Another brilliant tasting at The Hour Glass in New Plymouth on Wednesday with Francis “The Wine Knight” from Great Little Vineyards. We tasted and compared 3 Chardonnays & 3 Pinot Noirs from Hawke’s Bay, Martinborough, Marlborough and Central Otago.
Tonight we were privileged to have Francis Auclert, ‘The Wine Knight’ from Great Little Vineyards visit and share his deep knowledge and passion for 6 amazing New Zealand wines from the GLV portfolio. Francis is known for hosting wine-tasting events and masterclasses in New Zealand exploring regional varietals especially Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
We tasted six standout wines – three Chardonnays and three Pinot Noirs from Hawke’s Bay, Central Otago, Marlborough and Martinborough, to discover ‘just how much the region can change what ends up in your glass.’ As usual the wines were matched perfectly with 6 tapas-style dishes throughout the evening, all selected to complement the wines tasted.
The Wine Knight
Francis is an amazing presenter, and he really knows his stuff.
He is absolutely passionate about wine, and that shows in his brilliant presentation style, using both humour and his deep understanding of wine making processes and of the wines presented. He engaged us all as a group and at individual tables, answering our questions so we not only got to taste the wines but got to learn a lot as well.
Francis works for Great Little Vineyards, New Zealand’s leading independent wine merchant, who specialize in biodynamic, organic and natural wines from small producers in NZ and around the world.
Based at Orakei Bay Village in Remuera, Auckland, they’ve been curating exceptional wine for New Zealanders for over 20 years. Even Rated the best wine shop in Auckland by Decanter Magazine and celebrated by Jancis Robinson.
ON TO THE WINES
Collaboration Aurulent Chardonnny 2024
Tasting notes: Polished and mouth-watering, with struck match, lemon curd, lime pith and fine French oak over a silken, lightly saline finish.
Tapa pairing: Chicken, leek and brie croquettes.
At Collaboration Wines small is beautiful and this ethos informs everything they do from vine to bottle. Proprietor and winemaker Julianne Brogden, is the one woman driving force behind Collaboration Wines, working with a handful of dedicated Hawke’s Bay growers to craft fine wine.
La Ferme de Sato Chardonnay Le Chant du Vent 2023
Tasting notes: Fleshy yet focused, with dried apple, spiced pear, nectarine, seashell minerality, flint, ginger and a salted-butter finish.
Tapa pairing: Zucchini, feta, and mint fritters.
Sato Wines is one of the most quietly extraordinary producers in our range. Yoshiaki and Kyoko Sato left careers in international banking to pursue a dream in Central Otago, and the wines they have built, slowly, methodically, biodynamically and have earned a devoted following well beyond New Zealand.
Corofin Marlborough Chardonnay 2023
Tasting notes: Pure and finely textured, showing cool citrus, lime zest, white peach, leesy complexity and oyster-shell salinity on a long, precise finish.
Tapa pairing: Prawn rolls in mini brioche buns.
Corofin is the artisan winemaking project of Mike and Anna Paterson, dialing into the detail of Marlborough through small batch, single block wines. Their ambition with all Corofin wines is to transmit a sense of place and season first, over fruit intensity or winemaking ambition.
Schubert Marion’s Vineyard Pinot Noir 2024
Tasting notes: Fresh and aromatic, with cherry strawberry cranberry and sage, supported by gentle oak spice, vibrant acidity and soft tannins.
Tapa pairing: Pork and fennel sausage rolls with fruit chutney.
Kai Schubert and Marion Deimling traveled through the great wine regions of Europe, the Americas and Australia in search of the ideal place to produce world-class Pinot Noir. Their journey ultimately led them to Martinborough in New Zealand’s Wairarapa region.
Valli Gibbston Pinot Noir 2023
Tasting notes: Elegant and concentrated, with black cherry, strawberry, floral lift, whole-bunch spice, mineraI tension and firm, grainy tannins.
Tapa pairing: Wild mushroom and truffle bruschetta.
Valli is one of the most sought-after labels stocked at Great Little Vineyards, and for good reason. Founded by Grant Taylor in 1998, Valli Wine set out to do something no one had attempted in Central Otago before: capture the distinct character of each subregion in a single bottle.
Hans Herzog Pinot Noir 2023
Tasting notes: Deep and poised, with dark cherry blackberry, violet, warm spice and earthy complexity, carried by silky tannins and savoury acidity.
Tapa pairing: Lamb kofta with yoghurt, mint, and pomegranate.
Hans Herzog carries 500 years of Swiss winemaking heritage in his blood – and sold the family estate to start again on the other side of the world. That is not the act of someone chasing a trend. It is the conviction of a man who found a piece of land in Marlborough and knew, with absolute certainty, that something extraordinary was possible here.
So all in all, another brilliant event at The Hour Glass (last for this year unfortunately) – the wines were outstanding and Francis arranged some pretty sharp pricing on the night for us. Thanks again to both Francis and Jenna and her amazing team.
To find out more information about or buy any of the wines, visit Great Little Vineyards / Kemp Wine Merchants:
https://www.greatlittlevineyards.com/vineyard/
