Rippon Gamay 2022, Wanaka, NZD $70
This is a wine for the history books and a must have for any serious collector of Aotearoa’s vinous legacy. In June 2024, Nick Mills requested a DNA analysis of the ungrafted gamay noir vines which have been growing on Rippon farm for decades. It has now been confirmed that they are, in fact, as-yet-unidentified clones of pinot noir which had disguised themselves incredibly well for 40 years.
Other than the immediate implications at Rippon, it also means that vineyards planted from cuttings of their gamay are also pinot noir. This explains a great deal, as Rippon Gamay (and the clone which was until very recently referred to as the Rippon clone) has always been regarded as unusually serious, age-worthy and structured for gamay. However, it also means that the 2022 which is currently in the market is now a collector’s item as it will never be made again with the same label.
Clear crimson. Brooding, serious nose of smoke, earth, wood and sumac. Something gamy and wild underneath, encasing a core of blackberry fruit. Equally serious in the mouth with grippy, enveloping tannins, coffee grounds and cocoa nib competing with plum and blackberry on the fullsome and weighty palate. Sinewy, introverted and one for the cellar. (Diam)
Score: 94 ★★★★ – view original tasting note
Alcohol: 13.0%
Ageing: now to 2029
Food: garlic, rosemary, lime & black pepper lamb cutlets
Stockist: Cahn’s Wines & Spirits, Auckland and online; Vino Fino, Christchurch and online (NZ
This Article was originally published on The Real Review
