Award organisers say Remarkable pinot entry legitimate

The owners of Remarkable Wine did not breach any regulations when they entered cleanskin wine in the London-based International Wine and Spirits competition, according to a competition spokeswoman.

NBR revealed last week that the Remarkable Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir Central Otago 2006, which had won the Bouchard Finlayson Pinot Noir Trophy, was the Anthem Pinot Noir under a different label.

Spokeswoman Yvonne May says the organisation was very comfortable with the fact that Remarkable Wines owner Richard Guthrey was entitled to enter the competition with a cleanskin wine.

“We have a little bit of issue with the re-labelling of Anthem Wine … But the consumer is getting what he paid for,” she adds.

But she says that this is only acceptable if the wine comes from the same batch and lot that is entered in the competition otherwise it could not be labelled with the award.

Mr Guthrey had bought more of the Anthem Wine after he was inundated with orders for his Remarkable pinot noir – it is disputed whether this was meant to be cleanskin or already labelled with the Anthem brand.

However, the IWSC has put rules in place to prevent further ownership issues.

Those entering cleanskin wine in this year’s competition will have to label “what their relationship to the wine is,” Ms May says.

This would mean that if Remarkable Wines entered a bottle of cleanskin wine it would have to name Anthem Wines as the origin of the wine.

Mr Guthrey says that the situation came about after Remarkable Wines sold the 4 hectares of vines it owned within a 40 hectare estate, which had been developed as a single vineyard.

“My company, Remarkable Wines Ltd, was one of the original investors in the Gibbston Ventures Ltd vineyard development now known as Anthem.”

“At the same time [as the sale], Remarkable Wines and Anthem entered into another agreement that Anthem would supply a certain quality of cleanskin pinot noir. Remarkable Wines was free to deal with that wine as it chose. There were no constraints or permission requirements placed on Remarkable Wines,” he says.

Mr Guthrey says he has instructed his lawyer to commence defamation proceedings in the High Court against Anthem after one of the company’s employees said that the wine had been re-branded without permission.

Anthem owner Dave Henderson says he was not disputing the award in any way as he had no idea of the rules surrounding the competition.

He adds he was quite flattered by Remarkable Wines win.

“We haven’t entered Anthem into any competitions but to have your first vintage declared the best pinot in the world from such a prestigious competition is probably a reasonable feat.”