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Tantalus Estate Reserve
Écluse
Cabernets / Merlot / Malbec
Waiheke Island, New Zealand
This deep garnet Cabernet dominant blend opens with aromas of dark berries and fresh violets. Great purity of fruit is expressed with blackcurrants and black cherry underpinned by dried herbs, fresh mint, toast and tar. Slowly unlocking the secrets within, this wine displays tremendous structure with muscular tannins and sustained length. The Écluse has been made for long term cellaring.
Vintages:
2014
Price: $105 per bottle
Winemaking
Fermented in stainless steel open-top fermenters, with indigenous and selected yeasts. Extended maceration for extraction. Punched down up to 4 times per day. Gentle basket pressing and transferred into mostly new French oak for 12 months months maturation. 4 rackings duringélevage. No fining.
Food pairing:
Slow roasted lamb shoulder with fresh mint topping, Flank steak and tamarind stir-fry, Porcini mushroom risotto, Old fashioned beef stew, Grilled rib steak on vine shoots barbecue
Vintage report
Warm and dry conditions in early spring gave a healthy fruit-set. Late December rains replenished much needed moisture and were followed by a period of sunny dry weather. The 2014 growing season delivered 19% below average rainfall, allowing selective harvests at optimum ripeness and delivering wines with complexity and depth of flavour.
Technical analysis:
Region: Waiheke Island
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot & Malbec
Harvest: 100% hand harvest
Brix: 23.5-25
Production: 35hl/ha. Single vineyard
Alcohol: 14%
Residual Sugar: <1g/l
pH: 3.66
TA: 6.28g/l
Awards:
Robert Parkers Wine Advocate: 92+ points
Bob Campbell: 4.5 Stars - 93 Points
Sam Kim: 4.5 Stars - 92 Points
London IWC: Silver
2015
Price: $145 per bottle
Winemaking
Fermented in stainless steel open-top fermenters, with indigenous and selected yeasts. Ex-tended maceration for extraction. Punched down up to 4 times per day. Gentle basket pressing and transferred into mostly new French oak for 12 months months maturation. 4 rackings duringélevage. No fining.
Food pairing:
This wine pairs beautifully with New Zealand Lamb, Porcini Mushroom Risotto, Aged New Zealand Cheeses or a Decadent Chocolate Dessert.
Vintage report
A wet winter gave way to a calm, dry spring resulting in great fruit-set. The year started cool, but by December were well above average. January was one of the hottest and driest on record with 25 days above 30C. February was cooler, but remained warm and dry delivering. Overall conditions were ideal for the production of small and highly concentrated berries capable of producing powerful and full bodied red-wines.
Technical analysis:
Region: Waiheke Island
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot & Malbec
Harvest: 100% hand harvest
Brix: 22.5-24
Production: 35hl/ha. Single vineyard
Alcohol: 14%
Residual Sugar: <1g/l
pH: 3.57
TA: 6.3g/l
Awards:
Robert Parkers Wine Advocate: 90 points
Cameron Douglas MS: 92 points
London IWC: Silver Medal
Michael Cooper 2018: 4 star/5 star TBC
Raymond Chan: 5 stars (18.5+/20)
2016
Price: $110 per bottle
Winemaking
Fermented in stainless steel open-top fermenters, with indigenous and selected yeasts. Extended maceration for extraction. Punched down up to 4 times per day. Air pulses. Gentle basket pressing and transferred into mostly new French oak for 12 months months maturation. 4 rackings during élevage. No fining.
Food pairing:
Slow roasted lamb shoulder with fresh mint topping, Flank steak and tamarind stir-fry, Porcini mushroom risotto, Old fashioned beef stew, Grilled rib steak on vine shoots barbecue
Vintage report
A dry winter made pruning enjoyable and as such we were finished in record time. Late August brought with it a wet spell which replenished ground moisture prior to the season. Budburst was nearly 2 weeks ahead of normal.
A settled spring brought with it a good fruit set, the odd Southwesterly kept the crop loads in check. Dry warm weather through to mid January set us up with some very healthy fruit. The season did a bit of an about face in February and turned wetter and cooler than we are used to.
The majority of the work had already been done as we guided the crop to harvest by strategically hanging out individual parcels to gain optimum ripeness. The resultant wines are rich and plush with great presence and length.
Technical analysis:
Region: Waiheke Island
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot & Malbec
Harvest: 100% hand harvest
Brix: 22.5-24
Production: 35hl/ha. Single vineyard
Alcohol: 13.5%
Residual Sugar: <1g/l
pH: 3.49
TA: 6.7g/l
Awards:
Bob Campbell: 95 Points
Raymond Chan: 96 Points
Sam Kim: 96 Points
2017
Price: $110 per bottle
Winemaking
Fermented in stainless steel open-top fermenters with indigenous and selected yeasts. Punched down
and air-pulsed up to four times per day, followed by an extended maceration. Gently basket pressed
and transferred into mostly new French oak for twelve months maturation. Three rackings during
élevage. No fining.
Food pairing:
Barbecue smoked brisket, baba ghanoush with grilled pita bread, dry-aged beef with port wine and
mushrooms, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.
Vintage report
An early spring with warmer than average temperatures brought us a very even bud burst and good
fruit set. A series of northerly storms brought above average rainfall and high humidity, creating plenty
of challenges in the vineyards, however the overall heat summation was well above our yearly average
providing ripe and concentrated fruit.
Technical analysis:
Region: Waiheke Island
Grapes: Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec
Alcohol: 13.5%
Residual Sugar: <1g/l
pH: 3.61
TA: 6.6g/l