The 1998 Te Arai Vineyard Chenin Blanc adorned with a fabulous nose with aromas of orange rind, lemon zest, apricot and white flowers. Very well-defined and beautifully delineated. The palate is very harmonious, very elegant with a soft, silky texture you normally find on red wines. Honey, lemon zest and touches of Clementine and pink grapefruit towards the finish, this is very long, very refined: proof that these wines merit a decade cellaring to reach their peak.
Millton is distinguished by being one of the world’s first certified biodynamic vineyards and so far, New Zealand’s only certified biodynamic vineyard although that claim is unlikely to last much longer! Based on Anne Millton’s father’s original plantings in the Opou Vineyard (7.73ha) both James and Anne have spearheaded the renaissance of aromatic varietals, perhaps more unusually in New Zealand, Chenin Blanc from the Te Arai Vineyard rich in silt-loam soil. They are one of Gisborne’s benchmark wineries who have no doubt inspired many in the region to focus upon quality rather than selling crops on contract-basis and produce a “Grand Cru” range under the Clos de Ste. Anne label. It was an impressive line-up of beautifully crafted wines. Clos de Ste. Anne is the “grand cru” label from James and Anne Millton, cropped on a northeast-facing slope from unirrigated, biodynamically-farmed 18-year-old vines.
Importer: Robert Bath Imports, St. Helena, CA; tel. (707) 967-8089; fax (707) 967-8309