Spending Time With… Jerram Winery’s Gentle Shepherd

December 20, 2010 by MTB

Marguerite Barrett
Contributing Writer

I have the luxury of being on holiday for the next two weeks – heaven! Of course achieving that was a direct result of not using more of my PTO during the year. I’m also forgoing the stress of holiday travel this year – the thought of NOT worrying about dealing with busy airports full of people who travel infrequently, overbooked flights and the expense – double heaven! Not that I won’t miss spending the holiday with family and friends, but I am looking forward to a quiet, relaxing holiday at home.

So after spending Saturday and a good portion of Sunday finishing the decorating, wrapping and Christmas Cards, I headed down to the basement to select a bottle of wine I could kick back and relax with, something light which would be a good sipping wine. As I scanned through the whites, my eye it upon Jerram’s Gentle Shepherd, a bottle I picked up about 18 months ago.

A blend of Cayuga, Chardonnay and Aurore grapes, Gentle Shepherd was an inspired choice. The wine is made for sipping and relaxing. The nose was more subdued than I originally remembered, but that my be a result of my leaving the wine so long before drinking. In the mouth, the fruity sweetness of the Cayuga and Aurore grapes is balanced by the buttery smoothness of the Chardonnay. Light citrus notes combine with the softer sweetness of apricot. It’s a deceptively simple combination with a silky mouth feel that makes the wine stand well on its own.

Generally I’d have said this was a great summer wine – served chilled on a hot summer afternoon – but turns out it is also the perfect accompaniment to a cozy afternoon in front of the fire. The wine holds up well on the second day – although I recommend sealing it well.