Bordeaux Style Blends New Zealand

 The last post in the series of premium wines from New Zealand looks at quite an eclectic group of Bordeaux style blends from the North Island.

Three wines stood out from this line-up. My favourite wine was the 2019 Church Road TOM from Hawke's Bay, the predominant region of Bordeaux style wines in New Zealand. This Cabernet Merlot delivers red cherry and blackberry fruit flavours against a background of smoky notes. This is an elegant wine with soft tannins and a long finish. It is the most expensive of the wines reviewed here (96/+++ points).

Not far behind is the 2020 Man O' War Ironclad Merlot blend. This winery from Waiheke Island is going from strength to strength. It has a similar fruit profile to the previous wine. The wine is quite big and intense, while still elegant. It delivers attractive lifted notes on the finish (95/+++ points).

I also enjoyed the 2018 Paritua 21.12 from Hawke's Bay. This is a Cabernet blend with a similar tasting profile to the Church Road. The wine has medium concentration, and is elegant with silky tannins and a satisfying finish (95/+++ points).

The 2019 Te Motu Cabernet blend is fresh, with redcurrant flavours, a bit confected. This is a relatively straight forward, smooth wine (92/+ points).

Also from Waiheke Island is the 2017 Tantalus Ecluse Reserve, another Cabernet blend. This wine has medium concentration. It is a harmonious wine, but a bit bland (92/+ points).

Overall, Bordeaux style wines have come a long way in New Zealand. The blends are sophisticated, seamless, and elegant. They should certainly be considered as alternatives to Pinot Noir.

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.

NZ wine in a glass 2011

One has to be quite selective at these big wine shows (maybe 60 wineries were present), so I decided on a bit of Chardonnay from Waiheke Island, Pinot Noir from Central Otago and a bit of red wine from the Gimblett Gravels in Hawkes Bay.

The Chardonnays were from Cable Bay, in the west of the Island, and Man O' War, which has many vineyards in the East. They were both fresh wines, with citrus and apple flavours and some creaminess. I particularly liked the flintiness of the 2009 Man O' War Valhalla Chardonnay (92 points).

The problem with most Central Otago Pinot Noirs was that many are pretty, but it seemed to me the grapes were very young. As a result, these wines lacked in character. This applied to Cable Bay and Domain Road. Chard Farm Mata-Au showed attractive silky tannins, but disappointed with a thin mouthfeel. Peregrine showed typical dark cherry for the area, and some savoury characteristics, with somewhat grainy tannins. The two Gibbston Valley Pinots were different from each other, but lacked fullness and complexity. The outstanding wine came from Maude, from their 1994 planted Mt. Maude vineyard. This 2007 Mt. Maude Family Vineyard Pinot Noir is quite savoury, all stems go into the process. The wine has grip, depth, and a long finish (94 points).

The Gimblett Gravels wines came from Trinity Hill. I found them disappointing. The 2008 Syrah and the 2008 Tempranillo were a bit simplistic. The Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon was the best from a mediocre trio (88/89 points).