If a winery is reliably reported to not treat suppliers and customers very well, should it influence my wine reviews? Of course, it should not. I only assess what is in the glass. However, I am glad I mentioned it.
Bella's Garden is part of the Two Hands 'garden' series. Premium wines are produced from the major Shiraz areas in Australia, such as McLaren Vale, Heathcote etc. This one is from the Barossa. The different wines are a good basis for comparing key characteristics of each region, and the wines can be tasted at cellar door.
Last night I had the 2004 Two Hands Bella's Garden Barossa Shiraz. From a good vintage, this wine shows impeccable fruit. The solid blackberry flavours fill the mouth nicely. The wine is a little sweet, but not too sweet for my palate (Pinot Noir drinkers be warned!). The wine is drinking well now, but the structure is a bit suspect. The tannins are soft, there is not much acidity. I would not recommend to cellar this wine much longer. This is no doubt a big Barossa Shiraz, but it can carry the 15% alcohol, and it is not overblown.
Score: 93/0
Monday, March 19, 2012
Thursday, March 15, 2012
New Poll Reminder
Guys, there are a lot more people reading my posts than responding to the poll. It only takes 1(!) minute to do. It is useful for me to know the type of readership I have, and the outcome might be interesting to you, too. How similar or dissimilar is your wine drinking experience to others?
Please participate.
Please participate.
Sunday, March 11, 2012
New polls
These polls are for non European readers only, i.e. Australians, New Zealanders, Americans, South Americans and others.
I would like to know how much you drink wines from the 'cradle' of wine: Europe. Are you drinking more from there or less and why?
Please vote and answer all three polls. You can only tick one box in each section.
Thank you for participating.
I would like to know how much you drink wines from the 'cradle' of wine: Europe. Are you drinking more from there or less and why?
Please vote and answer all three polls. You can only tick one box in each section.
Thank you for participating.
Saturday, March 10, 2012
Penfolds RWT Shiraz
What's good enough for the Noble Price dinner guests in Stockholm, is good enough for me. Last night I had a 1998 Penfolds RWT Shiraz. This brand is positioned as the little brother to Grange, with the same winemaking, I believe, but maturation in French as opposed to American oak.
There was no visible wine evaporation, and the cork came out fine.
I am scoring this wine relatively high because of the sweet, but not overripe core, which only South Australian Shiraz can deliver, in my view. The wine is still youthful, with vibrant blackberry fruit. The tannins are firm and lead to a long finish. The problem is, overall, the wine is not very harmonious. I did not decant the wine, but used the nuance wine finer, which aerates the wine as you pour. It also has a filter to keep the solids in the bottle. For the first time ever, the filter got blocked in the process, so much gunk was in the bottle.
This wine still has many years ahead, but fruit, tannins and oak have not quite come together, and I doubt they will. This is a top wine for those who enjoy a big bold Barossa Shiraz. I would have liked a bit more refinement.
Score: 94/+
There was no visible wine evaporation, and the cork came out fine.
I am scoring this wine relatively high because of the sweet, but not overripe core, which only South Australian Shiraz can deliver, in my view. The wine is still youthful, with vibrant blackberry fruit. The tannins are firm and lead to a long finish. The problem is, overall, the wine is not very harmonious. I did not decant the wine, but used the nuance wine finer, which aerates the wine as you pour. It also has a filter to keep the solids in the bottle. For the first time ever, the filter got blocked in the process, so much gunk was in the bottle.
This wine still has many years ahead, but fruit, tannins and oak have not quite come together, and I doubt they will. This is a top wine for those who enjoy a big bold Barossa Shiraz. I would have liked a bit more refinement.
Score: 94/+
Thursday, March 8, 2012
MacForbes Blaufraenkisch
I bet not too many of you have had Blaufraenkisch. This is a red grape variety, mainly grown in Austria and southwestern Germany. It has delivered fantastic wines over there in the last few years with the warm vintages Europe has had. There is a bit grown in Australia, for example in the Adelaide Hills. I noticed James Halliday highlighted it quite enthusiastically in his last newsletter. Basically the wine is similar to Pinot Noir, but it has more weight.
The 2009 MacForbes Blaufraenkisch has a violet colour, with a fragrant bouquet. Forest berries dominate the palate. The wine is quite spicy and has some herbal (but not green) characteristics as well. This is an elegant wine with a terrific mouthfeel and just the right balance of tannins and acidity on the finish. Mac Forbes actually makes this wine in Austria, southeast of Vienna, where he worked several vintages some five years ago.
If you have never had such a wine, I would encourage you to track it down, or at least try another Blaufraenkisch. I find many of the 'newer' red varieties lack in one way or another, but this one has legs.
Score: 92/+++
The 2009 MacForbes Blaufraenkisch has a violet colour, with a fragrant bouquet. Forest berries dominate the palate. The wine is quite spicy and has some herbal (but not green) characteristics as well. This is an elegant wine with a terrific mouthfeel and just the right balance of tannins and acidity on the finish. Mac Forbes actually makes this wine in Austria, southeast of Vienna, where he worked several vintages some five years ago.
If you have never had such a wine, I would encourage you to track it down, or at least try another Blaufraenkisch. I find many of the 'newer' red varieties lack in one way or another, but this one has legs.
Score: 92/+++
Monday, March 5, 2012
Pierro Chardonnay
Pierro and Leeuwin are the two wineries who battle it out in the west for the best Chardonnay producer. More interesting is the fact that these two make very different Chardonnays. The 2010 Pierro Chardonnay shows predominantly citrus fruit on the Palate ( in Leeuwin's case it is mostly tropical fruit). There is some creaminess as a result of the malolactic fermentation (Leeuwin: no malo at all), yet the mouthfeel is not as round as I would have expected it. The oak is noticeable (50% new vs. 100% at Leeuwin), but well integrated. The wine has good length and finishes with fresh acidity.
This is a well made Chardonnay, but somehow, the wine does not grab me. It lacks a certain spark.
Score: 93/0
This is a well made Chardonnay, but somehow, the wine does not grab me. It lacks a certain spark.
Score: 93/0
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Penfolds 2012 Collection - New Releases
I thought I be early this year and avoid any other influences.
In a nutshell, I was bowled over by these wines. They are very different from the wines of the past years: The fruit is fresh and dominant, oak is much more in the background than before, and elegance dominates tannin strength. Yet the structures in the wines made for aging are still there. This is pretty much true across the board. I think this is both as a result of more 'normal' vintages as well as a shift in winemaking.
The 2009 Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz is a very complete wine. It is the most robust of the range, with a lot of complexity on the palate. Black fruits, chocolate, some meaty flavours (not burnt). The tannins are firm, but much finer than in previous years. This is a very good value proposition and the wine of choice for Barossa Shiraz drinkers. It drinks well now, but will improve with age for many years (93/+++).
The 2010 Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz is not as big. The fruit is plum, very clean, with eucalypt flavours as well. The wine is delicate and lifted. The wine is elegant, whereas the emphasis of the Bin 28 is power. Yin to the yan (92/+++).
The 2010 Bin 138 Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre is dominated by Grenache this year (50%). Penfolds always lists the grapes in order of their percentage contribution. In previous years, Shiraz and Mourvedre have both been dominant. This is quite a complex wine, with raspberry, blueberry and praline characters, probably courtesy of the Grenache. However, I find the follow through on the palate a bit thin and not as refined as in the other wines of this line-up (91/0). Penfolds has not got the GSM quite right yet, in my view.
The 2009 Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon cannot hide its Coonawarra component - the eucalypt is immediately noticeable on the nose, but not dominant on the palate. The wine is medium weight with blackberry fruit characteristics. It has, unfortunately, a weakness on the mid-palate before it leads to a smooth finish (92/+).
The 2009 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz showcases a perfect integration of Cabernet and Shiraz. If you wanted to demonstrate what this blend can do, use this wine: the Shiraz component fills out the middle, the Cabernet Sauvignon carries the taste to a satisfying end. Yet, the two components are perfectly integrated, indistinguishable. This wine has a beautiful structure, it is elegant, actually a little sweet, and the fine tannins linger for long. While the blackberry flavours dominate now, this wine will gain complexity over time and mellow beautifully (95/+++).
You have been quiet on this blog for some time. Let me know what you think.
In a nutshell, I was bowled over by these wines. They are very different from the wines of the past years: The fruit is fresh and dominant, oak is much more in the background than before, and elegance dominates tannin strength. Yet the structures in the wines made for aging are still there. This is pretty much true across the board. I think this is both as a result of more 'normal' vintages as well as a shift in winemaking.
The 2009 Kalimna Bin 28 Shiraz is a very complete wine. It is the most robust of the range, with a lot of complexity on the palate. Black fruits, chocolate, some meaty flavours (not burnt). The tannins are firm, but much finer than in previous years. This is a very good value proposition and the wine of choice for Barossa Shiraz drinkers. It drinks well now, but will improve with age for many years (93/+++).
The 2010 Bin 128 Coonawarra Shiraz is not as big. The fruit is plum, very clean, with eucalypt flavours as well. The wine is delicate and lifted. The wine is elegant, whereas the emphasis of the Bin 28 is power. Yin to the yan (92/+++).
The 2010 Bin 138 Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre is dominated by Grenache this year (50%). Penfolds always lists the grapes in order of their percentage contribution. In previous years, Shiraz and Mourvedre have both been dominant. This is quite a complex wine, with raspberry, blueberry and praline characters, probably courtesy of the Grenache. However, I find the follow through on the palate a bit thin and not as refined as in the other wines of this line-up (91/0). Penfolds has not got the GSM quite right yet, in my view.
The 2009 Bin 407 Cabernet Sauvignon cannot hide its Coonawarra component - the eucalypt is immediately noticeable on the nose, but not dominant on the palate. The wine is medium weight with blackberry fruit characteristics. It has, unfortunately, a weakness on the mid-palate before it leads to a smooth finish (92/+).
The 2009 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz showcases a perfect integration of Cabernet and Shiraz. If you wanted to demonstrate what this blend can do, use this wine: the Shiraz component fills out the middle, the Cabernet Sauvignon carries the taste to a satisfying end. Yet, the two components are perfectly integrated, indistinguishable. This wine has a beautiful structure, it is elegant, actually a little sweet, and the fine tannins linger for long. While the blackberry flavours dominate now, this wine will gain complexity over time and mellow beautifully (95/+++).
You have been quiet on this blog for some time. Let me know what you think.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
New Zealand In A Glass, part 3
For many the highlight of the showing, I guess, the Central Otago Pinot Noirs. I found most of the wines uninspiring. There are too many imitators whose sites are sub-optimal and the grapes too young. There were some highlights, though.
The 2009 Maude Wanaka Pinot Noir, from the far north of this region, was as good as I remembered previous versions. The wine is fruit orientated, but not in the usual black cherry style, but rather tasting of strawberry with lifted and perfumed characters. This hand crafted wine has a silky finish and overall reminded me of the Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir (93 points).
The Wooing Tree Pinots are getting very expensive. The 2009 Pinot Noir is very dark, with savoury forest floor characteristics. It is quite an elegant wine, but the finish comes way too sudden (91 points). The 2009 Sandstorm Reserve is slightly more refined, but otherwise similar.
Gibbston Valley has a number of vineyards at their disposal. The 2009 China Terrace Pinot Noir comes from a 320m elevated vineyard. It shows red fruit at medium weight and good acidity (92 points). The 2009 Schoolhouse Pinot Noir, from a 400m high vineyard, is darker and tastes of black cherry. It has more power and complex savoury notes. Again, there is good acidity on the finish (92 points). These are wines you can put away for a while.
I scored the other wines I tried in the 90 to 91 bracket. They included the 2009 Akarua Pinot Noir, the 2010 Archangel Pinot Noir, the 2009 Chard Farm Mata-Au Pinot Noir, 2009 Domain Road Pinot Noir and the 2010 Mt. Difficulty Pinot Noir. Mt. Difficulty used to be in the upper echelon of Central Otago, but their standard wine seems diluted now, with only the reserve and or single vineyard wines being special.
As the scores demonstrate, there were no really poor Pinot Noirs in my tasting. This is one of the strengths of Central Otago. The average wine is of good quality. However, outstanding wines were hard to come by. The challenger to Felton Road did not show up.
The 2009 Maude Wanaka Pinot Noir, from the far north of this region, was as good as I remembered previous versions. The wine is fruit orientated, but not in the usual black cherry style, but rather tasting of strawberry with lifted and perfumed characters. This hand crafted wine has a silky finish and overall reminded me of the Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir (93 points).
The Wooing Tree Pinots are getting very expensive. The 2009 Pinot Noir is very dark, with savoury forest floor characteristics. It is quite an elegant wine, but the finish comes way too sudden (91 points). The 2009 Sandstorm Reserve is slightly more refined, but otherwise similar.
Gibbston Valley has a number of vineyards at their disposal. The 2009 China Terrace Pinot Noir comes from a 320m elevated vineyard. It shows red fruit at medium weight and good acidity (92 points). The 2009 Schoolhouse Pinot Noir, from a 400m high vineyard, is darker and tastes of black cherry. It has more power and complex savoury notes. Again, there is good acidity on the finish (92 points). These are wines you can put away for a while.
I scored the other wines I tried in the 90 to 91 bracket. They included the 2009 Akarua Pinot Noir, the 2010 Archangel Pinot Noir, the 2009 Chard Farm Mata-Au Pinot Noir, 2009 Domain Road Pinot Noir and the 2010 Mt. Difficulty Pinot Noir. Mt. Difficulty used to be in the upper echelon of Central Otago, but their standard wine seems diluted now, with only the reserve and or single vineyard wines being special.
As the scores demonstrate, there were no really poor Pinot Noirs in my tasting. This is one of the strengths of Central Otago. The average wine is of good quality. However, outstanding wines were hard to come by. The challenger to Felton Road did not show up.
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
New Zealand In A Glass, part 2
First, an addendum to the last post. I drank the regular St. Clair Sauvignon Blanc a couple of days ago and it is nowhere near the quality of the single vineyard wines I reviewed. Therefore, if you wish to drink excellent Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, seek out the single vineyard or Reserve wines of St. Clair.
Located at the eastern end of Waiheke Island is Man O'War. It has a big area of plantings and many vineyards to choose from. A star performer for this winery is its Chardonnay. I tasted the 2010 Chardonnay, grown on clay and volcanic soil, and the 2010 Valhalla Chardonnay from clay. Both wines are quite fresh with fairly acidic finishes. Lemon and peach flavours blend into the moderate use of oak (90 points).
On to Martinborough, from where I only tasted the 2009 and 2010 Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noirs. These were highlights of the tastings. This winery has been at the forefront of New Zealand quality Pinot Noir and it is still on song. The 2009 tasted of cherry fruit, which was quite forward in the glass. As the wine moved down the palate, it displayed its ethereal characters beautifully, leading to a long finish - probably my favorite wine of the tasting (94 points). The 2010 is similar in its structure, but darker and a bit more aggressive (93 points).
Greystone Wines are situated in the Waipara Valley, north of Christchurch. Its best Pinot Noirs are bottled under the Muddy Water label. The 2009 Hare's Breath Pinot Noir comes from an organic vineyard, if I am not mistaken. It tastes of red and black cherries and has a savoury, slightly untidy finish (91 points).The 2009 Slowhand Pinot Noir, from another single vineyard, is very dark, with a good tannin structure. It is masculine, yet elegant and has a satisfying finish (93 points).
phew! Only Central Otago to go now.
Located at the eastern end of Waiheke Island is Man O'War. It has a big area of plantings and many vineyards to choose from. A star performer for this winery is its Chardonnay. I tasted the 2010 Chardonnay, grown on clay and volcanic soil, and the 2010 Valhalla Chardonnay from clay. Both wines are quite fresh with fairly acidic finishes. Lemon and peach flavours blend into the moderate use of oak (90 points).
On to Martinborough, from where I only tasted the 2009 and 2010 Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noirs. These were highlights of the tastings. This winery has been at the forefront of New Zealand quality Pinot Noir and it is still on song. The 2009 tasted of cherry fruit, which was quite forward in the glass. As the wine moved down the palate, it displayed its ethereal characters beautifully, leading to a long finish - probably my favorite wine of the tasting (94 points). The 2010 is similar in its structure, but darker and a bit more aggressive (93 points).
Greystone Wines are situated in the Waipara Valley, north of Christchurch. Its best Pinot Noirs are bottled under the Muddy Water label. The 2009 Hare's Breath Pinot Noir comes from an organic vineyard, if I am not mistaken. It tastes of red and black cherries and has a savoury, slightly untidy finish (91 points).The 2009 Slowhand Pinot Noir, from another single vineyard, is very dark, with a good tannin structure. It is masculine, yet elegant and has a satisfying finish (93 points).
phew! Only Central Otago to go now.
Saturday, February 25, 2012
New Zealand In A Glass, part 1
On this occasion, I had enough time to develop a tasting strategy beforehand. After reading the winery profiles, I decided to only taste premium wines, and do it by region. As a result, I learnt more than I otherwise would have. It is a good idea to take a strategic approach, in particular at large tastings. The only trouble was that the winery stands were more or less organised alphabetically. It therefore involved a fair bit of walking backwards and forwards.
I started with Marlborough. I wanted to revisit Sauvignon Blanc, as the expression of these wines is developing significantly. Unfortunately, I only managed to identify one interesting winery for this variety: Saint Clair. The three Sauvignons were impressive. The 2011 Block 18 Sauvignon Blanc has mainly tropical flavours, pineapple and passionfruit, and a dry finish (93 points). This is a mile away from your standard herbacious and sweet guzzler. The 2011 Block 21 Sauvignon Blanc is more typical, with herbacious flavours, but quite clean and dry (91 points). The 2011 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc is a 'best of barrels' blend. Flavours are a bit more mixed (not necessarily an advantage), and there is some creaminess to the wine (I am not sure if it sees any wood) (92 points). All three wines are very clean and linear - impressive.
The other variety I tasted from here was Pinot Noir. Marlborough gets a bit forgotten in the fight for supremacy between Martinborough and Central Otago, but some great Pinot Noirs can come from here. The key is vineyard location. The better wines come from the more southern Wairau valley or the mountains south of the Marlborough flats.
What are the components of a great Pinot Noir? To me they are fruit concentration, savoury flavours, elegance, silky tannins and a widening finish, the famous Burgundy fan. Marlborough can actually deliver quite a bit of this. The fruit is vibrant, often red cherry, and most of the other components can be found in the best Pinot Noirs from the region.
Villa Maria is one of the prime exponents of good Marlborough Pinot Noir. The 2010 Selection Pinot Noir is a fresh, of red cherry tasting wine, with a silky finish. The mouthfeel is a little average though (91 points). The 2010 Southern Clays Pinot Noir comes from a vineyard at 300m altitude. The cool nights lead to a longer ripening period. This wine is quite concentrated, with black cherry flavours. It is elegant and silky (93 points) - an excellent wine.
The 2008 Spy Valley Envoy Pinot Noir comes from Wairau. It is quite similar to the Southern Clays, quite savoury, but not as full (92 points). The 2007 Auntsfield Heritage Pinot Noir is grown on New Zealands oldest vineyard, first planted in 1873. It lies high in the southern hills of Marlborough. This wine has quite a European expression, with floral aspects and minerality dominant. It is dry, with a long finish (93 points).
This set of Pinots was a great start, mind you, these wines are not cheap, say $50-90 per bottle.
I started with Marlborough. I wanted to revisit Sauvignon Blanc, as the expression of these wines is developing significantly. Unfortunately, I only managed to identify one interesting winery for this variety: Saint Clair. The three Sauvignons were impressive. The 2011 Block 18 Sauvignon Blanc has mainly tropical flavours, pineapple and passionfruit, and a dry finish (93 points). This is a mile away from your standard herbacious and sweet guzzler. The 2011 Block 21 Sauvignon Blanc is more typical, with herbacious flavours, but quite clean and dry (91 points). The 2011 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc is a 'best of barrels' blend. Flavours are a bit more mixed (not necessarily an advantage), and there is some creaminess to the wine (I am not sure if it sees any wood) (92 points). All three wines are very clean and linear - impressive.
The other variety I tasted from here was Pinot Noir. Marlborough gets a bit forgotten in the fight for supremacy between Martinborough and Central Otago, but some great Pinot Noirs can come from here. The key is vineyard location. The better wines come from the more southern Wairau valley or the mountains south of the Marlborough flats.
What are the components of a great Pinot Noir? To me they are fruit concentration, savoury flavours, elegance, silky tannins and a widening finish, the famous Burgundy fan. Marlborough can actually deliver quite a bit of this. The fruit is vibrant, often red cherry, and most of the other components can be found in the best Pinot Noirs from the region.
Villa Maria is one of the prime exponents of good Marlborough Pinot Noir. The 2010 Selection Pinot Noir is a fresh, of red cherry tasting wine, with a silky finish. The mouthfeel is a little average though (91 points). The 2010 Southern Clays Pinot Noir comes from a vineyard at 300m altitude. The cool nights lead to a longer ripening period. This wine is quite concentrated, with black cherry flavours. It is elegant and silky (93 points) - an excellent wine.
The 2008 Spy Valley Envoy Pinot Noir comes from Wairau. It is quite similar to the Southern Clays, quite savoury, but not as full (92 points). The 2007 Auntsfield Heritage Pinot Noir is grown on New Zealands oldest vineyard, first planted in 1873. It lies high in the southern hills of Marlborough. This wine has quite a European expression, with floral aspects and minerality dominant. It is dry, with a long finish (93 points).
This set of Pinots was a great start, mind you, these wines are not cheap, say $50-90 per bottle.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Torbreck The Struie Shiraz
Dave Powell at Torbreck wants to produce ripe, full-bodied and voluptuous wines. They can be gorgeous. It is, however, disappointing to see some principles not changing in response to the variability of the season.
The 2005 Torbreck The Struie Shiraz comes from a hot vintage. Its fruit tastes overly ripe and somewhat porty. Even the Eden Valley fruit cannot lift this wine. It is too heavy. Obviously, as usual, the fruit was picked very late. The wine seems to suggest the optimum picking time was missed. I have recently tried the 2010, which was excellent, but this wine misses the mark.
Score: 87/--
The 2005 Torbreck The Struie Shiraz comes from a hot vintage. Its fruit tastes overly ripe and somewhat porty. Even the Eden Valley fruit cannot lift this wine. It is too heavy. Obviously, as usual, the fruit was picked very late. The wine seems to suggest the optimum picking time was missed. I have recently tried the 2010, which was excellent, but this wine misses the mark.
Score: 87/--
Monday, February 20, 2012
A Special Pinot Noir Masterclass: Mountford Estate, Charteris Wines, Louis Latour
This was a special masterclass of quite rare Pinot Noirs. New Zealand wines, made in a Burgundy style, were pitted against Burgundy. The tasting had a perplexing outcome: while it was meant to showcase terroir, it would have been impossible in a blind tasting to accurately assess where the wines were from. The winemakers choices dominated these wines.
The star of this tasting was Mountford Estate from Waipara. CP Lin, the winemaker, Master of Wine, is blind. He therefore had to focus on smell and taste which are highly developed. He studied Burgundy in a lot of detail, and is very forthright and entertaining in his views.
The 2008 Mountford Estate Pinot Noir shows quite a restraint style, elegant, with forest floor flavours dominating. There is a high percentage of stems in this wine, which adds to complexity, but even more to tannin structure. This wine is about finesse, 'power of lightness' as CP calls it. The wine has a long, somewhat silky finish.
Score: 93/++
The 2009 Mountford Estate Pinot Noir is also savoury and elegant. The warmer year, however, produces a more muscular wine with great length and a very silky finish. This wine will live for 20+ years. My wine of the night.
Score: 96/+++
The 2008 Mountford Estate 'The Gradient' Pinot Noir comes from a very steep section of the vineyard and a lot of slate in the soil, whereas the other vines grow on clay and limestone mix. Again, the bouquet is forest floor, and the colour of the wine is very dark. There is good depth of fruit here, but some meaty characters detract from the fragrant features, a Pinot Noir should demonstrate.
Score: 94/0
All these wines show a lot of minerality, which is 'liquified rock' in CP's language. They are quite unique with a lot of power as well.
The Charteris wines from Central Otago are a bit more mainstream, but still in the savoury corner, with stems being a prominent feature as well.
The 2008 Charteris Pinot Noir is quite vibrant with firm tannins, but lacks some mouthfeel.
Score: 91/0
The 2009 Charteris Pinot Noir is dominated by red cherries. It is fresh, with a good structure and some length.
Score: 92/++
The 2010 Charteris Pinot Noir is obviously very young. It is perhaps finer and more elegant than 2009, tasting of cherries and raspberries, but the finish is not expanding like a top Pinot Noir should. I marginally preferred the 2009.
Score: 92/+
Some Burgundies were shown in comparison. Those at similar price points (they were basic wines) disappointed, mostly because of short finishes. There was one 1er cru, the 2009 Louis Latour Gevrey Chambertin 'Les Cazetiers', which I enjoyed. This wine tasted of black cherries and was quite dark. It had good length as well, but lacked some of the charm top Burgundies display.
Score: 93/+
The star of this tasting was Mountford Estate from Waipara. CP Lin, the winemaker, Master of Wine, is blind. He therefore had to focus on smell and taste which are highly developed. He studied Burgundy in a lot of detail, and is very forthright and entertaining in his views.
The 2008 Mountford Estate Pinot Noir shows quite a restraint style, elegant, with forest floor flavours dominating. There is a high percentage of stems in this wine, which adds to complexity, but even more to tannin structure. This wine is about finesse, 'power of lightness' as CP calls it. The wine has a long, somewhat silky finish.
Score: 93/++
The 2009 Mountford Estate Pinot Noir is also savoury and elegant. The warmer year, however, produces a more muscular wine with great length and a very silky finish. This wine will live for 20+ years. My wine of the night.
Score: 96/+++
The 2008 Mountford Estate 'The Gradient' Pinot Noir comes from a very steep section of the vineyard and a lot of slate in the soil, whereas the other vines grow on clay and limestone mix. Again, the bouquet is forest floor, and the colour of the wine is very dark. There is good depth of fruit here, but some meaty characters detract from the fragrant features, a Pinot Noir should demonstrate.
Score: 94/0
All these wines show a lot of minerality, which is 'liquified rock' in CP's language. They are quite unique with a lot of power as well.
The Charteris wines from Central Otago are a bit more mainstream, but still in the savoury corner, with stems being a prominent feature as well.
The 2008 Charteris Pinot Noir is quite vibrant with firm tannins, but lacks some mouthfeel.
Score: 91/0
The 2009 Charteris Pinot Noir is dominated by red cherries. It is fresh, with a good structure and some length.
Score: 92/++
The 2010 Charteris Pinot Noir is obviously very young. It is perhaps finer and more elegant than 2009, tasting of cherries and raspberries, but the finish is not expanding like a top Pinot Noir should. I marginally preferred the 2009.
Score: 92/+
Some Burgundies were shown in comparison. Those at similar price points (they were basic wines) disappointed, mostly because of short finishes. There was one 1er cru, the 2009 Louis Latour Gevrey Chambertin 'Les Cazetiers', which I enjoyed. This wine tasted of black cherries and was quite dark. It had good length as well, but lacked some of the charm top Burgundies display.
Score: 93/+
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