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Sue Courtney's blog of Vinous Ramblings wine, food and other vinous topics from New Zealand
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| Welcome to Sue Courtney's web log (blog) of vinous ramblings. It's my on line journal and an adjunct to my website www.wineoftheweek.com which is for more formal tasting notes and articles. You'll find links to other wine blogs on my Vinous Links page. Click here to access the blog archives. If you want to make a comment, drop an email to winetaster@clear.net.nz and, if appropriate, I'll post it on the blog. Click here for this site's RSS feed. Recent Entries Sue Courtney's blog of
vinous ramblings Wednesday's tasting highlights Just posted my notes from Wednesday's tasting and even though I'm posting them on Waitangi Day - a day unique to New Zealand, it's the Aussie wines that I'm going to rave about and a couple from Western Australia in particular. Three weeks ago Western Australian wines featured so it was a surprise to have a couple more although the palate didn't complain. Howard Park WA Chardonnay 2006 ($56) is one classy wine - smooth, creamy, fruity, savoury, salivating and moreish. I reckon this could give the Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2005, that we tasted three weeks ago, a challenge - yes, absolutely. Of course the LEAS is regarded as the 1st growth Australian Chardonnay by many and its price reflects that. It's twice the price of the Howard Park but is it twice as good? I don't think so! Sandalford Margaret River Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2007 ($22) was the red wine buy of the night. After a couple of Italians it was instantly Australia on the nose with a bouquet of blackcurrant, eucalyptus, mint and dried red earth following through to the velvety smooth yet powerful and grunty palate with skilful use of American oak. The style I could quite happily drink. But just because it is Waitangi Day, and because there is an Aromatics Symposium on in Nelson today, I'm also tipping the tasty Waimea Nelson Pinot Gris 2008 ($16). Served chilled, as all the whites were on the night, this golden coloured, medium sweetish wine hinted of botrytis with honey and spice and a touch of mandarin juice-like acidity to balance the juicy pear sweetness. Texturally rich, it seemed remarkably Alsace in style. I liked it. Check out all my notes on my Wednesday Roundup page.
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vinous ramblings Pinot Noir Week - $30 and under Carrying on from a few days ago when I tasted Pinot Noirs under $26 with a trio of
Auckland wines coming out on top I continued on the price point theme, this time with
seven wines in the price range $26 to $30. How would they perform, especially given
the comments by British critic Oz Clarke at the conclusion of Pinot Noir 2010 yesterday
warning Pinot Noir winemakers not to flood the market with cut price wine? Not that
the $26 to $30 is 'cut price' anyway but winemakers are producing second and even third
labels considerably cheaper than their flagship Pinots. The top wine in my tasting
(top by a long long way and the only gold medal / five star rating) was exactly one of
those. Neudorf Tom's Block Pinot Noir 2008 is the third Pinot Noir in the pecking order from this revered Nelson producer and it's only $29 a bottle compared to the $49 'Moutere' and $69 'Home Block' renditions. But it's of the same high standard nevertheless. Right from the outset with it funky, pinotesque aroma, you know you have something special in the glass and the taste confirms that notion. It's bright yet earthy and savoury with a touch of chocolate coated strawberry and bitter sweet cherry. Dry yet juicy with fine textured velvety tannins, it makes me think of the classic James Halliday proclamation, "sex on the forest floor". It's going to take a while for this wine to ascend to its plateau. There are 8 different Pinot Noir clones that contribute to the wine and I'm sure the spontaneous fermentation has something to do with the funkiness and texture. The result - tasty, sensual wine that delivers excellent value for money.
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vinous ramblings Pinot Noir Week - A Dry River mini vertical With the focus of my last article firmly on the Martinborough wine region to set the historical perspective of New Zealand's number one red wine grape, what could be better than to feature a mini vertical of Pinot Noir from one of Martinborough's most revered producers, Dry River Wines. These wines were tasted last October along with mini verticals of Dry River's other varietals - those mini verticals to be featured sometime soon. But this week is Pinot Noir Week, so Pinot Noir it must be.
Dry River Martinborough Pinot Noir 2004 (13% alcohol, cork) Dry River Martinborough Pinot Noir 2005 (13.5% alcohol, cork) Dry River Martinborough Pinot Noir 2006 (13.5% alcohol, cork) Dry River Martinborough Pinot Noir 2007 (13% alcohol, cork) Dry River Martinborough Pinot Noir 2007 was featured in the 'Sustainable Wines' tasting held yesterday at Pinot Noir 2010 and rated by the Who's who (who?) of the vinous twitterati.
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vinous ramblings Pinot Noir Week - A New Zealand history Part 1 So what's the buzz about New Zealand Pinot Noir and why is a four-day conference dedicated to praising the virtues of New Zealand Pinot Noir being held in Wellington right now? It's because Pinot Noir loves to grow in New Zealand's diverse wine regions and is so popular with winegrowers it is now New Zealand's number one red wine grape and is the second most planted wine grape after Sauvignon Blanc. Why have so many international critics been invited to this conference that's called Pinot Noir 2010? The answer is the word needs to be spread.
But it wasn't until 1980 that Pinot Noir became a serious proposition for growers thanks to the Milne family of Martinborough Vineyards fame. Derek Milne had produced a report for the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR). Milne recognised that Martinborough in the southern Wairarapa had a close climatic analog to Burgundy. Martinborough Vineyard was established and Pinot Noir vines, amongst others were planted. The modern history of New Zealand's Pinot Noir revival had begun. Initially few clones were available but Gisborne winegrower Bill Irwin imported new 'table wine' clones in the 1970's. Yet still the most commonly planted clone was more suited to sparkling wines than full-bodied reds. A chance encounter between a winemaker customs officer at the airport and a traveller who had smuggled in a vine cutting, purportedly from Romanee de la Conti, was the catalyst for change. The customs officer was Malcolm Abel. He was also a winegrower in Kumeu and was producing Pinot Noir. So rather than confiscating the cutting he had it quarantined and when the first cuttings off the quarantined material became available he planted them in his vineyard. The clone became known as the 'Abel Clone' and although the Abel & Co. wine was the first to be released, it was his good friend Clive Paton, who got cuttings from Malcolm when establishing his new Ata Rangi vineyard, that gave this clone its fame. After Malcolm Abel's untimely death in 1981 (aged only 38), the vineyard was taken over and eventually sold. It is now called Gracehill Vineyard Estate and only a few token grapevines remain. But the Abel clone lives on and is sought after by producers of serious, savoury Pinot Noirs. It provided most of the material for the early Martinborough plantings and it was this region's wine that proved that serious Pinot Noir could be produced in New Zealand. By the mid 1980's. four producers were flying the flag for Martinborough Vineyards, Ata Rangi, Chifney Estate and Dry River. Martinborough Vineyards and Ata Rangi are the only two to get a mention in Peter Saunders' 1986 edition of A Guide to New Zealand Wines. Dry River makes his 1987 guide. Chifney and newcomer Te Kairanga make his 1989 supplement. In 1989 Muller Thurgau was still leading New Zealand's production by a huge margin. It accounted for 1305 hectares (ha) of vine land followed by Chardonnay (487 ha), Sauvignon Blanc (343 ha), Cabernet Sauvignon (396 ha) Riesling (266 ha), Muscat varieties (244 ha), Chenin Blanc, (204 ha), Gewurztraminer (164 ha), then Pinot Noir (138 ha). Over the next few years the landscape of New Zealand vineyards would rapidly change. To be continued ……
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vinous ramblings Pinot Noir Week - Auckland beauties under $25 Believe it or not, Pinot Noir does perform in Auckland although attendees at Pinot Noir 2010 may not realise it. The hype at Pinot Noir 2010 will be for Martinborough, Central Otago, Nelson, Waipara, Marlborough, probably in that order - although Marlborough needs to be further up the list IMHO. Best known of the Auckland producers is Kumeu River Wines who are known for their tight Burgundy-lookalike styles. Hyperion grows Pinot Noir in Matakana, sometimes quite light but in a vintage like 2007, just right. But it is at West Brook, in Waimauku, not far from Kumeu River, where Pinot Noir is performing beyond expectations. I hope delegates at Pinot Noir 2010 go to their stand to try the wines. With a mini vertical - 06, 07,08 - of the Waimauku Pinot Noir - the wine in the mouth speaks.
West Brook Waimauku Pinot Noir 2007 - intense colour, almost opaque. Rich and savoury, deep and intense, silky, savoury, fruity gamey - and approachable as well - this performs on every level. Excellent. West Brook Waimauku Pinot Noir 2008 - colour in between the 06 and 07 in hue. A youthful brightness, a stalky freshness, a herbal savouriness and just a little grip. Laden with funky pinosity. Good. The 06 and 07 were eyebrow raisers at Wine New Zealand in September 2008 and the 07 went on to win gold at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards that November. People who dare to try them at Pinot Noir 2010 will raise their eyebrows too, I'm sure. "Auckland Pinot Noir," they will exclaim. Most definitely yes. These wines were the highlight of a group of Pinot Noirs selected to taste by price point. It was an 'Under $26' tasting. These clock in at $24.95 at the cellar door. Incredible value for money and worth trying. The 06 and 07 seem to be sold out but the 08 is still available. www.westbrook.co.nz.
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vinous ramblings Pinot Noir 2010 The New Zealand twitterati is afluttter with tweets from Pinot Noir 2010, the fourth conference dedicated to New Zealand Pinot Noir being held in Wellington, New Zealand this week. It's a huge event and according to TV3 news, "The four-day event will see 300 of the world's most influential critics jetting in to Wellington". Maybe the figures are somewhat inflated by TV3 but perhaps 30 international critics have been invited and are attending courtesy of New Zealand winegrowers and the organisers of the event. It's clear that the international critics are the royal delegates. I'd like to be jetting in too but unlike the twitterati glitterati eg Jamie Goode and Neal Martin who tweeted about flying business class from London to Pinot Noir 2010 (Jamie's blog and Neal's blog), I had to pay my own airfares from Auckland and find my own accommodation. So I declined the full media pass to Pinot Noir 2010. I really wanted to be there for the last day which includes the Great Pinot Noirs of the World tasting and the gala dinner, but with an overlap for the start of the Wellington Sevens (rugby league), accommodation for that night was very much at a premium. When the first national Pinot Noir event happened in 2001 my report was virtually the only report of the conference available on the Internet - like this report here and I wrote about the event for Wine Enthusiast magazine too. This time Wine Enthusiast editor Joe Czerwinski is here and with so many other people blogging and tweeting, my reports won't be missed. Still I'll make a point of tasting Pinot Noir this week and write about those wines here. So I'll miss hearing the Business Class celebs like Jamie Goode and Neal Martin speak, but I'm know that I'm going to be able to read about what they say, thanks to the Internet. Jamie is a speaker in the Sustainability, Organics and Biodynamics seminar. Nick Mills from Rippon is on that panel and he is one of NZ's leading biodynamic experts (along with James Millton), in my opinion. Neal Martin is one of the panellists in the Great Pinot Noirs of the World tasting. Incidentally, Neal is going to be joined (and the question has been asked will he be eventually replaced) by Lisa Perotti Brown MW in reviewing New Zealand wines for the Robert Parker brand. Ms Perotti Brown is based in Singapore, a little closer to the New Zealand than the UK. Some links to find out what is going on www.wineanorak.com/blog -
updated every day with a report on his NZ wine tour
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vinous ramblings WOTW: Pegasus Bay Bel Canto Dry Riesling 2008 Like the champions of the just completed Australian Open, this Week's Wine of the Week
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vinous ramblings Focus on Spain
I was very impressed with the two Spanish whites that we began with. Firstly Torres
Vina Esmeralda 2008 ($22.99) from Catalunya on the north east coast, a blend of 85%
Muscat and 15% Gewurztraminer that totally had me baffled. With its floral perfume
and fresh bright flavours of pear, zingy herbs, tangy acidity and honey and a slightly
oily texture it was like a Sauvignon Blanc / Pinot Gris/ Viognier blend if there is such a
thing. It's one of the most appealing Spanish whites I've tried. With ten reds on the card I was hoping we would get a Riserva and a Gran Riserva* poured from the Rioja region, after all it was these "aged before release" styles that made me fall in love with Spanish reds. I had to made do with the next best, a Crianza, but it was a wine I enjoyed very much. Torres Ibericos Tempranillo 2006 ($28.99) from the north Rioja region is a wine that combine juiciness and savouriness with fine tannins, vanillin oak, spice and the underlying acidity I expect from Tempranillo. It is one of the key factors that make it ageworthy wine. Other reds ranged from modern to traditional, from unoaked and lightly oaked juicy quaffers to serious reds that needed decanting, in fact the Papa Luna Garnacha Shiraz Monastrell 2007 was decanted before the tasting but it was still brooding and tight. The tasting culminated in a delicous, heady Pedro Ximinex sherry. *Gran Riserva Rioja reds are aged for a minimum of five years before release
with the wine spending at least two years in barrel.
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vinous ramblings A Dry Riesling food match I always have a problem finding the right food to match to Riesling, especially dry Riesling, which is probably why I am such a fan of the 'beverage' styles. But last night we came up with a food match that amazingly tamed even the most austere including the Fromm Dry Riesling 2006 mentioned in the previous blog entry. (It should be noted that by this time the wine had been opened three days and although the cork was firmly reinserted, some aeration most certainly would have happened). I saw pork mince when I stopped at the butcher's on the way home. It is not often available so I decided pork rissoles/burgers/patties would be on the menu especially as they could be cooked on the barbecue. Lightly spiced rissoles, the pork mixed with onions (softened in a pan before adding), breadcrumbs, ground coriander seeds, salt and pepper, a little chilli sauce and the x-factor - a Kaffir lime plucked off the tree. Oh, the tree was a present I gave my husband for Christmas and yes, there was a motive for buying him this. But not all of the dry Rieslings worked, one notable exception the Foxes Island Marlborough Riesling 2008, which I scored gold to in my initial tasting. I'll have to find another food match for this, or drink it without. Also the older Rieslings. The food needed something young with racy acidity, it seemed. So what stood out? Well, the Fromm Dry Riesling of course and another very austere wine in the first tasting - Rockburn Parkburn Riesling 2008 from Central Otago. I wrote in my notes that I couldn't drink more than one glass of the Riverby Marlborough Riesling 2008 without food and this wine was super with the pork rissoles. Another excellent match from Marlborough was Spy Valley Envoy Dry Riesling 2008, which had a little more spice. Neudorf Brightwater Riesling 2009 is tight in its youthfulness and it matched the rissoles too as did other Nelsonites, the Richmond Plains Nelson Riesling 2009 and the Te Mania Nelson Riesling 2009. I thought the Richmond Plains the most drinkable of these three on its own. Lastly from Waipara the Muddy Water Dry Riesling 2009 was good, but the best match of all, Pegasus Bay Bel Canto Dry Riesling 2008.
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vinous ramblings Riesling drinkability I like Riesling but I don't. I love Riesling but I hate it. The dilemma is because when I open a bottle of Riesling to drink I want a Riesling that I am going to enjoy drinking, not one that gives the impression that it will offer that drinkability in five or ten or even twenty years time. But I guess it's part of a wine writer's brief to let their readers know that a wine needs to be kept in the cellar rather than raving on about a wine that is nowhere near ready. Riesling is one of the great varieties of the world and one of the reasons for this greatness is its high natural acidity and its amazing potential to age. The trick is to realising the potential. Is that terribly austere riesling, so ugly and awkward in its youth, a candidate to transform from an ugly duckling to a swan? It's easier to predict when you see the wine's label, like Fromm Dry Riesling 2006 ($23) from Marlborough. I opened it last night and it was still so tight, so youthful and phenolic that it was hard to believe that the wine was almost four years old. I knew I wouldn't enjoy drinking it. It is simply unapproachable wine right now and doesn't deliver the promise that this label evokes. But it could be an utterly magnificent drop in 2016 - a full ten years after vintage. Of course there will be the geekiest of Riesling geeks that disagree with me. They will simply revel in the body-quivering austerity, the malic apple-like flavours and the astringent finish. It's a cult wine label, but my personal preference is Fromm's Spatlese and Auslese styles. In fact the Fromm Spatlese Riesling 2006 was a Wine of the Week, reviewed alongside the Fromm Auslese Riesling 2006 which took the title of Riesling of the Year in my wrap up of the 2007 year. When I'm not in wine tasting mode I want Riesling that I can drink when I open the bottle, not Riesling that's going to be good in five or ten years time. But when I open an older wine that's aged to perfection it is wonderful to revel in its deliciousness and toastiness, the natural acidity of the grape preserving the wine's youth while bottle aged characters add richness and complexity. Johanneshof Marlborough Riesling 2003 ($21) is an aged release that came from the winery at the beginning of last month although I understand it was released in mid 2008. There must be a reason why it was released so long after after vintage, and that reason, in my opinion, is that it was not ready until then. But it is ready now. It's a rich gold colour and perfumed with nectar, melon, candied citrus and an underlying earthiness. The taste is dry, rich, full-bodied, creamy - like Riesling on steroids - some botrytis perhaps, a stonefruit sweetness and citrus on the very dry finish with the richness of the wine counteracting a suggestion of astringency. There's also an intriguing smoky character and a nuance of lemony herbs. I like the balance of sweetness, creaminess and tartness. A dangerously drinkable wine, it has 12.5% alcohol and 6.3 grams per litre of residual sugar. Highly recommended.
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vinous ramblings Australia Day bubbles A tipple to toast our friends across the ditch and what more uniquely Australian than
Sparkling Shiraz? The bottle of Hardy's Oomoo Sparkling Shiraz 2004 had
been in the fridge for some time so was icy cold when we poured the blood red drop. Didn't
stop the pink foamy mousse accruing on the top, however. I tasted this wine after it won a gold medal at the NZ International Wine Show last September and as it is specialled at around $15 a bottle, it was worth buying for an occasion such as this. Made from Clare Valley fruit, this is a hearty Aussie sparkling red. It is succulent and juicy, smooth and creamy with savoury oak a feature. Fruit is in in the cherry and blackberry spectrum with typical Shiraz spices. There's some bottle-aged complexity coming through and a fine attack of bubbles. Not a wine to be taken seriously, but perfect for sipping while cooking the snarlers on the barbie, which is what you do on Australia Day - apart from cooking prawns on the barbie of course, but prawns and Oomoo don't really go. This is the best sparkling Oomoo to date. Being from the Clare Valley, I have to wonder if it is a relabelled Leasingham sparkling red. The Leasingham winery was closed in August last year. Will we ever know?
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vinous ramblings WOTW: Alpha Domus AD Aviator 2007 The 2007 red wine vintage in Hawkes Bay may go down on record as the best to date. Some may argue that 1989, 1991 or 1998 was better but 2007 is available now and we can taste the quality. From top end wines to every day quaffers, the quality right across the spectrum of reds is remarkable - Pinot Noir, Syrah, Malbec, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and those wonderful "Hawkes Bay blends". One of the fabulous Hawkes Bay blends crossed my lips this week - the delicious Alpha Domus AD The Aviator 2007, made from a blend of 36.4% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27.3 % Cabernet Franc, 22.7% Merlot and 13.6% Malbec. From the luxurious deep blackberry colour to the succulent taste, this wine performs from go to whoa. Click here to read the full Wine of the Week review because this wine is so much better than a bronze medal at the 2009 Air New Zealand Wine Awards would suggest.
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vinous ramblings Focus on Italy Italy was the theme at the Wednesday night tasting. Touring Italy with just ten wines really does not do the world's largest wine producing country justice, but it did give a snapshot of some of their most popular regions and it showed how New World moderninity is influencing some of the styles.
The Farnese Pinot Grigio 2008 was one of the more modern styles - Italian, yes, but not as we know. Also the Alpha Zeta wines, especially the Valpolicella 2008, with Marlborough winemaker Matt Thomson the consultant. Evidently he goes to Italy four times a year. "Has this wine got some TCA?" asked Jim beside me after another wine was
poured. A fascinating tasting and with a ring-in Sangiovese from South Australia as a ubiquitous Wednesday night Chardonnay in the line-up as well. Notes as usual on my Wednesday Roundup page.
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vinous ramblings Spinning a story with something different I received a wine accessory for Christmas. A novel accessory called SpinWine.
So to the three wines - yes I could detect a difference in the aromas and the initial taste. A fourth wine was tasted - a glorious blend of red grapes from Hawkes Bay - and both samples seemed identical to me. Brown Brothers Tempranillo 2006 - Victoria, Australia ($18.95) Te Awa Hawkes Bay Pinotage 2007 - Hawkes Bay, New Zealand ($30) Blackenbrook Montepulciano - Nelson New Zealand ($27) So SpinWine seems a novelty. Whether it works for you could depend on the wine, the time of day and your mood. A bit like wine scores.
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vinous ramblings Riesling Highlights and Wine of the Week The weather this January in Auckland has been uncanny. Usually it rains several times over the summer holidays and there is also the occasional subtropical storm. We batten down the hatches while we read about the balmy days elsewhere in the country. But this year, for a real summer holiday, Auckland and Northland have been the places to be. And my refrigerator, instead of the umbrella, has been getting a workout. Riesling has featured of course. Bouldevines Marlborough Riesling 2009 ($29) is an excellent example of a dry Marlborough Riesling - and you don't get too many of those. I think I could count the really dry Marlborough Rieslings on the fingers on just one hand. Aromatic with perhaps a hint of toastiness, grapefruit is the immediate fruit impression. It's dry but not bracing with a talc-like slipperiness to the texture and lime peel characters coming through. Try this with Greek Salad made with white Balsamic. Mt Beautiful Riesling 2008 ($23.95) from Cheviot, a little way south of Marlborough, is more apple-like in its flavour. But there's a buttery character too that quells the acidity and lets honeysuckle, lime and ginger marmalade flavours push though and with its fruity finish, it is so much easier to drink without food. But not as easy as the delicious and much sweeter wine that's called The Crater Rim Dr Köhls Riesling 2008 ($28). This is from Waipara, the next settlement south of Cheviot and the home of some of New Zealand's most consistently good Rieslings. Botrytis adds richness and nectar-like flavours to this Germanic-inspired style and while it's sweet, the racy acidity beings everything into balance. I loved it so much it is this week's Wine of the Week. Click here to read the review. . Sue Courtney's blog of
vinous ramblings Tasting Big Name Australians Western Australia was part of the theme of last Wednesday's tasting and boy oh boy, two big names were poured in the blind tasting line-up. Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 2006 ($117) is the latest release of the Chardonnay that some people say is Australia's best. I have to say that tasting it blind I could have swayed towards Marlborough if there had not been the Western Australian theme. It was the citrus infused savoury French oak aroma and initial flavour of grapefruit that quickly morphed into caramel cream that would have led me astray. Citrus and caramel are key indicators for Malborough - but this was from far, far way - from Margaret River in W.A. It looked extremely youthful for its age both in colour and taste. Moss Wood Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 ($114) is a super smooth wine and again if there wasn't the theme I would have been heading towards South Australia. It's desperately good wine with a deep cassis richness to the layers of concentrated flavours - I'd say it is as good as Penfolds 707 (how I remember it be). Not bad for a $15 wine tasting, I'd say. My full notes and the rest of the wines are here.
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vinous ramblings June in January When a bottle of bubbles from Kaimira Estate arrived by courier yesterday and I saw the name, I was momentarily tempted to leave it until June to open it but that thought quickly passed and quite honestly there was little hesitation in popping it into the refrigerator straight away. That's because it's summer, darling, and that's when a chilled glass of bubbles can be most enjoyable. I was also tempted not to write about it because the back label states, "It's bubbles, darling. Don't read about it - drink it!" Did they really mean that when they sent a sample to me. I don't think so. So read on, if you wish. Otherwise get a bottle and drink it. Kaimira Estate has dubbed their first methode traditional "June" after June Hamilton, co-owner of the estate with husband Ian Miller, and it's a vintage expression rather than NV.
It's a blend of 77% Nelson Chardonnay and 23% Nelson Pinot Noir harvested from the 2007 vintage and was disgorged in November 2009, just in time for Christmas. Well December, January, June, does it really matter when you drink it? The wine has 13% alcohol and price is around $26 and can be purchased from www.kaimirawines.com as well as from "discerning retail outlets". End of reading.
Older entries are now in the archive |
The mini vertical highlights
climatic variations from four excessively diverse growing seasons and demonstrates that
"Mother Nature is more powerful than we are".
Pinot Noir has been around in New Zealand for
quite a long time and plantings can be traced back to a Wairarapa vineyard established in
1892 by Frenchwoman Marie Zelie, wife of William Beetham Jr. The story goes that she
missed her native France so much that within a year of moving to the lower North Island
she planted a small vineyard to remind her of home. 
West Brook Waimauku Pinot Noir 2006 - A lighter wine
in appearance - translucent dark garnet with savoury aromas, a creamy backbone, a silky
texture and well defined cherry fruit. Funky with loads of pinosity and a spicy flourish
to the earthy finish. Very very good. 
Twelve Spanish wines were poured at the Wednesday tasting
to take us on a vinous journey from the north east Mediterranean coast to the south west
Atlantic coast through the central spine of Spain.
We decided to try it out on three wines to
see what effects the accessory made to the wine. According to the sales spiel, "SpinWine
enhances the natural characteristics of wine, making it taste softer and smoother with a
delicate accentuation of the basic taste".
Kaimira
Estate June 2007 is a strongly fizzy drop with streams on bubbles rather than just a
single stream erupting from the bottom of the glass to fuel the small head of foam that
lasts for minutes (on my glass at least). There's a slight suggestion of pink to the
clear, creamy lemon hue too. Toast and bread aromas are typical of bottle fermented styles
and there's a hint of earthiness tempered by an ever so delicate stonefruit sweetness.
Very dry on first tasting, extra brut most definitely. It's savoury with plenty of the
yeast lees influence, which is not surprising because it had two years on yeast lees in
the secondary bottle fermentation stage, with pinot noir's earthiness, plenty of racy
lemon-like acidity and a touch of stonefruit again to round out the finish and balance the
dryness of the start. In fact once your palate adjusts, it quite creamy and more-ish and
the finish, like the foam, last for minutes too. Blog Archive
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