Can this winter just go take a flying leap into see-you-laterville please? My back lawn is no better than a bog right now, and it’s so soggy there’s no chance of getting the lawnmower across it before spring I reckon. Even the worms are lining up at the back door to get inside to where it’s warm and dry. It’s just been miserable. Living in heat-pump land day in day out, has basically mummified my skin into stretched, scaley, pasty awfulness and my body is feeling so doughy, it’s like I’ve got the equivalent of a loaf of extra-thick, toast-sliced white strapped to each thigh. It’s enough to drive a girl to drink! Thankfully, it’s a darn good thing that that’s my job, so I don’t feel guilty in the slightest. Big, bold, buxom red wines tend to invade every bit of brain space when the wind chill hits, and I think it’s because (like our outer-bodies) our tastebuds also need to be hugged, cuddled and wrapped up in something warm, spicy and winter-proof. I’m looking for love from leathery layers, buckets of berries and all manner of baking spices. I hanker for chocolate and pepper and liquorice and the tension of dusty, chewy tannins that strip the moisture from the insides of my cheeks. This is the bit where I imagine that every time I take a sip of a sensational red that I must look like Nigella Lawson all puckered up, pouty and cooing to the camera. Sadly however, I’ve been told by members of my family that in fact my eyes tend to simultaneously roll backwards and squint weirdly, while my lips at the point of sip resemble something more like the cats bum than anything remotely kissable. But I digress. I obsess about cabernets of all descriptions, syrah, merlot and meaty malbec’s especially – so you can imagine my jubilation when I discovered the two wines I’ve chosen to highlight this week…
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Soho Zabeel Blue Blood Waiheke Island Reserve Blend 2014 $138 (5 stars)
Excruciatingly gorgeous to drink in that it’s torture knowing that your glass will eventually end. I love the lift of vanilla, pepper, dark chocolate and intense boysenberry layers in this merlot syrah malbec blend by the talented team over at Soho. Dense, dark berries, smoke, cured meats and solid, dusty oak creates supreme definition of flavour and balance. Pricey yes, exceptional yes.
www.glengarrywines.co.nz
Clearview Estate Hawke’s Bay Old Olive Block 2015 $39 (4 stars)
Here’s a rumpty, ribsticking blend of cabernet sauvignon, cabernet franc, malbec and merlot from talented winemaking duo Matt Kirby and Rob Bregman. It’s inky-dark and boosted with aromas of blackcurrant leaf, cocoa powder, intense cherry and berry notes and a pinch of pepper. Succulent and juicy to drink, there’s a line of herbaceousness that cloaks the core of fruit and it boasts lovely, youthful balance on the finish. Great now, but a few years tucked away will really reward I’m sure.
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How great is it that after seven or eight years in the bottle, you finally get a chance to buy these wines, carefully cellared and maturing magically…
Villa Maria Reserve Library Release Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2009 $69.99 (4.5 stars)
Purple-black and gorgeously glossy in the glass, this is a deliciously dense, berry-saturated cabernet blend edged with bouquet garni herbs and cocoa characters. Softly peppered, fleshy and plump in the mouth and boasting a line of black olive, bay and smoke, it’s a big blend with real pluck and personality.
Villa Maria Reserve Library Release Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon 2009 $69.99 (5stars)
Eight years on from harvest and this straight cabernet still bright, buoyant and incredibly fresh. I love how plucky and precise the fruit is, the berry and plum definition is just lovely and an injection of smoky cedar really fleshes out this delicious experience. This is great kiwi cabernet right here and it’s a treat to be able to enjoy it as a library release.
Villa Maria Reserve Library Release Gimblett Gravels Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 $69.99 (5 stars)
Impenetrably inky in the glass, brooding and stormy and saturated with tobacco leaf, sandalwood, Christmas cake spices and cocoa, this is my favourite of the Library Release wines. The mouthfeel is elegant, slippery and edged with an earthy grip around a core of dark berryfruit. Love it!
