Seifried Nelson Würzer 2018

4 Stars - Michael Cooper, ‘New Zealand Wines 2020’ michaelcooper.co.nz - November 2019

Vineyard: Seifried Redwood Valley vineyard
Sugar at Harvest: 21.4°Brix
Date of Harvest: 11 March 2018
pH of Wine: 3.16
T.A of Wine: 7.4g/L
Residual Sugar: 10g/L
Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans: Yes

The unirrigated Redwood Valley vineyard is situated on a gently sloping, north-facing clay site; the vines were planted in 1999. Vertical shoot positioning helps to expose the berries to sunlight, thus getting maximum intensity and optimal ripeness.

Our Würzer has developed quite a following in the dozen or so years that we have been producing it. We proudly make the only Würzer in New Zealand, with just a few rows of the fragrant grape variety on our clay-soiled Redwood Valley vineyard. The aromatic cross is only planted in very small quantities, even in its home country of Germany.

The Würzer was some of the very first fruit we harvested during the 2018 vintage. It was picked in good condition as the vintage commenced. After harvest, the grapes were de-stemmed and pressed quickly to retain the clean freshness of the variety. The clear juice was inoculated with a pure yeast strain and then a cool, temperature controlled fermentation began. The fermentation was stopped prematurely to leave some natural residual sweetness in the wine and an off-dry finish.