Revered Recognition for Johanneshof Cellars

Revered Recognition for Johanneshof Cellars

As the first and only New Zealand wine to be inducted into The Octavian Vaults Library Collection, Johanneshof Cellars 2004 Gewürztraminer has really hit the high notes.

Joanneshoff winemaker Edel Everling is a little more eloquent in accepting this recent honour; “While we have been awarded numerous accolades for vintages over many years, the Octavian Vaults is the only tasting recognition for high quality wines that will stay enjoyable long after most wines of the same vintage have lost their grace. It places us in the league of international iconic wines”.

Producing fine wines that will mature with grace and distinction through the practice of extended cellaring raises the craft of the artisan winemaker to an elevated sphere.

The International Wine Challenge in London is acknowledged as the most influential blind tasting event in the world. Following the same rigorous judging principles and with the aim of demonstrating the merits of premium wines and their cellaring potential, The Octavian Vaults Library Collection was created as a natural extension of the IWC.

The vintage-focused tasting is intended to show the value of vintage wines for immediate drinking, their ageing potential and their value as an investment. The results represent a wide variety of wines from around the world, highlighting those wines that have superb ageing potential and will show at their best with several years of careful cellaring.

Each year the tasting focuses on 10 year old and 5 year old wines. The 2009 tasting reviewed the 1999 and 2004 vintages, judged blind on a 100-point scoring system by a panel of leading international wine experts led by Tim Atkin MW, Sam Harrop MW, Charles Metcalfe and Derek Smedley MW. This panel of highly regarded experts provided tasting comments and estimates of when the wines will reach their peak. Some of the wines were ready to drink immediately, while others may benefit from up to 30 years of cellaring.

Describing the 2004 Johanneshof Cellars Gewürztraminer in their tasting notes, judges announced the wine as;
”Excellent Gewürztraminer aromatics. Spice, roses, pure. Sweet, juicy, ginger notes, really flavoursome with great texture and freshness. Hedonistic, with a drinking window from now through to 2014”.

Co-owner and Winemaker Edel Everling says the inclusion of one of their wines in The Octavian Vaults is a fabulous endorsement of their core principles; “ We’re thrilled and honoured to be regarded so highly by such an esteemed panel of judges. We’re particularly proud to be the first and only New Zealand wine selected to be in the collection to date. It reinforces our passion and dedication to traditional winemaking methods”.

Inclusion of their 2004 Gewürztraminer in this prestigious collection places it among the World’s top 17 wines. Rating 92 points from a potential score of 100, this exquisite wine now also features in the highly regarded wine bibles; ‘The World’s Best Wines’ and Michael Cooper’s ‘Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines’.

Over the past 20 years, hitting the high notes has become synonomous with Johanneshof Cellars wines. They are definitely among the top performers of their boutique genre, repeatedly collecting industry accolades and recognition.
While their 2004 Gewürztraminer continues to mature in the darkness of The Octavian Vaults Collection, like superstars true to their art, Johanneshof Cellars continues to perform in the spotlight.

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