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.

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!