Grosset Gaia 2017

Description

Established in 1981, the winery is situated in the historic township of Auburn at the southern tip of the Clare Valley.  Remaining small and focused has allowed Grosset Wines to preserve the character and individuality of the wines, developing a significant international profile by producing wines deemed consistently outstanding, benchmarks in their class.
Jeffrey Grosset, owner and founder, has always been an innovator, challenging tradition and questioning accepted practices. He campaigned to institute the legal integrity of the riesling grape in Australia, was a leading proponent for the introduction of screwcap closures and privately funded research into the subject.
The emphasis is on purity of fruit. The estate vineyards, which are ACO certified organic, are hand tended and each bunch of grapes is harvested at optimum ripeness. The winemaking process is gentle and uncomplicated. With dedication, discipline and the application of knowledge garnered through decades of experience, the result is the finest expression of variety and place.
Jeffrey Grosset is internationally recognised as one of the ‘Top 10 White Winemakers’ (Decanter, UK) and one of the ‘50 Most Influential Winemakers’ (Wine & Spirits, USA) in the world today.

Grosset Gaia is produced from cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc grown at the rocky and isolated two-hectare Grosset Gaia Vineyard. This tiny hand-tended vineyard planted 33 years ago produces reds with an amazing consistency of fruit flavours and style.

Jeffrey Grosset established the Gaia Vineyard in 1986.  Planted at an elevation of 570 meters, it is the highest vineyard in the Clare Valley. Consisting of two hectares of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, this strikingly beautiful site is extremely challenging and requires careful management. Hard red rock predominates, and the rocky outcrops that break through the earth prevent inter-row cropping and weed control through tillage. Instead, seed is broadcast by hand and grasses and clovers encouraged to regenerate.

Close-planted at 3000 vines per hectare, the yield is about two kilograms per vine; less than two bottles of wine. That vines manage to grow here at all is something of a marvel, let alone the quality and consistency of the fruit they produce.

Grosset named the vineyard ‘Gaia’ after scientist and environmentalist James Lovelock’s theory of symbiosis, which posits that the earth is a single living organism of immense complexity; one that depends on the full diversity of its species to remain in balance, sustain its ecological health, and restore itself in the face of the changing environmental conditions precipitated by human activity.

Grosset has absorbed Lovelock’s ecological theories and applied them to his own methods of viticulture so that today, his vineyard is hand-tended and ACO certified organic. The resilience of the vines in such difficult terrain is a testament to the soundness of this philosophy.

n 2014, Grosset Gaia was included on the Langton Classification of Australian Wine, widely regarded as the best publication of its kind outside Europe. This recognises Grosset Gaia as one of the most sought-after wines produced in this country.

The 2017 Grosset Gaia has voluminous perfumes of blackcurrant, bramble and briar that are bold and enticing. It is powerful, dense and full-bodied, tightly wound around its firm core, yet softened by its velvety texture. It has a richness and concentration of flavour, balanced by substantial yet ultra-fine tannins. While more seductive and appealing on release than many vintages of Gaia, the 2017 shows every indication of being as age worthy as wine lovers have come to expect.

95 pts Ralph Kyte-Powell, The Real Review ‘The wines in Jeff Grosset’s admirable portfolio are a reflection of his thoughtful, quality-oriented approach, none more so than Gaia. This cabernet blend from the outer reaches of the Clare Valley is always a wine of precision and personality that sits outside the region’s forceful mainstream cabernet type. The just-released 2017 edition epitomises the marque’s elegant, moreish style, starting intense and briary with a nose of violets, crushed currants and cedar, leading through a medium-bodied wine of admirable length, intensity and finesse. Gaia skilfully measures cabernet’s savouriness and austerity with cassis-like fruit sweetness in lip-smacking harmony. Delicious right now, but age should enhance it wonderfully.
95 pts Huon Hook,The Real Review ‘Medium to full red colour with a trace of purple and a complex bouquet of damp undergrowth, tobacco, raspberry and briar. More savoury than fruity. The wine is medium to full-bodied and deliciously smooth, supple and easy on the gums. Fresh acidity cleanses the finish. An elegant style, very good now and has cellaring potential.’
95 pts Huon Hook,The Real Review, 28 March, 2020

RRP $99  **SPECIAL 6 pack buy …