Vintners' Brunch

Coopers Creek

2007 SV Gisborne Arneis
'The Little Rascal’

5***** STARS - Winestate Magazine, Michael Cooper New Release Tasting, for Sep Issue 2007

4**** STARS - Joelle Thomson's Wine Guide 2007 (evaluated after less than 12 hours being bottled!)

This wine comes from a range of wines released under a Select Vineyard (SV) theme. This is the second vintage of this wine (the first vintage sold out upon release). At present, Coopers Creek believe it to be the only purely varietal New Zealand wine of its type available on the market.

These select vineyard wines are made by Simon Nunns, winemaker at Coopers Creek and celebrate the philosophy of the winery; to showcase a particular grape or wine style from a specific vineyard or sub-region.

Often from single vineyards they are generally produced in lower volumes and are focussed within the restaurant trade. Also available directly from the cellar door and fine wine retail.

Winemakers Notes
The Arneis grape is indigenous to Piemonte in North-West Italy. Its name means 'Little Rascal' in the local dialect. This describes in two words just how difficult this grape is to grow and vinify. Vintage 2007 was stunning in Gisborne and it is being viewed by many as the best vintage in 30 years! Our pickers made two passes through the Bell Family Vineyard, one on 8th March and the second on 12th March. The fruit was in beautiful condition and was very ripe (25 Brix). The two parcels were fermented separately and then assembled for stabilising and bottling. Given Arneis' rascally reputation we ensured that our winemaking inputs were kept to an absolute minimum.

Analysis: Alc 14.5% - Acid 5.9 g/L - Res Sugar 6.0 g/L - pH 3.40

Tasting Notes
Colour: At bottling the wine was very pale with light green tints. With time we expect that it will develop some pale gold hints.
Bouquet: Like a Chameleon! Sometimes it's lemons and grapefruit, then it's marmalade, then it's peachy and sometimes a hint of feijoa is lobbed in.
Palate: Surprisingly rich, full and textural. The stonefruit character fills in the mid palate and gives the wine length and breadth.

Food Matches
Perfect with seafood and salads.

Coopers Creek
Telephone: 09 412 8560
Facsimile: 09 412 8375
Email: info@cooperscreek.co.nz
Website: www.cooperscreek.co.nz

Matched with Alaskan Red King Crab with Crème Fraiche, Pickled Tomato and Korengo from Orbit