Gapsted Estate is set to launch two new luxury wine tiers this September, signalling a renewed focus on premium winemaking and estate-led excellence at the Alpine Valleys producer.
The release will include four small-batch wines crafted exclusively from Gapsted Estate’s vineyards: the 2023 Chardonnay, 2023 Grand Manseng, 2022 Saperavi, and the flagship 2022 Gapsted Estate Reserve Saperavi, bottled in 1500ml magnums.
It’s a significant milestone for the winery, which has undergone a quiet transformation under the leadership of CEO and winemaker Andrew Santarossa, who joined the business in 2021.
“I see such an uncut diamond of potential not only in Gapsted Estate, but across the Alpine Valleys and the emerging varieties most expressive of our region,” he said.
“We have the right climate, soil types and aspects to make world class wines. So, we’ve made improvements to our soil health, the way we prune, our planting densities and aspect. We’ve planted new vineyards and invested in small-batch winemaking equipment, oak that complements varieties and style, and more. Our new luxury wines represent the pinnacle of what we do at Gapsted Estate, and being estate grown, we have total control over them from the vineyard to the bottle.”
Made in limited volumes, the wines reflect a commitment to long-term sustainability and craftsmanship. While Chardonnay is a familiar favourite, the inclusion of Grand Manseng and Saperavi underscores the winery’s adventurous spirit and history with emerging varieties – something Gapsted has championed for more than two decades.
“We were very selective in our choice of varieties. I’ve always loved making Chardonnay, but before coming to Gapsted Estate I hadn’t worked with Grand Manseng or Saperavi – which they’ve been producing here for 25 years – and I continue to be blown away by their potential and ability to flourish in alpine conditions,” Santarossa said.
Grand Manseng, a white grape native to south-western France, is showing exceptional promise in its Australian adaptation.
“Sharing some similarities with barrel fermented Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc or Viognier, the Gapsted Estate expression balances a richness and precise alpine acidity with layers of mandarin, white nectarine, pawpaw and white guava. Tightly wound and high in tannins for a white, we recommend decanting and storing in the fridge before serving to open up a cascade of aromas and flavours.”
The 2023 Chardonnay aims to showcase what’s possible in the cool-climate Alpine Valleys region. It delivers complexity and intensity, with lifted aromas of stone fruits, citrus, spice and struck match and a rich, powerful palate of pink grapefruit, nectarine and white peach.
“We want to showcase how Alpine Valleys Chardonnay can be an Australian benchmark expression of the variety,” said Santarossa.
Meanwhile, the Saperavi – an ancient red grape from Georgia and one of the few teinturier (red-fleshed) varieties – offers a bold counterpoint.
“Our new Estate Range Saperavi is a brooding monster with aromas of forest fruit berries and blackberry with a generous palate of intense blackberry, satsuma plum and black cherry.”
The 2022 Reserve Saperavi is the pinnacle release, blended from the estate’s finest barrels and bottled in large format magnums.
The new Gapsted Estate tier and the Reserve Saperavi magnums will be available from 4 September via the winery’s website, wine club, cellar door and select independent retailers with pre-orders opening on 17 July.