Tasting Notes
Te Whare Ra Winery or TWR is a small, family-run vineyard and winery whose Pinot Noir is much loved by Wines With Attitude customers; I decided therefore to stock some of their white wines. This one is from a vineyard that is one of the oldest in Marlborough and is certified organic. Three grapes, Gewurztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Noir are grown together in a single vineyard and co-fermented to produce this beautiful field blend. The winemakers, Anna and Jason Flowerday, really care about the end product and it shows:
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they love the grape varieties of Alsace like Gewurztraminer and Riesling
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all grapes are hand-picked and hand sorted
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the co-fermentation means the three grape varieties are fully integrated
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there is minimal intervention and the wines are given sufficient time on lees in the winery to build texture and complexity
I was not expecting to like this wine at all because of the predominance of the Gewurztraminer grape (67%); I find many Gewurztraminer or GWT wines to be overly fragrant, with over the top tropical fruit flavours and a level of acidity too low to balance the sweet fruitiness. Boy, was I pleasantly surprised by this wine!
It is beautiful - dry, elegant with subtle spice and fruit from the GWT, structure from the Riesling (22%) and texture from the Pinot Gris (11%). That texture has also been enhanced by a considerable of time sent on the lees (the dead yeast cells). It is creamy without being rich and has a very long finish of mineral, citrus and pear flavours. I love it!
Food Pairing
This dry white wine is beautiful to drink on its own but it will also pair well with spicy Chinese dishes and other Asian food
Producer's Notes
"TORU (which means “three” in Maori) is an aromatic blend we first created in 2006 and has now become one of our flagship wines. Toru was the first of its kind in New Zealand; it is a delicious, co-fermented “field blend” of three varieties - Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris. We are passionate about these classic Alsacian varieties and we spent a great deal of time coming up with the right proportions in the blend. We were aiming for a wine that displayed the essence of all three varieties, whilst creating a distinctive and interesting wine in its own right, and co-fermentation is key to that result. It has the aromatic spice and weight of Gewürztraminer, the line and length of Riesling, and the great texture of Pinot Gris...
This 2020 Toru has an intriguing nose with notes of mango, fresh citrus, white florals and exotic spices. These lead into a multi-layered palate with flavours of mango, citrus, red apple and lychee with a lingering spiciness. The palate has excellent fruit concentration and weight with lovely creamy texture, plus a mineral edge which gives it great length of flavour."
Awards
96 points Cameron Douglas MS
"... this is an exemplary wine and master class in co-fermentation, style and balance. Aromas and flavours of exotic tropical fruits, fresh citrus and apple, white flowers and spice. Equally intense and fruity on the palate with myriad flavours of fresh white fleshed fruits, citrus and tropical. Refreshing acid line carries flavours and a firm youthful mouthfeel through to a lengthy finish. "
94 points Bob Campbell MW
"A field blend of Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris that were co-fermented. A fragrant, appealing wine with a silken texture and deliciously lingering fruit and floral finish. Gewürztraminer is the dominant variety. An impressive wine."
Oz Clarke – 93 points – 2020 Vintage
"Brilliant idea – take three pretty lively grape varieties and ferment them all together. This is a lovely wine – scented, but only just so. Refreshingly acid, but only just so. I went back to it after 4 days open, and it had blossomed!!"
93 points Sam Kim
"Offering pristine fruit aromas of apricot, rockmelon and juicy lemon on the nose with hints of spice and floral. The palate delivers excellent weight and succulent fruit intensity backed by rounded mouthfeel and whispering sweetness. It’s vibrant and textural at the same time, leading to a lengthy delectable finish."
