Alluviale Tasting Notes - 2005 Vintage
Grape Varieties: Merlot 43%, Cabernet Sauvignon 43%, Cabernet Franc 14%
Region: 100% Gimblett Road vineyards in the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing District
Oak maturation: 19 months in 90% new and 10% one year old French oak barriques
Color: Bright and inky deep purple hue
Bouquet: Concentrated & slightly spicy, with berry, black currant and cherry fruit aromas.
Intensely fragrant, with hints of mint, cedary French oak and berry fruit bouquet with tobacco/cigar box characteristics.
Palate: Complex, lingering, ripe cherry flavours with excellent length and balance. The wine has a deep, fresh berry fruit flavor typical of Gimblett Road Cabernet. The spicy, smokey oak is well integrated with long, fine tannins on the finish.
General: Intense cherry and berry flavors, integrated oak with a long intense finish. Firm tannins and ripe fruit means that this wine can confidently be cellared for 5 to 7 years. 700 six packs produced.
Technical Notes: 13.5% alc./vol. pH: 3.65 TA: 6.09 g/l
Serve: At room temperature, 14 – 16 degrees, with full flavoured foods, especially red meats, pastas
and game.
Click here to download a 2005 Alluviale information sheet including these tasting note
Alluviale Tasting Notes - 2004 Vintage
Grape Varieties: Merlot 65%, Cabernet Sauvignon 30%, Cabernet Franc 5%
Region: 100% Gimblett Road vineyards in the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing District
Oak maturation: 19 months in 90% new and 10% one year old French oak barriques
Color: Bright and inky deep purple hue
Bouquet: Concentrated & slightly spicy, with berry, black currant and cherry fruit aromas.
Intensely fragrant, with hints of mint, cedary French oak and berry fruit bouquet with tobacco/cigar box characteristics.
Palate: Complex, lingering, ripe cherry flavours with excellent length and balance. The wine has a deep, fresh berry fruit flavor typical of Gimblett Road Cabernet. The spicy, smokey oak is well integrated with long, fine tannins on the finish.
General: Intense cherry and berry flavors, integrated oak with a long intense finish. Firm tannins and ripe fruit means that this wine can confidently be cellared for 5 to 7 years. 501 six packs produced.
Technical Notes: 14% alc./vol. pH: 3.72 TA: 5.8 g/l
Serve: At room temperature, 14 – 16 degrees, with full flavoured foods, especially red meats, pastas
and game.
Click here to download a 2004 Alluviale information sheet including these tasting notes
Gourmet Traveller June/July 06: 4 stars
Home & Entertaining June/July 06: 4 stars
Geoff Kelly Wine Reviews December 06: 5 stars
2004 [Blake Family Vineyard] Alluviale 18 ½ (*****)
Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand: 14%; $27 [cork; DFB; Me 65%, CS 30, CF 5; 19 months in French oak 90% new; second wine of Blake Family Vineyard; www.alluviale.com]
Ruby, some carmine and velvet, in the middle for depth. Bouquet for this Alluviale shows a little more oak relative to the fruit, when compared with the 2005, but there is still very attractive floral, plummy and rich berry. Palate brings up the violets component of the bouquet, and the interplay of cassis and dark plums with the oak. This is not as rich as the $50 wines, but it is still gold-medal merlot / cabernet, in the New Zealand context, and delightful. Cellar 5 - 15 years.
Reproduced with kind permission of Geoff Kelly, www.geoffkellywinereviews.co.nz
Alluviale Tasting Notes - 2003 vintage
Grape Varieties: Cabernet Sauvignon 50%, Merlot 33%, Cabernet Franc 17%
Region: 100% Gimblett Road vineyards in the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing District
Oak maturation: 22 months in 85% new and 15% one year old French oak barriques
Color: Bright and inky deep purple hue
Bouquet: Concentrated & slightly spicy, with berry, black currant and cherry fruit aromas. Intensely fragrant, with hints of mint, cedary French oak and berry fruit bouquet with tobacco/cigar box characteristics.
Palate: Complex, lingering, ripe cherry flavours with excellent length and balance. The wine has a deep, fresh berry fruit flavor typical of Gimblett Road Cabernet. The spicy, smokey oak is well integrated with long, fine tannins on the finish.
General: Intense cherry and berry flavors, integrated oak with a long intense finish. Firm tannins and ripe fruit means that this wine can confidently be cellared for 5 to 7 years. 144 cases produced.
Technical Notes: 13% alc./vol. pH: 3.66 TA: 6.07
Serve: At room temperature, 14 – 16 degrees, with full flavoured foods, especially red meats, pastas and game.
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Click here to download an 2003 tasting notes information sheet (PDF)
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