KLWines.com | 800.247.5987 April 10, 2017

Australia, New Zealand and South Africa.

APRIL 10, 2017 FEATURES 1 Margaret River Cab 5 “A” is for Icon in Tasmania 2 A Different Framingham 6 Carrick in Central Otago 3 Woodlands Wines 7 Dirt Romance in South Africa 4 Rosé Season! 8 Subregional in Central Otago Throw Another Shrimp (or Lamb Chop) on the Braai By Ryan Woodhouse

There are so many stunning wines in our inventory right now, we and the movement away from cheap bulk wines to more sophisticated had to go for an expanded eight-page newsletter just to scratch the bottlings. South Africa, while representing a smaller market volume surface! Australian wines continue their resurgence after the United than Australia or NZ, continues to amaze me (and many of our staff) States market posted some big sales numbers last year. It seems the with the stunning quality and unique character the wines can deliver. wines are doing the talking—people are listening and they like what’s The highlight for me in South Africa continues to be Swartland and being said! Not to be outdone, New Zealand recently became the third other west coast locales with their complex soils, abundance of old vines largest exporter of wines (by value) to the US, now trailing only the and current crop of talented winemakers with an ethereal touch. Read juggernauts France and Italy! This positive trend reflects the continued on to see what I’m talking about. Cheers! recognition of New Zealand as a premium wine-producing nation Ryan Woodhouse is K&L’s Australia, NZ and South Africa wine buyer

Power, Poise and Points — Margaret River Cab Delivers 2013 Vasse Felix Margaret River ($29.99) Margaret River has been on an absolute tear lately, with great vintages A longtime stalwart of Aussie Cabernet and the founding coming thick and fast. The wines often strike a stylistic balance winery of the Margaret River region, established in 1967, somewhere between Napa Cabernet and Bordeaux but retain their Vasse Felix has done it again with a stunning 2013 release. own unique markers at the same time. The fruit is typically rich and Black and blue fruit with lovely freshness and high-toned concentrated like Oakville, the tannins and poise more reminiscent of perfume. A powerful tannin structure and perfectly Pauillac, but the complex aromas of cedar, crushed mint and sandstone integrated oak. This will age like great Bordeaux. 95 JH, are uniquely Margaret River. The quality of these wines hasn’t gone 93 JS, 93 WE. unnoticed and huge point scores are amassing! We have the best pricing 2012 Leeuwin “Art Series” Cabernet Sauvignon around on a couple of these icons: Margaret River ($39.99) An elegant and savory 2013 Xanadu Estate Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River ($24.99) rendition of Margaret River Cab delivered in the manner A slightly more generous, lush style of Cabernet from Margaret River. that has sustained Leeuwin Estate’s position in the Saturated dark fruits, black currant, ripe plum, dark chocolate, sweet very upper echelons of Aussie wine for decades. James oak spice and fine, broad tannins. Incredible concentration, fantastic Suckling called this exact wine the “Mouton-Rothschild value! 96 JH, 94 DC, 93 JS, 93 WE. of Australia.” 97 JS, 96 JH.

Key: RP Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate WS Wine Spectator JS James Suckling WE Wine Enthusiast VN Vinous W&S Wine & Spirits DC Decanter JH James Halliday’s Companion BC Bob Campbell SK Sam Kim (Wine Orbit) RC Raymond Chan Framingham: “Out of the Mainstream” in Marlborough By Ryan Woodhouse

We have just received our latest allocation of Framingham wines steel and neutral French oak barrels. The wine gets almost a full year direct from New Zealand! We (and by “we” I mean the entire K&L on its lees to enhance texture and depth. The finished wine is dry, but staff) have been eagerly awaiting these wines since mid-2016 when texturally rich and broad. Floral notes, ripe citrus, a dash of stone Framingham’s mastermind winemaker Andrew Hedley visited us fruit too. Intense river stone minerals give a long, lingering impres- with some wines that were mostly barrel and tank samples bursting sion on the palate. with potential and seemingly endless flavors and energy. Those child 2015 Framingham “F-Series” Gewürztraminer Marlborough prodigy wines have now been finished, bottled and are hitting our ($19.99) A stunning rendition of this tremendously fickle . shelves—and personal wine cellars. One of Framingham’s neighbors (and fellow K&L direct import), Te The Framingham wines are some of the most exciting wines Whare Ra makes one of the best and most historic Gewürz in New coming out of NZ. Andrew’s dedication to pushing the boundaries Zealand—there certainly seems to be something about this locale and of winemaking while retaining a distinct theme of authenticity, classy Alsatian/German . Capturing the haunting perfume minerality and electrifying acidity is second to none. Andrew is widely and exotic flavors of the grape while maintaining balance and regarded as one of the foremost Riesling producers in the southern freshness is the key. This organic fruit is hand picked and given some hemisphere, and the new arrivals showcase the number of styles skin contact before a wild ferment in neutral French oak. A small that he produces from this noble grape, from the remarkable, floral, (12%) “vendange tardive” element is added with a dash of botrytis for textural F-Series “Old Vine” Dry Riesling to the wickedly decadent another level of complexity. and concentrated F-Series “Trockenbeerenauslese” Riesling. This 2016 Framingham “Select” Riesling Marlborough

AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND SOUTH& AFRICA year we have expanded our offerings from Framingham to include ($19.99) Made from select fruit picked at advanced the F-Series Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Gewürztraminer. All ripeness but free from botrytis to isolate the clean, of these F-Series wines are very small production wines and represent juicy, bright citrus flavors. A spätlese style wine Andrew’s most “alternative” or “out of the mainstream” styles. They balancing beautiful ripe, sweet fruit with searing are all truly unique and fantastically engaging wines. acidity and delicate mineral underpinnings. This 2015 Framingham “F-Series” Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough wine is just ultimately drinkable—low alcohol, ($19.99) Proudly presented by Andrew as the antithesis of the refreshing, mouthwatering deliciousness. 97 BC. “typical” Marlborough-style Sauv Blanc. This Sauv Blanc comes from 2016 Framingham “Noble” Riesling a particularly stony, rocky section of the estate vineyard that is farmed Marlborough (375ml $24.99) A beerenaus- specifically to make this wine. Without boring you with the technical lese style wine. Made with meticulously details, everything about this wine is focused on turning down the hand-selected whole bunches with varying volume of the intensely aromatic, fruity, exuberant aspects of NZ degrees of botrytis-affected berries from 25% Savvy and putting the focus on texture, minerality and lees-derived to 100%. Many vineyard passes were made complexity. Lots of people attempt this style—very few succeed in to identify bunches with the ideal combina- creating wines as enthralling as this. 92 RC. tion of “clean” and botrytis-affected fruit. An 2015 Framingham “F-Series” Pinot Noir Marlborough ($24.99) unctuous wine with jasmine, honeyed yellow A wildly complex Pinot Noir from the heavy clay soils of the southern stone fruit, preserved lemon and plenty of valleys, Marlborough’s primo subregion for the best Pinot Noir. The complexing botrytis character. Very sweet, wine is fermented with wild yeast and spends a very extended time very concentrated but with remarkable acidity on skins before resting for 16 months in seasoned French oak. This and vibrance. 97 BC. wine is about layers. Aromas swing back and forth between berry 2016 Framingham “F-Series” Trockenbeerenauslese Riesling fruits, crushed herbs and plowed earth. It’s lifted and spicy with lovely Marlborough (375ml $49.99) With total production at just a few interplay between sweet and savory. On the palate the wine has density hundred half bottles this is truly a labor of love. Specific fully botrytis- and power but everything is quite finely delineated by long, persistent affected bunches are hand-selected in sometimes dozens of passes tannins and fresh acidity. Pretty serious stuff. through the vineyard. Even individual berry selection is employed, a la 2015 Framingham: “F-Series” Old Vine Riesling Marlborough d’Yquem. Fermented in small neutral oak and 50-liter beer kegs. This ($19.99) In a few short years of our direct import relationship with wine just blows me away with concentration of flavor and the interplay Framingham, this wine has become a huge favorite with our staff and of intense sweetness and remarkable acidity. Every time I taste it I you’ll have to beat them to it if you’d like a few bottles! Taken from can’t help but think: how can something so natural contain this much the oldest block of vines (36 years old) on the organically certified intensity? One drop of this golden nectar on your tongue will pervade estate, these parcels of fruit are hand selected, mostly whole cluster every facet of your palate. At a fraction of the price of many of its pressed, with a smaller portion given extended skin contact. The juice German cousins and no perceivable difference in quality (to me at is then spontaneously fermented in a combination of small stainless least), this is a steal. 98 BC.

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Theblend 78% is Cabernet A fantastically faithful rendition majestic of Margaret River Check out more staff product reviews at KLWines.com at product staff reviews more out Check 94 JH, 92 JS. 2014 Woodlands2014 “Margaret” Cabernet Sauvignon Margaret River ($49.99) Sauvignon, , 8% 13% Cabernet and 1% Franc. This of one is the reserve estate’s bottlings, sourced entirely from the original block home vineyard. The wine veryis concentrated and structured. Deep black fruits the at core with savory tobacco and charred oak. A full-bodied wine made with longevity in mind. Themoderate alcohol13.5% is representative the of cool end growingto the 2014 season that allowed extra flavor development in the Cabernet fruit without over-ripening. Interwoven with the brooding fruit isa distinctive mineral presence from Margaret ancientRiver’s soils. The wine is powerful but also has freshness lovely owing in large part to the site’s exposed location and proximity to the rugged southern coast. All of this is well polished during months in 18 50% new top-quality French 600oak. cases total Drink production. 95 2017–2727. JH. 95+ RP, Woodlands2015 “Wilyabrup Valley” Margaret River ($24.99) Chardonnay a very at affordableprice point, the Chardonnay is hand picked, delicately destemmed using a very gentle new technology and then fermented in French oak barriques, predominantly using wild(90%) yeast. Some wine was then racked to tank while the other portion rested in barrel nine for new oak). Thismonths bright, (10% is a mineral- inflected wine with linear drive and intensity. The malo/barrel-fermented portion adds great weight and richness, ultimately but the wine is about purity and tension. The flavors are focused around orchard fruit—apricot, yellow plum, baked pear. Mouthwatering, mineral-infused acidity dances theon palate, intertwined with a lick French of oak. -

- The Woodlands The estate was established in the early1970s. Located in the famed Wilyabrup subregion (think Napa Valley’s Rutherford Oakville or district) sitting but slightly higher than many surrounding areas, the vineyard site is regarded as the of one finest in the region. The vines grow in deep,loamy gravels with various slopes and aspects allowing great for diversity character. of The differenti A new importer-direct deal brings us the magnificent winesof the Woodlands winery in the heart Margaret of Western River, Australia. Among the first five vineyards planted in this region, its has since become world-renowned Bordeaux-style for reds and powerful Chardonnay other (among things). Woodlands is a small boutique property that makes about 10,000 cases per and year, many wines are limited to just a few hundred cases per from lot select parcels fruit. of Western Woodhouse Ryan By Margaret River, River, Margaret The second generation of the familyWatson has taken now the reins the of operation with Stewart and Andrew taking over in 2002–05. On the estate, each variety is planted in particular its location due to the soil composi tion and aspect. plot All vines are dry-grown and farmed using traditional and organic methods. All blocks are maintained hand, by including under-vine cultivating, hand weeding, cane pruning, bunch and crop thinning, leaf removal and hand picking. Quality is paramount and shows it in the wines. Woodlands Wines:Woodlands ated parcels vines of each add their own unique qualities to the finished wines. AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND & SOUTH AFRICA 4 Pick. Staff K&L that! has certainly estate loof view.” Well, Waterk ocean an loves “Mourvèdre Bandol, in goes saying the As versatile. fully wonder and refreshing It dry, is within. contained minerality and flavor,of texture intensity the hue belies pale very Its rosé. serious foudre oak neutral large in yeast wild with fermented methods, certified Biodynamic and organic to according Farmed price. of the fraction at a grape, same the from made often of Bandol, wines pink famous of those impression great a does wine stunning say. This they as the pudding in is The proof year? after year wines rosé top-selling one of our become would Africa South from rosé Mourvèdre-based old vine an have thought would Who at K&L. for us huge wine but a favorite, perennial unlikely ($16.99) an Perhaps Stellenbosch Rosé Mourvèdre Coral” “Cape 2016 Circumstance Waterkloof thirst: that quench to ready and stock in are that hemisphere southern the from favorites few ajust outline Here I’ll summer. for the shores our to migrated have wines rosé of herd/flock/gaggle whole new a day. Thankfully by the stronger getting is alfresco dine to urge the and rising steadily is the mercury California in year this soaking thorough a After tion. hiberna winter their from awakening are nation the across smokers backyard and grills longer, getting are flies).evenings The how time (oh, again once season” “rosé prime into heading now certainly are (or of year day) but we time the whatever wine of pink consumption the support emphatically I tongue-in-cheek. somewhat is My title By Ryan Woodhouse Season! YearIt’s of That Time Again—Rosé Get completeGet tasting notes at KLWines.com , this is is , this - - Autumn color in the southern hemisphere means it’s rosé season up north at K&L at Merchants! Wine north up season rosé it’s means hemisphere southern the in color Autumn - juicy with racy acidity and cleansing length. cleansing and acidity racy with juicy is palate The bramble. and spice baking berries, summer petals, of rose Aromas aperitif. perfect the is that style refreshing light, dry, a strictly is This temperatures. at ambient steel stainless in yeast wild with then fermented is wine The elegance. retain hue and pink alight up just to cycle pick five-hour on agentle bunch-pressed whole- is fruit The Bannockburn. in Felton Road on Vineyard Muirkirk organic certified Edward’s Mount from hand-picked is wine single-vineyard This allocation. have asmall we only again and year Otago ($16.99) Central Rosé Noir Pinot 2016 Edward Mount palate. on the dancing thing whole the keeps acidity juicy ripe, while complexity, savory a and texture build helps lees on fine time Some flavors. berry bright and aromatics floral lifted retain to temperatures at cool steel stainless in all fermented style, Valley. Saignée Omaka Marlborough’s in vineyard Rawiri of the block hillside asingle from sourced is wine the year This produced! of 105 cases atotal with wine tion tiny-produc on of this hands our get we could case every we have purchased again Once at TWR. friends our from rosé Noir Pinot new the is summer this ($18.99) Marlborough Rosé Noir Ra) Pinot (Te2016 Whare TWR This wine flew off the shelves last last shelves the off flew wine This Sure to be another winner winner another be to Sure - In Tasmania: The Iconic Wines of Domaine A By Ryan Woodhouse AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND & SOUTH AFRICA & SOUTH ZEALAND NEW AUSTRALIA,

Domaine A in Tasmania’s Coal River Valley is nothing short of a 2005 Domaine A Cabernet Sauvignon Coal Valley Tasmania remarkable project. Pioneer/owner/winemaker Peter Althaus settled ($49.99) It was nice to be offered some “library” wine from Domaine on this site after exploring the world in search of a unique location A, and although their current release is 2008 I managed to secure from which to produce fine wines inspired by the great some cases of 2005! This wine comes from the best parcels properties of Bordeaux. Though Tasmania is known of fruit on the property, and is a blend of 90% Cabernet more prominently for its Pinot Noir and sparkling Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 4% Merlot and 2% wines, Althaus saw the potential for this land to . It was matured for three years in produce wines inspired by the classically styled, 100% new French oak and a further two years structured, savory wines of the Médoc. Ancient in bottle before initial release. Old-school soil founded on 200-million-year-old Jurassic Cabernet flavors at their dolerite rock and a truly cool climate give rise finest—savory, elegant, to this exceptional terroir. Domaine A lies on earthy and balanced. a north-facing slope that enjoys a temperate 94 RP: “Giving a deep maritime climate and extended sunlight hours Peter and Ruth Althaus of Domaine A. garnet-purple color, this over a long, cool season. The vineyard is close- wine has a beautiful cassis and planted in the European tradition with a density of spice nose with complementary notes of pencil 6,000 vines per hectare. Everything at Domaine A is done with an shavings, lavender, eucalyptus, black olives and unwavering focus on quality. freshly ground pepper. The palate is taut with Here is what Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate has to say about Peter a firm structure of high acidity and a medium Althaus and Domaine A: “He’s found a magical spot to grow Cabernet to high level of fine grained tannins. There’s a where the aspect and higher degree of natural UV light strength can great concentration of fruit and savory flavors slowly, perfectly ripen grapes producing wines of great elegance and that linger in layers through the very long finish. finesse. I tasted his 1992 Cabernet during my visit and it is evolving Medium-bodied and at just 13% alcohol, this is a beautifully with a long life still ahead. His Bordeaux blends are truly beautifully made, elegant style.” special and worth the effort to find.” 2013 Domaine A “Lady A” Sauvignon Blanc Coal Valley Tasmania Well, folks…we found them! After a few false starts we are now ($49.99) Beyond their long-lived Cabernet-based wines, Domaine direct importing these cult Australian wines into the US. If you like A’s best-known and perhaps most highly revered wine is their Lady A genuinely cool climate Cabernet (think tobacco, earth, cedar, dried Sauvignon Blanc, described by renowned wine critic James Halliday herbs, meaty characters, moderate alcohol, more structure, less jammy as being “the finest oaked Sauvignon Blanc” he ever tasted. This wine fruit…) then you need to check out these wines! is meticulously crafted from one block of 26-year-old vines cropped 2010 Domaine A “petit a” Cabernet Sauvignon Coal exceptionally low to concentrate flavor. The wine is fermented in Valley Tasmania ($29.99) Essentially the second wine 100% new French oak and spends a full year on the of the estate, hence the “petit a,” this beautiful wine is lees. Then, as is customary with Domaine A’s wines, composed of 60% Cabernet Sauvignon, 35% Merlot, it rests another two years in bottle before release. 4% Cabernet Franc and 1% Malbec. Peter notes that Upon tasting this wine I was simply blown away by fruit destined for this wine is grown with “identical its flavors and textures. It is truly unique and special, viticultural rigor,” i.e. the same meticulous work taking inspiration from the great white wines in the vineyard as the icon wines, but is crafted to of Pessac-Léognan (Domaine de Chevalier, be approachable a little earlier than the flagship Haut-Brion, Smith Haut Lafitte) but adding Cabernet. The fruit is entirely hand-picked from the another layer of decadence and exotic fruit old estate vines (planted in 1973) and fermented in expression. My colleagues thought I had lost small batches. The finished wine matures for two it when I told them I had bought some $50 years in seasoned French oak barriques plus another Tasmanian Sauvignon Blanc—that was until two years (or more) in bottle before deemed ready to they tasted it. Even Bordeaux maestro Ralph release. Lifted aromas of ground spices, macerated Sands and Clyde “King of the Medoc” Beffa forest berries, freshly picked mint, pipe tobacco and earth. The palate gave the wine their seal of approval, adding is medium-bodied but packed with flavor, with more dark berry some to their own formidable cellars! fruits, some cassis and plum and five spice. Whispers of oak frame the focused torrent of fruit. The tannins are fine and well proportioned, giving fine structure and delineation. 94 JS, 94 JH, 91+ RP.

Online auctions are LIVE at KLWines.com 5 AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND & SOUTH AFRICA ferments and ages. Classic Riesling qualities shine through, but the but the through, shine qualities Riesling Classic ages. and ferments it both where tanks, steel stainless into pressed whole-cluster and by hand It harvested is estate. for it on the spot advantageous a more Road, Cairnmuir side of east the on grown is Riesling The ($19.99) Otago Central Bannockburn Riesling 2015 Carrick seen. I’ve ever Gris Pinot other most than expressive is more and flavor a lot of packs fruit The wine. the to complexity adds and the mouthfeel in softness and texture more creates This stirring. occasional with the lees age on to left and barrels oak neutral to is moved wine the of portion a fermentation, After tanks. steel stainless in fermented and pressed whole-cluster hand-picked, are grapes The Dunstan. Lake picturesque by the surrounded are which Bannockburn, in terraces Cairnmuir north-facing on the present soils glacial the of courtesy is Gris Pinot the in acidity The bright ($19.99) Otago Central Bannockburn Gris Pinot 2015 Carrick there. found be can that excellence of the examples stunning are and Otago of Central expressions true are wines Carrick’s of place. sense and of terroir expression own show to its fruit for the allowing additives, minimizes and conversion malolactic natural as well as fermentation yeast wild both utilizes Francis fruit. complex and ized character intensely is result the and grapes the flavor of the into effort put to more vines the drives environment hospitable Aless ground. the in grip afirm and of water pursuit in deep dig to roots the encourages which soils, loess on windblown planted are vineyards Carrick’s Otago. of Central qualities exceptional the showcases and wine finest the produces this believe they as Biodynamically, and cally organi farms and harvesting, and leafing as such by hand, projects maintenance vineyard all performs Carrick much higher, is required effort 2011. the in Even though winemaker its named being before of Carrick side viticultural on the ayear spent having a vineyard, farming work of Biodynamically the handle to well-equipped was Hutt cellar. the in versus vineyard the in wines crafting emphasizes that winemaking to approach an champions Hutt Francis winemaker movement. Carrick the to lead helping is Wines Carrick Zealand, New in ground gain viticulture organic and Biodynamic As 6 Find all your wine accessory at needs KLWines.com

- - woody tannin. enrich the wine without overwhelming with and soften to of time amount right the just be to seems which for 12 months, oak French in aged is wine This oxygenation. aging discour while flavors, delicate Pinot’s the retains feeding Gravity age. to barrel to fed gravity- are finished, when and, daily, down open-top in punched fermenters, separately fermented and picked are vineyard Noir ($29.99) Otago Central Bannockburn Noir Pinot 2012 Carrick structure. and sophistication softness, it giving barriques, oak in French aged and is fermented Chardonnay This flavors. fruit intricate the develop days sunny long, the while ripe, and overly flabby being from fruit the keep and acidity nice a retain nights cool The show why. wine of this nuances and complexity the and shifts diurnal large with climates in ($24.99) Otago Central Bannockburn Chardonnay 2014 Carrick overwhelming. without fruit the highlighting backdrop, the in shines acidity Avibrant here. showcased are pepper bell of form the in hint avegetal and pineapple, fruit, Passion lees. on the barrels oak neutral in aging due partial to fuller-bodied and more complex ($19.99) Otago Central Bannockburn Blanc Sauvignon 2015 Carrick sugar. residual of but atouch with balanced is which wine, the to ness liveli and crispness bring and dominate mandarin and lime, lemon, including fruits, Citrus here. seen be also can character Otago Central unique This Sauvignon Blanc is is Blanc Sauvignon This Blocks of the Pinot Pinot the of Blocks Chardonnay thrives thrives Chardonnay By Stefanie Juelsgaard Juelsgaard By Stefanie Zealand New Centralin Otago, Carrick Wines - -

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“Pinotage like DC: I happen to really Pinotage. enjoy Get complete tasting notes at KLWines.com at notes tasting Get complete 2014 David & Nadia2014 “Elpidios” Red Blend teristic that people wax about in wine) a similar for price. 91 VN. you’ve never had before.” it you’ve Last and definitelyleast not my is favorite wineof their lineup, the David & Nadia2014 “Aristargos” White Blend Swartland ($29.99). This was the gateway drugSwartland to me. for of blend A Chenin Blanc, Roussanne, Clairette, Viognier and Sémillon fermented in old oak. This Wow! wine has everything: great aromatics, surprisingly rich texture, and is balanced with racy acidity and a core almost of salty minerality.only The other whites like this are similarblends from Swartland. is the It best all of the great white wine regions of the combined world into one. Needless to say I am obsessed with the white wines from the region, and all because the of Aristagos! While isit inexpensive, not I challenge anyone to find wines with the same amount character, of complexity, purity and depth (really, any charac The placeThe to start is their David 2015 & Nadia Grenache Paardeberg Swartland ($34.99). Mostly grown granite-based on soils, this wine has something almost for everyone: ripe, pure fruit, high-toned complex aromatics, round mouthfeel, savory nuances and a fresh, lingering finish. The Swartland is the ($29.99) red to chose if you want substance more want to sacrifice don’t but complexity. This Syrah,of blend is a Carignan, Cinsaut, Grenache and Pinotage grown on granite and schist soils. darker It’s and more structured even but complex more than the Grenache: more spice, more etched mineral tones and richer fruit balanced with more tannin the but same clean, finish. long theFor most adventurous there is the David 2015 & Nadia Pinotage Siebritskloof Swartland ($24.99). theI love dark, sappy fruit and the pungent earthiness. This is a different expression, higher toned, like allof theirreds, pure, with crunchy plum fruits and just a whiffof 93tar. Every romantic element mentioned above leads to David up and Nadia Sadie: really rocks old and dirt, grapes old andyoung enthusiasm. Their first vintage 2010,and was the firstvintage that K&L sold their wines was These thewere 2014. instantlymy of some favorite wines in the store. I was mesmerized. I became obsessed with wines. expressive extraordinarily these The region’s Mediterranean Theregion’s climate idealis for of some most the popular grapes in the world, plus some favorites—not old twentieth- century favorites but nineteenth-century favorites. Grape romance! Why Swartland? This regionis a with old stones,billions not yearsof old, older but than almost all wine regions. Old World They a have mix wine of geeks’ favorites rocks: shale, sandstone and granite— dirtmore romance. is a place It with history a long cultivation of a but relatively young wine industry: sometimes older, forgotten, vineyards with enthusiastic younger, winemakers is a romantic combination. Some them of come have together to form the Swartland Independent producers—check their out website, winemaking more romance. Most South of African wine country is located in a Unesco World Heritage Site, the Cape Floral region. I know that this is taking too tolong get to the wine, are wait but wine it. for We people, care we about the dirt. millions For upon millions years of plants and animals unique to this remote corner the of made have world contributions to the organic material in the soils. The dirt there is so different from any other wine region in the world. Dirt romance! South Africa has captured imagination. my Before even we start talking about wine, the natural beauty the of country is staggering. can touch some the of You oldest rocks in the there—billions world of years cool old! How is that? I digress. But Why South Africa? why is Well, that it wine? love we Wine is romantic. Wine is a vehicle our for imagination. Wine is a way to explore our without world travelling—or a way that can we research future travels. David and Nadia: David Dirt in Romance South Africa KirkBy Walker A Very Particular Sense of Place: Subregionality in Central Otago By Ryan Woodhouse

I recently hosted an in-depth “Wines of New Zealand” seminar for our staff in Redwood City. The idea was to dig a little deeper into the intricacies of this stunning country. We isolated a few key regions (Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay and Central Otago) and then broke each one down further to look at subregionality within them. I wanted to explore the sensory nuances that changes in topography, aspect, climate, soil, etc. can have on wines even within a specific region. One of the best illustrations of this concept was the flight of Central Otago Pinot Noirs. Central Otago is a highly complex region with a multitude of these different factors or variables affecting the expression of grapes grown in a specific locale. The most markedly different expressions of Pinot Noir came from In contrast, the site for Rudi Bauer’s 2015 Quartz Reef Pinot Noir, only two wines that were actually the same vintage (2015) and grown only 16 miles southeast of Akitu, is in one of the warmest subregions of 16 miles apart. However, as you can see in the map above, these two Central Otago, Bendigo. This area has long been synonymous with deep, vineyard sites are separated by some very significant geography. The brooding, powerful wines with considerable structure. Bendigo also vineyard site for the 2015 Akitu “A1” Central Otago faces north (the sunny aspect in the southern hemisphere) but is farther Pinot Noir ($29.99) is just outside the picturesque town from the Southern Alps main divide. In fact, another set of mountains, of Wanaka. It lies on a north-facing slope in quite close the Pisa Range, runs between Akitu and Quartz Reef’s site, providing an proximately to the glaciated mountains of the Southern additional layer of weather defense to Bendigo. Sitting on a steep slope Alps. This range is known as the “main divide” on the eastern banks of Lake Dunstan, Quartz Reef’s separating New Zealand’s rugged, wet west coast from vines also enjoy the direct heat of the afternoon sun the arid, high desert that is Central Otago. The site while vineyards on the west shores are shadowed by is very exposed to cold air flows and prevailing bad the towering ranges. The soils here are composed of weather coming from the west. Beyond its exposed arid clay, fine sandy loams and fragmented quartz. physical location the geology here is characterized These heavier soils lend themselves to a more by very hard schist bedrock. Akitu’s vines sit on the generous palate weight in the resulting wines, quite lower slopes of Mount Barker. This outcrop of rock different to the more compact, layered expression is actually a roche moutonnée, essentially a piece of of Pinot grown on schist. The 2015 Quartz Reef particularly hard bedrock that defied glacial abrasion. “Bendigo Single Vineyard” Pinot Noir Central In summary, Akitu’s vines are situated on hard, bony, Otago ($29.99) is packed with dense, rich, dark schist soils on a cold, exposed aspect. As a result fruits, perfectly judged ripeness, a broad texture and the wine is defined by elegance and compact precision. It has beautiful exotic spice notes. This is quite a generous wine but floral, high-toned aromatics, a finely tuned linear presentation and spicy, it has plenty of robust structure to last a decade- bramble nuances. A very seductive wine, it’s made from 70% Abel clone plus in the cellar. Farmed and made according to Pinot Noir, a Pinot clone with a heritage tracing back to Domaine de la Demeter-certified Biodynamic protocols. 95 RP. Romanée-Conti’s “La Tâche” Vineyard. 91 RP.

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