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.

Henschke Croft Chardonnay

The Henschkes have expanded their range dramatically over the last few years. Most of it is coming from their new plantings in the Adelaide Hills. They are very environmentally aware, and this has probably to do with moving to cooler climates, as their iconic vineyards are located in the warmer parts of the Eden Valley.

This 2012 Henschke Croft Chardonnay from the Adelaide Hills (Lenswood) is a disappointment. The wine tastes of apple, but is not very distinctive. I tasted this wine a bit warmer initially, and the texture is quite broad then. At fridge temperature, the wine is better, but flavours cannot unfold very well then. One way or the other, this wine does not deliver a satisfactory Chardonnay experience.

Score: 86/--

Pizzini Pinot Grigio

The brand gives the style of this Pinot Gris away: it is in Italian style, light and fresh .I quite enjoy this 2012 Pizzini Pinot Grigio. The wine tastes of fresh pear. It tastes quite pure and linear. Nothing complex here, but satisfying summer drinking.

Score: 88/++

Ocean Eight Aylward Pinot Noir

Many people drink Sparkling or Champagne during summer, I prefer a good Pinot Noir. The 2007 Ocean Eight Aylward Pinot Noir is a more concentrated wine than the standard Pinot Noir. It is still quite fresh, in the cherry spectrum, typical for Mornington. This is a savoury wine, though, ideally complimenting salads, firm fish or chicken. However, while its palate is attractive, it is not very long - a good wine, but not a standout.

Score: 92/+

Bass Phillip Chardonnay

Bass Phillip is known as a leading Australian Pinot Noir producer. For years, it has also made serious Chardonnay. The 2009 Bass Phillip Estate Chardonnay is a very Burgundy tasting wine. The wine has quite a big mouthfeel with stone fruit and guava flavours. The oak is noticeable. The wine is quite big, but very clean and polished. It is different from the increasing norm in Australia where citrus and acidity are dominating. (And it costs less than the equivalent Phillip Bass Pinot Noir.

Score: 92/+

Poll Closed

My latest poll had a poor response. Maybe as I have not done many in the last year, you simply overlooked it.

My Christmas wine drinks were probably not as extravagant as the year before, but I had some nice drinks: The 2004 Schubert Goose-yard Shiraz was beautifully full bodied, but balanced. The 2007 Felton Road Pinot Noir is stunning and has many years ahead of it. KT Riesling is fruity, yet dry, but the absolute highlight was the 2001 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon which I have reviewed on this blog before.

Let's hope we can all share in the enjoyment of drinking fine wine in 2013!

Ruggabellus Timaeus

Sorry for not publishing for a while, but when travelling in the heat of Asia, fine wine consumption is not a priority.

Now back, I got my hand on a bottle of the highly acclaimed relatively new Ruggabellus label. Abel Gibson, the winemaker, won Young Gun of Wine this year, and there were many acclaims for this new winery. I therefore had to open the 2010 Ruggabellus Timaeus straight away.

This wine is a blend typical for the Southern Rhone, with Grenache being the main grape variety. Raspberry flavours are dominant on the front palate. The fruit is vibrant and lively. Then something curious happens.It is best described by texture versus structure. The texture of this wine is very appealing. The wine has a smooth and silky mouthfeel, but as it moves to the mid and back palate, the structure is missing for me. The tannins are not firm enough to balance the fruit. Currently it is all the rage to talk about picking grapes earlier in the Barossa and this wine is very 'fashionable', but in the well balanced 2010 vintage, this wine would have benefited from slightly later picking and a bit more tannin grip. As it is, I find the wine a little fruity.

Score: 91/+

New Poll

Are you going over a fiscal cliff yourself or do you ignore big politics? I am interested to hear how your wine budget is going for the Christmas season. Please vote.

Also, please comment here what particular wine or champagne you are looking forward to or you have experienced over Christmas.

Antinori Peppoli Chianti

Antinori's Peppoli is a very dependable Sangiovese. It is a high volume wine, made to high standards. The 2009 Antinori Peppoli displays typical red and black cherry favours and a savoury backbone. This wine is not overly complex, but has quite a full body. The wine is elegant and has the right amount of acidity to deliver a harmonious finish.

It is the perfect partner to the canapés I am consuming at the Metropole in Hanoi.

Score: 92/++

The New Jimmy Watson Trophy Winner: Best's Bin 1, 2011

I should preface this post by saying I am not joining the mob which currently and fashionably rubbishes big South Australian Shirazes. I think these are unique wines in the world, and if not overripe, can be fascinating and complex wines. So I have no initial bias towards Victorian Shiraz. I am also concerned about cooler climate wines from 2011, which was very wet in the Eastern parts of Australia.

So when I heard that the 2011 Best's Bin 1 Shiraz, their 3rd tier wine, won the Jimmy Watson Trophy, my first reaction was that this was 'politically' motivated, a lighter wine had to win (like last year).

However, the proof is in the glass, so here it goes: This wine has a beautiful aroma of blackberry and black cherry. The fruit of this medium-bodied wine is very pure and intense and has great linearity. There are also exotic spices on the palate and silky tannins, leading to a smooth finish. On the second day, the wine had not deteriorated and still offered a rounded mouthfeel.

This wine is an outstanding expression of cool climate Victorian Shiraz. It also offers excellent value for money. Grab it while you can!

Score: 95/+++

36 Bordeaux wines from 2009, part 3

I was expecting wines from the left bank to shine. They are Cabernet Sauvignon based, and in a warm year, this grape will ripe well, without green- or leafiness.

The wines from Margaux were strong across the board. I liked Chateau Ferriere, a full-bodied wine, fresh and elegant with some forest characters and good length (95 points). Chateau d'Issan was also impressive: a rich and concentrated wine, with redcurrant fruit, violets and fragrant flavours, an elegant and balanced wine with soft tannins (94 points). In a similar mould is Brane de Baron. This wine also shows tobacco and meaty flavours and a higher tannin level (93 points). Chateau Giscours has a sweet ripeness, but I found the wine a bit bland by comparison (93 points).  The weaker wines in this bracket were Chateau Prieure Lichine and Dufort Vivens. They  have depth and elegance, but were a bit leafy and bitter and a bit disjointed (92 points).

In the bracket from St. Julian was the other 100 point wine from Parker, Chateau Leoville Poyferre. It is a dark, full-bodied wine with plenty of oak, not ready to drink for 10 years. Many felt it falls off at the finish, and the wine was not too well received (93 points). My favorite in this bracket was Chateau Lagrange, a medium-bodied wine with  great aroma and good intensity. The linearity and elegance on the palate impressed (94 points). I also liked  Petit Caillou. This wine was less concentrated, but elegant, with lifted aromas, a good structure and a lengthy finish (94 points). Chateau Langoa Barton, a well known wine, was very powerful, oaky and tannic. Keep your hands off for 10 years (93 points). Les Fiefs de Lagrange was uneven. Quite ripe, but some greenness as well, and a little hot (92 points). And finally, Chateau Beychevelle, another well known wine, disappointed. An opulent and ripe wine, but not giving me much to be excited about (92 points).

Further north, from Paulliac, three wines impressed. Petit Mouton, the second wine of Mouton-Rothschild was fragrant, elegant, with well integrated oak and high quality tannins (95 points). Chateau Grand Puy Lacoste had good depth of flavour and a long finish (94 points). And Chateau Haut Batailley was also quite concentrated, with soft berry flavours, good length and a slightly oaky finish (94 points).

Overall, as you can tell, my ratings are high. The overall standard is excellent, with depth of flavour and elegance. The expensive wines show a lot of oak and are quite tannic. They need to be left alone for at least five to ten years. My ratings did not correlate very highly with price. Before you fork out a fortune, I highly recommend you buy one bottle to taste. Do not be guided by reputation alone.  

36 Bordeaux wines from 2009, part 2

In this post, I will review some of the wines tasted. I start with the right bank. The wines from St. Emilion showed particularly well.

Chateau Bellefont Belcier was my favorite from this bracket. The purity of the blackberry fruit is beautiful. The wine has depth, but is very polished and elegant (97 points). Chateau Magdelaine was also excellent.
A complex wine with berry flavours and fragrance. There is minerality in this wine, cedar and cigarbox. The wine is soft initially, with a fine tannin structure (96 points). Chateau Frombauge has a similar profile. It also shows violets and spices. The finish is slightly hot (94 points). As mentioned in the previous post, Chateau Pavie is a massive wine. Oak and tannins currently dominate the fruit core. The wine is quite acidic and astringent (92 points). I rated Chateau Quinault L'Enclos and Chateau La Dominique less highly. These wines are less well balanced, with partly jammy fruit and abrasive tannins (91 points).

Avoiding overripe fruit was the major challenge in 2009. This is obvious in the tasted wines of Pomerol, where some wines tasted jammy, narrowly avoiding over-ripeness. Chateau Bon Pasteur was my favorite here. Mulberry flavours deliver a good mouthfeel. The wine is concentrated, weighty and fleshy with a lot of oak. I found it quite balanced with attractive tannins, dancing on the tongue (94 points). Chateaus Bourgneuf, Mazeyres and L'Hospitalet De Gazin suffered from very ripe or dried fruit (91/92 points). In contrast, Chateaus Lafleur Gazin and La Pointe showed quite a bit of leafy characters, possibly as a result of a large Cabernet Franc component in the wine (91/92 points).

Some gems can be found in other, less prestigious appellations. A real find in this tasting was Chateau Villars from Fronsac. This appellation is also on the right bank, west of St. Emilion. This wine shows beautiful berry fruit and also some earthy characteristics. The wine is balanced with good weight and length, although perhaps a bit broad in the mouth. It finishes with firm tannins and the best bit: it is really cheap (93 points).

The higher rated wines are all quite approachable now. They are elegant and let the fruit speak. I think you could drink them very well in two to three years. They have great balance and will easily live for 15 to 20 years.