Getting Ambidextrous

Little more than a week on and I'm amazed at myself. Amazed at wee man. Quietly thankful.

It's not going to be as terrifyingly tricky as I thought last week. Tricky, no doubt. But not impossible.

And it is possible to nurse a baby and have a wee sip of wine. Only a wee sip mind.

My thoughtful father ferried a lovely bottle of Alan McCorkindale Waipara Pinot Noir 2007 from Auckland and I had that at dinner over the weekend. Worth seeking out it shows McCorkindale - who is a dab hand at the varietal white - isn't too shabby with Pinot Noir either. And it confirms for me that Waipara is where you want Nu Zillund Pinot to hail from. Just a little more layered, a little more stinky and less fruit forward than most Otago beasties.

Then last night Rich came home with some 2007 Sauvignon Blanc. Past it? Not at all. And I'd rather drink the last of the 2007 Sauvignon than have any truck with the 2008.

This was from the Montana Terroir series which also makes that lovely Riverpoint Gewurztraminer we had the other day. This is the Conders Forest Sauvignon Blanc 2007, hailing from Raupara in Marlborough and made to express the distinct characteristics of that area. Definitely different to other Marlborough Savvy styles this is less passionfruit and more red capsicum with tart guava. A broad palate. Sweaty but not too sweaty.

And as to getting ambidextrous?

Carrick Pinot Noir 2006

This Central Otago wines smells lush without even a hint of the sappy note that dominates others of its ilk. It's earthy without being dirty or even slightly barnyard-y and the fruit tends wild and dark. Rich is drinking it and enjoying it although he's telling me tales of a super-premium from Carrick (everyone in Central is doing it, doncha know) that was magnificent. A serious wine. A crowd pleaser. A serious crowd pleaser and a 4 glass wine.

Potty for Pinot

I'm rather missing the zeitgeist here with this statement. It's no secret that Pinot Noir is being drunk in abundance and "Sideways" came out in 2004 so I'm about 4 years off the pace but a couple of things conspired over the past week to have me thinking that Pinot-love has ratcheted up another notch, here in Nu Zillund at least.

Whilst at lunch last Tuesday (being treated to the Vidal wines) a restaurant industry peer commented that, last summer, Pinot Noir outsold every other varietal. The summer usually has Kiwis reaching for the ubiquitous Savvy or a fashionable Pinot Gris and whilst there's no mistaking Pinot Noir's a contender in the fashion stakes it came as a surprise that it would oust the whites whilst the sun shone.

Then my lovely Dad (who gets Cuisine magazine delivered and hence receives it before the shops) got in touch to share the results of the magazine's Pinot tasting. As he so eloquently put it "Cuisine goes a bit gaga over the standard of 2007 Pinot Noirs". And he questioned "have they gone ott and developed nu zillund one-eyed-ness on our nouveau #1 grape?".

Talking over some of the results I'm still unsure, and Cuisine have certainly been lavish with their praise. 29 wines awarded 5 stars. That's 29 "2 bottle wines".

That's a lot! the sup-position jury is still out on this one.

Notes burning a hole in the notebook

Apparently it takes a little longer than I declare to get around to writing up notes.

This was a little off the wall collection of samples from Procure.

Ostler 'Blue House Vines' Riesling Waitaki Valley 2008
The Waitaki Valley in North Otago is only just starting to have a collection of vineyards to call its own and has a climate and growing season that is quite distinct from Central. At 11.5% this is all super fresh lime and minerality. Sharply defined the palate shows a unique combination of stonefruit reigned in by taut, tight lemony acids. A lively riesling with heaps of personality. a 2 glass wine.

Alana Estate Sauvignon Blanc Martinborough 2008
Very shy for a sauvignon fresh off the blocks, wafting a little peach skin but not much else. The palate is fruit sweet, perhaps some nettle characteristics but lacking varietal typicity. a 1 glass wine.

Two Rivers of Marlborough Convergence Sauvignon Blanc 2008
A commercial, correct, varietal style. A safe sauvignon with broad appeal. Peaches backed up by a gunflint and a plump palate. a 1 glass wine.

Elephant Hill Viognier Hawke's Bay 2008
Chargrilled apricots in the aroma make this a less delicate expression than it's 2007 predecessor. It is refreshing and spicy showing good acidity but without an ethereal floral component at this stage of development. Nonetheless a pretty and pure expression of Viognier. a 3 glass wine.

Ostler 'Caroline' Pinot Noir Waitaki Valley 2006
Dark, brooding and a little bit feral this Pinot evolves in the glass. The fruit is wieghty blackberry, mingled with licorice and the savoury, gamey elements appear before resolving into limestone minerality, earth and lemons. Complex but lacking balance with the barnyard notes drowning out the fruit. Perhaps even the slight horsehair whiff of Brett? a 1 glass wine.

Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah Hawke's Bay 2007
Smoky, bloody and opulent. A flowing palate of fine tannins and dark fruit. Still developing but enticing now this is Hawke's Bay Syrah at its layered, generous best. a 1 bottle wine.

Nelson Wineart

This afternoon the winegrowers of Nelson rolled in to town under the nelson wineart banner, showing off the 2008 releases to the trade. It's a fine notion to brand these very boutique wineries together and there were some impressive wines to taste.

In no particular order (other than the order I tasted them in).... here are the stand-outs.

Anchorage Sauvignon Blanc 2008 was approachable and fresh with an interesting 'supressed golden syrup' character on the nose and the Anchorage Pinot Gris 2008 was varietal in a firm style with a creamy, pineapple palate. The Anchorage Chardonnay 2007 was showing in intriguing combination of ham, cloves and pineapple and their Pinot Noir 2007 has a soft, round aroma of Christmas pudding with dusty, smokey tannins giving a dry, elegant finish.
Overall I liked the style and approach of the Anchorage wines almost to a man.

Kahurangi Estate have impressed me in the past with their Riesling and the current Kahurangi Reserve Riesling 2007 is no exception showing remarkable poise and balance. It manages to be both luscious and refreshing, which is a neat trick if you can manage it, and as one colleague put it "is everything you look for in a Riesling". The Kahurangi Nelson Gewurztraminer 2008 is a lively style with beautiful lychee character overlaying exotic green peppercorn. It's fresh and floral and refreshing rather than oily and supple but none the worse for that.

Rimu Grove stood out with a line up of very concentrated, ripe wines. Their Rimu Grove Pinot Gris 2008 has a super ripe beurre bosc pear and feijoa nose leading into a palate that hold its 12 grams residual sugar well through weight and concentration. The Rimu Grove Chardonnay 2005 was a confusing mix of charcoal and coffee mixed with stonefruit and lemon and in the mouth was at once taut and buttery. Intriguing but not moorish. The Rimu Grove Pinot Noir 2005 showed intense weight and ripe fruit whilst still retaining typicity. A flamboyant boysenberry nose belying a dry mushroom and earth palate.

And finally Moutere Hills threw a curve ball with a bone dry Pinot Gris. Hard to take at first, this is an intellectual style of Gris. The Moutere Hills Pinot Gris 2007 has had special Alsace yeasts imported to give it a distinctive style, something others found medicinal but the more charitable would term savoury manuka honey and tea-tree in the aroma led to a tightly drawn palate chracterised by lemons and minerals with nutty undertones. Sparing, concise and perhaps a little attenuated but intriguing all the same, this should show better in time.

3 Pinots in a Row

We started with the Koura Bay Blue Duck Awatere Pinot Noir 2005 as I'm about to list this beautiful, silky wine and wanted the troops to try it. It's not the current release but Sal from Co-Pilot had found some cases of the 2005 stashed away and it seemed criminal not to snap them up.
Composed, dignified and self-assured but with a spicy twist the Blue Duck is revelling in its time in the bottle. Dark fruits, dried flowers, a little gamey flutter and a lovely allspice kick make this a delicious mouthfull. All balanced and in accord with no flavours trying to steal the show.
a 5 glass wine.

The Mudhouse Swan Reserve Central Otago Pinot Noir 2007 is another newbie on the list and is settling into my entry-level glasspour slot.
Fairly opaque and rich in the glass with an intriguing nose of damp earth and minty pennyroyal this doesn't play the usual Central Otago cards of chesty, fruit-forward style. Black cherry, musk and tree moss balanced against strains of dark chocolate keep things interesting. I have a feeling that this wine isn't one to age and there's a definite lack of structure at the back but for brooding flavours now this gets a big tick.
a 2 glass wine.

Millton Clos de St. Anne Naboth's Vinyard Gisborne Pinot Noir 2006 is so different from the other two Pinots they barely seem like relations and yet all are good, varietally correct examples of type.
A delicate perfumed nose and a haze of unfiltered purism in the glass speak to a Pinot Noir made with an eye to Chambolle-Musigny. Garnet red and softly see-through with a lightness of rasberry fruit and lavender escaping the Clos de St. Anne is gentle. There's no grip and certainly no swagger just supple finesse.
a 4 glass wine.

Bannockburn competes

I somehow ended up with two Bannockburn, Central Oatgo Pinot Noirs from the 2007 vintage in glasses side by side tonight.

Felton Road Pinot Noir Central Otago 2007
Gravel with little fruit at the start despite being open for hours. A little swirling gives black fruit and damp earth. A true forest floor pinot with a slate and mineral quality. In the mouth there are blackberries, a hint of sap and more grainy earth. Long, serious and wide this is too hot and too young.
a 2 glass wine

Mt Difficulty Pinot Noir Central Otago 2007
Initially all this was prepared to give was sulpher (I'd be reckless with this and a jug) but after vigorous swirling we coaxed morello cherry and lemon dishwashing detergent from the glass. The palate has nice vigour and verve to begin with but fell flat, lacking the bright, acid lift of the Felton Road. Not bad but not interesting.
a 1 glass wine

Vynfields

I was lucky enough to have wines from this delightful little winery put in front of me the other day. It's a wonderful thing when you're introduced to an established winery that you've managed to miss until the liquid in the glass turns your head.... as Vynfields does

Vynfields Pinot Noir 2006
Blueberry, Christmas plum and fragrant violets. More grip in the mouth but still so youthful with enough slip in the tannins to give a suggestion of silk.
A 5 glass wine

Vynfields Reserve Pinot Noir 2005
Wet leather. Tauter and with more sinew than the 2006 this is dry and spicy and although obviously related to its younger sibling is less perfumed and more savoury.
A 4 glass wine.

The Other Birthday Wine

I've put off writing about this wine as I was afraid that I wouldn't do it justice. Notes are hard to make at the best of times and nigh on impossible when you're out for dinner and so the lingering impressions I have of the Bell Hill Pinot Noir 2005, whilst potent, are patchy.

The big wow factor for what, I think, is the best Nu Zillund Pinot I have ever drunk was the bathrobe-y plush tannins. Almost springy in their mouth-coating-ness, this really epitomised the 'iron fist in a velvet glove' in a way I haven't found in other local Pinot Noir. Complexity derived from an intensely varietal palate of floral perfume, game meat and wet earth was carried through to an enveloping sense of controlled power in the finish.

Special, expensive, intensely celebratory.

A 1 bottle wine (if you could get your hands on one, they only made 560 odd in 2005)

The Helen Hunt

of Pinot Noir.
The Crab Farm Hawke's Bay Pinot Noir 2004 is a classic ruby colour but opaque in the glass and the aromas are intriguing; mulberry, red licorice, plum, sweet bayleaf and nutmeg. Balanced, plush tannins distinguish the palate, set against some lively acidity this is a wine of structure and harmony. After some time in the glass strains of milk chocolate mingle with a lingering suggestion of gritty baking spice. At 4 years of age this is mellowed, resolved and graceful. Faceted if slightly flawed. Not beautiful but not unattractive and refreshingly modest.
A 4 glass wine.

Maison Leroy Richebourg Grand Cru Cote de Nuits 1990

In my line of work and hailing from the parochial, hick-country that Nu Zillund can, on occasion, be; it can be easy to miss the times you are drinking something rare and expensive. My 'Sommelier' status notwithstanding it's nigh on impossible to keep up with all the names of the Burgundy Grand Cru unless you're exposed to them often, and I'm not, often enough.

Maison Leroy Richebourg Grand Cru Cote de Nuits 1990
Tart cherry along with layers of loam, moss and hints of smoky bacon. The after-taste starts out racy then builds into sweeter strains as the diaphanous tannins coat the mouth with a patina of blackberry and sweet cherry. A 2 bottle wine (see Hugh Johnson scoring system and yes I know you shouldn't drink 2 bottles of wine but this would be worth it).

A short note for a long, big wine. Long finish. Big price. Worth it.

Mystery Wines

I realise that there are more wineries in New Zealand than I could possibly keep track of but this latest round of tasting threw up some intriguing question marks.

Bascand Estate Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2007
From a Waipara winery comes a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Not that mysterious. The wine itself is subtle and classic. Green apple and grass. Limes and tropical fruit. A safe savvy nose and a rounded palate complete the picture in a wine that isn't angular but somehow isn't pretty either.

Bascand Estate Chardonnay Marlborough 2006
Hints of butter from 70% malolactic fermentation make this a texturally rich and nutty mouthful. Over-ripe nectarine and popcorn. Sunny tasting and at a great price point. This would only sit at around $45 on my pricey winelist.

Bascand Estate Pinot Noir Marlborough 2006
Soft red fruits and an earthy perfume form the nose with a suggestion of something feral underneath (sweaty horse-trek). An uninhibited nose that's more than a little promising. Then a simple palate, left waiting for nuances that never come. The taste of stone-fruits that I would expect from Chardonnay make an out of place appearance. Nectarine amongst the strawberry. Ending with bayleaf this isn't delivering at the moment.

Now here's the real mystery.

Waiau Estate Gimblett Gravels Hawke's Bay Syrah 2006
This new (to me) winery is somehow getting Syrah fruit of the Hawke's Bay gravels which leaves me at a bit of a loss. That's not easy land to get hold of and I wouldn't have thought that many would be giving away fruit from the variety tipped as the great red hope of the Hawke's Bay. There's a link to Hatton Estate but I'm not sure how.
Jammy at first with meaty undertones. Sweet, fresh blood and violets. Delicate blueberry and blue flowers. A bewitching feminine style for all the bloodiness. A frilly Victorian bodice ripper with a whiff of apricots.

This is prepossessing Syrah and a mystery worth solving. If anyone has any notions?

Possible Pinot

Kaituna Vineyard Canterbury Pinot Noir 2006
Clean, lifted nose of bright red fruits. Bit tight. Slight minerality underlayed by something slate-y and medicinal. Dried herbs and iodine. Bit alcohol heavy.

Kaituna Valley Bone Hill Pinot Noir 2006
A more generous approach than its brother. The nose is more forward and giving. Red cherry and coffee tinges and the palate is weightier without being rich. Still firm with smoky oak curling around the edges.

Murdoch James Estate Pinot Noir 2007
Soft red fruits and sweet briar fill up the nose over the classic 'stinky' aromas common to the Martinborough style of Pinot. The tannins are still grippy at this stage but promise silky things in this developing wine. A perfumed style but masculine, aftershave scents of cedar. Refreshing.

We're a bit short of Pinot Noir on the list and there's a definite desire to list some lesser known examples. Of this line up the 'Bone Hill' impressed with a kind of suave depth despite being very youthful. The Murdoch James is a definite as it has flair and comes in at a price that few Pinot Noirs can match without sacrificing style and typicity.

A good day at the 'coal face'.

And so it begins...

We're writing a new wine list and I'm tasting every day. Wine reps and distributors are bringing wines and I'm furiously taking notes and asking opinions of my colleagues and well.... I guess... passing judgement.

It's a funny situation when I think about it as wines promoted to the high end of the market are likely to have been made carefully and with not a little love. And so none of these producers would have set out to make an 'average' wine. And yet some wines sing and others don't despite the care and attention lavished on all.

But wine notes in these situations tend to be blunt, less given to lists of fruit and flowers and more concerned with stating the personality of the wine and its aptitude to line up.

William Thomas Marlborough Chardonnay 2005
16 months old French oak. Winemaker - Will Hoare, assistant at La Strada. Quite sweet citrus nose. Orange peel, floral, savoury cashew. Grainy palate. Mendoza clone. Refreshing, persistent, clean finish. Pretty yet refined.

Domaine Jaquairy Pinot Noir Central Otago 2003
11 months French oak. Clear garnet red (not over extracted!). Forest floor and white truffle. Spicy, feminine style

Lindis River Pinot Noir Central Otago 2005
Beguiling nose. Red fruits and high acidity. Refreshing. Red liquorice. Quite linear.

Lindis River Pinot Noir Central Otago 2006
Warmer smelling than the 2005. Fruits tending darker and better mouthfeel. Spicy and rich but oak still prominent. Needs time to integrate. Coffee background.

Stonier Reserve Pinot Noir 2001

Almost ancient by New Zealand standards, this Pinot Noir is yummy and exhbiting all the fun secondary characteristics that Nu Zillund Pinot seldom gets the chance to develop. How is it that Australia can hold on to its Pinot Noir whilst we slurp ours up in their infancy revelling in their "depth and weight" and completely ignoring the velvety, stinky nuanced creatures they may become?

Right, Rant over.

Orange-y red tending amber at the rim. The Stonier smells initially of stewed rhubarb and wild strawberries. But those forward red fruits give way to savoury, gamey characters of hay, dust and leather. The tannins are beautifully Pinot, all velvety, veloury, bathrobe-y comfortable. A delicate hug.

A Pair at Dinner

Whilst we eat cheese and chat the Delta Marlborough Riesling 2005.

Deep lime gold. 13% and aged for four months on lees prior to bottling. The texture is quite rich and reminiscent of natural yogurt, lime and honey. I like the weight of the wine and it is aging gracefully as Riesling should.

Try as I might I can't find any reference to this wine apart from the fact it won a silver in the Air New Zealand show and I suspect it is made for the wine club to which my father belongs.

The wine served with my Dad's lovely cooking was the Mills Reef Reserve Hawke's Bay Pinot Noir 2006. This wine presented something of an anomaly as Pinot Noir from the Hawke's Bay tends to do.

Deep Garnet red fading to brick at the rim. Damson Plum, tinned rasberry, spice and ink on the nose preceed a juicy purple wine gum character on the palate supported by a cuddly, cushy texture. All this wrapped in taut acid. The acid aside I would have believed I was drinking a Grenache of the label didn't so clearly state otherwise.

I believe that this will be the last vintage Mills Reef make of the Pinot Noir and that may be for the best. I love to drink Pinot Noir and there's no reason why it shouldn't work in certain sites in the Hawke's Bay. Chardonnay and Pinot Noir are planted in close proximaty in Burgundy but, apart from a couple of examples grown in the limestone hills behind the Bay, this delicate red grape doesn't seem to produce at its best in this part of the country. The Mills Reef Pinot provides a good arguement for typicity.

TypicityWikipedia, the free encyclopedia - Cite This SourceTypicity is a term in wine tasting used to describe the degree to which a wine reflects its origins, and thus demonstrates the signature characteristics of the area where it was produced, its mode of production, or its parent grape, e.g. how much a merlot wine “tastes like a merlot”. It is used analogously for other foodstuffs, such as meat and dairy products.
Typicity derives from both historical precedent and a modern consensus on how a certain wine should “taste”. It is a straightforward concept but has controversial ramifications. For example, whether or not a particular area produces wines with typicity can be debatable, and especially controversial are the factors that may give rise to such typicity. The factors probably involve vineyard bedrock, soils and climate, together with the local viticultural and winemaking traditions, but their relative importance will vary and can be much argued. The extent to which such factors are encompassed by the term terroir is an especially charged issue. However, none of this detracts from the value of the term typicity as a starting point for discussion.
In some countries, such as Austria, typicity is used as part of a qualitative hierarchy that takes into consideration soil, climate and vintage. Austrian Qualitatswein (literally "quality wine") is tested for typicity, with the classification printed on the wine label. This can be considered a subjective and unreliable way to classify wine, opening the door to elitism with what has been criticized by some as viticultural racism.
French typicité, Italian tipicità

Distinctive Adult Sophistication

The Mountford Pinot Noir has been riding high in my estimation since I first tried the 2004 early last year so I guess I was a little biased when I got to try the Mountford Pinot Noir 2001 but it was everything I was expecting and more. My notes are perfunctory at best but I'm excusing myself on the basis that I was too busy salivating over the wine.

Garnet red with a dilute rim. Morello cherry and cinnamon buns. Mouthfeel primary plus. A silky feel. Very feminine. Lots of secondary bottle stuff (?) and no sappy aspect. So much life and such a delicious mouthful. Scrummy and so Mountford. Harmonous but youthful.

And then.....

Anita Baker (underlined)

And that's it. A little scrappy, non?

Still an excerpt from Anita Baker's biography makes more sense of my thoughts

With her classy, refined brand of romantic soul, Anita Baker was one of the definitive quiet storm singers of the '80s. Gifted with a strong, supple alto, Baker was influenced not only by R&B, but jazz, gospel, and traditional pop, which gave her music a distinctly adult sophistication. Smooth and mellow, but hardly lifeless, it made her one of the most popular romantic singers of her time.

More on an Anomaly

Given Nu Zild's reputation as a premium Pinot Noir producer emanating from Central Otago with the instigators Marlborough and Martinborough bringing up the rear.... And "whine country" Hawke's Bay excelling in the forgotten wine that is the Merlot, this superb High Country Pinot Noir from John Hancock's Trinity Hill is definitely an "incongruity or inconsistency".

Not that there aren't other producers trying to grow Pinot Noir in this part of the country. Even given the tricksy growing issues and crop levels it's more saleable than unfashionable Bordeaux imitators. But this would be the first one I've tried that really nails the varietal without reservations.

so then... my note from 12:30am last night.

Ruby-violet with enough clarity to read through. Hugely varietal. Sour black cherry and plum with a hint of herbs. Really aromatic. Allspice. Little tight. Second sniff is all game meat and bitter chocolate but not muddled and a lovely pure expression. Complexity from blending a number of different clones of Pinot Noir. So aromatic I keep nosing about the glass. Not carnal but definitely alluring. Bringing the ubiquitous, romantic French movie scene to life where the hero inhales the perfume from the nape of the heroine's neck..... The tannins may velvet-out but at this stage they are softly firm (aha! another anomaly) and similar to the Mountford 2004. After a whole glass the acidity stats to bite, giving weight to the idea that this still needs a little time. The finish is reminiscent of the creamy, sweetness of lightly roasted milky coffee.