Marlborough, New Zealand, is one of the wine world’s sweet spots. One of the sweetest spots in fact, famed in particular for its spectacular, world-beating Sauvignon Blancs. But there’s much more to this beautiful region than just Savvy Blanc, and in the right hands other varieties thrive here too, positively beaming with delight in the Kiwi climate and conditions.
Wheeler & Fromm are most certainly a pair — or, rather, two pairs — of such hands. A joint venture between Johnny Wheeler, chairman of Mr. Wheeler (formerly MD of Lay & Wheeler), and Swiss winemaker Georg Fromm, Wheeler & Fromm are famed for the extremely high quality and the sheer sophistication of their wines. They are grown-up wines for sure, resolutely European in style but with a thrilling New Zealand edge to them and a noticeable softness thanks to the long growing season. Because of the wines’ resulting need to age, Wheeler & Fromm have a policy of only releasing them a minimum of five years after the vintage, and so it is that these three wines are all from 2012, the first time they have been on the market.
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Iain Mansfield
Bridget Phillipson wants no alternatives to expose her education mistakes
The Clayvin vineyard was first planted in 1991 and comprises 15 hectares of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir with a small amount of Syrah planted in the warmest parts.
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