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This was an interesting evening full of updated information about the Esk Valley region and touching on areas of Portugal that most members present hadn’t been to, yet.
The variety of wines was great, beginning with Linden Sparkling Rosé from Esk Valley, a blend of Merlot and Pinotage, a delicious start to the evening. The rest of the evening’s selection was:
Confidencial Reserva Rosé – 10-grape blend
2020 Casa Santos Lima Chardonnay
2022 Moutere Hills Riesling
2020 Waipara Downs Pinot Noir
2020 Confidencial Tinto-Red – 10 grape blend
2019 Mosaico De Portugal
2017 Colossal Reserva Casa Santos Lima
Parcelas Portuguese Tawny Port
Most of the wines for the evening had received at least one gold medal in competitions, with some receiving 10 gold medals.
Nelson’s Tohu Wines are the toast of the New Zealand wine industry after taking out a coveted ‘Best in Show’ prize at the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards.
Over the course of two weeks of rigorous wine-testing in London in June, Tohu’s Whenua Matua Chardonnay stood out from amongst the 18,000 wines judged, to win one of the 50 Best in Show accolades.
As the only New Zealand winery to receive a Best in Show award, it was a major achievement for Tohu – the world’s first Māori-owned winery.
French wines dominated the Best in Show category with 15 awards, along with nine from Spain and seven from Italy.
Decanter organisers said while New Zealand was more well-known for its Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand Chardonnay had been quietly building its success in recent years. At the 2021 awards, Chardonnays from less-expected places like Canada and Germany also received Best in Show awards.
Tohu Wines’ 2018 Whenua Matua Chardonnay received one of the 50 Best in Show accolades at the 2021 Decanter World Wine Awards.
The Whenua Matua Chardonnay 2018 is a single-vineyard wine grown in the rich clay soils of the Upper Moutere region. The only other time a Nelson winery has won best in show for chardonnay was in 1992 when Neudorf Winery won for its 1991 Chardonnay, also grown in similar Moutere-clay soil.
Tohu winemaker Bruce Taylor said the Chardonnay was all about showcasing a single vineyard.
“Whenua Matua translates as ‘significant lands’ and the changing angles and orientations of the vineyard blocks lend themselves to the complexities of winemaking.
“The wine is selected from the very best barrels of our hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed 15-year-old Chardonnay vines.
“These single-vineyard wines hold great structure, exceptional varietal characteristics, texture and complexity.”
Owned by the Kono food and beverage company, Tohu Wines was established in 1998 and around 200,000 cases of wine are produced at its winery in the Awatere Valley.
Kono chief executive Rachel Taulelei says the company is immensely proud of winning the Decanter Best in Show award.
Tohu Wines also received a Gold Medal for its 2020 Sauvignon Blanc at the Decanter Awards.
“The chardonnay is a special release for us and follows on from our 23-year celebration last year. Each wine in the Whenua series is an expression of the uniqueness of our tūranagawaewae, our standing place, and our connection to the land.
“To be acknowledged and singled out from thousands of wines in such a prestigious wine competition is confirmation that care for the land and its bounty is tōtika, a beautiful balance.”
Confidencial Reserva Rosé – 10-grape blend
