Old wine treats

Over the summer break I have been lucky enough to enjoy some fantastic wines including a number of older wines.

A couple of weeks ago a friend of ours invited us to lunch with a small group of fellow wine lovers. After we had enjoyed some vinous treats with lunch sitting around the table on a miserably wet Sunday our host disappeared into his cellar and reappeared with a bottle of 1990 Henscke Hill of Grace. This stunning aged South Australian shiraz was appreciated and enjoyed by the small gathering but because it didn’t last long our host disappeared again and returned with a bottle of 1977 (considered the best vintage of the last century) port. Another stunning wine and I can’t think of a better way to spend a wet afternoon, enjoying fine wine with friends and great food.

Also this month Brightwater Vineyards are celebrating their tenth vintage producing wine under their own label and they are doing this by opening a bottle of wine from each vintage of one variety every weekend.

They started with 10 vintages of sauvignon blanc. The next weekend 10 vintages of chardonnay then 10 vintages of riesling. Finally this coming weekend they will be opening 10 vintages of merlot for tasting at their cellar door.

You may be thinking ‘who drinks old sauvignon blanc?’ and it is probably a fair question. We are told by most that sauvignons are best enjoyed young and fresh but this tasting proved that not only are older sauvignon blancs ok but they can be very good.

The most interesting thing to come from this tasting for me was the difference between wines sealed with a cork in the early part of the decade and wines sealed with a screwcap from 2004 onwards. The early wines suffered from bottle variance and some showed quite advanced age characters with one vintage in particular being effected by a batch of poor quality corks with three bottles opened and each one being quite different.

Once we hit the wines sealed with a screwcap the wines still showed some age characters but no where near as much as the earlier wines and they consistently had nice fresh characters. In these wines you could taste the difference in vintage conditions; by this I mean the wines all had very similar characters so you could taste how they were all made by the same producer from fruit grown on the same vineyards but some had riper fruit characters with slightly different flavours and textures that came from vintage conditions.

Brightwater Vineyards - 10 year tasting of sauvignon blanc

Overall comments

The biggest thing to come from this vertical tasting is the difference between wines sealed with a cork and those sealed with a screwcap. There was quite a bit of bottle variance and advanced age characters in the wines sealed with cork while vintage characters were more obvious in those sealed with a screwcap. This type of closure has let the wines age gently and retain many vibrant characters, avoiding oxidation characters.

2000 Nelson Sauvignon Blanc (cork)
Original Winery Tasting Notes and awards 
Pale straw colour. Crisp dry Sauvignon with summer hedgerow aromas featuring honeydew melon and passionfruit flavours backed by dry grass, followed by a lingering clean apple finish. A full-bodied wine with good texture and mouthfeel.
• 94/100 points – James Halliday
• Gold medal – Bragato Wine Awards, August 2000
• 4 Stars - Winestate Magazine, 2001
• 4 Stars – Michael Cooper
• Silver Medal – New Zealand Wine Society Royal Easter Wine Show, 2001
• 3½ Stars - Wine Star Magazine, 2000
• 3 Stars - Cuisine Annual, 2001
• Excellence Award – Taste Nelson Wine Awards, January 2001
• Bronze medal – Air New Zealand Wine Awards, 2000
Neil's 2010 comments
Bright, fresh herbaceous aromas, lovely rounded mouthfeel with an elegant palate weight and soft acidity. Flavours reminicient of viognier/pear characters. Standing up incredibly well and still delightful drinking.

2001 Nelson Sauvignon Blanc (cork)
Original Winery Tasting Notes and awards
Pale straw colour. “Aromas of passionfruit and ripe melon introduce a full-bodied wine with good texture and mouthfeel. Heaps of fresh fruit aromas with that characteristic dry grass finish of Sauvignon Blanc.”
 • Blue-Gold medal – Sydney International Wine Competition, October 2001
• 4½ Stars - Michael Cooper’s Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines 2001
• Silver medal – Air New Zealand Wine Awards, October 2001
• Silver medal – Liquorland top 100 Wine Competition, August 2001
• Excellence Award – Taste Nelson Wine Awards, January 2002
• Bronze medal – Bragato Wine Awards, August 2001
Neil's 2010 comments
My original tasting notes for this wine remark on the wonderful balance. Unfortunately New Zealand received a shocking batch of corks in 2001 and many wines were ruined. These poor quality corks lead to the screwcap revolution in 2002. When trying this wine each bottled opened was quite different, either showing advanced oxidation or corked characters. A real pity because based on the way the 2000 vintage has stood the test of time this 2001 would have been another very good wine if it wasn't for poor quality closures. Hooray for screwcap closures!


2002 Nelson Sauvignon Blanc (cork)
Original Winery Tasting Notes and awards
Pale straw colour. This is a fresh aromatic wine with intense passionfruit and honeydew melon flavours. Full-bodied and dry with complex dry grass characters and green hazelnut undertones, finishing with crisp apple acidity and fine length.
• 4 ½ Stars – Michael Cooper’s Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines 2002
• 4 Stars – Recommended by Cuisine Magazine October 2002
• Silver medal – Bragato Wine Awards, September 2002
• Bronze medal – Air New Zealand Wine Awards, November 2002
Neil's 2010 comments
Citrus lemon/lime aromas with honey dew melon charaters in the medium weighted palate. Riverstone flinty charaters in the texture with a nice salty mid-palate burst. This flintiness and saltiness runs through the entire vertical range and creates a familial feel to the range. This wine is another that is still drinking very nicely.


2003 Nelson Sauvignon Blanc (cork)
Original Winery Tasting Notes and awards
Warm straw colour. “This aromatic wine has aged well and is now showing the classic aged Sauvignon characters of asparagus and canned peas. Full bodied and dry with a long savoury finish”
• Silver medal – Bob Campbell, Home and Entertaining Magazine, March 2004
• Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine, Bob Campbell’s Top 100 Wines under $20.00
• 3 ½ Stars – Michael Cooper’s Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines 2004
• 3 ½ Stars – Winestate Magazine November 2004
• Bronze medal – Bragato Wine Awards, September 2003
• Bronze medal – London International Wine Challenge 2004
• Bronze medal – Air New Zealand Wine Awards, November 2003
• Bronze medal – Liquorland Top 100 Wine Competition, August 2003
Neil's 2010 comments
Age and alcohol characters startiung to become ovious in the aromas with a touch of freshness in the backgroud. The palate is still showing crisp acidity with a touch of greenness. Quite an austere wine with a long, dry mineral textured finish.



2004 Nelson Sauvignon Blanc (screwcap)
Original Winery Tasting Notes and awards
Pale straw colour. “Intense aromas of gooseberries and passionfruit introduce this fresh, aromatic full bodied wine. The palate combines excellent texture and mouthfeel with complex melon and citrus flavours, finishing with that lingering classic dry grass character of Sauvignon Blanc.”
• 3 ½ Stars – Michael Cooper’s Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines 2005
• Bronze medal – Bragato Wine Awards, September 2004
• Bronze medal – Canberra National Wine Show, November 2004
• Bronze medal – New Zealand International Wine Show 2005
 Neil's 2010 comments
The aromas here are almost aged chardonnay in character. Soft asparagus and delicate lime flavours lead into a long finish with plwenty of ripe, juicy acidity. The screwcap advantage shows immediately. 2004 was a wet and difficult vintage in Nelson and I am sure this wine would not be holding up as well as it is if it was sealed with a cork closure.  



2005 Nelson Sauvignon Blanc (screwcap)
Original Winery Tasting Notes and awards
Pale straw colour.  “Intense aromas of gooseberries and passionfruit introduce this fresh, aromatic full bodied wine. The palate combines excellent texture and mouthfeel with complex melon and citrus flavours, finishing with that lingering classic summer grass character of Sauvignon Blanc.”
• Silver medal – Air New Zealand Wine Awards, November 2005
• 4 Stars – Recommended by Winestate Magazine, July 2006
• 4 Stars – Michael Cooper’s Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines 2006
Neil's 2010 comments
Lively citru aromas, salty minerality on the palate with crisp lime and gooseberry flavours. A mouthwatering juicy finish. This wine has improved with some age and is now a very good wine drinking beautifully. 



2006 Nelson Sauvignon Blanc (screwcap)
Original Winery Tasting Notes and awards
Pale straw colour. “Intense aromas of gooseberries and passionfruit introduce this fresh, aromatic full bodied wine. The palate combines excellent texture and mouthfeel with abundant melon and citrus flavours, followed by a long lingering crisp apple finish.”
• 5 Stars - Cuisine Magazine, December 2006
• 5 Stars – Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines 2007
• Highly commended – Sydney International Wine Competition November 2006
• Silver medal – Royal Easter Show Wine Awards, March 2007
• Silver medal – New World Wine Awards, July 2007
• Bronze medal – Liquorland Top 100 Wine Competition, October 2006
• Bronze medal – New Zealand International Wine Awards, September 2006
• Bronze medal – Air New Zealand Wine Awards, November 2006
• 3 Stars – Recommended by Winestate Magazine, November 2006
Neil's 2010 comments
It started as a very good wine and remains so. Aromas and flavours of crisp aspargus and gooseberry, a medium to full palate weight with a long, lingering spicy finish. 


2007 Nelson Sauvignon Blanc (screwcap)
Original Winery Tasting Notes and awards
Pale straw colour. “Intense aromas of passionfruit and sweet citrus introduce this fresh, aromatic full bodied wine. The palate is well balanced with concentrated gooseberry and citrus minerality, finishing with that lingering classic summer grass character of Sauvignon Blanc.”
• One Of The Ten Best White Wines From The New World – The Independent, UK
• Gold medal – Liquorland Top 100 Wine Competition, October 2007
• Gold medal – New Zealand International Wine Show, September 2007
• 5 Stars – Michael Cooper’s Buyers Guide to N Z Wines 2008
• 5 Stars – Winestate Magazine, May 2008
• 93 Points – Gourmet Traveller Wine Magazine, March 2008
• 91 Points – Bob Campbell, Taste Magazine
• Silver medal – Air New Zealand Wine Awards, November 2007
• Silver medal – Royal Easter Show Wine Awards, February2008
• Bronze medal – Bragato Wine Awards, August 2007
Neil's 2010 comments
A touch of riesling-like petroleum and asparagus on the nose with rich and lush concentrated fruit flavours. That familiar dry minerality with a touch of nettle in the finish make it a delightfully complex wine. The awards this wine recieved speak volumes about the wine when it was made and the screwcap closure means those qualities are still there.


2008 Nelson Sauvignon Blanc (screwcap)
Original Winery Tasting Notes and awards
Pale straw colour. “Intense aromas of passionfruit and sweet citrus introduce this fresh, aromatic full bodied wine. The palate is well balanced with lifted gooseberry and citrus characters, threaded minerality and a long lingering summer grass finish.”
• 4 ½ Stars – Sam Kim, Wine Orbit
• 4 Stars – Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines 2009
• 4 Stars (88 Points) – Bob Campbell, October 2008
• 4 Stars – Winestate Magazine, Regional Tasting 2009
• Silver medal – Bragato Wine Awards, August 2008
• Silver medal – New Zealand International Wine Show, September 2008
• Bronze medal – Royal Easter Wine Awards, March 2009
Neil's 2010 comments
A vibrant lime flavoured citrus palate with firm gooseberry characters. Great balance between fruit intensity, acidity and minerality make this super drinking now and it shows all the hallmarks of being another wine that will age well.


2009 Nelson Sauvignon Blanc (screwcap)
Original Winery Tasting Notes and awards
Pale straw colour. “Wonderful aromas of passionfruit and citrus introduce this fresh, aromatic full bodied wine. The palate is well balanced with lifted citrus and gooseberry characters, threaded minerality, and that characteristic dry grass finish of Sauvignon Blanc.”
• 4 Stars – Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wines 2010
• 4 Stars – Winestate Magazine, Recent Release Tasting, 2010
• Bronze medal – Liquorland Top 100 Wine Competition, October 2009
• Bronze medal - Royal International Aromatic Wine Competition, October 2009
Neil's 2010 comments
Current release - young, fresh and vibrant, bursting with lush gooseberry fruit and lashings of crisp lemon/lime acidity. Salty minerality once again shows in the palate structure. More super drinking!

Some great Nelson wines

Well 2009 is behind us and what a year it was for a wine industry that struggled, survived, faced some unexpected realities, licked its wounds, celebrated and thrived – all in the space of 52 weeks.


What started as a big over supply problem that forced some rationalisations in the industry turned into a year of record exports (more than $1b) and a stunning 2009 vintage.
The huge volumes of 2008 wines was one of the reasons for a slight delay in the release of many 2009 wines but boy are they worth the wait; there are some outstanding wines on the shelves in time for summer drinking and one of the realities the industry had to face has had a positive benefit for you and me, the consumers.

That reality is that winemakers are now working in an environment of significantly increased quantities of wine being produced every year, not just in 2008, and in many cases that means they have had to review their pricing models to be competitive in a market where the average wine is a high quality wine.

It has almost become common to find gold medal and trophy winning wines on special for about $15 and often for less than $10. This may not be great for winemakers but you and I can drink fantastic wines everyday rather than just occasionally.

While some wines are better than others it is hard to find a poorly made wine on the shelves these days, there are so many good wines the bad ones don’t get any shelf space and that in my opinion is a good thing.

I have been saying for several months that I think the big winners this summer will be rosé wines and cider and there are some fantastic examples of both being made in this region. Redwood Cellars have a range of bright fresh and fruity ciders, from dry and crisp to fruity and luscious while the guys at the Sprig and Fern have a deceptively easy to drink monster.

On the rosé front Te Mania Wines have been producing a indulgent summer fruits treat for a number of years and have another this year. Neudorf Vineyards has a more intense, drier style while Woollaston Estates have once again delivered a rosé that is pure summer sunshine. Waimea Estates Rosé is simply strawberries and cream, delicious.

If you are lucky enough to still have a few days holiday left take some time to visit a few wineries. You can enjoy jazz at Woollaston’s, Bic Runga, Dave Dobbyn and Tim Finn at Neudorf Vineyards, a vertical tasting of gold medal and trophy winning wines at Brightwater Vineyards and savour new facilities at Te Mania Wines, Richmond Plains Wines and Golden Hills Estates. If you are in Golden Bay you have a choice of five super wineries to visit, all in spectacular locations.

Go to www.wineart.co.nz to find out more.

Pied Stilt 2009 Pinot Gris

Owned by Ross and Faith Jackson Pied Stilt is one of the newest players in the wine market in the Nelson region and they are having a huge amount of fun (mixed in with the hard work) selling wine under their own (and very cool) label for the first time.

The Jacksons have been growing grapes on their Motueka vineyard for others for several years and have entered the market with a couple of great offerings, a 2009 Pinot Gris ($16.95) and 2009 Sauvignon Blanc ($14.95). Both of these wines are at the lower end of the alcohol range for off-dry wines (about 12.5%) and in this alcohol range we often see either quite sweet characters or slightly green, unripe flavours in the wine - but not here. Instead they have managed to achieve great balance between ripeness, alcohol and residual sugars.

Pied Stilt 2009 Pinot Gris

Initial aromas of apples and pears in the aromas open up to include spiced quince tones. The medium weight palate has a mineral backbone, is fruity without being a ‘fruit bomb’ and eases into a soft citrus finish. A beautifully crafted wine that is perfect with sweet Nelson scallops.

Woollaston Estates Tussock 2009 Pinot Noir Rose

Woollaston Estates have been producing one of the region’s best roses for several years and the 2009 Tussock version doesn’t disappoint. The delicate salmon pink colour entices while the lush strawberries and cream flavours satisfy the tastebuds. I will be drinking a lot of this over the summer break.

Julicher Wines 2008 Pinot Noir

I have been a fan of Julicher (pronounced ‘U – li – ker’) pinot for a number of years and this wine has just been won trophies for Best Pinot Noir and Champion Wine of the Show at the 2009 Air New Zealand Wine Awards. The judges commented “The stunningly perfumed bouquet shows ripe cherry and spicy oak characters. It's luxuriously textured and seamless on the palate.” How could I disagree – a stunning wine.

Halo

Some of the wines that I have crossed paths with in recent months include a fantastic new range from Sacred Hill Wines. HALO is a range of premium varietal wines from Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough and all come with the same recommended retail price of $25.90.


HALO 2009 Sauvignon Blanc is a single vineyard wine from Sacred Hill Estate vineyard in Marlborough and has those typical sauvignon gooseberry and capsicum aromas and with delightfully fresh citrus, gooseberry and tropical fruit flavours.

HALO 2008 Syrah from Hawke’s Bay is a savoury treat. Black cherry and berryfruit flavours with lashings of white pepper and subtle mushroom characters are bound around a backbone of fine grained tannins. Perfect with venison from the barbecue this summer.

HALO 2008 Chardonnay from Hawke’s Bay is seductively elegant. This is a beautifully balanced wine with flavours of peaches, melon, delicately toasted nuts and a hint of cream with a mineral texture in the palate. Ripe acidity gives a satisfyingly long and dry finish. This wine is the perfect example of balance and elegance.

Sacred Hill Hawkes Bay 2009 Chardonnay

In recent years the buzz in Hawkes Bay has been about the stunning Bordeaux style red wines being produced in the region, particularly from the Gimblett Gravels sub-region.

As a result of all the well desreved fuss about reds we have tended to overlook some of the other great wines made in the region and one consistent performer si Sared Hill with their chardonnay.

The 2009 version is bright and fresh, packed with chalky minerality and elegant stonefruit characters. the lovely creamy mid-weighted palate is the result of lees stirring with a lashing of oak spice in the juicy finish.