While the other regions show quite typical sub-regional characters, this is less clear for Waipara (North Canterbury). This has probably to do with the fact that very strong winemakers and individual philosophies come to the fore here. The main wineries in the valley are Pegasus Bay, Muddy Water, Mountford, and Greystone.
The Pegasus Bay Pinot Noir is very feminine, very balanced, with great texture and velvety tannins (93 Points). The low volume Prima Donna Pinot Noir shows similar characteristics, even more pronounced (93 points). The Muddy Water Pinot Noir was lighter, a pretty wine, but not much individuality, I thought (91 points). The single vineyard Hares Breath, on the hillside, is similar, with a nice balance and a bit more acidity on the palate (92 points).
The Mountford Liaison Pinot Noir, from younger and bought-in fruit, shows great purity, but is a little simple (92 points). One of the great wines of this show is the Mountford Estate Pinot Noir. In palate weight, it sits between Central Otago and Martinborough. The wine has great complexity and structure and finishes long, with silky tannins (95 points). I also tried one of the single vineyard wines, the 2009 The Rise. This is a more elegant wine, but the finish is a little flat (93 points). Mountford is an Estate worth watching. I have tried some of their other wines in the past, they are uneven, but can reach soaring heights. I sampled the 2008 and 2009 from Greystone. The 2009 is big, a bit alcoholic, but displaying good length (92 points). The 2008 is more elegant and balanced (93 points).
Inland in the Canterbury region are two quite extreme producers: Bell Hill and Pyramid Valley. Their plantings at high altitude, on limestone, with high density planting, and their small volumes have given them cult status, not necessarily deserved, yet, I find. I found both the Pyramid Valley Angel Flower and Earth Smoke Pinot Noirs a bit bland (91 points). Note: I may have been a tired taster by this time. The Bell Hill Pinot Noir was fuller bodied, quite dark and brooding, with a balanced structure (93 points). The Old Weka Pass Pinot Noir is a little lighter (92 points).
Waipara is at risk of being overlooked between Martinborough and Central Otago, yet it is definitely a region to watch, with good sunshine and limestone soils. I find the wines here quite individualistic and interesting.
Showing posts with label Waipara. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Waipara. Show all posts
Friday, February 15, 2013
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Pinot Noir NZ 2013 (part 1)
I have been quiet over the last little while, as I attended the big NZ Pinot Noir show in Wellington. This event is held every three years, attracts 500+ participants from New Zealand and around the world, and lasts for four days. I thought the event was very well organised and overall very interesting and informative. Literally all significant Pinot Noir producers are present, and I got a very good idea of where the industry is at. I thought it was worth while going, because New Zealand Pinot Noir is an exciting part of the global wine world, and developing fast.
This year's theme was regionality. The first three days was spent exploring one region each day. For me, this meant:
- day 1: Central Otago
- day 2: Martinborough, Nelson, Waipara/ North Canterbury
- day 3: Marlborough
In a nutshell, there are significant differences between these regions. Firstly, acid levels. These are highest in Marlborough and Nelson, followed by Martinborough. They are quite low in Central Otago. The fruit in the higher acid regions is fresh and vibrant, tasting of red cherries usually, but can be a bit thin. Central Otago Pinot Noir tastes of black cherries and can be quite big and ripe - a Shiraz drinker's Pinot.
All wineries showed the 2010 vintage and then some older vintages. The wines from 2010 were across the board of a very high standard. Surprisingly (to me), the older vintages showed very well, too. Many were from around 2006/07, where this could be expected. But I also tasted a number of wines from 2001 and 2002 which were also still going strong.
I will report on the different regions and its individual wines in subsequent posts. Many favorites showed strongly, but there are also new stars on the horizon.
This year's theme was regionality. The first three days was spent exploring one region each day. For me, this meant:
- day 1: Central Otago
- day 2: Martinborough, Nelson, Waipara/ North Canterbury
- day 3: Marlborough
In a nutshell, there are significant differences between these regions. Firstly, acid levels. These are highest in Marlborough and Nelson, followed by Martinborough. They are quite low in Central Otago. The fruit in the higher acid regions is fresh and vibrant, tasting of red cherries usually, but can be a bit thin. Central Otago Pinot Noir tastes of black cherries and can be quite big and ripe - a Shiraz drinker's Pinot.
All wineries showed the 2010 vintage and then some older vintages. The wines from 2010 were across the board of a very high standard. Surprisingly (to me), the older vintages showed very well, too. Many were from around 2006/07, where this could be expected. But I also tasted a number of wines from 2001 and 2002 which were also still going strong.
I will report on the different regions and its individual wines in subsequent posts. Many favorites showed strongly, but there are also new stars on the horizon.
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.
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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