Gallery: Joy of Terroir 2015 – July to December

The autumnal patchwork of red and yellow show the different speeds at which Merlot, Malbec and Syrah grapes ripen in Craggy Range’s patch (104ha or 15%) of the Gimblett Gravels vineyard in Hawke’s Bay. It’s the warmest site in New Zealand, though it is the uniquely stony soil which reveals both its history and success. When floods in the 19th century opened rivers into land, the Ngaruroro River left in its wake a valley of gravel – thought by the Gimblett family as only fit to quarry until local winemakers identified it as a unique terroir. Today, rocks that are carefully placed under vines store the day’s heat to provide overnight warmth for the developing grapes. The consistent temperatures and lack of very hot days here means floral notes are retained in the wines – instrumental in Craggy Range’s Le Sol Syrah, with its recognisable notes of violet.

October 2015: Doña Paula, Fina Alluvia, Gualtallary

The majestic peaks of the Andes dominate this view from the Finca Alluvia vineyard in Argentina’s Uco Valley. It is the soil in the foreground however – sandy, calcium-heavy and rich with alluvial stones – which is the unsung hero of the Malbec that Doña Paula produces from these vines. Its lack of organic matter forces the vines to mature independently, creating in the resulting wine firm tannins, strong mineral notes and the potential for longevity. At 1,350m (almost the highest point of the Uco Valley) the grapes here ripen at very low temperatures, creating structures designed to age. Doña Paula began research into terroirs in 1990, ahead of the mid-’90s boom in Argentinian wines. Finca Alluvia and its sister farm, Finca Los Indios were acquired a decade ago to provide wider diversity of terroir.

November 2015: The Decanter Vineyard

The Decanter vineyard is on the north-facing, 10th floor terrace of the Blue Fin Building on Southwark Street, overlooking Tate Modern, the Thames and St Paul’s Cathedral.

It was planted in 2007 with vines donated by Decanter Men of the Year. They include Cabernet Sauvignon from Bordeaux’s Château Lynch-Bages (Jean-Michel Cazes, 2003), Palomino from Domecq in Jerez (José Ignacio Domecq, 1991), Pinot Noir from Champagne Roederer (Jean-Claude Rouzaud, 2001), Syrah from Guigal in the Rhône (Marcel Guigal, 2006), Furmint from Hungary’s Royal Tokaji (Hugh Johnson OBE, 1995), Sangiovese from Antinori in Tuscany (Marchese Piero Antinori, 1986) and two indigenous Spanish vines from Torres (Miguel Torres, 2002). It is officially the smallest vineyard in Britain at 0.001ha, recorded in Stephen Skelton MW’s UK Vineyard Guide. Despite its north-facing, windswept, maritime terroir, the vines regularly produce grapes, which have been known to ripen in warmer years. No wine has yet been made.

December 2015: Grover Zampa, Nandi Hills

Situated on a sloping hillside in the Nandi Hills, this 18-hectare vineyard contains some of the oldest vines in India, harvested first in 1992. Owner Grover Zampa Vineyards was the first to plant French grape varieties in India, after exploring the country to find the perfect site. In a nine-year study, where 33 grape varieties were planted in locations across India, Nandi Hills stood out for its mild and cool climate and light soils. Red and loamy with plenty of basalt and quartz gravels, these were strikingly different from the usual Indian dark-soil vineyards. The vineyard is planted to Viognier, Sauvignon Blanc, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon, and was the source of the wine that won India its first International Trophy, at the 2014 Decanter Asia Wine Awards – the Grover Zampa Art Collection Sauvignon Blanc 2014.

Translated by ICY