Apis, Latin for a bee, the winemaker’s affectionate nick name, got it, took a while, der. It’s a mystery what lurks in the field whence it came but a search of the encyclopaedic Winefront says there’s five percent Gewurztraminer from cold, windy Drumborg in the mix. Sort of a big field but the Crawford River property is so spacious in the possession of dirt, it could extend that far. The wine’s so well made, it had me struggling to find any evidence of cloying Gewurz perfume without reading Mike Bennie’s lovely review. In the glass, a little sulphurous reduction which evaporated quickly, then bright red fruit, raspberry and strawberry type, a lift of brown baking spices, Gewurz? The shape feels more rosé than tannic red, slippery, slurpy and round. Second day and it gets better, the fruit gets rounder and deeper, glides down on just enough strawberry acidity to freshen. My guess, there’s some Cabernet Franc at work. If only Melbourne’s hospitality were open, this would be a perfect by the glass pour with all those lovely green things dripping spring juices at the moment.
13.5% alcohol. Screw cap. 365 gms of glass and a bit of aluminium of course. The lightest, enviro friendly bottle so far. It actually seems a bit small but that might just be swift drinking. $25 rrp.
91 points but thoughtful styling bonus.
Cognitive Bottle Therapy 