|
 |
|||||||||||
   |
TASTE OF NEW ZEALAND WINE FAIRS 2005 - Tuesday, 4 January 2005 Welcome to the first edition of “Soaked”, our weekly update (or blog) on matters vinous. The aim will be to keep you up to date with the world of wine and give you a guide to the wines that I have tasted at trade and other exclusive tastings. Given the popularity and quality of all things Kiwi in wine (not cricket though), this edition of Soaked takes a visit to the recent Taste of New Zealand wine fairs. It is boom times for the New Zealand wine industry that has undergone an even more dramatic expansion than the Australian wine industry over the past five years. This years tasting saw more than 70 wineries exhibiting their wares, held over two days, the consistency and quality of the wines on tasting was very impressive. Sauvignon Blanc, particularly from Marlborough, has become almost a Kiwi brand, with wines such as Cloudy Bay, Montana, Villa Maria and a host of others taking the world by storm. All of these wines display the unique characters of Marlborough Savvy, incredibly bright and intense passionfruit, citrus, blackcurrant and gooseberry flavours drive these yummy wines. Over the past few years it has been pleasing to see the development of more diverse and restrained styles, in spite of some really delicious wines there was a certain sameness about the style. This year the wines are showing the benefits of a good year with high production, amazingly New Zealand produced twice as much wine in 2004 as 2003. As this is a guide about what to buy let’s get into some of the drinks, I’ve selected some smaller more interesting producers that are well worth sourcing. You all know Cloudy Bay and your favourite Marlborough wines so here are some of my favourite wines of the tasting from producers that are worth getting to know. Alana Estate has impressed me for a number of years now, located on the famous Martinborough Terrace, (South of the North Island) they produce excellent Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir. As a line up they stand out for their balance, texture, finesse and high quality fruit. The 2004 Sauvignon Blanc is gorgeous, being source from high quality Marlborough vineyards, it is bursting with aromas of lime, gooseberry and passionfruit, what sets this Sauvignon apart is the length and intensity of flavour on the palate. Elegantly poised with regard to the fruit/acid balance, yet with a nicely textured generous palate weight to accompany full flavoured dishes, definitely drink now, retails around $23 The two estate grown Alana Estate wines are superbly sophisticated wines, with the 2002 Chardonnay & Pinot Noir both showing exemplary winemaking. The Chardonnay has a concentrated bouquet of stonefruit, figs and cashews which is beautifully balanced by a rich full palate with butterscotch and restrained sweet vanilla, nectarines, melons and nuts, a long clean finish completes a wonderful wine. This is a Chardonnay that will benefit from careful cellaring or try now with a richer poultry dish, retails for around $32. The Pinot is just as good with lifted aromas of violets, cherries, cinnamon and cloves. An elegant subtle palate of chocolate and cherries is supported by restrained smoky oak, fine silky tannins leading into a long soft finish. A classically styled Martinborough Pinot with a cellaring potential of up to 8 years, expect to pay around $45. Gladstone is located just north of Alana and is another brilliant Wairarapa producer. Two wines really stood out for me, a Sauvignon Blanc that isn’t from Marlborough (& all the better for it!) and an outstanding Pinot Gris. The 2004 Sauvignon Blanc is a more tightly focused restrained wine with classical herbaceous Sauvignon aromas, some grassy notes, tropical and gooseberry fruit and racy acidity, a great food wine, should be around $25 retail. Pinot Gris is really finding a happy home in New Zealand and the Gladstone is amongst the very best, the 2004 wine is a worthy successor to the extraordinary 2003 wine (which you should just buy if you’re lucky enough to find it). This is a wine that is beautifully balanced combining focused fruit characters with complexity added by a portion of wild yeast and barrel ferment characters. It has musky and spicy fruity aromas with smooth and creamy palate which layers flavours of bread, peach and pear, with hints of lime backed by yeast and yoghurt characteristics, worth seeking out at around $28. |
|
40 Foley Ave Preston 3072 Ph: 03 9484 2288, Mob 0418 228 890 Vic Liquor Licence 36089337 declanb@soakwines.com.au www.soakwines.com.au You must be over 18 years of age to order alcohol. Soak Wines supports the responsible consumption of alcohol. WARNING: Under the Liquor Control Reform Act 1998 it is an offence to supply alcohol to a person under the age of 18 years (Penalty exceeds $6,000) or for a person under the age of 18 years to purchase or receive liquor. (Penalty exceeds $500) Created by Web Dreamer |