6th of June and dreams of an alternative white

Today 'should' be the day we celebrate the arrival of the littlest sommelier but unfortunately they don't supply babies with calanders in utero.

So the Bollinger Grand Annee 1999 stays on ice and I stay enormous...

I haven't gotten much further with my list of first wines and the concept of trying to pick a first Pinot Noir seems daunting especially with most of my grey matter given over to birthing, feeding, changing and bathing.

Rich has promised to cook me the traditional meal of 'late' mothers everywhere tomorrow night...

A curry. Quite hot.

Accordingly perhaps I should turn my attention to the first Gewurztraminer.

It's an easy call, marred only by the fact that I probably couldn't get my hands on a bottle even for silly money. The Pyramid Valley Orton Vineyard Hawke's Bay Gewurztraminer 2007 is a special wine and marked my birthday last year with it's generous, powerful, unusual presence (the picture at the top of the blog is of that very bottle). I'd have that again in a heartbeat but given the small quantities and the fact that it was the one and only vintage that will ever be made I'm unlikely to repeat the pleasure.

I feel so emotionally attached to that wine that it seems churlish to pick another first Gewurztraminer simply because the Orton isn't available. However, there is another Gewurztraminer that has been making regular appearances of late (not in my glass obviously) and has captured my attention. The Montana Terroir Series Riverpoint Gewurztraminer 2007 comes from the block once owned by Matawhero Wines, which was responsible for some memorable Gewurztraminer as far back as the 1970's. A little like the Orton in that respect. In this instance, however, one of our biggest players (Montana) has come in and saved the old vines and through their Terroir Series are making the flavours of these unique sub-regional sites available to enthusiasts. It's an ethos worth applauding and the wine itself is worth applauding also.

Soft straw gold and quite savoury on the nose the wine makes a charmingly viscous mixture of cardamon, rose petals and pineapple. That is to say the palate is oily but without apparent sweetness despite the off-dry residual sugars and the phenolics (so often a bitter pill to swallow in Nu Zillund Gewurztraminer) are low. The usual spiciness of this varietal is quite restrained to taste with the freshness of lemon oil lingering on the finish. Overall there is a singular balance evident in the wine. A fine continuation to the tradition of Gisborne Gewurztraminer. a 5 glass wine (that is to say Rich will happily polish off the bottle seeing as I don't really help these days...)

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.