29 November 2012
Three Months, Three Trophies, One Wine.
Coopers Creek’s Select Vineyards Albariño 2012 has won its third Trophy in three months.
It’s been dubbed “The Wine of the Summer”.
Back in late August at the New Zealand wine industry’s Bragato Conference, Coopers Creek Select Vineyards Gisborne
Albariño 2012 was awarded its first Trophy. This was a surprising and impressive result for a young wine, new to this
country and only in its second vintage. Just over a month later, in early October, the “Bell-Ringer” as it’s affectionately known, secured its second Trophy at the International Aromatic Wine Competition. Then last
weekend at the celebration dinner for the country’s most prestigious competition, the Air New Zealand Wine Awards, the
news of a third Trophy for the Albariño!
Winning a single Trophy is an outstanding achievement for any wine, given the superb quality and vast number of
contenders at any New Zealand wine competition. To win three in a row is virtually unheard of, especially with a little
known style that’s brand new to this country.
In 2011 only one barrel of New Zealand’s first Albariño wine was made by Coopers Creek Vineyard and praised by wine
critics. The second vintage was released in September of this year in greater quantity and has been sought after by
restaurants and wine lovers nationwide.
The first exports head to the United Kingdom in December, with impressive pre-release reviews. At NZ’s New Release
Tasting in London, the UK’s largest wine trade magazine “Harpers” ignored the Sauvignon Blancs and focused on the
Coopers Creek Albariño, describing it as “...one of my highlighted wines. Give me a punnet of peaches, crush and bottle
the juice; this is what you would get. Throw in some additional pear, elderflower on the nose and you are left with a
very, very cool wine.”
Albariño is widely planted in northwest Spain and Portugal, where it is recognised as their best and most fashionable
white grape varietal. A member of the aromatic group of grape varieties, Albariño is loaded with classic peach and
citrus fruit flavours backed up by zesty acids and a touch of minerality.
The new Albariño joins the Coopers Creek Select Vineyards range, a set of captivating new wines including Arneis, Grüner
Veltliner, Viognier, Montepulciano, Syrah and Malbec. Its nickname is “Bell-Ringer”, reflecting a purity of flavour, its
immediate appeal and quite appropriately the name of the grape growers in Gisborne, Doug & Delwyn Bell!
Coopers Creek Vineyard is a family owned, Kumeu-based winery, that crafts a range of award winning fine wines: New Zealand's favourite styles
as well as intriguing emerging varietals. The winery is fuelling demand for stylish aromatics such as Arneis, Grüner
Veltliner, Pinot Gris and Viognier, in addition to its outstanding pedigree with Chardonnay, Syrah and Bordeaux reds.
Coopers Creek is a major wine exporter, with almost 85% of its sales to international markets, as well as being a widely
known and popular brand in New Zealand.
ENDS