Again the frost hit this variety (severe spring frosts seem to be prevalent over the last few years, causing much damage – spring 2008 no exception). The 2007 frost reduced this crop to miniscule levels also. Normally we would make a regular Gewürztraminer from our 15 year old vines, and an Old Vine from our 25 year old vines. The crop was so small, (<0.5 t/a) we had to combine them. The wine is stunning and probably one of the best we have made. Beautiful rich palate, loads of aromatics and spice, long finish, beautifully balanced. This wine is dedicated to Denis Irwin, of Matawhero fame. The story is on the back label. Bugger all made. (Just got 5* review.)

Pale gold in colour. Beautiful scents of roses and honeysuckle, followed by a weighty palate dominated with Turkish delight. The texture is soft and full and the palate goes on for some length with fine spice and an almost citrusy finish. The wine already has considerable complexity and seems somewhat more multifaceted than the regular Gewurz.

Light gold in colour. Beautiful aromatics of musk melon and lychee followed by a palate of lovely weight and balance. Turkish delight and spice dominate with a fine clean fresh lingering finish. Barrel fermented in French oak. This wine will age extremely well.
(375 ml)

Pale green gold colour. Aromatics of lychee with delicate perfume notes. The palate is lively and fresh with ginger and spice notes and hints of Turkish delight. Lovely mid-palate weight and a fine , long spicey finish. great balance and a fine background acidity. Should age extremely well.
KS Outstanding wine, quietly profound in flavour, with spice and exotic (loquat) fruits throughout, and terrific momentum. Long, dry heroic stuff. 9/10

Light gold with green edges. The aromatics are reminiscent of musk melon, and , I’m told, marigolds. The bouquet is slightly subdued at this moment, but has very pure aromatic notes.
The palate has ginger and spice notes from the beginning, persisting throughout the palate, and lingering well after the wine has gone. Lovely fruit weight, seamless balance, finishing with lingering spice and a minerality reminiscent of Alsace versions.
This would be one of the best balanced, most seamless Gewürztraminers I have made.
Will age extremely well, and develop great complexity.

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“Alan Limmer, great bastion of premium wine, feels like he has ‘got Gewürztraminer where he wants it this year’.
For a perfectionist, that’s saying something. The wine tastes alive, spicy and gutsy; the fruit weight and intensity of a very good Alsace wine, yet this is Hawkes Bay at its best. Terrific, now into 2008” PS

Pale gold colour with green edges. Beautiful aromatics of roses and honeysuckle, followed by a palate of great depth and length. Flavours of Turkish delight and lychee, with a long fine spicey finish.
The 2004 Old Vine Gewurz is drinking beautifully right now, and would possibly rate as the best we have made. It is hard to compare this very youthful 2005 wine, but I suspect it will surpass the 2004 over time. Should age extremely well.

As you might have guessed from my earlier description of vintage 05, we finally managed to get a little botrytis into this wine. Just enough to provide extra weight and complexity, while still retaining the wonderful essence of Gewürztraminer. Barrel fermented in French oak. Great perfumed aromatics, beautifully balanced, seamless palate of great length and finishing with fine delicate spice. Possibly the best LH I have made.

Now here is a wine. Fortified Gewürztraminer. Made in the style of the great Muscat de Beaumes- de- Venise. The juice was barrel fermented to a low alcohol and then fortified with spirit. Beautiful light gold colour, hence the name. As this wine is fortified (approx 16% alc), it attracts a higher excise tax – which was significantly increased approximately a year ago. Consequently the wine is dedicated to Jim Anderton for his part in the demise of NZ’s fortified wine industry. Luscious, hedonistic, and hard to leave once opened.

The first of our Old Vine releases, and probably fitting as it was one of the first vines we planted.
Pale gold colour, with a bouquet of lychee and delicate floral scents. Soft unctuous palate. This wine is technically dry, for Gewurz, but has great viscosity and palate weight. As you would expect from old vines. The palate gives way to Turkish delight and spice with a lingering finish. The wine is quite restrained at the moment, and should age extremely well. This wine has been made from the same vines, in almost an identical manner to the ’96 which took the Aromatic Trophy in the ’97 International Wine Challenge.  

What a relief to have a regular crop again after 2001 - if 2.5 t/acre is regular.
Beautiful fruit produced a well balanced, weighty, textured wine. Aromas of lychees and roses are followed by a full, almost creamy palate, with Turkish Delight character giving way to a weighty mid palate, and a fine lingering spice that goes on forever. Fine wine with great cellaring potential.

Bright medium gold colour with ripe perfumed, opulent floral aromatics. Barrel fermented, the palate is full of flavours with great mid palate weight, a slightly oily texture and long, spicy finish. The wine is exhibiting well-developed characteristics now, with great promise of full Gewürztraminer characters as a result of a very low crop.

A finely balanced, subdued wine at this stage, but with considerable mid palate weight. The wine is close to dry with fruit weight contributing most of the palate structure. Exhibiting considerable aging potential in the classic dry gewürztraminer style, this wine would be best cellared for at least a year. Fine floral aromatics at this stage, with big mid palate and fine lingering spice finish. Partial barrel ferment has added a further dimension of subtle complexity.

Opulent fragrance, floral nose followed by an intense palate with huge fruit weight and mid-palate. The wine was harvested close to vendange tardive ripeness so has 20 gms of residual sugar to maintain an alcohol balance. Crop levels were lower than usual (as for most of the '99 vintage) further enhancing the intensity of this wine. Big enough to stand up to very spicy food.

Big would be the word to describe this wine in almost every sense. Intense bouquet with big full palate and long finish with lingering spice. 14% alcohol with a small amount of residual sugar to maintain balance. This wine will cellar extremely well and is already starting to develop the rich mid-palate texture I desire in a Gewürztraminer.