Black Label - Glengarry

HAWKE’S BAY’S ESK VALLEY ESTATEEsk Valley SpanishBlack LabelHawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2008was $24.00 now$18.00 12831CASE OF 12 ONLY $17.50 A BOTTLEThis smart Sauvignon has a fresh, appetizing mouthfeeland a bouquet of ripe pineapple and passionfruitaromas, with a fine edge of celery-like nuances. Thepalate is quite full bodied, with the emphasis on ripetropical fruit flavours. There is an underlying herbaceousnesstypical of the variety, the flicker of lime atthe finish giving it a refreshing lift.4Gordon Russell, Winemaker at Esk ValleyThe development of Esk Valley mirrors theevolution that has occurred in the New ZealandWine Industry over the last couple of decades. Theoriginal winery was established by Robert Birdin 1933. Under the management of two successivegenerations, it grew steadily to become, by the 1970’s, a major player.In 1987 the Villa Maria Group came on board, and immediately beganto transform Esk Valley into a quality-driven, boutique winery operation.Some of the original features were retained; the concrete buildings were wellconstructed and remain today, but the entire complex was completely andsubstantially upgraded and modernised. One feature that has stayed is thetraditional, open-top fermentation vats used for red wine.Although part of the Villa Maria Group, Esk Valley is run independently,with its own vineyard and winemaking team led by Gordon Russell, namedWinemaker of the Year at the 2007 Royal Easter Show Wine Awards. Gordonjoined Villa Maria in 1988 as a cellarhand, graduated to cellar foreman andjoined Esk Valley as assistant winemaker in 1990.In 1993, he was appointed winemaker, and his passionate approach to thejob has placed the wines of Esk Valley at the very top. ‘Most of our winesare blends from selected Hawke’s Bay vineyards. We aim to produce handcraftedwines that are elegant, sophisticated and reflect the character of theirorigins,’ states Gordon. He achieves this by making small, separate batchesof the various grape parcels, thus providing the winemaking team withmultiple blending options.The company produces three tiers; ‘The Terraces’ is Esk Valley’s superpremium, single vineyard wine, grown on terraces carved out of the northfacing hill adjacent to the winery. It is one of the country’s most soughtafter Bordeaux blends, and only released in limited quantities. The ReserveRange is hand-crafted and produced from top-rated vineyards only whenvintage conditions are ideal.The Black Label range comes off selected Hawke’s Bay vineyards, usingtraditional techniques such as hand plunging and small batch fermentation.The wines are excellent value and made to be enjoyed with food.12836 Esk Valley Black Label Hawkes Bay Chenin Blanc 2007 $18.0012812 Esk Valley Black Label Hawkes Bay Riesling 2007 $18.0012817 Esk Valley Black Label Hawkes Bay Verdelho 2008 $18.0012826 Esk Valley Black Label Hawkes Bay Pinot Gris 2007 $18.0012795 Esk Valley Black Label Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2006 $22.0012815 Esk Valley Black Label Hawkes Bay Syrah 2005 $28.00Esk Valley Black LabelHawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2006was $22.00 now$18.00 12822CASE OF 12 ONLY $17.50 A BOTTLEA barrel fermented and matured Chardonnay, with a lovelygolden glow and some distinctive peach & melon aromasembellished by spicy oak nuances. It is a richly flavouredand well weighted wine, with upfront tropical fruit flavoursinterwoven around a buttery texture, complemented byunderstated oak and balanced by a swirl of citrus. Readyto enjoy now, this is exceptional value.Esk Valley Black LabelHawke’s Bay Rosé 2008was $24.00 now$18.00 12827CASE OF 12 ONLY $17.50 A BOTTLEThere’s an incredible pedigree behind this smart wine;consecutive vintages from 2005 onwards have takengold medals and trophies. The 2008 version has afragrant nose of spice-edged, crushed strawberry andfloral notes. A full bodied Rosé with excellent depth offruit, a vibrant mouthfeel and a clean, fresh finish.Esk Valley Black LabelHawke’s Bay Merlot 2007was $25.50 now$20.00 12842CASE OF 12 ONLY $19.50 A BOTTLEFrom selected parcels of grapes grown in the GimblettGravels that were traditionally fermented in Esk Valley’sopen fermenters and matured in oak barriques for elevenmonths. The bouquet is alive with blackberry and plumaromas supported by subtle oak, while the full bodiedpalate boasts lovely flavours of berryfruit, with hints ofcoffee and spicy oak in the background.