Immaculate Fruit Makes for Champion Small Parcel Gewürtraminer

Immaculate Fruit Makes for Champion Small Parcel Gewürtraminer

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When Indevin Winemaker Dean Boyce set about making the Honorary Lilac Vines Gewürztraminer 2021, creating something special was front of mind.

His efforts came to fruition when the wine was crowned the Wine Brokers New Zealand Champion Gewürztraminer at the 2022 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect.

“It was really nice to come away with the trophy. A lot of hard work went into this wine in the vineyard and winery, so it was nice to get some recognition for this,” he says.

“It was a really good year for Gewürtz, so we wanted to do something a little special with it.”

Working in a large winery can pose challenges for creating small parcel wines, but Dean and his team set to work with the ‘immaculate fruit’ grown at Bankhouse Vineyard.

“We cold soaked it on skins for at least 48 hours before draining to old puncheons and barrels (raided on night shift from the Sauvignon Blanc programme - what happens on night shift stays on night shift!),” Dean says.

“There was a small balance of freerun leftover, so this and the pressings were fermented in stainless steel after minimal clarification. The barrels were 50% wild and 50% inoculated. Most fermented dry and were topped and lees stirred for three months, once a week. The stainless steel tank was left on lees post ferment for three months as well.”

The resulting wine has an attractive clean nose that continues onto the palate with a sumptuous mouthfeel, excellent length and finishing just off dry, Dean says.

It was produced under the Honorary label, an experimental friends and family label.

“The Honorary Wines allow us as winemakers to experiment with different methods and styles which then have to be approved by a panel before being bottled and sold to family and friends of Indevin,” he says.

Dean gave special mention to the viticulture teams responsible for the fruit, as well as to the trophy sponsor.

“Thanks to the Bankhouse team who produced such immaculate fruit, glad I didn’t stuff it up and thanks to Wine Brokers New Zealand for sponsoring the award,” he says.

Wine Brokers New Zealand has sponsored the Marlborough Wine Show for many years.

Director George Geris is particularly enthusiastic about getting behind Gewürztraminer, a variety he cites as having great potential as a genuinely delectable wine.

“I personally love Gewürztraminer as a variety, and we are delighted to be able to sponsor this trophy. There are some delicious wines made with this grape and I wouldn’t say delicious is a word you can use for every variety but you really can for Gewürztraminer.”

George and his team like to support wine producers across Marlborough and New Zealand as much as they can.

“For us, our business, it’s important and an honour to support the industry because it’s what we love and this wine show is the essence of Marlborough. Our industry and our region is unique and special,” George says.

“A big congratulations to the Indevin team on their win of our trophy this year.”