Pinot Post

Domaine de Suremain Mercurey 2010

Posted on March 22, 2013 by paul

A great value and reasonably priced burgundy – this wine was made by Domaine de Suremain. Its origin is Mercurey in Côte Chalonnaise, Burgundy, France and comes from 7ha of vineyards classified as Village appellation. It is produced from the 2010 harvest – a classic vintage which resulted in small berries and good ripeness: all showing in this wine with good colour, depth of flavour and balance. This wine has a nice line and length which belies its reasonable price tag.

Deep ruby red with abundant berry aromas. The palate is equally complete with mixed dark berries and a touch of oak. Slight bitterness on the finish doesn’t really detract from the overall positive experience this wine provides. The texture is faultless and the length very good. The quality of this wine is well above normal Village levels.

Highly recommended as a value for money bargain burgundy. Yes, you can find burgundies which are relatively inexpensive and represent great value!

Brennan Gibbston Pinot Noir 2007 (Central Otago, NZ)

Posted on February 27, 2013 by paul

Pinot Noir is sometimes described as the iron fist in the velvet glove but in the case of the 2007 Brennan Gibbston Pinot Noir, I would think a swede glove might be a better analogy. It is certainly powerful ‘a la’ iron fist but the glove isn’t quite velvet. A little more coarsely textured and not quite as soft as the description “silk” would have implied. Still this is an impressive wine that has aged well.

From one of the coldest and most rugged parts of Central Otago, this will reflects it’s growing environment perfectly. It is powerful yet beautiful at the same time but certainly not delicate. Blood red and dense in colour. Lifted aromas of mixed berries – blackberry, raspberry and blueberry are all there, roses in summer, pencil shavings and a touch of spice. The palate was dark berries mirroring the nose with sour cherry, tar, anise and a slightly plummy finish. It is nicely balance with good length and persistence. The tannins are slightly chalky and drying. It matched perfectly a hearty casserole of pork with beans and mushrooms.

Mornington Peninsula International Pinot Noir Conference Masterclass

Posted on February 11, 2013 by paul

This was a wide ranging masterclass held in conjunction to MPIPNC lead by Kate McIntyre MW with a panel consisting of her father, Richard and the esteemed Burgundian Jasper Morris. Following are my notes and not the panels, in fact, some are quite at odds to the panel. Interesting, Kate did a poll of the audience at the conclusion of the tasting to see which was the favourite and nearly all wines had supporters showing that all styles and regions are appreciated and their are no right or wrong answers:

Hillcrest Pinot Noir 2010 (Yarra Valley)

Deep brooding colour with bright brick red rim. Quite lifted aromas of red fruits, smoked meats and oak. Flavours of blackberry, blue berries and sour cherry with a little plum. Concentrated and supported by big tannins but in balance.

Moorooduc Estate The Moorooduc Pinot Noir 2010 (Mornington Peninsula)

Mid to light ruby colour with a brick red rim. Nose offers strawberry and raspberries with floral notes. Similar flavours on the palate. Delicate but growing with good persistence and structure.

Domaine Newman Beaune 2010 (Burgundy, France)

Youthful appearance, mid ruby colour. The nose is closed still but shows dried flowers, fresh hay, mineral and a little raspberry fruit. Palate is lean and ill-defined. The wine has a crisp acidy, lean mid palate but does linger in the mouth. This wine needs time to develop.

Larmardier Bernier Vertus 2009 (Champagne, France)

Lovely colour and appearance in the glass. Aromas of sweet roses and light red fruits. Long sniff. Delicate light sour cherry and green apple. Mouth smacking acid. Some chalk or mineral notes. Could be interesting to age but quite austere now.

Greywacke Pinot Noir 2010 (Marlborough, NZ)

Deep ruby or garnet colour with purple tinted rim. Lifted red berry fruit – raspberry dominate. Good deep on the bouquet. Big delicious sweet fruit palate – cherry and red berries. Good persistence and some grip. Finishes with some lingering cherry, a touch of anise and gamey notes. A lot of interest but presents as a very youthful wine and needs time to show its potential.

Littorai The Haven Pinot Noir 2010 (Sonoma Coast, CA)

Deep ruby red. Delicate strawberry fruit and sweet notes – very pretty nose. Nice fruit but at present it lacked depth in the middle palate. This should fill out over time. Balanced fine acid and tannins resulting in a seamless, long and pleasant wine. I think there is more hiding in this bottle than time allowed us to explore.

Conclusions

All were nice, youthful, well made wines but on the day, the Graywacke won my vote closely followed by the Littorai.

Day 4 Pinot Noir NZ 2013 – the Grand Finale

Posted on February 8, 2013 by paul

Final Day of Pinot Noir NZ 2013 was highly anticipated and didn’t disappoint!

The Tastings for today were two blind tastings of pinots from Burgundy and NZ. The idea was to examine ‘La Régionalité’ in the tasting and not to compare Burgundian wines to NZ or visa versa. It is hard not to compare the two sets of wines as they were tasted back to back and I cant resist drawing some comparisons, if not any conclusions!

Firstly what was meant by ‘La Régionalité’? We had a panel of ‘experts’ including Jasper Morris MW expand on their thoughts regarding the concept. I gathered that it is not terroir which is much more site or vineyard specific concept of place. Perhaps the easiest to understand explanation was using the illustration of Burgundy. When you taste Burgundian wines you might get a vivid image of the quaint villages, fine cheeses and food, tightly packed close planted vineyards bounded by ancient stone walls. But what does this taste like? or is it a specific taste at all or to use a crude modern term – Is it just ‘branding’? Well the idea of the Burgundy tasting was to explore this concept by tasting 6 wines from 6 different villages or sub-regions. Just to further complicate the tasting each successive wine was from different classifications from Bourgogne Epineuil & Bourgogne Cote Chalonaise to Village Vielles Vignes (old vines) to Premier Cru and finally to Grand Cru.

My notes on these wines are as follows:

1. Domaine de l’Abbaye de Petit Quincy Bourgogne Epineuil Cote de Grisey 2010

Pale, insipid colour in the glass. The palate is dominated by acid. Indiscreet flavours hide behind the acid. Lacks character although it has no faults just poor fruit. Light weighted, with light red fruits, Straightforward or simple.

2. Domaine A. et P. de Villaine Bourgogne Cote Chalonaise ‘La Digoine’ 2010

A little better than the Epineuil but still acid dominated. Light ruby-red, pale appearance. The nose is still closed but displays some red berry fruit aromas. Medium-bodied and better length. Pure red fruits are initially dominated by the acidity: after re-looking at this wine towards the end of the tasting, the acid had somewhat softened opening the way for the fruit but still a relatively simple unassuming wine.

3. Domaine de Bellene Sauvigny-Les-Beaune ‘Vielles Vignes’ 2010

Moderately deep ruby-red reflections in the glass. The nose is closed but a little red fruits and spice are showing through. Good acid, tannin and fruit balance with some grip on the finish. The middle palate has some nice but straight forward cherry fruit combined with a little earthiness.

4. Domaine Nicolas Rossignol Volnay 1er Cru ‘Chevret’ 2010

Brilliant ruby-red colour, perfect clarity displaying beautiful reflections in the glass. Great start. The nose is lifted red fruit, dried flowers (potpourri) and cinnamon. A wine that is finely balanced with a lot of finesse showing. Seamless tannins and good length. A little reductive or even a touch of brettanomyces but not enough to cause a serious problem and may help add interest.

5. Domaine Thibault Liger-Belair, Nuits-Saint-Georges 1er Cru ‘Les St Georges’ 2010

Deep ruby colour signaling a more substantial presence. Some volatility on the nose with aromas of dark berries and cherry, herbs, oak and earth. This is a bigger, richer wine with good power and structure but currently finishes a little short. The tannin is soft and adequately supports the fruit and charry oak flavours. This is a youthful yet powerful wine that will develop over time. There is plenty of potential here to become a complex and interesting wine of substance. Probably my favorite in the line-up.

6. Anne Gros Clos de Vougeot Grand Cru ‘Les Grand Maupertuis’ 2010

Fine colour & clarity. A perfumed nose with fruit, floral & mineral notes that continued to develop during the tasting. A sensuous wine with perfect balance, quite tightly bound at the moment but possessing a powerful mid palate of red fruits. The finish is less powerful but it has good persistence. A wine that will age graciously as its potential develops. Note – I have met Anne and seen how passionate she is about her terroir and how meticulous she is in her wine making. This wine definitely attests to these qualities.

Well did these wines exhibit a common Burgundy Régionalité? Well perhaps they did if you exclude the first two or three in the line-up. Can I be more specific about what this means? Probably not!

The next tasting was the New Zealand Regional Tasting. What a delight – 12 pinots selected by a panel consisting of Tim Atkin MW, Cameron Douglas, Rebbecca Gibb, Philip Rich, Indra Kumar & Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW. Each panelist selected 2 wines from a single region. As the tasting was completely blind, it was a great opportunity to not only explore the Régionalité but also to rank the wines into a “best of NZ” ladder. So here we go…

Region – Martinborough

Wine 1 Kusuda Pinot Noir 2010 Rank # 5

Lifted aromas of Flowers and red fruits
Lovely balance
Extreme freshness and clean flavours
Nice acid and balance

Wine 2 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2010 Rank # 8

Nose is dusty
Lacks balance at moment/a little awkward
Nice dark fruits
Coffee on finish

Region – Marlborough

Wine 3 Dog Point Pinot Noir 2010 Rank # 9

Deeply coloured
Sweet fruit
Nice oak
Youthful – needs time
A little drying on the finish

Wine 4 Fromm Clayvin Pinot Noir 2010 Rank # 12

Closed and tight
Slightly reductive
good acid/tannin

Region – Nelson

Wine 5 Woolaston Estates Pinot Noir 2010 Rank #3

Fine appearance
perfumed but slightly warm
Nice structure with cherry and plums
Well balanced and good length

Wine 6 Neudorf Vineyards Home Pinot Noir 2010 Rank #1

Brilliant colour and clarity
Lovely lifted nose with loads of interest
Good balance and body
Cherry, dried herbs, tarry oak and a touch annise
Good length
Age worthy

Region – Waipara

Wine 7 Bellbird Spring Pinot Noir 2010 Rank #2

Dark brooding colour
Nose a little closed initially
Complex palate of dark fruits, herbs (thyme and bay leaves)
Concentrated and good length

Wine 8 Black Estate Omihi Series Pinot Noir 2010 Rank #10

Darkly coloured
Slightly cloudy
Aroma of dark fruits and musk
Rounded and dense but a little unbalanced

Region – Waitaki Valley

Wine 9 Valli Waitaki Pinot Noir 2010 Rank #11

Dark ruby with good clarity
Lifted but some volitile notes
Reductive
Powerful fruit but unsettled/unbalanced
Needs time

Wine 10 Ostler Carolines Pinot Noir 2010 Rank #6

Nice colour
Powerful nose
Cherries, roasted meats, herbs
Layered palate with good interest

Region – Central Otago

Wine 11 Two Paddocks The First Paddock Pinot Noir 2010 Rank #7

Good colour
Lovely nose – flowers, red fruits, herbs and a touch of cedar
Great purity of fruit (typical of Central Otago)
Crisp acid
Reasonable length

Wine 12 Rippon Tinker’s Field Pinot Noir 2010 Rank #4

Dark and Brooding
A touch hazy but doesn’t detract
Nice mouth feel – rounded
Good cherry fruit
Polished finish, a little drying astringency

Conclusions – It is very hard to compare Burgundy to NZ pinot noirs. Completely different vine age and different Régionalité and Terroirs. However, that is to some extent a cop-out! I think one thing that stands out for NZ is the consistency and clear potential of the wines as the vine age improves. On this tasting for me the NZ pinots take the prize. But that wasn’t what the tasting was about, was it.

: Black Estate

: Two Paddocks

: Ostler

: Valli

: Neudorf

: Kusuda

: Dog Point

: The line up

Day 3 Pinot Noir NZ 2013 – Central Otago

Posted on February 7, 2013 by paul

Rudi Bauer of Quartz Reef

Day 3 was highly anticipated by me. The wines of Central Otago were to be explored – Iconic region of New Zealand pinot noir and life on the edge. When I first visited Central Otago in 2004 I was struck by the magnificent landscape with vineyards clinging to the side of mountains and gorges and marveled at the intrepid trailblazers who first planted here. This has to be the most beautiful and at the same time the most difficult region in the world to grow pinot noir. There is a great consistency in Central Otago pinot noir although often produced from young vines. I love the fact that they typically have a purity reflecting the regional schists and gravels and wild thyme which often grows amongst the vines. Many producers have now established themselves on the world pinot stage as serious players lead by: Mount Difficulty, Two Paddocks and Felton Road. There are so many fine producers in Central Otago and the list just keeps growing with names like Peregrine, Akarua, Quartz Reef, Valley, Amisfield, Wooing Tree, Rippon, Mud House & Mt Edward to name a few.

The main sub-regions of Central Otago are Cromwell Basin, Gibbston, Clyde and Alexandra. There are, however, two outlying areas which are not included in the sub-regions that I just mentioned. Firstly Wanaka with it’s spectacular landscapes around Lake Wanaka and includes the pioneering Rippon vineyard as well as Maude and Archangel. More about Rippon later as they provided one of the highlights of the final tasting at the conference.

Second outlying area is Waitaki which I want to really highlight as a potentially great pinot noir producing area. Waitaki is New Zealand’s newest wine region straddling the boundary between the North Otago and Canterbury provinces. This is a very isolated area some 65km from the East Coast of NZ. The area was first planted in 2001 with a few small producers focused on pinot noir and aromatic whites. I can imaging the wine growers here would be a very tight knit community and due to the isolation I expect visitors would be very welcomed.

The key viticultural characteristics of the Waitaki Valley are its very cool but semi-arid climate and long, usually dry, autumn seasons resulting in very long hang times. The sunshine hours are high and the UV extreme. The geology consists of metamorphic schist and limestone overlain by glacial terraces and fans and alluvial silts on the banks of the braided Waitaki River. Young, virgin soils in Waitaki have a low organic and high mineral content so the resultant wines demonstrate a distinctive minerality, purity of fruit flavours and fragrant aromatics. Lower temperature regime and higher humidity compare to Central Otago proper result in small berries and more open bunches. This helps with disease control but also gives the winemaking a higher skin to juice ratio with the resultant increased tannins and phenolics. These wines also frequently have a lingering finish on the palate - a couple of Waitaki wines featured in the tasting – Osler, Valli & Pasquale (see my brief notes on wines which stood out on the day for me below).

Osler Pinot Noir 2010

Tight but will open
Needs time
Tight tannis
Some animal nuances will come through
Potential to develop

Valli Waitaki Pinot Noir 2010

Aromatic
nice texture and good body

Pasquale Waitaki Valley Pinot Noir 2010

Bright crimson
Aromas of dark berries with floral and herbal notes
Raspberry, cherry and touch of cedar
Crisp acidity and nice finish

Valli Gibbston Pinot Noir 2010

Nice aromatics
Lush
Cherry dominate
Good texture, some grip & length
Lacking complexity but very good

Amisfield Pinot Noir 2010

Nice colour purity
Mid aromatic
Dry flowers red berry
Nice cherry shuttle but want more

Two Paddocks Pinot Noir 2010

Deeply intense cherry flavours
Beautifully made, crystal clean
Smooth texture, nice length
Very fine tannins

Two Paddocks The First Paddock Pinot Noir 2010

Perfect example of why make single vineyard wines
Individualist
Expressive nose
Delicate cherry more allure less power
Lovely balance between tannin fruit and acid
Wafting oak veil

Felton Road Block 5 Pinot Noir 2010

Grand cru! Just seamless power, all there
Lovely perfume and cherries on nose
Transparent primary red fruit together with a hit of smoked meat
Some nice grip

Terra Sancta Jackson’s Block Pinot Noir 2010

Lovely transparency
Delicate yet power
Some wild thyme herb character
Nice snow cherry on the palate

Akarua Pinot Noir 2010

96 planting so vine age starting to show
Beautiful colour and clarity
Earthy aroma blows off quickly
Good deep cherry fruit
Nice texture length
Slight roasted coffee aftertaste

Pisa Range Estate “Black Poplar Block” Pinot Noir 2010

Nice toasty oak notes
Great ruby colour and clarity
Dark berry & bramble fruits
Very good length
sherbet-like acid
perfect manifestation of Central Otago in a glass!

As usual Wooing Tree was a standout but I have already devoted a post to they wonderful pinot noir recently!

: Quartz Reef

: Akarua

: Nick Mills – Rippon

: Nigel Greening – Felton Road

: Valli Gibbston Vineyard

: Valli Waitaki Vineyard

: Ostler

: Terra Sancta

: Pasquale

: Amisfield

Day 2 Pinot Noir NZ 2013 – Pioneers

Posted on February 4, 2013 by paul

Kai & Marion Schubert

Today was about the regions of NZ that pioneered the development of Pinot Noir production.

Firstly, the great region of Martinborough where the story of NZ pinot noir starts. Located at latitude 40 degrees south at the bottom of New Zealand’s North Island. With an average rainfall around 780mm and almost 1200 Growing Degree Days on average, it boasts excellent growing conditions for Pinot Noir. The climate is semi maritime, influenced by the ocean to the east and south. Summer temperatures are moderate with cool nights; during winter very cold nights are common. Strong north-west winds through spring are channelled through Martinborough impacting on flowering and fruit set. This has the effect of regulating crop levels and reducing vigour in the growing season. Constant battering is also believed to lead to higher tannin levels in Martinborough wines. The long growing season is ideal for pinot noir, especially allowing a long hang time for fruit to ripen slowly which build flavours and potential complexities. The elevation rises from the coast to Martinborough over 50m and the vineyards are located on deep terrace soils and gravels. The relatively small area of suitable sites and proximity to Wellington drives land costs high which in turn mean smaller boutique family owned vineyards predominate and there are only a couple of large scale ‘corporate’ owned vineyards.

Martinborough wines are typically plush, textured wines with good primary flavours and length. My favorite wines consistently come from Ata Rangi, Schubert, Escarpment, Martinborough, Vynfields, Te Hera & Kusuda. There are many good producers here and as vine age is now significant by NZ standards, the wines are not only quite consistent but also showing depth and increasing power.

The next pioneer region I explored is Nelson. Here they are all family owned vineyards and only 178ha of Pinot Noir have been planted. Nelson is located a two hour drive from Marlborough, on the northern most tip of the South Island. Mountain ranges to the west provide a very effective rain shadow and hence the region is dry with a large amount of sunshine hours (2400 hours). Soil structure tends to vary from gravels to clay rich loams over a hard clay subsoil with these soils requiring no irrigation. Low fertility of the soils results in low vigour in the vines.

As a result of its specific climate and soils, Nelson’s wines are typically well structured wines with good flavour profiles. Neudorf and Seifried are two well established wineries in Nelson but there are a number of new comers who are starting to produce nice pinots from relatively young vines.

The final pioneer region is Waipara/North Canterbury. These are real pioneers being really isolated from the main wine growing areas. The Waipara Valley is situated only 40 minutes drive from Christchurch, on the eastern side of the South Island. It is a fast growing wine region with around 80 vineyards in the Waipara valley covering more than 1,200 hectares of plantings. The Waipara Valley is protected by the Teviotdale hills which moderate cool easterly winds. However winds from the north west warm the valley and reduce frost risk. Waipara has the highest summer temperatures and the lowest rainfall of any of the New Zealand wine regions. The soil types vary from gravely deposits on flats and terraces in the central and west of the valley, limestone derived clays on hillsides and valley floor to the eastern side and gravely loams over alluvial subsoil in the southern part of the region. The north facing moderately sloping terrain provides an ideal sites for vines. A good example of a site on limestone is Bell Hill which is located on a disused limestone quarry and blue, iron-rich soils.

Waipara region is fast developing a reputation for the production of top quality Pinot noir with characteristic red fruit characters and fresh acidity. Pegasus Bay is one of the Waipara vineyards with an established and well deserved reputation. The region also boosted two further producers who are fast establishing reputations for consistent top quality pinot noir: Bell Hill and Pyramid Valley. Relatively new names pushing to join this group are Bellbird Spring and Black Estate. This group of 5 provides a clear endorsement for the region and heralds exciting times ahead.

Following are a few brief notes of a small selection from the regional tasting:

Pallister Estate Pinot Noir 2010 (Martinborough)

Not particularly bright in the glass
Nice lifted nose – cherry and hints of cinnamon
Delicate palate but good length
Dark cherry flavours pre-dominate
Palate could do with more complexity but may develop

Schubert Block B Pinot Noir 2010 (Martinborough)

Deep mahogany with perfect clarity
Red fruit nose & palate – red berry/cherry
Great depth of flavour and good structure with fine grained tannins
Fleshy, Nice length & persistence
Will age well at least 10 years
Another beautiful pinot noir from Kai & Marion Schubert

Kiritea from Te Hera Pinot Noir 2010 (Martinborough)

Lovely deep mahogany
Lifted floral red fruit nose – red currants/cherry
Sweet fruit dominate on the palate at this stage
Gentle tannin & acid – easy wine but satisfying length
Incredibly good value (this is the second label from Te Hera)
Match lighter dishes

Bellbird Spring River Terrace Pinot Noir 2010 (Waipara)

Dark brooding, purple tinge at edges, cloudy
Complex beetroot, cherry, mineral nose
Cherry dominate flavor
Structure and length adequate
A producer to watch.

Bell Hill Pinot Noir 2010 (Waipara)

Brilliant color fruit and texture like a cut gem
Ultra clean and sharply defined.
Perhaps a little too clean
Somewhat disappointing compared to previous vintages (this was my top wine at the last event) but still a very nice pinot

Pyramid valley Earth Smoke Pinot Noir 2010 (Waipara)

Proudly unfiltered, unfined (declared on the label)
Lacks clarity in the glass (in common with some unfiltered wines)
Nuanced wine with immediate interest in the aromas and flavours
Smoke, animal, charcuterie, moss on the nose
Rounded, voluptuous in the mouth
Earth and mineral, not quite funky but with real palate interest
Nice tannins some drying on the finish but will help hold and allow development
Very good length

: Pallister Estate

: Kiritea

: Kai & Marion Schubert

: Schubert Pinot Noir

: Pyramid Valley

: Bell Hill

Day 1 Pinot Noir NZ 2013

Posted on January 29, 2013 by paul

Day 1 of Pinot Noir NZ 2013. The key note speakers have challenged and entertain and now we start exploring the key Pinot Noir producing regions in depth. To be honest I wasn’t too excited by where I had been assigned to start my journey of exploration but here goes…

Marlborough wines have been a real surprise for me. This my 3rd Pinot Noir NZ event and I can only recall one or two Marlborough wine that rated in my top wines. The others were definitely not memorable! This time, however, I found a lot to like and the progress was exponential. This is, of course, the area of NZ famous for Sauvignon Blanc and there are many producers here who are household names around the world. Perhaps not the usual location to find producers passionate about a variety such as Pinot!

The region boasts 24,000 ha of wine grape producing vineyards, only a fraction of which is planted to Pinot Noir yet already Pinot Noir from Malborough represents 46% of NZ production – the largest area. A fact that surprised me.

Site selection has become much more considered and so has clone choices. Have said that, it is clear there is no real consensus yet on identifying optimal terroirs. The three sub-regions all have new plantings and it will be some time before these subregions become more clearly understood.

Climate is main influence in Marlborough wines – moderate temperatures because of proximity to water, ie Maritime influence and protection from potentially extreme weather from the west due to mountain ranges. This rain shadow produces dry wind and low humidity making Malborough highly suitable for organic growing. 1500 ha of organic vineyards have been established already. The other natural advantage the region has is Lux quality of light and the have it in abundance – 2500 light hours of pure bright light! The vines love it but the vineyard workers need lots of sun protection.

Reticulation of water enabled dry sites here to be developed in the Southern slopes.

The pinot noirs produced here are now showing good primary cherry fruit flavours, smooth often plush tannins and good acid. Many different styles are developing from fruit driven to more floral to powerful tannic wines. Sites with underlying shingles and silt are often perfumed. Clays sites have “shoulders” i.e. more body and tannins. There is a palate of flavours here.

Malborough pinot noir often offer good value as the region is developing its reputation and often Pinot production is a side line to larger scale Sauvignon Blanc production.

The wines that I particularly liked were (all 2010 vintage):

Auntsfield
Churton
Clos Henri
Cloudy Ba
Foxes Island
Hans Herzog
Jules Taylor
Nobility Icon
Spy Valley

Vynfields 2008 Pinot Noir (Martinborough, NZ)

Posted on January 13, 2013 by paul

I few years ago during a visit to Martinborough, I missed the opportunity to have lunch at Vynfield vineyard but my wonderful wife managed to make it and kindly brought me back a bottle of their pinot (what else) with glowing reports. It has been resting in my cellar until now and I am privileged to share my tasting notes as this is a superb wine.

colour – super intense, blood red.

nose – intoxicating (not in the literal sense!), lifted, notes of charcuterie, violets, fresh berries on nose.

palate – vibrant mixed red berries, blueberry, chocolate, cloves with some earthy characters.

The texture of this wine is layered with a very, very fine chalky texture provided presence but still etherial month feel. The experience is very long, mouth filling and lingering: almost indefinite with a lick of liquorice and spices at the end.

The Vynfield pinot noir is a very special, almost etherial wine – one that evokes poetry and reminds me why pinot is so special. A holistic experience, not often found outside of burgundy, where all the senses are completely engaged and entranced.

Vynfields is a boutique organic/biodynamic vineyard in Martinborough, owned by John Bell and Kaye McAulay who are very passionate about producing Pinot Noir using traditional methods. According to their website, they are under conversion to organic viticulture certified by Bio-Gro New Zealand. Sprays and fertilizers used include, seaweed extracts, fish meal, sodium silicate, calcium and the Bio-Dynamic preparations. There wines are made by outstanding winemakers Kai Schubert and Marion Deimling (www.schubert.co.nz) and their deft hand can certainly be seen in this wine.

Roaring Meg pinot noir 2010 (Central Otago)

Posted on December 22, 2012 by paul

A beautifully balanced and remarkably long wine for a ‘second’ label. This wine is made by Mt. Difficulty from grapes grown in contracted Cromwell Basin vineyards and managed by their own team of viticulturists. I was not expecting the same power, complexity and breeding as the ‘real thing’ but I was pleasantly surprised. It is a wonderful pinot noir for the price. Yes, I know ‘value’ is subjective but I suspect most wine drinkers would find this wine very good value!

The first impressions are not what it looks like in the glass but the perfumed fragrance that jumps out of the bottle when the stelvin is removed. A bit like a genie out of the bottle! Aromas of blackberry and cherry fruits, cinnamon and summer flowers fill the air. The appearance in the glass is a perfect ruby red with great clarity.

The wine has an abundance of fine cherry and dark berry flavours supported by fine tannins and fresh acidity. To finish the wine is long and lingers nicely on the palate. It is probably not a wine that I would put down for extended cellaring, mainly because it is drinking so well now. Enjoy with salt and pepper calamari or a tuna salad.

Jack Rabbit pinot noir 2011 (Bellarine Peninsula, Geelong, Victoria)

Posted on December 21, 2012 by paul

In the glass the wine displays an light garnet colour with purple tints. A young pinot with striking freshness and intense fruitiness: aromatic and matching flavours of macerated strawberries, raspberry or even citrus. There is a touch of earth on nose but overall the fruit is super dominant.

The wine is focused, possibly a little single dimensioned but very skilfully made. The palate is chiselled with sharp acid and a sour fruit finish that works well with richer dishes. Sappy tannins and slightly toasty, spicy oak is evident but not dominate on the finish. The Jack Rabbit label states that the wine is a miraculous 12% alcohol. Clearly the grapes were picked quite early given the fruit profile but this is still a very low alcohol for the region even if the season was not subjected to the extremes of other vintages. A nice wine to enjoy with a plate of homemade tortellini, wild mushrooms in a creamy sauce.

May 2013
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
« Mar
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31