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Gembrook Hill turns out such beautiful sauvignon blanc.
It boosts both power and composure but best of all is the wine's honed, stately length. Controlled and long are the best words to describe this wine, it tastes of barley, woodsmoke, herbs, steel and tropical fruit, the net all of juicy, complex and flavoursome. A certain chalkiness to the finish works here too, as always.
Rated: 94 Points
Tasted: July 19
Alcohol: 12%
Price: $35.00
Closure:Screwcap
Drink: 2019 - 2024
Gembrook Hill's wines always have elegance written all over them.
There's colour to this wine but it's fresh and frisky on both the nose and on the palate. We get flavour delivered in cool, refreshing style. There are notes of lime to the peach, cedarwood to the nectarine. The palate has some fruit and oak sweetness, almost a honeysuckle/honey aspect, but it remains cool and direct. It's drinking beautifully now but it will no doubt sing harmoniously for a number of years.
Rated: 93 Points
Tasted: July 19
Alcohol: 13.5%
Price: $45.00
Closure:Diam
Drink: 2019 - 2025
Ian James Marks, co-founder with wife June of the Gembrook Hill vineyard, died suddenly in early 2017, during vintage. There’s no vintage marked on the label of this wine; in its place are the dates 1942-2017. This wine is made from both the oldest vinest on the property and the newest, both of which Ian James Marks had tended carefully and at length.
It’s much like the standard or estate release but it’s more autumnal, more savoury and more tannic. It’s a wine of backbone and character. It’s reductive, smoky, littered with leaves, a bit dark and a bit brooding in a flavour sense, though as is the Gembrook Hill way, it looks light in the glass. In cellaring terms this is the kind of pinot noir you can bank on. Its flamboyance is straight and strict. It’s a beautiful tribute.
Rated: 95+ Points
Tasted: July 19
Alcohol: 13%
Price: $55.00
Closure:Diam
Drink: 2022 - 2029+
Light red/purple hue. Very spicy, smoky, fragrant aroma, lifted and fresh but also multi-layered, with some spicy cedary and smoky/toasty barrel scents plus whole-bunch, the palate light-bodied and fresh, vibrant and lightly smoky from oak and stem influences. Long carry, firm finish, with succulent fruit and a clean and resounding cut-off. Excellent. 30/6/2019
Drink 2019 to 2029
Huon Hooke
95 Points
Fairly light colour with a bright, youthful purple/red hue. The bouquet is wonderfully perfumed; hauntingly fragrant, with strawberry, red cherry, floral notes. Full marks for pinosity. It's light to medium-bodied and intense, with a long carry. Delicious wine with very pure fruit. It has fine tannin, good structure and could live surprisingly well. (A new wine commemorating the passing of co-founder Ian Marks) 30/6/2019
Drink 2019 to 2029
Huon Hooke
When maybe I'll have a glass turns into polish off the bottle.
What I love about this release is the ease at which it paints a complex picture. It hardly seems to be trying and yet graphite. undergrowth, wild flings of herbs, walnut and black cherry flavours march forward. Tannin runs slick and dry, acidity drives through it, flavour is never left behind. It's a filigreed wine, savoury and autumnal yet all-the-while it feels composed anti complete. Pitch. a wing of perfect pitch.
Rated: 96 Points
Tasted: July 19
Alcohol: 13%
Price: $55.00
Closure:Diam
Drink: 2021 - 2030+
On September 15th at the Annual Yarra Valley Winegrowers Association Trophy Presentation luncheon, June and Ian were inducted into the Association's Hall of Fame. This is a great honour, as they join a very small list of illustrious winemakers and associates, who have distinguished themselves as pioneers of excellence in the re-emergence of the Yarra Valley as one of the premier wine producing areas of Australia. As June said in her acceptance speech, it remains to Andrew and herself to uphold the high standards Ian created.
A bright future for Andrew Marks
While he is far from an old hand in the wine game, Andrew Marks has achieved a heck of a lot. He’s worked for Penfold’s, created his own vibrant and successful wine label and is ensuring his parent’s legacy at Gembrook Hill is assured long into the future. And we haven’t even touched upon how The Melbourne Gin Company has helped to create an inspire the bourgeoning craft gin movement in Australia. It’s as clear as his handcrafted gin that Andrew Marks is a young Australian vigneron with a bright future.
Visit wineaustralia.com for the full story
97 points
5 stars
Slightly funky smoked-charcuterie-like aromas, quickly evolving into raspberry, strawberry and red cherry. Intense, tight, concentrated palate, which is distinguished by very fine and very long flavour. Sweet fruit, but it's graceful and delicious. A beautiful wine which got better and better the longer it was in the glass.
Drink 2017 to 2027
Ranked #2 of 60 2015 Pinot Noir tasted from Yarra Valley
Huon Hooke
August 10, 2017
"Just a stunning wine. Beautiful. Effortless. Pristine in its expression."
Mike Bennie
April, 2017
www.winefront.com.au
Gourmet Traveller Wine
100 Top New Releases
2011 Gembrook Hill Blanc de Blancs
“An outstanding aperitif style with great flavour and character. Montélimar nougat, almond meal, meringue aromas, then a lemon zest palate with bouncy acidity. The whole thing is very refreshing as well as complex. Another great 2011 bubbly."
September, 2016
Ian receiving the award from Adrian, representative of E.E Muirs & Sons, at the Yarra Valley Wine Show luncheon held last Friday September 2, 2016 at RACV Healesville.
2013 Pinot Noir
“It’s one of the stars of Yarra Valley pinot noir, each release eagerly awaited. This release does not let the name down.”
Campbell Mattinson
May 10, 2016
Nougat, almond-meal, meringue aromas, blending freshness with complexity of character. Lemon-zesty acidity and wonderful balance.
Huon Hooke
The Age – Goodfood Guide / July 12, 2016
Reasons to visit Gembrook
The Age, April 2nd, 2016
Wine Guy, Mike Bennie
Sunday Herald Sun, February 15, 2015
Gembrook Hill Sauvignon Blanc 2013
Decanter, London, Tanel Tasting, March 2015
Gembrook Hill Pinot Noir 2012
"One of four outstanding Australian Pinots."
One of Justin Knock's top 3 Pinots.
Wine Guide, Huon Hooke
The Age, Epicure, March 03, 2015
Gembrook Hill Pinot Noir 2012
Gourmet Traveller Wine June/July 2014
The Age Epicure June 2014
Australian Financial Review 31 January - 2 February 2014
2013 marks thirty years since the establishment of Gembrook Hill Vineyard. It is a significant milestone in the story of our 5.5 hectare vineyard. While we have been seeing the benefits of mature vines in our wines for some time now, this anniversary is a great opportunity to take time out and reflect on our humble beginnings.
//(rest is in a document available from old site)
The Australian Financial Review Magazine - October 2013
Story by Philip Rich
Kristine Kowalchuk reviews Gembrook Hill and Yarra Valley vineyards, in the November 2012 issue of 'The Art of Eating'.
We're delighted that our two winemakers continue to win recognition.
Timo Mayer has been nominated for Gourmet Traveller Winemaker of the Year.
Andrew Marks was a finalist in the Young gun winemaker of the Year.
2010 Gembrook Hill Pinot Noir, review by Jane Faulkner, The Age, "The good Life" food and Wine, Saturday April 21.
Wine Taste Special Australia Day Edition 51, January 2012
Reviewed byTyson Stelzer, Wine Taste Edition 50, January 2012
Sydney Morning Herald, Good Living, 25 October 2011
We thought we had to share Tim White's review of our '08 Sauvignon Blanc which appeared in last Fridays' Australian Financial Review (10.06.11)
Within he describes the wine as "The most beautiful Australian white that I have tasted in at least a year. 96/100, 10/10"
We are absolutely delighted with this and the phones have been running hot! So we thought we better let you know that there is a small quantity of this wine still available to our loyal direct sales clients.
HOME BEAUTIFUL | Spring 2010
Matt Skinner is an author, writer, consultant and educator well-known to international audiences for his refreshing take on wine. Our 2009 Fume Blanc recently made it into his top three springtime wines. Here is his skinny: "This is another cracking sauvignon blanc out of the Yarra Valley, this time from the team at Gembrook Hill. With old French oak employed as a key component, expect a pure and compact wine with smells of grapefruit, guava, cashew and minerals, which set the tone for a mouthful that displays terrific length of flavour. Pair a glass with a steaming bowl of spaghetti vongole."