Esk Valley Gimblett Gravels Red Blend 2014
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Winemaker Notes
This is a full bodied and rich Hawkes Bay blend. Densely colored, ithas a bouquet of dark fruits and subtle oak seasoning while the palate is softly textured and generous in nature. Due to its well-ripened tannins, the wine can be enjoyed young, although it also shows the potential to age gracefully for many years gaining further complexity.
Blend: 44% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Sauvignon, 22% Malbec, 11% Cabernet Franc
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Deep, luscious, great purity of flavour here; this is a fine New World take on a Bordeaux blend with subtle flavours, ripe fruit and lots of fine-grained tannins and good acidity to keep everything in check. Dark-cherry notes with a touch of spice and some warming cedar-wood character. Very inviting and enveloping. Already drinking well, this has potential to keep for many years.
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Wine Enthusiast
This shows just how good Gimblett Gravels reds can be even at such a fair price point. Senior Winemaker Gordon Russell has fashioned a full-bodied, dark and dense wine that shows hints of vanilla and cedar which frame dark plum and cassis fruit, then slowly fade into a long, velvety finish. Drink 2020–2030.
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2019-
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Robert
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Esk Valley is a boutique winery, but it is unique in that many of the techniques used to craft its award-winning wines are dictated by the winery itself. The old concrete vats, the layout of the buildings, and the absence of modern technology mean the people at Esk Valley have had to make wine in a simple, honest, hands-on way. Winemaker Gordon Russell has established himself as one of New Zealand's most recognized winemaking personalities with his passionate approach to winemaking, and the enormous success he has achieved with his wines in tastings and competitions. Gordon believes that the concept of 'texture' in a wine is as important as the aromas and flavors of the wine. By 'texture' he means the balance and harmony of the wine, together with complexity and palate interest. Hand-plunging with wooden plungers is one of the manual techniques he employs in his pursuit of texture – a method used only by a fraction of New Zealand wineries. Old-school winemaking results in wines with old-world flavor profiles – and with a suave, perfumed Sauvignon Blanc, a very Burgundian Chardonnay and a very Bordeaux-like red blend, Esk Valley offers something different than many other New Zealand wineries.
One of the world’s most classic and popular styles of red wine, Bordeaux-inspired blends have spread from their homeland in France to nearly every corner of the New World. Typically based on either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot and supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Verdot, the best of these are densely hued, fragrant, full of fruit and boast a structure that begs for cellar time. Somm Secret—Blends from Bordeaux are generally earthier compared to those from the New World, which tend to be fruit-dominant.
An eclectic region on the east coast of the North Island, Hawkes Bay extends from wide, fertile, coastal plains, inland, to the coast range, whose peaks reach as high as 5,300 feet. While the flatter areas were historically more popular because they are easier to cultivate, their alluvial soils can be too fertile for vines. In the late 20th century, the drive for quality led growers to the hills where soils are free-draining, limestone-rich and more suited to producing high quality wines.
Over the passing of time, the old Ngaruroro River laid down deep, gravelly beds, which were subsequently exposed after a huge flood in the 1860’s. In the 1980s growers identified this stretch, which continues for approximately 800 ha, and named it the Gimblett Gravels. The zone has proven to be ideal for the production of excellent red wines, particularly Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah.
Today the area takes well-earned recognition for its Bordeaux blends and other reds. Expressive of intense stewed red and black berry with gentle herbaceous characters, Gimblett Gravels wines are suggestive of their cool climate origin, and on par with other top-notch Bordeaux blends around the globe.
Chardonnay is the top white grape in Hawkes Bay, making elegant wines, strong in stone fruit character. Sauvignon blanc comes in close behind, notable for its tropical, fruit forward qualities.