If you’re visiting the Alpine Valleys and love exploring fine wines - especially emerging and alternative varieties – a visit to Gapsted Estate is a must.
The winery, located near Myrtleford, has just added four new luxury wines to their portfolio sourced entirely from estate vineyards: the Gapsted Estate 2023 Chardonnay, 2023 Grand Manseng and 2022 Saperavi; and the 2022 Gapsted Estate Reserve Saperavi in 1500mL magnums.
Made in small quantities, they represent the pinnacle of winemaking at Gapsted Estate.
The wines are a culmination of the transformation Gapsted Estate has undergone since CEO and chief winemaker Andrew Santarossa took the helm in 2021, focusing on refining viticulture, elevating cellar practices, and investing in premium varietals.
“I’ve always loved making Chardonnay, but before coming to Gapsted Estate, I hadn’t worked with Grand Manseng or Saperavi, which they’ve been producing here for 25 years, and I continue to be blown away by their potential and ability to flourish in alpine conditions,” Mr Santarossa said.
Grand Manseng is a white variety originally from south-western France.
“Sharing some similarities with barrel fermented Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc or Viognier, the Gapsted Estate expression balances a richness and precise alpine acidity with layers of mandarin, white nectarine, pawpaw and white guava,” Mr Santarossa said.
The Gapsted Estate Chardonnay is intensely complex with lifted aromas of stone fruits, citrus, spice and struck match and a rich, powerful palate of pink grapefruit, nectarine and white peach.
“We want to showcase how Alpine Valleys Chardonnay can be an Australian benchmark expression of the variety,” Mr Santarossa said.
And finally, hailing from Georgia is the red variety Saperavi – one of the few red grapes with red flesh, contributing to its deep inky colour.
“Our new Estate Range Saperavi is a brooding monster with aromas of forest fruit berries and blackberry with a generous palate of intense blackberry, satsuma plum and black cherry,” Mr Santarossa said.
"The Reserve expression is a blend of Gapsted Estate’s finest barrels; bottled in 1500mL Magnums and made in limited quantities.
“It represents the ultimate experience of Saperavi.”
As with every Gapsted Estate wine, an important hallmark is their cellaring potential, and these wines are made with a duality to be appreciated now and age gracefully for years to come.
They are all vegan friendly.
If you can’t make it to the cellar door, the wines can be purchased via gapstedestate.com.au, through the Gapsted Estate wine club, and at select independent wine stores.
