2009 &CO Sauvignon Blanc
2009 &CO Sauvignon Blanc
| Grapes: Sauvignon | Origin: New Zealand, North Island |
Lea & Sandeman review
As wine maker Gabrielle Simmers put it when she came to see us, she just wants to make her vineyard famous. The vineyard, opposite the famous Te Mata 'Coleraine' block, is a fabulous north-facing slope, producing a wonderfully full-flavoured Sauvignon with complex aromatics as well as a deeply satisfying texture and length. This is a true vineyard wine and definitely not just another NZ Sauvignon. The quirky presentation in clear glass champagne bottle with crown-cap closure merely serves to emphasise the real difference which is in the liquid inside. And if you want to go and see how beautiful it is, you can go and stay there - see www.millarroad.co.nz.Other reviews and comments
The Supernatural 2009, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand Elegant and graceful, delivering nuanced flavors of honeycomb, pear and apricot, with aromatic honeysuckle and spice details. This plush white shows restraint, yet offers refreshing acidity and a long finish. Drink now. 3,500 cases made.
90/100
The Wine Spectator
Yes, this new estate really is called & Co, although the owner-winemaker is the more conventionally named Gabrielle Simmers. This is the first release from her nine-hectare, north-facing, calcareous gravel hillside – and it's some debut. Very aromatic with a Sauvignon grassy note, but dominated more by spice, passion fruit, smoke, honey and honeysuckle. The palate is full and ripe but structured, and the finish is fresh with a Graves-like smokiness. Nearly forgot to say: the bottle is clear glass with a crown cap
90/100
www.thewinegang.com
Grapes sourced exclusively from &Co’s north-facing hillside estate at Millar Road, Te Awanga, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand. &Co is unique: passionfruit & guava, spice & honeysuckle lime & a luscious long palate
Winemaker's notes
Having gone on about wine names last week I shall say nothing about this one except that I haven’t got it wrong: it is called ‘& Co’ (without the quote marks). As that’s all it says on the front label, I suspect it’ll be displayed more often with its back label on view. The bottle also has a crown-cap. The wine is the first release of an intriguing and delicious New Zealand sauvignon blanc from organic vines planted on calcareous gravels in Hawkes Bay in 2003 and 2004. It’s very aromatic with a varietal grassy note but with exotic notes of spice, passionfruit, smoke, honey and honeysuckle too. The palate is full and ripe, but structured, with a Graves-like smokiness and fresh finish. 13.7% abv. A propos of nothing, I reckon the winemaker Gabrielle Simmers has the wine world’s longest legs.
Joanna Simon
Distinctively packaged with a crown cap, this a naturally made Sauvignon. Taut, citrussy and quite mineral with honeysuckle and lime notes, as well a gentle herbiness. There's some nice structure on the palate: nicely dense with herb and citrus notes. A food-friendly style. Goode's Top Picks of Sauvignon. Decanter New Zealand Supplement.
4 Stars
Decanter Magazine
Taut, citrus and quite mineral with honeysuckle and lime notes, as well as gentle herbiness. There’s some structure on the palate: this is nicely dense with herb and citrus notes. Powerful flavours. A food-friendly style. 89/100
Jamie Goode, www.wineanorak.com
This is the second in a run of New Zealand bottles you must taste. Gabrielle Simmers and Greg Collinge own one of the most exciting vineyards I've ever seen, overlooking the Pacific Ocean. I visited them earlier in the year and was thoroughly taken by their luxury Millar Road retreat.
And Co is made by Gabrielle and it's one of the most alluring, complex sauvignons in the country. A single site wine, from Hawke's Bay (not Marlborough, where the Sauvignon lake resides), with texture, depth and cool, calm class, this is a wine that will relax you in a moment. There are no frenetic, attack-of-the-fruit-bowl flavours here, just seamless, mellifluous joy.
The closure is a crown cap (like a beer bottle) and the label is ultra-chic, in fact, it is so 'out there' that the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art has recently selected a bottle to be included in a major upcoming exhibition entitled How Wine Became Modern. Be a furlong ahead of the pack and drink this sensational wine.
Matthew Jukes
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