It’s hardly going to rip anyone’s knickers when I say that one man’s nectar may very well be another man’s engine cleaner. The same wine that sends your tastebuds spiralling into something tantric, might very well send your neighbour speeding to the spittoon. Wine is all about personal taste, it’s such an individual thing. When it comes to personal opinion there’s no right or wrong and it’s no use debating that fact. Believe me I’ve been to perfectly civilised, proper grown-up dinner parties where ‘discussions’ about a wine’s quality have escalated to argy bargy across the table. The corresponding insults about fashion sense, personal hygiene and choice of life-partner probably didn’t help, but you get my point. Now there are some really basic ways to tell if the wine you’ve opened is past its best. Firstly if it’s supposed to be a white wine variety (i.e. chardonnay, sauvignon blanc, riesling, pinot gris, gewürztraminer, viogner or bubbly etc…) then it should be pale-ish in colour, maybe golden at best – not bronzey brown. If it smells like rotten eggs, cooked cabbage, burnt plastic, vinegar, or a damp dog sleeping inside a mouldy cardboard box, then it’s been badly made, not cellared well, not sealed well and not good to drink. If it smells like sticking plaster or manure, then chances are it’s been infected with brettanomyces yeast. Brettanomyces might be tolerable in tiny tiny amounts, but as a general rule, I don’t like my wine to smell like the local livestock sale yards. Your wine should only be fizzy if it says ‘frizzante’, ‘sparkling’, ‘methode traditionnelle’, ‘cava’, ‘prosecco’ or ‘Champagne’ on the label. If you twist the cap or pop the cork on a bottle of anything else and it has even a twinge of effervescence, then best you race it back to the shop from whence it came for a full refund.
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Sileni Estates Springstone Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2015 $35 (4 stars)
Here’s a bold, plump pinot noir weighing in at 14.5% alcohol (high for pinot noir), yet its super lithe, succulent and balanced that it maintains elegance and poise despite having broad shoulders. Classic cherry and spice characters wash with a hint of cola and cocoa and leave a long, fleshy finish. Nicely made and classy indeed.
www.glengarrywines.co.nz
Sileni Estates Sparkling Cuvée Pinot Gris NV $19 (2.5 stars)
I know packaging shouldn’t matter, but I really loathe those plastic ‘zork’ corks. The colour blue works on very few bottles and my eyes ache trying to digest more than 2 fonts on a label – but if you go beyond all the ‘busyness’ there’s actually an ok wine inside. Aromas of caramel apple brioche and poached pear merge with soft, yeasty, nutty notes in the mouth but then it falls short pretty quickly. There’s nothing ‘wrong’ with the wine – it’s fine, but it’s not really firing.
For info on how to buy email cellar@sileni.co.nz
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These wines might be labelled ‘late harvest’ but they’re right at the starting gun for sweet wine fans like me…
Ataahua Late Harvest Waipara Gewurztraminer 2014 375ml ($26) (4 stars)
If just looking at this golden glass of sweet deliciousness doesn’t seduce you, and turn you into a wobbly fool, then the magically musky, toffee-infused terrificness of this wine absolutely will. Silky and softly spiced, it’s indulgently, dangerously good and deserves to be consumed with a smile. And some of that new Castello truffle cheese – woof!
www.ataahuawine.co.nz
Allan Scott Late Harvest Marlborough Riesling 2015 375ml ($28) (4.5 stars)
Oh wow. This is like a liquid toffee apple inside your glass. Gloriously golden and unctuous and heavenly honeyed, it’s a wine that’ll silence the table for a few seconds after everyone has their first sip. Caramelised apricot flavours are met with tangy, refreshing acidity which balances out the extreme sweetness and makes it a very saucy treat indeed.
www.allanscott.com
Astrolabe Wrekin Vineyard Late Harvest Chenin Blanc 2013 375ml ($35) (4 stars)
Chenin blanc is a rare thing here in New Zealand in its normal form, so to come across a dessert version sent me straight to my happy place. Baked apples filled with buttery, boozy sultanas, spice and mixed peel all wash across the palate alongside a lick of manuka honey and sweet lime. Delish.
www.astrolabewines.co.nz
