By John Rozentals.
In naming their Marlborough wine label Spinning Top, winemakers and brothers Ant and Patrick Moore drew inspiration from another set of brothers – prolific design duo Ray and Charles Eames – and their short film Tops, an artistic exploration of the ancient art of top-making and spinning.
“Like wine, a spinning top can be of simple creation, such as a thumb tack sent into orbit, through to something more complex and elaborate,” said Spinning Top grape grower Ant Moore.
“A spinning top is set in motion yet can change direction and has a serendipitous path — we can guide it to start with, but nature is the primary driver.
“We have adopted this philosophy in the creation of Spinning Top wines.
“Drawing high-quality fruit from the Awatere Valley, Lower Wairau, Upper Wairau and Waihopai Valley subregions of Marlborough, Spinning Top wines are made with minimal intervention.
“We use nominal sulphur and finings, allow select portions to wild ferment and keep the winemaking process as natural as possible to allow the classic Marlborough characters to truly shine.”
The 2019 Spinning Top Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, 2019 Spinning Top Marlborough Pinot Gris and 2018 Spinning Top Marlborough Pinot Noir consolidate this label’s reputation for producing affordable wines.
Created by winemaker Patrick Moore utilising fruit from the vineyards of his brother Ant, these wines showcase the region.
WINE REVIEWS
Spinning Top 2019 Marlborough Pinot Gris ($15.95): I must be getting soft round the edges in my old age. I’m not even supposed to like pinot gris … or pinot grigio … or whatever you call it. Yet this dry-white wine does have quality and a subtle drinkability and, as the media release claims, punches well above its weight. It has a lovely oiliness about it so fits the pinot gris mould perfectly and it does have the delightful stone-fruit aromas to set it off against most white meats. A good wine that outdoes in the glass its rather cheapish label.
Gartelmann 2018 Benjamin Hunter Valley Semillon ($27): Made from grapes grown in the Upper Hunter on the Glenesk vineyard, this dry white shows the consistency Jorg and Jan Gartelmann have achieved with the area’s predominant white variety. It’s very much in the modern style — very approachable in its youth yet with the ability to develop amazing complexity with cellaring. Take a bottle along to your favourite Italian bistro.
WINE OF THE WEEK
Gartelmann 2018 Sarah Elizabeth Orange Chardonnay ($30): A dry white that easily displays the class it had to have to win the trophy for best white wine at the recent 2019 Orange Wine Show. The barrel-fermented and oak-matured wine has considerable complexity in its youth and will develop more still with ageing. It’s a wine with the depth to handle quite richly sauced seafood dishes. Try it with fresh lobster in a creamy sauce. Believe me, it will be worth the expense.
