruity flavours somewhere between Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. The perfect wine to relax with while barbecuing.
Our 2006 Wine Selection Most of the following wines are from the 2006 season which was an exceptional vintage for quantity and, more importantly, quality. The wines of 2006 are rich in flavour and intensity. The dry Gewurztraminer of 2006 has softened and rounded with its time in bottle. A wonderful gingery, peppery wine with rose petal notes. Gewurztraminer is great with asian spicy dishes as well as with cheese and nibbles. Our little Late Harvest Gewurztraminer has plenty of sugar and is full of turkish delight flavours. Delicious either before or after dinner. The Riesling 2006 is made in a dry style again but is a little closer to medium than the 2005 Riesling. The minerally character of Black Ridge is very evident in the bouquet and palate along with the citrusy characters. A wonderful wine to drink with white fish, shellfish and chicken dishes. A great summer wine on a hot day. For those of you who like an aged Riesling there is still some 2001 dry Riesling available – just stipulate this vintage on your order form.
The 2006 Chardonnays There are two Chardonnays to choose from. Chardonnay is the great food wine of the world because it complements such a wide range of foods from seafood through to white and red meats. Our unoaked Conroys Chardonnay 2006 has delicious tropical flavours with a real zing to it. You could give this wine a light chill for summer drinking. We have just released Black Ridge Chardonnay 2006 and we're very pleased with this wine. It has great complexity with soft vanilla notes on the bouquet along with stonefruit and hints of hazelnuts. The palate confirms peaches, nectarines, tropical fruits and nutty flavours. Mouthfilling and lingering. Do not chill this wine – serve it cool and enjoy its elegance.
The 2006 Pinot Noirs The Conroys Pinot Noir 2006 has already sold out so we can tell that this was enjoyed very much. The Black Ridge Pinot Noir 2006 is just starting to open and show its potential. The bouquet is full of sweet black cherries with a soft vanilla scent. Lots of peppery spicy flavours mingle with the black fruits and silky tannins on the palate giving satisfying breadth and depth. It has a velvety texture and reminds us of our Pinot Noir 2002. Now trumpets are sounding and cymbals clashing as we announce our Reserve Pinot Noir 2006. It's been 10 years since we made a Reserve Pinot Noir so this is very special wine. The bouquet has rich black fruits with a sweet scentedness (best guess violets !). The palate is packed with sweet fruit and has peppery spicy edges that are off set by the silky tannins. There is great width and depth to the wine which lingers long after taking a sip. A stunner.
Stop Press Kevin is just back from from overseas and says he can get the Conroys Pinot Noir 2007 bottled by mid December. Please feel free to include this wine in your order if you would like some and we will make sure it is delivered to you before Christmas. Just squeeze it in somewhere on the order form ! Its new retail price is $21.00. Trade-Me has a lot to answer for ! Verdun has taken the plunge on a boat that needs major renovations ! Even fly fishing has been relegated to second place in his enthusiasm to get the boat in the water........maybe after Xmas ! Kuce is eating his way through the rabbit population with great gusto – nearly a 100 since September. Our granddaughter, Nicole, has turned six so is waiting for her new front teeth to fill the gap – just like the Christmas song !
Wishing you and yours a very Merry Christmas with plenty of good wine and cheer plus a Happy New Year ! Cheers Sue & Verdun |
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