Christmas – Published 23.12.11

Christmas is here at last. For the little ones it probably seems to take forever to arrive but for me it seems like we have just got over Christmas 2010.

A lot has happened in New Zealand in 2011 with everything from natural disasters to the Rugby World Cup and almost everything in between. Fortunately for the vast majority of New Zealanders they fit into the ‘everything in between’ category. No one has been left untouched by the tragic reports emanating from the Christchurch earthquake and closer to home the recent floods will have a long term effect, not only on the region, but particularly on those left without homes and livelihoods at what is supposed to be a celebratory time of the year.
Among the highlights this year has been the outstanding quality of Nelson and New Zealand wine from the 2011 vintage. Local wines have received many accolades and, personally, I have found some new favourites and rediscovered some old ones. Among my new favourite producers is Sea Level Wines. With vineyards on the coast at Mariri and having the wines made at Whitehaven in Marlborough by co-owner and winemaker Sam Smail the first couple of vintages have been outstanding.
Spending a bit of time with Dave Glover reminded me that he produces some great wines under the Glover’s label and having sampled some pinot noir treasures resting in barrels I can’t wait until he bottles and releases them later in 2012.
One of the things I love doing at this time of the year is browsing through our cellar to select some treats to enjoy over the holiday season. We have some fantastic wines in the cellar but we also have what I call our trial corner, the place we put the last bottle or so out of a case and forget about them for several years. We don’t expect anything great from these wines because they are there to learn about how wines age and sometimes when we open them we just pour them down the drain but other times we are very pleasantly surprised.
Ten year old sauvignon blancs may not be fresh, lively and vibrant like they are in their youth but they can develop into really complex, interesting wines if they are well made in the first place and we have a lot of fun trying them with fellow wine lovers.
Of course there is nothing better than dipping into the cellar to find a bottle of premium wine that has been aged well to enjoy with friends. This year we will be at Herzog’s in Marlborough for Christmas lunch but by the time we get home in the late afternoon we will be ready to chill down a bottle of Neudorf 2006 Moutere Chardonnay to enjoy with the crayfish friends have promised us. Then it will probably be time to bring out the Stilton and open a bottle of vintage port - a little luxury at Christmas time.
However you are celebrating Christmas and New Year this year take a few minutes to think about those who have had a very tough year and if you are having a few wines please make sure you don’t drive, we don’t need any more sadness in our community.
I would like to wish you all a very happy Christmas, a prosperous New Year and a safe holiday season.

I have been drinking

Parr & Simpson 2010 Barrique Fermented Limestone Bay Chardonnay – RRP$23
From a tiny vineyard high on the hillside above Port Tarakohe in Golden Bay comes this delight. Dry in style, elegant in structure and oozing soft stonefruit, lemon and delicate nut flavours bound together with firm mineral characters and a streak of fresh acidity this is a five star wine and outstanding value in my books.

GreenhoughVineyards 2010 Hope Vineyard Pinot Blanc – RRP$32.00
Made in an off-dry style off-dry but full bodied with a lush, rounded mouthfeel and white peach notes with a touch of soft spice this is a wine lovers wine. It is all about structure and complexity rather than just ripe fruit characters and will be perfect with that left over ham and turkey on Boxing Day. A super wine from one of Nelson’s best producers.

Champagne – Published 09.12.11

I love champagne! I know sparkling wines made in New Zealand in the same style as those from the Champagne region, the home of bubbles in France, are very good and always rate highly in tastings but there is something just a little ethereal about the real thing I just can’t resist.
Last week I was in heaven at a champagne tasting. Imagine the chance to taste a range of champagnes from three premium producers including three that come with a price tag of over $200 a bottle with one hitting $450. Now this is way beyond my wine buying budget so it was a real treat to be able to try them and see if they are worth the money – and I can report the ultra-premium wines absolutely are worth the money if your budget can stretch to it for a special occasion. 

Casa del Vino hosted the New Zealand representatives for the fine Champagne houses Louis Roederer, Taittinger & Bollinger and each had a small selection available for tasting paired with delightful finger food prepared by Hopgood’s Restaurant.

Ju Mannering from Negociants presented two wines from Bollinger along with another couple from Ayala. The Ayala Brut Majeur NV was refined and had just enough creamy sweetness to make it oh so drinkable. With a retail value of about $100 a bottle Bollinger NV Brut is the wine we have for special celebrations and I guess because Sari and I have been to the House of Bollinger we have a soft spot for it. While we enjoy this wine having the chance to try the premium Bollinger La Grande Année 2002 Vintage Prestige (RRP$199) was too good to turn down. With a quite firm brandy character this was a sensational match with Hopgood’s chicken liver parfait.

Juliane Cormier from Eurovintage was there to present Champagnes from Louis Roederer including a stunningly good value for money sparkling wine made by them but produced at  Roederer's Californian vineyard - Roederer Estate Anderson Valley Brut NV (RRP $39.95). This is as good as sparkling wine gets when it isn’t made in Champagne. However for me the wine of the night was the Louis Roederer Cristal 2004 Vintage Prestige (RRP about $450). This wine is so refined and elegant that when you taste it, it simply explodes into a mouthful of champagne mousse in your mouth. I can understand why this is so expensive, it is a stunning wine.

Finally Doug Campbell from Vintners presented a range of wines from Tattinger and my favourite here was the Tatttinger Les Folies de la Marquetterie NV ($120 and 5 stars, No.1 Cuisine Magazine, Nov 2011). Beautifully rich with a touch of fruitiness and a very long dry, satisfying finish with flavours that linger in your mouth for a very long time. I think this will be the wine we see New Year in with this year because I would rather share one bottle of excellent wine than three bottles of good wine.

All of these wines are available at Casa del Vino along with some very fine New Zealand made sparkling wines. Ann has something for everyone to celebrate with this holiday season.

I have been drinking

te Pa 2011 Sauvignon Blanc - RRP$19.95 - $21.95
This first release from the MacDonald family owned vineyard has set a very high benchmark. It has just been awarded 5 stars and named the top wine for the Cuisine magazine 2001 Sauvignon tasting following on from a Blue Gold award at the Sydney Top 100 wine competition. Intense citrus aromas are reflected in the flavours where crisp lime and passionfruit characters dominate while the very long finish has a first burst of minerality. A stunning wine for the price.

Mahi Boundary Farm 2010 Sauvignon Blanc – RRP$29.00

Fermention in French oak barrels using wild yeasts then aged for a further 11 months in the oak makes this a complex, seductive little temptress with power and weight to impress. Soft nut tones compliment the lime and capsicum characters nicely. This style of sauvignon blanc can be aged quite happily for a few more years.