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FRAMINGHAM WINERY, Marlborough

2009 Framingham Sauvignon Blanc
The old reliable often unfairly overlooked amongst the slew of new and groovy aromatics that Framingham produce. It is pale yellow with green tints and a crisp nose (if noses can be crisp) of tangy grapefruit, blackcurrant, passion-fruit and tomato leaf. The vital palate reveals good fruit sweetness and soft texture supported by firm but balanced acidity which refreshes and promotes a long, stony mineral grapefruit-zest finish.

2008 Framingham Classic Riesling
Andrew describes this as either a halb-trocken or a spatlese trocken.  Lovely fragrant, complex nose showing mandarin, honeysuckle, jasmine, green tea and lemon citrus aromatics along with some wet stone-like minerality. Intense and concentrated yet delicate palate with tight, juicy acidity showing flavours of lemon citrus, cut lime, mandarin and stonefruit with hints of ginger and pepper, complete with a stony, mineral finish. Though tightly structured it is beginning to yield secondary aromatics of honey yogurt and balsam which soften the texture in the mouth. This would make an excellent aperitif as well as a good accompaniment to Asian fusion food.

2008 Framingham Pinot Gris
“A significant amount of work is done in the vineyards that produce grapes for Framingham Pinot Gris. Extensive crop thinning and leaf plucking are practised, giving low yields of grapes that have had excellent exposure to sunlight. This fruit was harvested by hand, and whole bunches were loaded into the press and gently dejuiced. Resultant juices were clarified by cold settling for 2-3 days before racking to ferment. Two styles of fermentation were employed; about 75% of the blend was fermented in stainless steel tanks at cool rather than cold temperatures and were stopped with a little residual sugar remaining to provide alcohol balance. Once tank fermentation was complete, the wines were racked off gross lees and left to age on light lees for 7 months to add a little texture The remaining 25% of the blend was ‘wild’ fermented in old barriques and stainless steel barrels, this portion also undergoing malolactic fermentation, with lees stirring once weekly for 7 months..”

This is very creditable effort to make a balanced Pinot Gris and you can understand the need for the jiggery-pokery elaborated above. The art is to get enough ripeness in the grapes, retaining a little residual sugar, but also achieving the waxy fruit combined with spiciness that is the hallmark of top-class Pinot Gris. PG, if not picked at exactly the right time, can gain alcohol whilst losing acid and can be flaccid and heavy. The bouquet shows bright, fruit forward aromatics reminiscent of baked apple, pear nectar and cream with some underlying mineral notes whilst the lees confer a kind of dry ginger spicy note. The palate has generous “Apple Strudel”-like flavours of apple, pear, quince, dough and custard. Intense, rich, slightly oily palate with excellent weight, silky texture and good mouthfeel culminating in a creamy finish. 

2009 Framingham F-Series Viognier
The F-S 2009 Viognier is the first crop from the Framingham estate. The grapes are hand and fermented with a mixture of cultured and wild yeasts in various sized containers. After ferment the juice transferred to tank with the lees and undergoes a full malo to compensate for the high acidity in this vintage.  Ten months lees-stirring adds texture. Good wild yeast influence and lees notes, oily, rich palate with some delicate varietal characters of honeysuckle and apricot stone. A lovely Viognier, and not at all confected, but without the minerality of the some of the other wines.

2009 Framingham F-Series Old Vines Riesling
Aiming for a more old world style wine with more texture and complexity compared to the pure styles of Riesling, the F-S Old Vine Riesling 2009 is from the old vines at the back of the winery, left to hang a bit longer than everything else and hand-picked with a touch of botrytis (but not a strong influence) and the high acidity characteristic of this vintage. Only free run juice is juice is used and no sulphur to the must which is uninoculated ferment at warm temperatures there was full lees stirring on full lees for 10 months, partial malolacatic which adds just a creamy, honeycomb note and fills out the palate. In Germany it would be a dry wine, 9 g/l RS or so. This would stand toe-to-toe with some of great Alsace Rieslings I have tried. A bit young at present it has ripe grapefruit flavours backed by a chalky minerality, voluminous mouthfeel and tremendous peachy concentration with the acidity keeping the wine long on the palate. This would be good with roast chicken or even goose with all the trimmings.

2007 Framingham Montepulciano
This was drinking very nicely. It exhibited savoury aromas reminiscent of liquorice, smoke and tobacco leaf, with some sweet mulberry fruit notes. Palate is concentrated with fine, silky tannins that are immediately approachable. Rich flavours of cherry and blackcurrant contrast nicely with supporting sweet, smoky oak, and dark chocolate notes. Savoury tobacco and mineral characters provide some complexity. Fine acid balance promotes a long juicy, finish.