Bushmere & Matawhero wineries, New Zealand
Bushmere Estate is 100% family owned by Egan family. They have been growing grapes for over 40 years. During this time there have been huge changes in the industry, from the growing of bulk grapes to the quality world class wines that are now attributed to the Gisborne area. The vineyard is 17 hectares in the Central Valley Region of Gisborne District, growing mainly Chardonnay grapes, along with smaller plantings of Gewurztraminer, Viognier , Pinot Gris, Montepulciano and Sangrovese. The name Bushmere Estate was chosen as the area was referred to as ‘Bushmere’ on old maps of the district. The Bushmere logo represents the three elements vital to the growing of grapes – earth, water and sun.
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Established in 1968 by the late William (Bill) N. Irwin, the Matawhero vineyards originally supplied contract grapes for local wineries. Bill was literally the father of modern viticulture in New Zealand and it was his drive and determination that lead to the importation of new grape varieties.
Denis Irwin set up the Matawhero Wine label in the mid-1970s using a small part of the grapes his father Bill grew and sold to other Gisborne wineries.
Success followed quickly with both Gewürztraminer and Chardonnay wines attracting national and international attention. The 1977 Matawhero Gewürztraminer achieved fourth in a wine show in Paris – an astonishing achievement at the time for a new world wine. The 1978 vintage of even higher standard; everyone was drinking it including the Queen.
Sometimes austere, sometimes flamboyant often requiring some experience of life and wine to understand his produce; Matawhero Wines were a realistic reflection of Denis the person. As Denis says himself, “In a world reading Woman’s Weekly, I was doing Emerson.”
Denis’ last Matawhero labelled vintage was in 1999. He has since retired from the winery operation on the Matawhero Estate and is now running the Colosseum, a bar and function centre just a stone’s-throw from the Matawhero vineyards, he still taps into his cellared stock. We hear that the 1999 Matawhero Chardonnay is still drinking well!
Wine Review: Knights Valley Chardonnay | Knights Bridge Winery #NoDumpBucket
888 282-1353 Finally it is Friday! This week we have a mesmerizing Chardonnay, the Knights Bridge Winery, 2014 Pont de Chevalier Chardonnay, Knights Valley, Sonoma County, CA. I want to talk to you about this Chardonnay because Chardonnay for me is tough. Sometimes I don't like a lot of Chardonnays because I am in the camp that believes it is way too oaky, way too buttery. I like my Chardonnays more Burgundian in style. More minerality, more acidity. And I'm really interested in Chardonnays that do that from Napa and Sonoma. I was floored when Knights Bridge was introduced to us and we got to feature this wine. One of the reasons I like it so much is because it is from Knights Valley. Knights Valley is way north, north of Calistoga, actually in Sonoma. There are producers up there that really know what they are doing with Chardonnay and Knights Bridge is a stones throw from both of them. The first is Peter Michael. They've been hand crafting wines in Knights Valley for over 20 some odd years and they know a thing or two about Chardonnay. They make five of them.
One thing that makes Knights Valley fantastic is its really rocky soils from a volcanic explosion years ago. Elevations of 300-900 feet. Iron rich soils with a combination of white ash. A carbonic character to it. Essentially an awesome Chardonnay in the glass.
Wine Details: Knights Bridge Winery, 2014 Pont de Chevalier Chardonnay, Knights Valley, Sonoma County, CA
Ripe pear, spiced pineapple, honeydew, white flower, stone fruit, minerality
Golden hue, medium mouthfeel
Long, silky lingering finish
Elegant, luxurious
100% Chardonnay
92 points on Wine Spectator
287 cases
14.8% alcohol
In addition to Peter Michael, one of my all time favorite wineries, the other producer is Chateau Montelena. Chateau Montelena knows a thing or two about Chardonnay. Just Google The Judgement of Paris!
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