Lutum’s exceptional 2015s | Gap’s Crown Chardonnay and Sanford & Benedict Pinot Noir

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A new wave of exceptional Californian Pinot Noir and Chardonnay wines are entering our shores. There are many reasons to take these wines very seriously; the very best are delicate, nuanced and extraordinarily beautiful and many show the grace, aromatics and complexity of their European counterparts. With decreased allocations coming from Burgundy, there could never be a better time to start exploring whats on offer.

Lutum’s young winemaker Gavin Chanin, cut his teeth at the iconic Qupé and Au Bon Climat vineyards before setting out on his own; we have been following his progress avidly.

“Gavin Chanin produced one of the most impressive collections of wines I tasted during my tour of the central coast.” Antonio Galloni.

The Lutum range has garnered a following from the top critics and we are delighted to offer the new 2015 releases.

• Gaps Crown Chardonnay: The 2015 is expressive, showing ripe orchard fruits, apricot pit, intermingled with a creamy mouthfeel. It receives 94 points from Antonio Galloni who calls it, “fabulous wine”.

• Sanford and Benedict Pinot Noir: The 2015 gets a knockout 96 points from Galloni who calls it a “headturner…the flavours are intense, but also remarkably pure. A rush of violet, lavender and mint punctuates the exuberant finish. If you can find it, don’t miss it”.

“Gavin Chanin made stellar wines at Lutum in 2015. The Chardonnays capture the richness of the vintage while retaining terrific balance and poise. But it is the Pinots that rise into the realm of the sublime….they are clearly among the wines of the vintage”. Antonio Galloni.

*Available for delivery or In Bond transfer early 2018. To order email wine@goedhuis.com or call us on 020 7793 7900
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Gap’s Crown Vineyard Chardonnay 2015
£440.00 per 12 bottles IB

Gaps Crown Chardonnay is nestled in the Petaluma Gap region in the southern part of the Sonoma Coast AVA, a high and cool climatic zone on Goulding clay loam. The 2015 is expressive showing ripe orchard fruits, apricots intermingled with a creamy mouthfeel.

The 2015 Chardonnay Gap’s Crown Vineyard is bold and authoritative in style, with serious depth and phenolic intensity. Broad and ample on the palate, the Gap’s Crown has an almost Pinot-like sense of structure and breadth. Ripe orchard fruit, butter, smoke and apricot pit infuse this super-expressive, virile Chardonnay from Lutum. This is a fabulous wine by any measure. 94 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous

Sanford & Benedict Vineyard Pinot Noir 2015
£550.00 per 12 bottles IB

Sanford and Benedict is one of the most famous vineyards in Santa Barbara County. Planted in 1971, it was the place the Burgundian varieties found their perfect home. With a mantle of hard, siliceous chert-gravel covering deep, well-drained soils, it produces spell-binding Pinot Noir.

The first thing that jumps out about the the 2015 Pinot Noir Sanford and Benedict Vineyard is its intensity of color, which is best described as a translucent purple. Rich and pliant yet also wonderfully light on its feet, the Sanford and Benedict is head-turner. The flavors are intense, but also remarkably pure, especially for a wine of this size. A rush of violet, lavender and mint punctuates the exuberant finish. If you can find it, don’t miss it. 96 points Antonio Galloni, Vinous.


More about Lutum

LUTUM is a label born from a shared vision between Bill Price, owner of Classic Wines and Price Family Vineyards, and now 30 year-old winemaker Gavin. The new winery and partnership, which came to fruition in 2012, focuses on small-production, single-vineyard Pinot Noir and Chardonnay from prime vineyard sites in California.

The name LUTUM is Latin for dirt or soil, referencing the mission to make wines that express the great vineyard sites, with little to mask the vineyards’ natural character. The motto is, ‘Each vineyard has its own story. Our job is to let the wine tell it.