New Zealand in a Glass 2013 part 3

Part 3 of what is hopefully just 4 parts. 

Invivo Wines New Zealand 

www.invivowines.com

Invivo Wines Sauvignon Blanc 2012 - Marlborough

Pretty typical NZ SB but with a bit more complexity.  Decent buy at 20 RRP

Invivo Wines Pinot Gris 2012

Good Acid, good fruit, a bit more to this than most Pinot Gris...for people looking for a more interesting Pinot Gris, this one isn't too bad.  

bella by Invivo - Rose SB

Well made Rose, some fruit, some acid, quite interesting.  Quite a few decent Roses coming out of NZ...it doesn't seem to be an afterthought like it is in Australia.

Invivo Pinot Noir 2011 - Central Otago

Good Acid, bright fruit...but not terribly interesting..competent . 

 

Jackson Estate

www.jacksonestate.co.nz

Quite a few interesting SB's from here.  Both of their SBs are good examples of trying to differentiate themselves from the rest of NZ SB.  I'm not sure how successful that is money wise but wine geek wise, it makes the wines infinitely more interesting..

Jackson Estate Stich Sauvignon Blanc 2012 - Marlborough

Good acid..really nice complexity..it is NZ SB but a lot more depth and unfolding layers. Good buy at 20RRP

Jackon Estate Grey Ghost Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - Marlborough

Really interesting nose where you're picking up the grass and some passionfruit from NZ SB but you can definitely tell this has had oak...Palate has really good complexity..still really nice acid but greater depth in mouthfeel...fruit still there but the oak adds so much to this wine.  I'm sure there is more to it than that but really nice SB.  At 35RRP it is probably more than what most people would pay for NZ SB..but if you're going to get SB, this one is so much more interesting...I'd rather have this than 10 bottles of typical NZ SB....

Jackson Estate Shelter Belt Chardonnay 2011

OAK OAK.  Really great use of oak in the Grey Ghost SB, really poor use of oak in this wine.  I'm not sure what happened here or what they were trying to do but this was not right.  

Jackson Estate Vintage Widow Pinot Noir 2011 - Marlborough

Good acidity, nice bright fruit...not terribly complex but a pretty good drop at 35RRP.

 

Konrad Wines

www.konradwines.co.nz

Very typical NZ style in all of these.  Acres of blah really.  Nothing bad, everything just ok.  

 

Lawson's Dry Hills Wines

www.lawsonsdryhills.co.nz

I've had a number of good things from here but this year most of it was just very ordinary.  

Lawsons Dry Hills Gewurztraminer 2010

Quite an interesting Gewurz.  Still getting that Lychee but really nice depth to this.  They've really cleaned up the finish and got a lot out of this.  One of the better Gewurztraminers I've seen out of NZ.  A bit much but not too bad of a buy at 26RRP.  

Man O'War Vinyards

www.manowarvineyards.co.nz

Tulia Methode Traditionnelle 2009

A very well made Sparkling wines.  Fresh, good acidity, good balance..I'm not sure it has the depth I really want out of a sparkling...and I really miss not having that biscuity yeasty flavor to this.  Definitely well made but at 55RRP, while probably not bad compared to the ridiculous prices Champagne sells for in Australia, it is still quite high for this.  There are miles of better sparkling wines in a competitive market place for almost half of what this goes for...

Gravestone Sauvignon Semillon 2012

Good depth on the palate, refreshing but a letdown at 32RRP.  

Warspite Bordeaux Blend 2010

This is more in a St. Emilion type blend with Cab Franc, Merlot and Malbec.  Good acidity for a red (yay), really good depth, deep dark fruits on the palate, some spice, tannins are smooth but adding structure to the wine...Really quite good.  A bit on the expensive side at 55RRP but not a bad buy at that price.  

Ironclad Bordeaux Blend 2010. 

Similar to the Warspite...a bit less acid and the tannins are a bit bigger and more apparent.  I suspect the Cabernet Sauvignon in this is what is doing that.  Good complexity, good structure, good fruit.  I'd rather drink the Warpite now, but this might be better in 10+ years.  55RRP.  

Martinborough Vineyard
www.martinborough-vineyard.co.nz

Martinborough Vineyard Savugnon Blanc 2012
Pretty typical NZ SB.  Good acidity but just very ok.

Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir 2010.
Good acidity, bright fruit, good complexity.  Really nice Pinot...a real stretch though at 75RRP.

Mt. Difficulty
www.mtdifficulty.no.nz

There used to be some pretty good stuff out of here..but the last few years I've not been impressed with their stuff at all.  Not sure if they have sat on their previous successes or just thought too much of themselves and raised prices to unrealistic levels..not sure..

Mt. Difficulty Target Riesling 2012
Good acid.  Nice complexity, pretty decent buy at 30RRP

Mt.  Difficulty Pinos Gris 2012.
Good acidity but just very ok.  No way I'd buy this at 30RRP

Mt Dfficulty Pinor Noir 2011 - Bannockburn
Good acid, bright fruit but not enough depth and complexity here.  Pretty simple and way overpriced at 50RRP

Mt. Difficulty Single Vineyard Long Gully Pinot Noir 2010 - Bannockburn
Good acidity, really nice depth to this.  Good structure.  A really nice Pinot but 100RRP, just way too overpriced. 

Trinity Hill
www.trinityhill.com

I've liked some of the stuff from here in the past but this year it I just was not feeling it.

Most of their line was very ordinary...

Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2011.
Nice medium bodied shiraz.  Good acidity, dark fruit.  A very nice foil to what you see in Australia.  Priced well at 39RRP

I also got to try their Homage but I don't remember which vintage.  I believe it was the same one I tried last year as it was a lot softer than it was last year.  Tannins have really softened a bit and you can start seeing some of the fruit and depth in the wine.

New Zealand in a Glass 2013 part 2

Part 2.

Elephant Hill

Mapmaker

www.elephanthill.co.nz

This winemaker had a few very interesting wines last year...so I was looking forward to seeing what else they had up their sleeve...

Elephant Hill Sauvignon Blanc 2011 - Te Awanga Hawkes Bay

Typical NZ SB but a bit better depth...Last year they had one with oak, this year they didn't..Better than a typical NZ SB but not by much.  28 RRP

Map Marker Sauvignon Blanc 2012

NZ SB.  

Elephant Hill Chardonnay 2010 - Te Awanga Hawkes Bay

Fermented in Oak barrels with no malo, solid chardonnay with good depth but needs more time to integrate the oak...

Map Maker Pinot Gris 2012 - Marlborough.

Fermented in Oak barrels, no Malo...really nice mouthfeel and depth to this.  Far more interesting than most Pinot Gris.  A bit on the expensive side for a Pinot Gris (30 RRP) but definitely worth giving a shot if want Pinot Gris with a bit more to it (which is normally what it lacks). 

Elephant Hill Pinot Noir 2011 - Central Otago

Good acid, bright fruit, smooth tannins, good structure.  Solid overall pinot.  Maybe a bit expensive at 45 RRP but pretty good.  

Map Maker Pinot Noir 2010 - Marlborough

Good Acid.  A bit too fruity but a nice drop.  Reasonably priced at 33RRP.

Elephant Hill Syrah 2010 - Hawkes Bay

Medium bodied, dark and red fruits, some herbs...decent acid...good structure...Pretty good buy at 35 RRP...

Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah 2009 - Hawkes Bay

A bit tight at this point but getting some very dark fruit.  Acid is decent, tannins are pretty harsh still..this needs more time.  Good complexity and depth to this.  A reasonable buy at 49 RRP but hard to say where this is headed...

Francrest Estate
www.fancrest.com
A surprise from last year, I was really looking forward to seeing these as they were quite interesting last year...They have renamed their Di's label to just Fancrest Estate.

Fancrest Estate Pinot Noir 2009 - Omhi Hills Waipara Valley
I remember this being tight last year but you could still see some fruit sticking out.  This has really changed a lot from what I remember.  Good acidity, good structure, overall good balance and depth.  Drinking quite nicely right now..one to follow to see how it develops.

Fancrest Estate Pinot Noir 2010 - Omhi Hills Waipara Valley
I don't know if this has budged from last year.  Very very tight.  Tannins are really quite pronounced.  Some fruit is sticking out but really tough through all the tannins.  Wine is showing really nice complexity and depth..Acid is good...this should be an interesting one.  The structure is there to go long haul..but without the history and reputation, I think it is a hard sell for a lot of people.  I REALLY want to see this next year and in 5+ years...

Fancrest Estate Pinot 2011 - Omhi Hills Waipara Valley
I don't know if Diane did something different in 2011 but the contrast between it and 2010 is tremendous.  Really good acidity showing through, bright fruit, very nice complexity and depth to this Pinot.  Tannins are there, definitely there, but they are adding to the depth and mouthfeel and not detracting from tasting the rest of the wine.  It is drinking very well right now and a good buy at 42RRP.  How will this be in a few years?  After having tried 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011..I have no idea...but should be interesting...

This is an interesting estate overall.  I hope Diane gets more coverage as she is making some really interesting stuff.   It looks like she has shifted her winemaking style because I don't think the change in 2011 is strictly from vintage conditions...I really want to see these in a few years..

Giesen Wines
www.giesenwines.com

Giesen Estate Sauvignon Blance 2012
Very typical NZ SB.

Giesen The Brothers Sauvignon Blance 2011
Good depth of flavor, better than a normal NZ SB.

Giesen The August Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Good Acidity, good depth of flavor, fermented in oak barrels for 9 months and the oak and really added weight and complexity to this.  Really quite nice but 40 RRP for a NZ SB is a bit high..but not too bad.

Giesen The Brothers Chardonnay 2011
Decent acidity, good depth, citrus a good buy at 25 RRP

Giesen Estate Pinot Noir 2011 - Marlborough
Good acid and bright fruit.  Easy drinking and decent buy at 25 RRP

Giesen The Brothers Pinot Noir 2011 - Marlborough.
Really nice acidity and typical Marlborough bright fruit.  Quite a bit more depth and complexity to this...craving a bit more structure though..not too bad at 40RRP

New Zealand in a Glass 2013 part 1

I have been looking forward to attending this event as it was quite a good one last year.  New Zealand Wine puts on this event in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to promote New Zealand wine in Australia...to both consumers and industry. 

Overall it was good...although I think a lot of the wineries from last year that I really enjoyed were not here...Specifically Surveyor Thomson, Pasquale, Auntsfield and Bridge Pa....But even with their absence, there were many interesting things going on. 

One thing I saw from last year and taken one step further this year was that everyone was trying to make a different Sav Blanc.  They were all very much NZ Sav Blanc but with different selections of fruit and use of oak.  There is no doubt people are trying to differentiate themselves from the oceans of Sav Blan coming out of NZ.  What I mean by that is you can take 10 different NZ Sav Blanc from 15-25 dollars and they all taste very similar..no distinguishing terroir, not even a difference in style...yes, one might have more passion fruit...one might have more gooseberry..but are they really any different?  Not really..

The one thing that annoys me when I look at this show is the pricing of NZ wines...They are actually higher in pure numbers in AUD than in NZD.  To give you an example..

A wine that might be 38 NZD is 44 AUD.   Yes there is WET and a bunch of other worthless junk that goes into it... So 38NZD is about 30AUD...so somewhere in there is another 50% of taxes and shipping?  Keep in mind NZ producers get WET back as well so the number is way out of wack..I don't understand it...

Akarua
www.akarua.com

Akarua Brut Sparkling (NV)
Akarua Rose Brut Sparkling (NV)
Both of these were just ok.  Very much like an Aussie sparkling which means they weren't very good.

Akarua Pinot Noir 2011.
Good Acidity, bright fruit, good complexity, solid showing but a bit on the expensive side (48 AUD RRP).  Overall a pretty good wine. 

Akarua Rua Pinot Noir 2012.
Good Acidity, fruit was ok.  Pretty bland overall but solid.  On the expensive side for what you get (32 AUD RRP).  

Allan Scott Family Winemakers
www.allanscott.com

Allan Scott Blanc de Blancs Sparkling (NV)
Allan Scott Cecelia Sparkling (NV)
Allan Scott Les Joues Rouge Sparkling (NV)
I'm considering not mentioning any of the Sparkling, they just were not that good.  There is a typical lack of depth with AU/NZ Sparkling wine...I'm not saying it is terrible...they're just not very good..

Allan Scott Sauvignon Blanc 2012
Very typical NZ SB.  I have nothing against SB, I think it is fine...but this tastes like every other sub 20 dollar NZ SB.

Allan Scott Pinot Noir 2011 - Marlborough
A solid effort out of Marlborough.  Good acidity, bright fruit, maybe too much..but solid performer at 22 AUD RPP.

Scott Base is their Central Otago line.

Scott Base Riesling 2009 Central Otago
I didn't enjoy this.  Not enough acidity, it was very flat.
Scott Base Chardonnay  2010.
A bit over oaked, some fruit, not sure where this is headed.
Scott Base Pinot Noir 2011
Good acidity, some good complexity, bright fruit.  Reasonable for its price of 30AUD RRP. 

Bespoke Wine Company

www.bespokewines.co.nz

They represent several different wineries in New Zealand..they're still searching for distribution but they do have a fairly solid line up (Pinot wise anyways).

Bespoke has their own label (this is new from last year) called Fifth Bridge.  Through their interactions with other businesses they are able to acquire fruit from different places and when they find suitable quality, at the right price, they make their own wine.

Fifth Bridge Pinot Gris 2009 - Central Otago

Not a good start.  Not too impressed with this Pinot Gris..

Fifth Bridge Pinot Noir 2010 - Central Otago..

Well made, good acidity, good use of oak.  Solid fruit.  RRP of 25 AUD makes this a pretty good buy.  

Charcoal Gully Estate Sallys Pinch Gewerztraminer 2011

Just very blah...some lychee..but not much...This is just blah..

Charcoal Gully Estate Sallys Pinch Pinot Noir 2011

Good acidity, solid fruit.  Nothing really standing out here.  Nothing bad, nothing great...

Ceres Composition Pinot Noir 2009

Really good acidity followed by solid fruit coming in from behind the acidity..quite nice actually.  I think they've had some balance issues when they first release their wine but I've been pretty impressed.  Price a bit too high for a relative unknown but still very solid at 44 RRP.  

Folding Hill Pinot Noir 2009 - Bendigo Central Otago.

Really nice acidity follow with nice red fruits, good complexity, good balance.  Very nice wine.  This was my favorite from them last year as well.  On the more expensive side at 48 RRP but a pretty good buy considering the quality. 

 Craggy Range

www.craggyrange.com

I think most people are familiar with Craggy Range..they're one of the biggest producers out of NZ and they export all over the world.  They have a huge range of products for many different grape varieties....

Avery Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2012.  

I was expecting a typical SB but this one was actually quite nice.  Good acidity but really nice depth and complexity which I don't normally see from NZ SB.  Some good minerality coming through...nice SB...a bit expensive for SB at 32 RRP but quite good.

Te Muna Sauvignon Blanc 2012

Immediately you can tell this has spent some time in oak.  The sharpness of NZ SB is dulled a bit against the oak...I don't believe this has any new oak but it has still imparted really nice depth and complexity and mouthfeel to this SB.  As far as which is drinking better now, the Avery is...but I'd like to see this in a year or two....  32 RRP for an oaked SB isn't too bad..

Te Muna Riesling 2012.

This might've been my favorite wine of the show.  Razer sharp acidity, really nice depth, a bit of residual sugar...I really like this.  I'm not sure what it is giving it its extra depth when I'm tasting it but I take a quick look...Oak barrels...Most riesling does not ferment in oak barrels but this one did (no new oak) and I think it really added another layer of depth to the whole thing.  With its 9+g of acid, sub 3 ph and 9.x grams of residual sugar, this is a fantastic blend of basically everything I like in a riesling...and at 34 RRP this is quite good....It isn't widely available yet..but should be soon. 

Kidnappers Vineyard Charddonay 2011

Out of Hawkes pay, this was actually a bit of a disappointment compared to the Riesling and SB...Nothing really wrong with it...Maybe my expectations were too high...I'd like to try this again and see...

Craggy Range Te Muna Road Pinot  Noir 2011 - Marlborough

Good acidity, fruit was nice but really nothing special here.  A very ordinary effort..nothing wrong with it..but for 55RRP, way overpriced.

Craggy Range Calvert Vineyard Pinot Noir 2010 - Central Otago

A much better effort...really good acidity...deep red fruits...good depth and complexity....a bit more structure to this.....I'm shocked at the price though..80 RRP is nuts...Is it a good Pinot?  Yes...Is it worth 80 dollars?  Nope...

Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Vineyard Merlot 2010

This was another just very ordinary effort.  Capable, nothing wrong...but at 43 RRP..just no way.

Craggy Range Te Kahu Merlot Cabernet Franc 2010

A fairly popular low/mid ranged Bordeaux blend that is relatively popular on the export market as well as Australia...Relatively good structure, dark fruit, herbs...but something is not quite catching my attention on this one.  Capable and reasonable at 34 RRP.  

Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Vineyard Syrah 2010

Nice medium body, decent acidity, smoothish tannins....You can definitely see the effort here to separate themselves from the Australian market...Reasonable buy at 43RRP

Craggy Range Sophia Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2010.

This is one of their flagship wines which also gets a lot of coverage overseas.  They really should've decanted this as it was just a monster of a wine.  HUGE tannins...I'm not sure I can feel my teeth.  You can see it has really good structure  and somewhere in there is some fruit...some mocha coming through...a hint of herbs..but really the tannins are too big it is hard to get too much from this wine.  Having had previous vintages, this should be very good.  In Australia it is quite reasonable at 85 RRP...but it generally sells for around 50 elsewhere.