Dave Glover is one of those characters that add soul to the wine industry. As the rest of New Zealand has moved to screwcap closures Dave is sticking with corks because they affect the way the wine ages and he likes old wines. This is one of the reasons his current release pinot noir is from the 2004 vintage, he says it has the characters he likes in a pinot and it is ready to drink so he is prepared to sell it.
This philosophy of making wine he likes to drink and releasing it when he says it is ok for drinking (he cellars it for you) is also reflected in other aspects of his wine making. He says there are plenty of good wines on the market but many of them are a bit ‘cookie cutter’ and he wants to make something a little different and being a small boutique winery that means he gets to play a wee bit.
Take the current release Glover Vineyards Rosé Fiamma (flame in Italian and $20) as an example, surprisingly it is from the 2009 vintage – young by Glover standards but it is ready to drink. The wine is made in a method called maceration carbonique where whole bunches of grapes are dumped into large vats filled with carbon dioxide, the bottom grapes are crushed by the weight of the grapes above them, and fermentation starts naturally. This develops more carbon dioxide gas, which envelops the upper layers of uncrushed grapes and blocks air exposure that normally would occur. When fermentation begins in the whole grapes they begin to ooze more juice.
The result with the rosé is a wine that is rich with lovely depth of flavour but is not sweet.
While I love Dave’s attitude of trying to produce something just a little different there are a couple of downsides; firstly whenever I visit him we spend most of our time sampling trial wines from barrels that are made in small quantities just to see what happens and all that sampling means I need a sober driver whenever I go to see him. The second thing is that I get to taste some great wines from barrels (like the 2010 pinot – outstanding!) but can’t buy them yet.
The third downside is that with the way we are consuming wine now we tend to go to the supermarket and purchase by price first, variety second and name third. In such a commodity driven market wines like those Dave Glover produces in small quantities don’t make it to the supermarket shelf and I think that is a pity. Dave will say ‘stuff the supermarkets, if people want my wines they can buy it from me’ and there is something in me that likes that attitude.
He can be a stubborn bugger but he does add colour and soul to a wine industry that many people see as losing some of its soul, particularly in the case of corporate producers.
By the way, his current release wines are worth the visit to Gardener’s Valley, they are outstanding value, they are not cookie cutter wines and you are likely to be treated to a couple of samples of yet to be released gems while you are there.
I have been drinking
Monmousseau Cuvee Brut J.M. Rosé – about $25 at Casa del Vino
A sparkling rosé from the Touraine region in France this is not only an elegant dry style wine it is packed with flavour. It has a delicate salmon pink colour, fine mousse and bursting with strawberry and raspberry characters. Better than many rosé champagnes at a fraction of the price.
Seifried Nelson 2010 Pinot Gris – $18 at the cellar door
Seifrieds produce some outstanding aromatic style wines and with a gold medal tucked in the drawer for this one it is easy to see why they are also very popular. This wine has classic pear and soft spicy aromas with rich stonefruit and spiced quince flavours. A luscious texture and balanced acidity make it a delightful anytime wine. Perfect late on a Sunday afternoon.
Showing posts with label Vintage 2004. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Vintage 2004. Show all posts
Thursday, May 12, 2011
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Tyrrels Wines Dinner in Christchurch
One of the little bonuses, and they are very pleasant little bonuses, that come my way because I have the onerous task of writing a few words about wine is the occasional dinner invitation, even if I do have to travel to Christchurch to partake.
As well as making great wines Greg and Amanda Day from Kahurangi Estate have another string to their bow, Kahurangi International Selections is the brand that imports and distributes a range of international wines. One of these labels is Tyrrell’s Wines from Australia and last week they hosted a number of luncheons and dinners in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch where aged and current release Tyrrell’s wines were served with six courses of delightful food.
Sari and I were invited to the Christchurch dinner held at Riccarton House and sat with Bruce Tyrrell, the fourth generation owner of Tyrrell’s Wines, and Graeme Stringer, the wine writer from The Press. You can probably guess that we talked about all sorts of things happening in the wine industry in both New Zealand and Australia over dinner.
Tyrrell’s Wines were established in 1858 but didn’t start selling their wines under their own label until 1959 and since then have helped shape the Australian wine industry. They were the first to open a cellar door for wine sales so you could argue they started wine tourism in Australia. While Tyrrell’s Wines home is in the Hunter Valley, north easy of Sydney, they have vineyards in most of the premium wine growing regions in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Selecting premium vineyard sites in each region means they can produce a wide range of wine varieties and styles.
At dinner we were treated to Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Semillon 2002 ($79.99, 13 gold medals) as an aperitif. Dry in style with balanced juicy citrus flavoured acidity and a powdery texture the dried apricot and slight kerosene age characters set the scene for the rest of the meal. Tyrrell’s semillons dominate this category at all of the wine shows in Australia. The first wine served with food was the highly awarded Belford Semillon 2004 ($49.99, 3 trophies, seven gold medals) and the luscious cooked lime and soft acidity were perfectly matched to a fillet of Akaroa salmon.
The Rufus Stone Heathcote Shiraz 2008 ($29.99) has just collected a gold medal at the Decanter international Wine Show in London and is being served by the glass in many London Restaurants, including the Grill Room at The Dorchester Hotel. This is a big wine but avoids being sweet and jammy. A little viognier in the ferment has given the wine freshness with some mouth-watering acidity and lashings of white pepper to balance the bright Berryfruit flavours. The match with Pepper cured beef fillet was perfect.
Tyrrell’s Wines are available from FreshChoice and New World supermarkets or from the cellar door at Kahurangi Estate.
I have been drinking
Knappstein Watervale Riesling 2005 - $20
From the Clare Valley in South Australia this is classic Clare riesling. Floral citrus aromas, rich lemon and lime flavours that are well balanced with low pH acidity. Lashings of minerality tie it all together. If you are a riesling lover then get your hands on some. I got mine from Liquor King in Christchurch but you won’t have to look too far to find it locally.
Edmond Briottet Crème de Cassis - from Casa del Vino
Ribena on steroids! From Dijon in France this blackcurrent based liqueur is fantastic straight-up or add a little hot water for a delightful winter hot toddy. In the spring add a cube of ice and soda water for a refreshing aperitif.
As well as making great wines Greg and Amanda Day from Kahurangi Estate have another string to their bow, Kahurangi International Selections is the brand that imports and distributes a range of international wines. One of these labels is Tyrrell’s Wines from Australia and last week they hosted a number of luncheons and dinners in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch where aged and current release Tyrrell’s wines were served with six courses of delightful food.
Sari and I were invited to the Christchurch dinner held at Riccarton House and sat with Bruce Tyrrell, the fourth generation owner of Tyrrell’s Wines, and Graeme Stringer, the wine writer from The Press. You can probably guess that we talked about all sorts of things happening in the wine industry in both New Zealand and Australia over dinner.
Tyrrell’s Wines were established in 1858 but didn’t start selling their wines under their own label until 1959 and since then have helped shape the Australian wine industry. They were the first to open a cellar door for wine sales so you could argue they started wine tourism in Australia. While Tyrrell’s Wines home is in the Hunter Valley, north easy of Sydney, they have vineyards in most of the premium wine growing regions in New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia. Selecting premium vineyard sites in each region means they can produce a wide range of wine varieties and styles.
At dinner we were treated to Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Semillon 2002 ($79.99, 13 gold medals) as an aperitif. Dry in style with balanced juicy citrus flavoured acidity and a powdery texture the dried apricot and slight kerosene age characters set the scene for the rest of the meal. Tyrrell’s semillons dominate this category at all of the wine shows in Australia. The first wine served with food was the highly awarded Belford Semillon 2004 ($49.99, 3 trophies, seven gold medals) and the luscious cooked lime and soft acidity were perfectly matched to a fillet of Akaroa salmon.
The Rufus Stone Heathcote Shiraz 2008 ($29.99) has just collected a gold medal at the Decanter international Wine Show in London and is being served by the glass in many London Restaurants, including the Grill Room at The Dorchester Hotel. This is a big wine but avoids being sweet and jammy. A little viognier in the ferment has given the wine freshness with some mouth-watering acidity and lashings of white pepper to balance the bright Berryfruit flavours. The match with Pepper cured beef fillet was perfect.
Tyrrell’s Wines are available from FreshChoice and New World supermarkets or from the cellar door at Kahurangi Estate.
I have been drinking
From the Clare Valley in South Australia this is classic Clare riesling. Floral citrus aromas, rich lemon and lime flavours that are well balanced with low pH acidity. Lashings of minerality tie it all together. If you are a riesling lover then get your hands on some. I got mine from Liquor King in Christchurch but you won’t have to look too far to find it locally.
Ribena on steroids! From Dijon in France this blackcurrent based liqueur is fantastic straight-up or add a little hot water for a delightful winter hot toddy. In the spring add a cube of ice and soda water for a refreshing aperitif.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Kaimira Wines - 10th vintage
The vast majority of wine is consumed within a few days of purchase and I must say this tends to be encouraged by many winemakers who tell us to enjoy the young, fresh and vibrant flavours of some wine varieties, sauvignon blanc for example.
Unlike 30 years ago when many wines were imported and because the better wines being sold needed to be cellared for a few years people who were even slightly interested in wine needed to have a cellar to age wines before they could enjoy a reasonable drink.
Today however wine styles have changed significantly, the New Zealand industry has grown beyond all recognition and the quality of readily available, easy to understand, affordable wines has increased exponentially.
All of this means we are now impulse consumers of wine; we buy what we want when we want to consume it. While this is fantastic in many ways we tend to miss out on some of the intriguing magic to be found in aged wines so I always take the opportunity to try older wines when I am offered the chance.
Last weekend I visited Kaimira Estate who are celebrating their tenth anniversary of producing wine. They decided to deal with a small problem they had at the same time. Having the last five or ten cases of a wine floating around a winery causes a few management hassles, the volume left is not really a commercial quantity and it is a nuisance keeping track of them in the store room. So Kaimira decided to sell their ‘bin ends’ at knockdown prices, some for as little as $8 a bottle.
For me however the real treat was that some of these wines were four or five years old and I had the chance to taste them alongside current releases, providing the perfect opportunity to get an insight into how wines made from grapes grown on the same vineyards would change over time.
I have been a fan of Kaimira’s Brightwater Vineyard Riesling from the first time I tasted it, I love the dry minerality with luscious citrus characters but most of all I love the fact it is a dry style wine that allows the aging characters to show in the flavours. They tend to develop a nice oily texture and waxy kerosene characters that can be quite intriguing.
Tasting their 2004 pinot noir was also an eye-opener for me. 2004 was a very wet vintage in the Nelson region and we have not seen many very good wines from it and we certainly have not seen many that stand the test of time, so the fantastic complexity showing in this wine was a real surprise. It is light in colour but has a lush palate weight, is packed with flavour and is perfect drinking right now. Buying it for about $10 a bottle was an opportunity I was not going to miss.
I have been drinking
Kaimira Estate Brightwater Vineyards 2009 Gewurztraminer (about $20 from the winery)
Another great comparison was the 2007 ($18) vs 2009 Kaimira Brightwater vineyards Gewurztraminer. The 2007 was made in a dry (or low residual sugar) style while the 2009 was produced retaining about 30gms/ltr of sugar. Even though it is technically a much sweeter wine juicy acidity provides exceptional balance. This is also a great example of a technically sweet wine that doesn’t taste sweet and is great with food. Try it with blue cheese or Thai food.
Unlike 30 years ago when many wines were imported and because the better wines being sold needed to be cellared for a few years people who were even slightly interested in wine needed to have a cellar to age wines before they could enjoy a reasonable drink.
Today however wine styles have changed significantly, the New Zealand industry has grown beyond all recognition and the quality of readily available, easy to understand, affordable wines has increased exponentially.
All of this means we are now impulse consumers of wine; we buy what we want when we want to consume it. While this is fantastic in many ways we tend to miss out on some of the intriguing magic to be found in aged wines so I always take the opportunity to try older wines when I am offered the chance.
Last weekend I visited Kaimira Estate who are celebrating their tenth anniversary of producing wine. They decided to deal with a small problem they had at the same time. Having the last five or ten cases of a wine floating around a winery causes a few management hassles, the volume left is not really a commercial quantity and it is a nuisance keeping track of them in the store room. So Kaimira decided to sell their ‘bin ends’ at knockdown prices, some for as little as $8 a bottle.
For me however the real treat was that some of these wines were four or five years old and I had the chance to taste them alongside current releases, providing the perfect opportunity to get an insight into how wines made from grapes grown on the same vineyards would change over time.
I have been a fan of Kaimira’s Brightwater Vineyard Riesling from the first time I tasted it, I love the dry minerality with luscious citrus characters but most of all I love the fact it is a dry style wine that allows the aging characters to show in the flavours. They tend to develop a nice oily texture and waxy kerosene characters that can be quite intriguing.
Tasting their 2004 pinot noir was also an eye-opener for me. 2004 was a very wet vintage in the Nelson region and we have not seen many very good wines from it and we certainly have not seen many that stand the test of time, so the fantastic complexity showing in this wine was a real surprise. It is light in colour but has a lush palate weight, is packed with flavour and is perfect drinking right now. Buying it for about $10 a bottle was an opportunity I was not going to miss.
I have been drinking
Another great comparison was the 2007 ($18) vs 2009 Kaimira Brightwater vineyards Gewurztraminer. The 2007 was made in a dry (or low residual sugar) style while the 2009 was produced retaining about 30gms/ltr of sugar. Even though it is technically a much sweeter wine juicy acidity provides exceptional balance. This is also a great example of a technically sweet wine that doesn’t taste sweet and is great with food. Try it with blue cheese or Thai food.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Huia 2004 Blanc de Blancs
This sparkling wine from Marlborough is made from chardonnay grapes, was matured in oak barrels for a period and then tucked away in the cellar to age gracefully in the bottle before being finished. Fresh bread yeasty characters with an elegant, creamy mid palate and beautiful cleansing freshness in the finish make this a super aperitif or simply a fantastic good value wine for a celebration. http://www.huia.net.nz/
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Brightwater Vineyards - 10 year tasting of sauvignon blanc
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!
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