Emerging varieties producer, Gapsted Estate, is launching two luxury wine tiers this September, with four new products sourced entirely from its vineyards in Alpine Valley, Victoria.
Made in small quantities, the company stated the wines are a culmination of the transformation Gapsted Estate has undergone since CEO and winemaker, Andrew Santarossa, took the helm in 2021 and has focused on refining viticulture, elevating cellar practices and investing in premium varietals.
“I see such an uncut diamond of potential not only in Gapsted Estate, but across the Alpine Valleys and the emerging varieties most expressive of our region,” said Santarossa.
“We have the right climate, soil types and aspects to make world class wines. So we’ve made improvements to our soil health, the way we prune, our planting densities and aspect. We’ve planted new vineyards and invested in small-batch winemaking equipment, oak that complements varieties and style, and more.
“Our new luxury wines represent the pinnacle of what we do at Gapsted Estate, and being estate grown, we have total control over them from the vineyard to the bottle,” he said.
Four new wines will be released: the Gapsted Estate 2023 Chardonnay, 2023 Grand Manseng and 2022 Saperavi; and the 2022 Gapsted Estate Reserve Saperavi in 1500mL magnums.
Grand Manseng is a white variety originally from south-western France. The Gapsted Estate Chardonnay is intensely complex with lifted aromas of stone fruits, citrus, spice and struck match and a rich, powerful palate of pink grapefruit, nectarine and white peach. And finally, hailing from Georgia is the red variety Saperavi – one of the few red grapes with red flesh, contributing to its deep inky colour.
“We were very selective in our choice of varieties. I’ve always loved making Chardonnay, but before coming to Gapsted Estate I hadn’t worked with Grand Manseng or Saperavi – which they’ve been producing here for 25 years – and I continue to be blown away by their potential and ability to flourish in alpine conditions,” said Santarossa.
Gapsted Estate tier, RRP $65:
- Gapsted Estate 2023 Alpine Valleys Chardonnay – 750mL
- Gapsted Estate 2023 Alpine Valleys Grand Manseng – 750mL
- Gapsted Estate 2022 Alpine Valleys Saperavi – 750mL
Gapsted Estate Reserve tier, RRP $200:
- Gapsted Estate 2022 Alpine Valleys Reserve Saperavi - 1500mL Magnum
The Gapsted Estate tier and Reserve Saperavi will be released on 4 September via the Gapsted Estate website, wine club and cellar-door, and select independent wine stores. Pre-orders will be available from gapstedestate.com.au from 17 July.
