Invivo Wines New Zealand
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
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
Very typical NZ style in all of these. Acres of blah really. Nothing bad, everything just ok.
Lawson's Dry Hills Wines
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
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.
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