Mahana Gravity Pinot Gris 2015

Description

Michael Glover, formerly of Bannockburn has a new home – the Mahana vineyard, a picture-perfect, 16-year-old, certified organic vineyard with a gravity fed, underground cellar that would be the envy of many a winemaker across the globe. The rolling hills of the Upper Moutere, near Nelson on the northern tip of the South Island of NZ is only a stone’s throw from the vineyard that he helped his father plant when he was a child.  Funded by hotelier, philanthropist and renowned art collector Glenn Schaeffer, Glover has been given carte blanche to create the greatest wines possible from what is clearly a superb terroir.
Mahana (meaning ‘warm place’) actually draws from two estate owned vineyards or terroirs – one in Moutere (where all the Pinot comes from) and one in the nearby Waimea area of Nelson (Sauvignon, Pinot Gris, etc). It was Moutere’s “incredible assets”, as Glover puts it, which was the reason he came back. As he puts it, “Combine these soils and sites with the Nelson climate, and you get Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling knocking at the winery door with perfect numbers and great difference. Terroir. No need for additions.”

Moreish? Complex? Delicious? Indeed! Michael Glover has nailed this wine. The fruit again derives from Mahana’s certified organic, Burke’s Bank vineyard and was harvested a week after the Sauvignon. After destemming and four hours of skin contact the must was pressed, cold settled without any enzyme or SO2 additions, and then racked and left to ferment with natural yeasts. Complex yet tangy and super moreish, this offers juicy, crisp Bosq pear and white floral notes as well as some struck match and cracked wheat notes coming from the solids. In texture and weight it reminded me a little of a good Grüner. Regardless, there is serious class, interest and deliciousness on offer here.

From Michael Glover, winemaker … “The wine has a clear and bright appearance. It has a yellow straw colour. The nose is quite savoury and restrained. There are chalky characters on the nose along with subtle varietal pear characters. The palate is quite firm and very textural. There is excellent depth and weight through the middle of the palate. There are subtle phenolics driving through to a long dry finish. This wine is, above all, dry and textural. It is an absolute food servant and is designed to enhance cuisine.” 

RRP $30