Sunday, October 16, 2011

HAHNDORF HILL WINERY 'GRU' GRÜNER VELTLINER 2011

- Adelaide Hills, SA
- $28
- Screwcap
- 12.0%alc

Larry Jacobs and Marc Dobson started the ball rolling with their first grüner veltliner (2010-90pts), setting the pace for several other Adelaide Hills vignerons who are now keen to adopt the variety as a regional specialty. In coming years, expect to see 'gru-vees' from the likes of Geoff Hardy's K1 label, Henschke, Deviation Road, Nova Vita, Mt Bera and doubtless others.

Hahndorf Hill's 2011 GRU is fresh and simple yet fashionably delicate, with a pristine fragrance of ripe nashi pears lifted by notes of apple blossom and white flower, providing perfumed appeal in an enticingly feminine, youthful manner. Energetically driven and harnessed by a brisk movement of mouth-watering acids, its texturally sound palate delivers a clean accent of white-fleshed fruits and lemons which develop more chalk and pear skin-like flavour down the line, but ultimately, it's about as spotless as a Ferrari with a kilometre on the clock. There's a noted evolution in structure and movement in the 2011, conveyed without sacrificing any purity of character, making this wine a slightly more serious, yet equally as delicious GRU as its predecessor. Excellent.

ü+ Full marks to Larry Jacobs and Marc Dobson for taking a promising wine and making it better, immediately. If the Adelaide Hills savalanche is wearing you a bit thin, then brace yourself for the welcomed sight of an oncoming gru-nami. Drink to 2014.
92 points


2 comments:

  1. Love the gru-nami too! Wonder if nashi pears sell the best above any other kind amongst winos? Cheers

    Stu

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks Stu. I think I like nashi pears the best. :)

    CP

    ReplyDelete