This exceptionally fine Chardonnay genetic line is a regenerated high health version of the old Te Kauwhata 'Pinot Chardonnay' used by Dennis Kasza to make the legendary McWilliams 1960s Chardonnays. It is distinguished by its combining finesse with good depth of richness and flavour. It is hugely superior to Mendoza, and U.C.D. 4, 5, or 6, and also shows more classical (Meursault-like) intensity to its fruit character than many of the recent French clones where understatement and elegance rather than depth and richness seem to have been favoured.
The GRAD® Syrah clones 1 - 9 now offer the New Zealand industry the opportunity to take this classic genetic line's potential to an even higher level of wine quality by using its finest regenerated, reselected, and redeveloped clonal lines.
This new V. cinerea x V. riparia rootstock, which is unique to GRAD, is by some distance the toughest and most hardy cool-climate-adapted rootstock available in New Zealand.
Simply the best Viognier clone in Australasia for both wine quality and provenance.
This research paper addresses the remarkable apparent discovery revealed by Julie McIntyre and John Germov in their recently published book Hunter Wine: A History[i], viz.: that a vine named 'Shiraz' was in New South Wales by 1823 and that it was the source of the first plantings of Syrah (Shiraz / Hermitage / Red Hermitage) in the Hunter Valley.