Amoise
Lapierre’s heirs continue to make great wine, but nothing lasts forever, and we suspect that the next generation of wine drinkers may find inspiration elsewhere. Canadian-New Zealand winemaker Amy Farnsworth didn't just take inspiration from... Read More
Lapierre’s heirs continue to make great wine, but nothing lasts forever, and we suspect that the next generation of wine drinkers may find inspiration elsewhere. Canadian-New Zealand winemaker Amy Farnsworth didn't just take inspiration from Lapierre — she went directly to the source, and interned at Domaine Lapierre in 2017, learning from Camille Lapierre exactly how to treat Gamay, and how to make luminous, silky wines from it.
Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, is a pretty extraordinary terroir, especially the Mangatahi Terraces. Like the colder parts of Europe or the Finger Lakes, its soils are first and foremost the product of retreating glaciers, which dumped gravel as they melted away. The gravel in these terraces goes 40 meters deep! But unlike Northern Europe or the Finger Lakes, you also have volcanoes nearby, and you occasionally come across ancient pits of ash among the soils. Nearby rivers add an additional layer of complexity, in the form of a thin silt lying above the gravel. Meanwhile, the sun overhead shines emphatically during the day, but the high altitudes ensure crisp, cool nights.
Amy sources biodynamically-farmed Gamay and does exactly what the Lapierres do, using 100% natural methods to produce a Gamay that is insanely juicy and drinkable. She ages the wine for a brief period in amphorae, and does not use sulfur at any point in production or bottling.
There is something magical about New Zealand — the way it combines cool-climate freshness with New World ripeness — that can really be quite breathtaking. Amoise has been able to capture perfectly that magic in this bottle of wine.
Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, is a pretty extraordinary terroir, especially the Mangatahi Terraces. Like the colder parts of Europe or the Finger Lakes, its soils are first and foremost the product of retreating glaciers, which dumped gravel as they melted away. The gravel in these terraces goes 40 meters deep! But unlike Northern Europe or the Finger Lakes, you also have volcanoes nearby, and you occasionally come across ancient pits of ash among the soils. Nearby rivers add an additional layer of complexity, in the form of a thin silt lying above the gravel. Meanwhile, the sun overhead shines emphatically during the day, but the high altitudes ensure crisp, cool nights.
Amy sources biodynamically-farmed Gamay and does exactly what the Lapierres do, using 100% natural methods to produce a Gamay that is insanely juicy and drinkable. She ages the wine for a brief period in amphorae, and does not use sulfur at any point in production or bottling.
There is something magical about New Zealand — the way it combines cool-climate freshness with New World ripeness — that can really be quite breathtaking. Amoise has been able to capture perfectly that magic in this bottle of wine.