This week’s bought a smorgasbord of treats on the wine front. It’s as if with the arrival of August, everyone’s pulled on their positive pants and decided that they’re on the home stretch out of this wet and weird winter. Most of the wines I’ve seen have been really fresh, exciting and really good examples of their style. I’ve been lucky to see some cracking 2018 rosés and pinot gris from 2018 and word on the street is that despite the murky, chaotic vintage, the good fairies appear to have worked their magic in wineries across the land, the flavours (that I’ve experienced anyway) are shining through and that bodes well for the remainder of the 2018 releases.
One of the 2017 wines I’m really enjoying is the Luna Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017 ($24.99) (4 stars) “It doesn’t matter where you are on the planet” says winemaker Joel Watson of his wines named after the winery owners’ daughter. That’s such a lovely sentiment to go with a herbaceous little hero of a wine. With its aromas of chopped parsley, lemon pith, white pepper, green capsicum, pea pods and it’s brisk, citrus-stacked palate, it’s a zesty tropical sip.
From the 2016 vintage comes the new Black Estate Damsteep North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2016 ($45) (4 stars) Sourced from a tiny and (you guessed it) vertigo-inducing, north-facing slope at the base of the Omihi Saddle, is a wild and woolly pinot, boasting a sneaky seam of shitake mushroom, soy and black pepper amongst herbal and cocoa characters. The acidity is fresh and followed by a burst of tamarillo, black tea and sweet berries on the finish. Crafted by Nicholas Brown and his wife Penelope Naish from ferments kick-started out in the vineyard itself, it’s a funky, smoky style. And finally, the fine folk at Hãhã have this week produced their first Hãhã Brut Rosé.
Matahiwi Estate Wairarapa Pinot Gris 2018 $22.90 (4.5 stars)
I am head over heels with this wine. Not because I naturally have the hand-eye coordination of a one legged pirate with glaucoma and a bad case of OOS, but because the exotic, pear strudel and apple pie richness of this gris has seriously got me in its grip. White peach, soft spices and a beautifully prickly freshness in the mouth makes this one of my superstar sips of the moment and one of the best 2018 wines I’ve tasted so far this year.
www.matahiwi.co.nz
Matawhero First Sun Gisborne Rosé 2018 $39.95 (3.5 stars)
What’s better than a bottle of crisp, snappy, fruit-soaked rosé? An even bigger bottle that’s what! Now it might be the middle of winter, but the team at Matawhero reckon it’s time they release their tribute to growing grapes in the first place that sees the sun each day. Made from merlot grapes, this has rich, creaming soda, spice and candyfloss aromatics, followed by raspberries and cream on the palate. Fruity, uncomplicated, easy and full-bodied, it’ll bring smiles to the crowd.
www.matawhero.co.nz
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
Jackson Estate Somerset Single Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013 $48 (5 stars)
Whenever the team at Jackson Estate choose to release a Somerset, I get very excited. Having slept quietly in the bottle for the last few years, the 2013 is now ready to rock and it’s a beautiful thing. Sourced from old, gnarly vines growing in unirrigated, clay-stacked soils in the Waihopai Valley, the wine shines with rosehip tea, cherry and tamarillo aromas followed by concentrated dark fruits, hints of cocoa and luscious, enveloping, dried herb and savoury flavours. Stylish and sexy.
www.jacksonestate.co.nz
Porters Martinborough Pinot Noir 2014 $45 (4.5 stars)
It’s hard not to fall hard for Martinborough. Such a quaint, pretty little village surrounded by row upon row of vineyards – yet don’t be lulled into thinking there’s anyting quaint about it’s style of pinot noir.
It’s all about impression, big impression and that’s what this wine delivers in spades. Made by proprietor John Porter (when he’s not at his legal firm in Wellington) who planted 6.4ha of vines with his wife back in 1992 – this is ultra-spicy, tamarillo, truffle-and-toast saturated wine has a whack of good acidity meaning it’s here for the long haul. www.porterspinot.co.nz
Milcrest Estate Nelson Pinot Noir 2013 $41 (4 stars)
If you’re looking for a ripe, voluptuous, vanilla-and-spice style then you’ve come to the right cul-de-sac. Saturated with concentrated cherry, raspberry and redcurrant characters, the 11 months its spent in oak has given it a slightly smoky edge and buckets of smooth generous goodness in the mouth. Ripe, fleshy and feisty after 5 years, it’s all guns blazing and maturing nicely indeed.
www.milcrestestate.co.nz
