The understory. This is our Blog. News and views from Windrush Organic Vineyard, Marlborough New Zealand Wine.
We’ve been so happy to be paired with the Ducks from Crozier’s free range Turkeys by the amazing team at Arbour. Featuring #4 on the Many menu thoughtfully curated by Chef Bradley Hornby, our Windrush Pinot Noir 2018 sang with the many things ducks eat. Inspired by the passion Kyle and Monique Smith have in the welfare of their birds and respect for the environment in which they live, the team at Arbour designed the dish to represent the happy life these ducks lead.
“From organically grown fruit - aromas of cherries and red plum, wild rose scents, soft brown baking spices and whispers of wood smoke. Dry on the palate with dusty chalky tannins, plenty of acidity then flavours that reflect the nose. More wood spice and red apple notes emerge. Lengthy youthful finish with persistent textures and flavours. Needs more integration time, but overall balanced and well made. Drink from late 2020 through 2026. 92 Points
Published May 25th, 2019 | www.camdouglasms.com
Paired with slow-baked roasted red onion with honey & thyme by Annabel Langbein, we were thrilled to be featured in Yvonne’s pick, this weekend.
“Yes it’s shiny and new and has a light ruby hue but this wine is packed with cranberry, redcurrant, cherry and bright, banging spices. Lush, refreshing and showing rather lovely “chew”, this organically grown glass of goodness by Callum and Sarah Linklater wraps itself around the thyme and nutty notes of these awesome slow-baked alliums (that’s its genus, if you want to get sciency) darn nicely indeed.”
Yvonne Lorkin, published Saturday 27th April 2019.
New Zealand Herald.
Our Empire Chardonnay was recently selected to be poured and modelled at the New Zealand launch of the Jancis Robinson Collection designed by Richard Brendon.
The young wine decanter maximises the surface area of young wine and provides an ideal way of aerating the wine by swirling it around. We were very lucky to meet both David and Richard later in Blenheim and try the exceptional #oneglassforeverywine collection.
New Zealand Launch, hosted by Atelier Nash
Jancis Robinson Collection, by Richard Brendon
Location: Seafarers Members’ Club . Photographer: Jono Parker
Joelle Thomson reviews our Empire Chardonnay, 2018. March 11, 2019.
“ It’s a beauty.
Big, bold and bottled early to take advantage of the high quality fruit from the crazy warm weather in the 2018 vintage.
It’s bone dry with 1.2 grams of residual sugar per litre and full malolactic fermentation, which gives creamy texture and balance without dominating flavours – only old oak was used for the maturation in barrel, which allows the citrus and stone fruit flavours to shine. It’s refreshing to taste full bodied Chardonnay without full on barrel ferment character.”
Read the full article here:
https://www.joellethomson.com/2019/03/11/wine-of-the-week-new-empire-chardonnay/
Arbour Dining 36 Godfrey Road, Blenheim
Wino’s 49 Grove Rd, Mayfield, Blenheim
Scotch Wine Bar 24-26 Maxwell Rd, Blenheim
Cult Wine, Wellington
Point Chev Organic Wines 196 Point Chevalier Rd, Point Chevalier, Auckland
Starfish Cafe & Bar The Esplanade, St Clair, Dunedin
Atelier Nash Fine Wine Experiences, Britomart, Auckland
“I was listening to “Jitterbug” by WHAM! when I first tasted this chardonnay by Callum Linklater and it definitely did make me want to do a happy dance. Bright, shiny and lighter, white-fruited style, chablis-like with a hint of funk and frisk. Nice texture and length. Dry and citrus-driven with a lick of white pepper and smoke, this chardonnay grooves to its own tune and deserves your attention. 4 stars”
http://yvonnelorkin.com/2019/01/windrush-empire-marlborough-chardonnay-2018-25/
12th January 2019
We are thrilled to let you know you can find Empire Chardonnay by the glass at one of our favourite restaurants Arbour. We love their passion to use local honest ingredients and every time we’ve been lucky to dine there, they have taught us about the ingredients, where they are sourced and grown. Here is an image of Callum who was pretty lucky to taste the Empire food match. Pork belly, crayfish, artichoke, summer pea salad.
We are Callum & Sarah Linklater, second generation organic producers. Callum’s family have been farming organically since the late 90’s originally with sheep and beef and recently viticulture. In 2014 we purchased a small property in Renwick, Marlborough and set about planting a small Chardonnay vineyard. We decided to plant Chardonnay because its a personal favourite and not a variety we have on any of our family owned properties. This vineyard has become an obsession and it has given us a great amount of satisfaction to get it to a point where we are able to release this wine, enjoy!
Our family who makes this wine:
Callum is a grower, vineyard consultant, manager, networker, traveller, hunter & rugby playing old boy.
Sarah is a brand manager, packaging lover and home cook.
Duncan, aged 5, is a creative, builder and practical thinker. He can reverse his pedal tractor like a pro.
Eleanor, aged 3, is the free-spirit, tog wearing singer & dancer. She doesn’t like to brush her hair.
Art by Eleanor Linklater, 2018 Aged 3.
This is Callum and his sister Nadine on a balmy September day, 2007 Brixton. When wrap around sunnies were cool and we purchased our finest 99p mincey special + Tempranillo from Tescos. This is when Nadine came to visit and is about the time we learned that ‘that vineyard’ the parents had purchased was also called Windrush. Times have changed. We now have a freezer full of the finest Wild Venison mince and Nadine’s expecting any day. But we still walk through a Windrush square daily. Miss that guy who would tell a joke for 50p though.
