Forrest Estate Riesling 2008

It appears the wine drought is easing. A funny situation to find yourself in when all around there appears to be a wine glut (mostly 2008 Sav no-one could shift). But there you have it. All we could fit into the redesigned, recession-ed, baby friendly budget was bargain plonk from the discount end of the supermarket stock.

I don't think the budget has changed all that much but I wasn't that bothered for some reason.

So, for that insidious love of a good tipple to creep back upon me suddenly was a surprise.

It appeared in the shape of this excellent Riesling. It was like a little ray of sunshine. The fruit purity surpassing pretty much anything I've drunken all year. It was so assured. Prettily balanced. It tasted like ripe summer nectarines but in a graceful, restrained riesling-y way.

It came from the local off license in my far flung patch of suburban Auckland and cost $17.95 so a little more than we've been paying recently. Still, given the quality very nice value for money.

Coopers Creek 'The Pointer' Pinot Gris 2008

I'm not a fan, really, of Gris. I keep trying to find something redeeming in it's inocuous flavours. And failing.

But I'd always thought this a cut above the usual. Weighty enough without the startling alcohol that smells like a headache in a glass. Only just off dry. Eschewing the residual sugar levels that many others use to mask poor fruit or to provide interest...

I'm rather damning with faint praise here. And as my mother says
"if you have nothing nice to say then you shouldn't say anything at all"

But the Coopers Creek Pointer is a decent Pinot Gris. It's got that whiff of pear drops and quite a bit of baking spice thrown in. It likes food. A red duck curry helped it to sing and show off its texture and fruit sweetness. a 2 glass wine

Bits and Bobs from the Notebook.

Another eclectic collection of tastes that have been lurking in my notebook including a standout Gris. It's frightening but I might be coming around to Nu Zillund's new favourite summer tipple.

Te Whare Ra Toru Marlborough 2008
An off-the-wall blend of Gewürztraminer, Riesling and Pinot Gris (the Toru in the name means 'three' in Maori) in an off-dry style. It's tempting to think that blends such as this are the result of left over juice being given a marketing spin but there's definite care taken with the style and it works. Fruit salad in a glass. Lime pith and sherbet. Tempting and engaging. a 2 glass wine.

Wither Hills Wairau Valley Pinot Gris 2008
Honeysuckle and a little toasty oak. There's minerality, weight and mealiness in the mid palate. A little beauty that hopefully won't get undermined by the grocery chains heavy discount rotation. Charming. a 3 glass wine.

Martinborough Rose Martinborough 2008 (500ml bottle)
Rosehip florals, lots of fruit and flavour with a lovely creamy palate backed up by some come-hither spices. The wee 500ml bottle is a lovely touch. a 3 glass wine.

Weeping Sands Syrah Waiheke 2006
Pink peppercorn and blue fruits abound in the nose with the palate playing fine, refreshing acidity against really dark berry berries. There's an element of warming coffee bean amongst the cool limpidity. Serene rather than ballsy. a 3 glass wine.

Arcane language

I strive, when talking or writing about wine, to avoid the kind of terminology that so many people find off-putting. I don't want to befuddle anyone or make their eyes glaze over.

Most people, when dining out, simply want to know if they have made a 'good' choice. And if I've done my job well and written a good list then the answer should always be "yes, that's a lovely wine". Matters of personal taste come into it also so whether or not that is a lovely wine for them may take some delving. And so there we are back at the matter of terminology.

I've noticed that most people find my anthropomorphising of wine slightly comical but I didn't think it was confusing until last night when I was beating up on a somewhat insipid Pinot Gris. The Ned Pinot Gris Marlborough 2008 is an inoffensive drop, somewhat like a cliche of a washed out blond. Pretty but uninteresting. Pleasant but with little conversation. Saying just one thing. In this instance fresh enough and thankfully shy of the often ridiculous alcohol levels her dry sisters have in Nu Zillund. But ultimately, for me, a 2 sip wine. But my colleagues didn't get it, perhaps I should go back to lists of fruit and flowers. It seems I must try harder to avoid arcane language.

Cable Bay New Release Tasting, August 2008

With a mixture of light-filled, seaview-filled winery; charming, self-effacing winemaker and delicious degustation lunch Cable Bay Vineyards on Waiheke put on the kind of show that made it hard not to like their wines. But, winemaker Neil Culley's mantra of "imagination, interest, evolution and restraint" was fairly hard to resist also and led to liquid that pushed buttons in all the right places.

Cable Bay Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2008
A mixture of Omaka Valley and Raupara fruit brings both restraint and weight to this Sauvignon Blanc. Meyer lemon, a little feijoa and a peach skin texture lift this wine from safe and give it a nice breadth and the wine finishes with clean grapefruit and coriander flavours.
A 2 glass wine.

Cable Bay Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2008
Fruit from the Brentwood vineyard in Raupara this is delicate and full of petals. At 7 grams residual sugar it isn't cloying and instead offers up pink smoker lollies and baking spice before falling a little flat on the back palate. Made in a 'drink now' style this is pretty and appealing.
A 2 glass wine.

Cable Bay Waiheke Island Chardonnay 2007
The 6th vintage of this wine has lent winemake Neil Culley the confidence to pick earlier knowing that careful handling and technique in the winery will bring the Chardonnay closer to a restrained style that will evolve in the bottle. Many small parcels of fruit were brought together to construct the wine and the result is elegant and full of interesting nuances. Oatmeal, white peach and soft, fluffy nougat on the nose belie the complete lack of malolactic fermentation (apparently the malic acids are metabolised in the growing process on warm and sunny Waiheke). The piercing palate is also a surprise but demonstrates a Chardonnay in need of time in the bottle.
A 4 glass wine.