Mendoza Chardonnay Grapes Harvest 2013

Gisborne was fantastic this vintage. Beautifully ripe,yet  not too high in sugars, clean fruit and a purity of fruit flavours, and great acidity.

Last week I was in Beijing and hosted a very amusing New Zealand wine options nights with a group of Kiwis and Chinese Nationals.

The winning team was “Team Odyssey” which amusingly enough was the only team with no Kiwi team members, all in the name!

Today I tasted the Odyssey Marlborough Pinot Noir 2003 in Magnum and for those of you who have this wine I wrote the following tasting note.

Lovely strawberry fruit notes on the nose with a hint of  leather and very subtle blue cheese.The palate has sweet ripe tones with acid in balance and firm yet refined tannins. The wine has evolved beautifully from the robust wine it was in its youth. The cherry/plum has evolved into strawberry and the tannins whilst still present are  elegant and have greatly softened.

If you have an occasion’ to drink to’ this year, this would be a great time to pop the cork…9 years old.

Vintage 2012  is all over now …. The various Pinot  Noir clones look great as do the Sauvignon Blanc  and Pinot Gris also from our Marlborough Vineyard,the whites are just down in yield, but over all the quality will be good.  Pictured here is the hard working Duncan with the certificate number and sign for our organic certification, one more year and we will be fully certified Organic !

Saturday 7th of April 2012 saw pickers coming from far and wide to harvest the first grapes at Odyssey  Marlborough. Pinot Noir grapes were harvested to make the Rose wine. Marlborough is experiencing ideal conditions in the lead up to harvest and whilst being several weeks behind the norm we can let the grapes hang and develope lots of flavours!… a very promising vintage.

  Clearly the wine of choice for Odysseus and the love of his life Penelope, you too can enjoy the

Homer Sparking Rose!

Nosh have a Special deal on  the Homer Sparkling Rose this week …  Happy Valentining!

Thanks for all the nice comments re the Viva comment in todays Herald about The Reserve Iliad Gisborne Chardonnay 2010 , great to appreciate individual wines for what they are…expressions of their own terroir. The Iliad is available in lots of good Auckland stores try Liquorland Newmarket, La Barrique, Bacchus Upland, Point Wines, Artisan Wines, A to Z, Kohi Corner , Caros, Wine Vault, Fine Wine Delivery Company, Glengarry Ellerslie, Ponsonby and Westmere., or contact us if you having problems locating. Cheers and enjoy those wild yeasts!

One of the best jobs back from the holidays is check  the vineyards to see how everything is developing. This week in Gisborne the sun was shining and it  looks like a great year for Hen and Chickens in our Chardonnay grapes. The flavour comes from the skin so with all the little chickens we will get more intensely flavoured berries. Fingers crossed the good summer in Gisborne continues!!

Michael Cooper has just rated the Odyssey Marlborough Pinot Noir 2009 with 4.5 stars, (says it’s the best yet from Odyssey). We can vouch it is awesome with lamb and especially a lamb curry… try the Jamie Oliver “Peters Lamb curry’. The 2009 vintage was long and slow ripening and the wine has really uplifted fragrant tones with soft tannins perfect with a spicey lamb dish.

Fatu Feu’u has done some sculptures on the Odyssey Vineyard in Marlborough ( he uses it as his south island studio in summer and has just written us this very cool poem about the sculptures he has done)…

OH! Orongo, you are god of the wind
So great powerful and fair
Please grant me my wish
I have no time to spare
My sister Sina is dying up in the sky.
The moon is her home, too cold for her bones.
Please hurry we must rescue her from her fate,
Bring her back to earth where its warm and safe.
Alas! The great god of the wind knelt down to propose
Come now pretty Tapuitea
First we hongi on the nose,
Consume the last harvest of Odyssey wines,
then ascending the stairs of mountains and vines.

I hope you like this. Cheers,

Fatu Feuu