Wairau Valley, Marlborough, $255, screw-top
A game of Risk and a wine style that not much of a risk at all; New Zealand Pinot Noir. The label tells me it's made from fruit from two vineyards found at the southern end of the Wairau Valley area of Marlborough and as the winery justifiably says "the finest wines are always created from exceptional vineyards".
Wither Hills Pinot Noir 2007 is lovely intense crimson colour. When we opened it the nose was initially all floral and breezy but it developed in the glass and soon became a story of gamey meat and earthiness. My friends who I drunk this with were all local Hong Kongers and it was interesting that they thought it smelt like 'luncheon meat' while for me it was very much "smoky bacon". Rich and delicious it's a pretty damn tasty wine. It's sweet and sour with cherries, plums, red currents and the whole thing is wrapped in intriguing spice. While you can taste a hint of the oak the whole package is beautifully bright and accessible. The palate's ever so long and Wither Hills Pinot Noir 2007 really is a fine wine. Though we didn't have a winner in "the game of global domination" we had loser who really deserved it - good results all round.
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Marlborough, $220, cork seal
I previously enjoyed the Summerhouse Chardonnay 2006 so thought I'd give their sparkling a go. Produced from Marlborough grown Chardonnay grapes and méthode traditionnelle made, it's non-vintage, but looking at the code on the label - 'L5005' - I'm thinking it perhaps be the 2005 addition. The wine is (or perhaps was) available through the Adelaide Cellar Door.
Summerhouse Blanc de Blancs is a bright lemon, yellow colour with plenty of fine bubbles. It smells good with fruity aromas and a touch of sweetness. It's all about red berries, think strawberries, raspberries and red currents, plus a touch of freshly baked brioche; yum yum. On the palate the red berries remain, plus lemon rind and a touch of saltiness on the finish. The hint of sweetness to this just helps to makes it more delicious. It's soft and fruity and has decent length, though perhaps it's missing a little splash of acidity. Summerhouse Blanc de Blancs is pretty and fun, I like it a lot.
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Wairau Valley, Marlborough, $99, screwtop
Summerhouse wines are produced by Heather and Meric Davies, a friendly and genuine couple who I met at an Adelaide Cellar Door tasting event. Meric I might add has what is probably one of the best beards in New Zealand. I was impressed with their wines and especially enjoyed the Pinot Noir and Blanc de Blanc, though it was a bottle of Chardonnay that I found I'd come into possession of. Made in a certified sustainable way the fruit comes from their vineyard in Marlborough's Wairau Valley.
The nose is distinctly Chardonnay and smells of stonefruit, lemons and cashews. There are obvious oak derived flavours on the palate alongside lots of citrus; lemon and grapefruit, actually this tastes a bit like old-school-home-made-buy-at-a-church-fete lemon butter. I drank this over two nights and I liked it a lot better on the second. The first night I found the finish was dominated by alcohol heat, while on the second it seemed a lot more settled and pleasant. I'm not 100% sure about this wine, while I liked it I didn't love it; there's just nothing special enough about it to really rock my boat, though you can’t deny it’s not bad value.
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Awatere Valley, Marlborough, $120, screwtop
I tried this wine at Vartex Wines one Friday and liked it so much I brought a bottle home with me. New Zealand seems to be doing good things in recognising sub-regions and individual vineyards - the last wine I had from their was from 'Block 14' in the Gimlett's Gravels area of Hawkes Bay, while this comes from the 'White Ash vineyard' in the Awatere Valley at Marlborough.
It's yellow gold in colour, but I always say that so I think I'm going to claim it has a slight pinkish tinge. I took a picture of this amongst the lemongrass in my garden, but having a sniff I was all wrong; I can't smell any grass or lemon. This walks the opposite side of the Sav Blanc spectrum and is all about big tropical flavours. What I do smell is passionfruit, apricots, mango and the sweetness of overripe fruit. The palate really is a tropical fruit fiesta, but all these lush flavours are a bit over the top and it's really a tad too sweet for me. I liked this a lot better when I tried it previously and I wonder if it's a bit past its best. While it's got plenty of flavour it is really missing the acidity and freshness to balance out all the lush, sweet stuff.
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Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay, $169(reduced), screwtop
A quite afternoon catching up with a mate and the first bottle of wine appears... I purchased this from Watsons where they claimed it was $120 off the usual retail price. This comes from the Gimblett Gravels sub-region of Hawkes Bay, an area that got a mention in this month's Decanter magazine as one of the 'six most exciting terrors in the New World'.
Craggy Range 'Block 14' Syrah 2006 is dark and purple in colour, disapproving all rumours that all New Zealand wine is like their rugby team; light and wimpish. The has a delicious mix of aromas; there's plenty of sweet purple fruits - blueberries and mulberries to be specific - alongside a rich meaty smell, liquorice and a little shake of pepper. The palate has power and style; we're talking berries dusted with pepper all the way on this bad boy. This wine is good; it takes you on a long, long ride, wrapped in beautiful fine tannins, but the best thing about it is its texture. Craggy Range 'Block 14' Syrah 2006 is round, lush and ever so silky. Pepper, berries and silk; this screams Rhone and yells delicious. A great wine that even at its usual retail price it would be an absolute bargain.
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Martinborough, New Zealand, $148, stelvin seal
We're in the process of moving house and it's not really fun. Our new place is in a village "just opposite" - too close to drive and just a tad further than you'd like to walk in the rain while trying to carry a mattress. We're exhausted and surrounded by piles of dusty junk that I'm amazed we've managed to accumulate in just two years. It's time to see if a little glass of Pinot before bed can help lighten the load. Pencarrow is the second label of Martinborough's Palliser Estate, but it's also the name of an English stately home where my Aunt once worked.
It's relatively dark in colour. The nose has warm and spicy about aromas of preserved cherries, cinnamon, Asian spice and a
slight tartness. It's an interesting smelling wine and seems to have a touch of vanilla oakiness about it. The palate is initially sweet with flavours of strawberry jam and tomato, but there's a little earthiness as well that becomes particularly evident on the finish. Pencarrow Pinot Noir 2006 is rustic and surprisingly robust. It's big for a New Zealand Pinot, but one I quite enjoyed.
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Marlborough, New Zealand, $144, stelvin seal
I was extremely impressed with this wine's sibling and thought I'd try another from the excellent St Clair 'Pioneer Block' range of single vineyard offerings. The grapes used in this come from Dillon's Point near the township of Blenheim in Marlborough, a sub-region that apparently has "free-draining alluvial soils and cool nights".
The lush nose is dominated by tropical flavours; there's plenty of passionfruit, tropical fruit juice and ripe mango. As it warmed up in the glass there were also hints of chopped green grass and limes. The palate was bursting with delicious tropical fruit flavours with a touch of tangy citrus on the finish. The complexity, length and lushness of this wine really impressed me. Naomi remarked that it "tasted expensive" and it really is a very classy drop. Thought I slightly preferred the sharpness of the 'Swamp Block' compared to the rich lushness of this, both these St Clair wines are great and offer fantastic examples of what Sauvignon Blanc is capable of. It's also awesome that since the wine tax disappeared this has dropped from $220 to $144; an absolute bargain for such a stylish drop.
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Tuatara Bay Pinot Noir 2006
Marlborough, New Zealand, $79, stelvin seal
I picked this up at the 'super'market for a bargain price of $79. An inspection of the back label revealed that it's made by the good people at St Clair in New Zealand's Marlborough region. The fact it's not mentioned on the company website, along with the pretty picture on the front and local myth on the back suggests it's an export only job.
On first sniff it's obvious the red berries are in the house: raspberries, strawberries and red cherries mix it up on a delicious fruity nose. This tastes good because it tastes like Pinot. It's not particularly intense or long, but what your get are flavours of maraschino cherry, strawberry and a little green leafy stuff that I can't quite place. Tuatara Bay Pinot Noir 2006 is medium bodied, soft and drinkable. For $79 I could drink this for breakfast, lunch and dinner; yum, yum.
Visit winery website which strangely doesn't mention the wine.
Saint Clair 'Swamp Block' Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Marlborough, New Zealand, $221, stelvin seal
This comes from New Zealand's renowned Marlborough region. The people at St Clair have undertaken the noble task of releasing wines from twelve individual vineyards under their Pioneer Block range. A number 2 on the label means that it heralds from the 'Swamp Block' vineyard; a cooler spot located on the coast at Cloudy Bay.
The delightful nose on this makes me happy; it's dominated by passionfruit and grapefruit. The palate is as delicious as promised; there's grassy herbs, lots of fresh, juicy limes and grapefruit to finish. A fantastically balanced wine with good acidity and great length. It's not that often that my notes match those on the back of the label, but it was interesting that the people at St Clair managed to get it spot on. A lovely wine; the Saint Clair 'Swamp Block' Sauvignon Blanc 2007 is certainly recommended. It even makes me want to buy more Sauvignon Blanc.
Visit the winery website.
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