Glengarry's Sunday ramblings of all things vinous, grain and glorious. The Sunday Sediment. Issue One Hundred and Eleven
Welcome to the One Hundred and Eleventh edition of The Sunday Sediment, a collection of what’s new, what’s on and what’s happening instore at Glengarry and within the world of wine. Sip away.
WINELETTER #255 SEPTEMBER 2019 BORDEAUX
Reinforced by its imposing châteaux, the aristocratic Bordeaux holds court at the centre of France’s vinous universe. It is the largest AOC area in France. When combined with the peerless pedigree of the world famous reds, the quality whites of Graves and the seductive Sauternes, the 112,000ha of vineyard plantings and around 60 million cases produced annually make this region hard to ignore.
In 1855, the French created what became known as The Classified Growths of the Medoc, a five-tier classification of 61 of the leading Medoc chateaux along with two from Graves. These growths, or crus range from first (Premier) through to fifth (Cinquiemes). Over the years there has been little change, apart from events such as Chateau Mouton Rothschild moving from second growth to first in 1973 (Baron Philippe de Rothschild reportedly saying, ‘Mouton I am, Second I am not.’).
Bordeaux is divided into two general groupings of appellations: those on the left bank of the Gironde River and those on the right with the Dordogne running through them. Generally, the left bank is home to Cabernet-driven wines and the right bank to Merlot-dominant expressions. At the centre of trade is the negociant system; the chateaux sell their wines to negociants, who in turn offer them to their partners around the world, in what is for the most part an open trading market.
Saint-Emilion introduced its own classification system in 1955, which has subsequently been frequently revised. Pomerol has never been classified, although the greatest wine from this region, Château Pétrus, is generally spoken of in the same hushed tones as the five first growths of the Medoc, Lafite-Rothschild, Margaux, Latour, Haut-Brion and Mouton Rothschild. The inherent problem with a system introduced in 1855 is that some of the chateaux have improved out of sight, while others are considered to have rested on their laurels. It’s a reasonable and still relevant guide, as long as one keeps in mind that some of the wines outside its boundaries can still be superb.
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BORDEAUX - RIGHT BANK MEDOC
Sited on the left bank of the Gironde estuary, the greater Medoc region is divided into the southern zone of Haut-Medoc and the northern zone officially known as the Medoc. It is characterised by large deposits of mineral-rich silt and gravels. The Medoc region at large is home to illustrious appellations such as Saint Estephe, Pauillac and Margaux, where you’ll find many of the top classified wines. There are no crus classes, or classified growths, in the general area designated as the Medoc, but its communes can produce exceptional crus bourgeois wines, a step below cru classe but, many would argue, with some overlap in quality.
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BORDEAUX - RIGHT BANK SAINT-ESTEPHE
Saint-Estephe is the largest and northernmost of the great Medoc communes. It produces a lot of wine from a clutch of highly reputed cru bourgeois producers such as Chateau PhelanSegur. It is separated only by a gully and a stream from Lafite Rothschild, but the terroir is quite different. The soils are less gravelly and contain larger deposits of clay, limestone and sand than those of Pauillac, conditions that tend to produce lighter wines with greater portions of Merlot supporting the dominant Cabernet Sauvignon. Saint Estephe boasts five classified growths – two seconds, a third, a fourth and a fifth – to accompany its excellent selection of first-rate cru bourgeois.
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ERRAZURIZ CHILEAN CUTTING-EDGE
Located in Chile’s Aconchagua Valley, the Errazuriz estate is the vinous obsession of Decanter’s 2018 Man Of The Year, Eduardo Chadwick, widely acknowledged as the driving force behind Chilean wine. In 2004, frustrated by a lack of global recognition, Eduardo organised a comparative tasting in Berlin. In the tasting, which included first growths and other international benchmarks, Eduardo’s wines topped the list.
The biodynamic Sena, a joint venture with California’s wine royalty, the Mondavi family, is
part of Eduardo’s stable of brands. The Errazuriz property is a spectacular marriage of old and new, with the original 1870-era winery situated atop the tunnels housing cellars and barrel storage. Beside it, among the 600ha of vineyards, sits the new winery, environmentally created to recirculate air, chill it with the water from the hills and naturally cool the building. Read More..
TASTINGS AND EVENTS
DEVONPORT WINE CLUB | SPARKLING GLOBAL TOUR
WHEN: Wednesday 11 September WHERE: Glengarry Devonport, Cnr Clarence & Wynyard Devonport TIME: 7.00pm
Upon tasting Champagne for the first time, Dom Perignon called out to his fellow monks, "Come quickly, I'm drinking stars". Well the stars will be aligned in Devonport this evening as we explore a variety of sparkling wines including prosecco, methode traditionelle and champagne, from New Zealand, Italy, Spain and France. This is an evening not to be missed as we journey on a sparkling global tour right here at your local Glengarry. Read more....
ZUCCARDI WITH JUAN PABLO YANEZ Zuccardi is one of the finest and most famous wineries in Argentina. Established in the highaltitude region of Mendoza by Alberto Zuccardi in 1963, the winery is still family run today. They were just voted 'World’s Best Vineyard' by an international academy of 500 wine aficionados and sommeliers. Zuccardi were one of the first to start seriously exporting in the early 1990s and led the way in pricing. Over time and with much experimentation row by row, they have progressed further into single finca wines primarily from the Uco Valley. These have a real focus on the terroir, with less new oak, and early harvesting for more freshness. We are joined by their export Manager Juan Pablo Yanez, here in New Zealand for the first time to showcase this stunning range.
WHEN: Tuesday 17 September WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park, 118 Wellesley St West Auckland TIME: 7.00pm
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SHADES OF ROSE | EUROPE, SOUTH AMERICA, AND AUSTRALIA
WHEN: Thursday 19 September WHERE: Glengarry Mt Eden Village, 417 Mount Eden Road Mount Eden TIME: 7.00pm
EXPLORE BORDEAUX - 2016 NEW ARRIVALS | WELLINGTON & AUCKLAND We have just landed the exceptional 2016 Bordeaux vintage. This is a great year, with all the wines hand-selected by us from tasting them directly in Bordeaux. Join us for a walk around tasting, where you have 2 hours to take your
To think 10 years ago, the word 'rose' in New Zealand meant nothing more than a beautiful flower. Fast forward to 2019 and now it’s as much a 'go to' wine style as any Marlborough Sauvignon, and what’s not to love? The only problem with rose is where to start! We thought, why not run a tasting series that's all about rose? So that's just what we've done. Four nights of five star rose tasting. Night two, we explore roses from Europe, Australia and South America. Read more....
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time and try 25 top wines from across the region. Ranging in price from $20 all the way up to $135 a bottle. Our staff will be on hand to introduce you to the different appellations and styles. Grab some friends and visit Bordeaux for the afternoon/evening!
WELLINGTON WHEN: Wednesday 18 September WHERE: Glengarry Thorndon, 53 Hutt Rd Thorndon TIME: 6.00pm
AUCKLAND WHEN: Saturday 21 September WHERE: Glengarry Victoria Park, 118 Wellesley St West Auckland TIME: 1.00pm
JOSMEYER TASTING
WHEN: Wednesday 25 September WHERE: Glengarry Thorndon, 53 Hutt Rd Thorndon TIME: 6.00pm
In 1854, Aloyse Meyer, a restaurant owner and wine broker, decided to extend the family business into the cultivation of some of the best sites in Alsace, especially the Hengst and Brand vineyards, now recognised as Grand Cru. Josmeyer is still firmly in family hands to this day. In the year 2000, Jean decided to convert to organic and biodynamic farming. Today, Josmeyer is run by Celine and Isabelle Meyer. Celine is the CEO and runs the company, and Isabelle is responsible for what goes in each bottle. These wines are fantastic and seem to have a life of their own, the passion is palpable with each taste. We will be tasting two Riesling, four Pinot Gris, and two Gewurzrtraminer. Read more....
TAKAPUNA WINECLUB | BORDEAUX AND BURGUNDY 101 https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ik=b0bd8e0804&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f%3A1644068825280457679&simpl=msg-f%3A164406‌
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Gmail - The Sunday Sediment - Issue 111
As perhaps the two most prestigious regions for wine making in the entire world, much has been written and said about the regions of Bordeaux and Burgundy. With prices that are often even more extravagant than the bewildering array of names on the bottles it can be difficult to even know what we are looking at or paying for. This month at the Takapuna Wineclub we will take a deep dive into these regions, demystifying some of the glamour and learning exactly what it's all about. To help us dive as deep as possible we will be tasting through some top examples from specific subregions to highlight the huge impact that different terroir and chateaux can have. Covering the gamut of varieties and styles we will be tasting from Burgundy: Puligny Montrachet, Vosne Romanee, Beaune, and from Bordeaux: Pessac Leognan, Saint-Estephe, Pomerol and Sauternes.
WHEN: Thursday 26 September WHERE: Glengarry Takapuna, Cnr Hurstmere & Killarney Takapuna TIME: 7.00pm
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THE LEGENDARY GAJA SINGLE VINEYARDS
WHEN: Thursday 26 September WHERE: Glengarry Mt Eden Village, 417 Mount Eden Road Mount Eden TIME: 7.00pm
The Gaja winery was founded in the Piemonte region of northern Italy in 1859 by Giovanni Gaja, and it has been family owned and operated for four generations, in a constantly evolving arc of inspired winemaking. For the last 50 years, Angelo Gaja has been one of the most renowned producers in the world, having started a revolution in quality in both Barbaresco and Barolo. He has also been one of the most controversial personalities in the region, with his unconventional winemaking methods, defying of the appellation rules, alternative names for traditional vineyards, and plantings of international varieties. Tonight our Fine Wine Manager, Regan McCaffery, will be presenting one of the finest line-ups of GAJA ever shown in New Zealand. We will be focusing on his legendary single vineyard bottlings of Piedmonte, from the stunning 2013 vintage. With Angelo's daughters taking over the Estate there is a change in attitude, and we see this vintage designated as Barolo and Barbaresco for the first time in 20 years. Read More...
https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ik=b0bd8e0804&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f%3A1644068825280457679&simpl=msg-f%3A164406‌
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CHARLES HEIDSIECK With the recent release of Charles Heidsieck Blanc de Blanc, we thought it was an opportune moment to look at the whole range. Charles is synonymous with quality in the Champagne world and always has been since its inception in the mid 1800's. It was Charles himself, fondly renamed Champagne Charlie, that took Charles Heidsieck out to the world. He conquered America and became the darling of New York society. In a letter to his wife in 1860, he penned "there is a rumour about m,e an excitement as they say, that we will greatly benefit from". When he returned to Europe, he went on to charm both England and Belgium. The wine was always made with meticulous attention to detail and that continues to this day. It is known as "Typiquement Charles" and each Cellar Master declares having been inspired by the embodiment of Champagne Charlie.
WHEN: Wednesday 23 October WHERE: Glengarry Thorndon, 53 Hutt Rd Thorndon TIME: 6.00pm
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SHADES OF ROSE | NEW ZEALAND 2019 To think 10 years ago, the word 'rose' in New Zealand meant nothing more than a beautiful flower. Fast forward to 2019 and now it’s as much a 'go to' wine style as any Marlborough Sauvignon, and what’s not to love? The only problem with rose is where to start! We thought, why not run a tasting series that's all about rose? So that's just what we've done. Four nights of five star rose tasting. Night three, we taste roses from New Zealand's 2019 vintage. WHEN: Thursday 24 October WHERE: Glengarry Mt Eden Village, 417 Mount Eden Road Mount Eden TIME: 7.00pm
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ANNUAL NON-VINTAGE TASTING | WELLINGTON It's hard to believe that it has been a year since our last non-vintage tasting. It's lucky that we https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ik=b0bd8e0804&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f%3A1644068825280457679&simpl=msg-f%3A16440…
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have been practicing during the year, as like last year, we will be doing this tasting blind! This is a great way to decide on your choice of bubbles for the Christmas/New Year period, without any preconceptions. Every year we have done this, the most popular wine is always different, and it is the most fun tasting that we do. Read more....
WHEN: Wednesday 30 October WHERE: Glengarry Thorndon, 53 Hutt Rd Thorndon TIME: 6.00pm
MOUNT EDEN SPIRITS CLUB | A GLOBAL GIN TOUR
WHEN: Thursday 31 October WHERE: Glengarry Mt Eden Village, 417 Mount Eden Road Mount Eden TIME: 7.00pm
Dating back to the middle ages, Gins humble origins were a form of herbal medicine. Over the centuries, this has evolved into one of the largest spirit categories globally. With what seems to be an ever growing list of ingredients and maturation methods, Gin has become one of the most diverse and popular spirits in style. To fully grasp this diversity, we will taste a range of London Dry styles from across Europe, New Zealand and Australia, while having a little fun exploring various mixing options from East Imperial. Tastings will be in a specially designed Gin glass from Riedel, which you can take home afterwards. Read more....
WESTMERE WINE CLUB | ALL ABOUT RIESLING It's the grape varietal everybody loves to hate, but there is more to Riesling and many more styles of Riesling than the sweet wine people have come to know. For this wine club we will try several different styles of Riesling from different regions and explain why these wines are like they are. Looking at expanding your palate for aromatics, this is the wine club for you. https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0?ik=b0bd8e0804&view=pt&search=all&permthid=thread-f%3A1644068825280457679&simpl=msg-f%3A16440‌
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Read more.... WHEN: Thursday 14 November WHERE: Glengarry Westmere, 164 Garnet Rd Westmere TIME: 7.00pm
SHADES OF ROSE | METHODE TRADITIONAL AND CHAMPAGNE
WHEN: Thursday 21 November WHERE: Glengarry Mt Eden Village, 417 Mount Eden Road Mount Eden TIME: 7.00pm
To think 10 years ago, the word 'rose' in New Zealand meant nothing more than a beautiful flower. Fast forward to 2019 and now it’s as much a 'go to' wine style as any Marlborough Sauvignon, and what’s not to love? The only problem with rose is where to start! We thought, why not run a tasting series that's all about rose? So that's just what we've done. Four nights of five star rose tasting. For our fourth and final night, we focus on methode traditional rose and of course Champagne. Read more....
That's it for this week's Sunday Sediment. Issue One Hundred and Twelve will be winging its way to your inbox next Sunday. Cheers,
Jak Jakicevich
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Gmail - The Sunday Sediment - Issue 111
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