A warm drop
ONCE upon a time, the only thing Gimblett Road had going for it was its drag strip. But now the arid paddocks just off the beaten track on the way to Hastings grow some of the best wine in the country.
Chris (CJ) Pask was one of the first to discover the potential of the area. In 1981 he pioneered plantings on Gimblett Rd and a couple of years later made one barrel of cab sav to share with his mates. Now he owns 90 hectares of vines and, with the help of wine guru Kate Radburnd, he produces some of the country’s best chardonnays and Bordeaux blends.
Some readers might recognise Kate’s name. She has been making wine in New Zealand for 26 years and was the first woman to chair a national wine competition in Australasia. Before that, she practiced on Australian grapes, having graduated with a degree in oenology from the esteemed Roseworthy Agricultural College in South Australia.
Kate is co-owner and managing director of CJ Pask. She produces wines to suit every wallet from the everyday Roy’s Hill label through the weekly treat Gimblett Road and all the way to the impressive Declaration collection. Their premium label wowed me at a recent tasting. I could not get enough of their Declaration Chardonnay 2007 ($40), a “declaration” of the best Chardonnay from the vintage. So pure is the fruit concentration that the winemaker only fiddled with the juice a tiny bit (100% new French oak, wild yeast, stirred on yeast lees). There was no malolactic fermentation, so the malic acids from the grape must, have not been converted to the buttery lactic acid. This let the fruit come through first and foremost, with the oak and wild yeast harmonising in the background. The lasting impression: a long lovely mandarin and toffee finish.
Wine of the week: Gimblett Road Merlot 2007 ($20.50 at Regional) is a great buy for your snuggling in front of the fire treat. Made from a blend from 14 sites, bright berries dip into ripe plum aromas with a hint of bacon from the oak. There’s lots to the palate too, with flavours of candy floss wrapped plums and dry tobacco, reminding me of the days when I rolled my own Port Royal. Warming.
Chris (CJ) Pask was one of the first to discover the potential of the area. In 1981 he pioneered plantings on Gimblett Rd and a couple of years later made one barrel of cab sav to share with his mates. Now he owns 90 hectares of vines and, with the help of wine guru Kate Radburnd, he produces some of the country’s best chardonnays and Bordeaux blends.
Some readers might recognise Kate’s name. She has been making wine in New Zealand for 26 years and was the first woman to chair a national wine competition in Australasia. Before that, she practiced on Australian grapes, having graduated with a degree in oenology from the esteemed Roseworthy Agricultural College in South Australia.
Kate is co-owner and managing director of CJ Pask. She produces wines to suit every wallet from the everyday Roy’s Hill label through the weekly treat Gimblett Road and all the way to the impressive Declaration collection. Their premium label wowed me at a recent tasting. I could not get enough of their Declaration Chardonnay 2007 ($40), a “declaration” of the best Chardonnay from the vintage. So pure is the fruit concentration that the winemaker only fiddled with the juice a tiny bit (100% new French oak, wild yeast, stirred on yeast lees). There was no malolactic fermentation, so the malic acids from the grape must, have not been converted to the buttery lactic acid. This let the fruit come through first and foremost, with the oak and wild yeast harmonising in the background. The lasting impression: a long lovely mandarin and toffee finish.
Wine of the week: Gimblett Road Merlot 2007 ($20.50 at Regional) is a great buy for your snuggling in front of the fire treat. Made from a blend from 14 sites, bright berries dip into ripe plum aromas with a hint of bacon from the oak. There’s lots to the palate too, with flavours of candy floss wrapped plums and dry tobacco, reminding me of the days when I rolled my own Port Royal. Warming.
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