Spirit of Marlborough 2012 - Limited Release
Regular price
$124.00
Sale
Special celebration offer! We held back the entire amazing vintage of 2012 for over a decade to bring you our stately flagship wine at its peak. Indulge in this extraordinary release, offering heavenly flavours akin to the finest 'Grand Cru' Pomerol, at an unmatched value. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to savour excellence.
Vintage 2012
The cool 2012 made for an endless growing season but a very small vintage. Both the spring and summer were chillier than normal, which disrupted flowering. However, a steady late summer and autumn, typically of Marlborough’s maritime climate, provided all the warmth needed for the grapes to mature to perfect physiological ripeness. We handpicked a tiny low yield of 400g per vine of extremely concentrated grapes with wonderful aromas for a very special fine wine made for the ages.
Hans' Winemaking Comments+
‘Perfectly healthy, destemmed grapes allowed for a long cold soak to extract the superb flavours and beneficial antioxidants of the skins. Allowing the temperature to rise, the must naturally progress through a long wild natural fermentation for a true expression of terroir and place. After some time on post maceration, the young wine was gently pressed and transferred into partly new French Barriques for a natural second malolactic fermentation. The minimal oxygen exchange over a 24 months of maturation in the same barrels made all the difference. The wine and wood had time to marry together to form a richer, more complex and textured wine, able to age for many years in the bottle. No fining. No filtration. Natural greatness.’
Tasting Note+
A vintage matured for 10+ years to offer wine lovers an exciting wine experience. The deep, dark colour already reveals the power of a stately wine. The incredibly sweet dark fruit engulfs with alluring blackberry, damson and lots of spice. The palate is pure elegance and purity. Vibrant, juicy acidity and fine tannins are beautiful balanced. There is finesse, detail, precision and complexity, harmony and grace. A mouth-watering length and freshness promises a long age for this seductive, youthful Bordeaux blend. Tasted August 2022.
Technical Data+
| Varieties | 40% Merlot, 40% Cabernet Franc, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon |
| Rootstock | Cabernet Franc - 3309/101.14 Merlot - 101.14 / 5BB / Riparia Gloire |
| Vines Planted | 1996 |
| Soil | Shallow (<45cm) stony, gravel and sandy soil. Well drained, developed from stony alluvium. |
| Planting Density | 5,500 vines/ha |
| Yield | <1.5t/ha |
| Alcohol | 13.8% |
| Residual Sugar | <1g/L |
| Ageing Potential | 20+ years (if kept at optimum temperature - <14 degrees) |
| Bottles Produced | 1,320 |
Food Matching Suggestions+
Perfect with hearty dishes like a fine roast, grilled meat, cheese. But to be honest, this wine is a celebration in itself...
Industry Reviews+
James Suckling - 96 points
'What a beautiful aged red with plum, cedar and tobacco aromas and flavors. Medium-bodied with firm yet fine tannins and racy at the end. Linear and focused with lovely complexity and subtlety. From organically grown grapes.' Tasted March 2023
A blend of 40% merlot, 40% cabernet franc and 20% cabernet sauvignon. Bottle-aged for eight years before release. A mellow, mature red with savoury, beef tea, 'forest floor' and subtle dark berry, spice and baked-earth flavours. Good drinking now but no rush. Bob Campbell