Welcome to the third issue of the Independent Wine Monthly
Sacred Hill - The First 21 Years
Emma Jenkins
If you had to pick a winery that would celebrate its 21st birthday with gusto, Sacred Hill would be one of the most popular choices. There’s just something about David Mason and Tony Bish that suggests they have seen a few good parties in their time . . . So it was no surprise to find they were planning a massive bash beside the Tutaekuri River over the weekend of 23rd and 24th February to celebrate the coming of age and the glint in the eyes of David and Tony as they discussed the forthcoming yahoo suggested it would be a cracker. However in the midst of planning such a party somehow they both found time to put together a slightly more civilized riverside lunch to look at past and present vintages of Sacred Hill classics.
Sacred Hill planted its first vines in 1982 and released the first wines in 1986. Inspired by David’s experience working in Bordeaux, one of the early wines was a barrel-fermented sauvignon blanc, the forerunner of today’s Sacred Hill Sauvage (first labeled as such in 1992). Sauvage has always been made from Hawke’s Bay fruit (predominantly from the Dartmoor) and barrel fermented using wild yeast, with eight to ten month’s barrel maturation to add complexity, richness and depth. Tony says that the wine has never been about the variety, only about the style and winemaking involved – he is aiming for a food wine with longevity and personality.
| 2005 Sauvage | 17.5 |
| 2004 Sauvage | 16.0 |
| 2001 Sauvage | 16.5 |
The Rifleman’s vineyard is a deep-rooted redmetal vineyard with a spectacular view across the Tutaekuri River. So deep-rooted that in the famed hot vintage of 1998, the vineyard only needed irrigating for one week. Planted with own-rooted Mendoza clones in 1992 (or possibly 1989; David and Tony couldn’t decide), it was singled out early on for its fantastic potential for chardonnay. Tony says he is always amazed at way in which Rifleman’s fruit can absorb prodigious quantities of oak without it appearing obvious. Certainly in tasting the wines, they are unusual amongst New Zealand chardonnays for seeing 100% new oak and yet showing very little of it on the nose or the palate; it is a very seamless transition between oak and fruit. Through the years modifications have been made to winemaking techniques and today Rifleman’s Chardonnay is a 100% wild yeast fermented, (the barrel fermentations are chilled to improve the longevity of the wine) and the malolactic occurs naturally with 65-100% going through depending on vintage. It was interesting that when I asked Tony if the fact that his is one of New Zealand’s best chardonnays and yet still realistically is at its peak within five to seven years concerns him. "That’s one of the things that keeps me awake at night" he replied. Watch this space then.
| 2005 Rifleman’s Chardonnay | 19.0 |
| 2004 Rifleman’s Chardonnay | 18.0 |
| 2002 Rifleman’s Chardonnay | 17.5 |
Both the Brokenstone Merlot and Helmsman Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot are produced from hand-picked Gimblett Gravels fruit which is fermented and hand-plunged in small vats then basket-pressed before ageing in French oak.
| 2005 Brokenstone Merlot | 19.0 |
| 2002 Brokenstone Merlot | 17.0 |
| 2000 Brokenstone Merlot | 18.0 |
| 2005 Helmsman Cabernet Merlot | 18.5 |
| 2002 Helmsman Cabernet Merlot | 18.0 |
| 2002 Helmsman Cabernet Merlot | 17.0 |
| 2005 Deerstalkers Syrah | 18.5 |
| 2004 Deerstalkers Syrah | 17.5 |
Cloudy Bay New Releases
Jane Skilton
An invitation to the Cloudy Bay new release tasting was one I couldn’t refuse. Although I was sure I’d find the wines interesting, it was the thought of lunch at Clooney, a new restaurant that had received scathing reviews, which made the invite one I accepted wholeheartedly. Could the food be quite as bad as described ? I was determined to find out so Emma and I set off for downtown Auckland, confident that we’d be able to stick to our moral high ground and not be influenced by a lovely lunch.
On arrival we were greeted by a glass of 2002 Vintage Pelorus which was looking pretty sharp. Was this because it was served in a proper, decent sized champagne glass? Tight and restrained with bready, yeasty autolysis characters very much in the background. Complex and delicious with a lingering finish.
Cloudy Bay's chief winemaker Kevin Judd is not a natural frontman. He is a man of few words and when he does speak, rarely moves his lips which makes listening to him quite difficult. Fortunately his wines were more than eloquent enough.
The tasting began and we tasted the wines individually, each one accompanied by a specific dish. The first course, five beautifully fresh oysters, each topped with a tiny spoonful of minutely cubed avocado, cucumber and radish salsa was paired with the 2006 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc (17.5 points), which was still looking as fresh as a daisy. Youthful and vibrant with a crunchy, herbaceous aroma, restrained yet crisp texture, a strong thread of acidity running through the palate and a bone dry finish. The food match was superb. I made a mental note to disregard the opinions of said restaurant reviewer. (At this point in the tasting, the inevitable screwcaps versus corks discussion took place. Kevin Judd is of the opinion that even corks that are free from TCA still impart a distinct flavour to wine.He has seen exactly the same wines bottled under both screwcap and cork, and he prefers the former because the wines retain their fruit purity and there is no extraneous cork ‘taste’ imparted. He also likes the fact that screwcaps allow wines to mature evenly whereas those sealed with cork can mature at markedly different rates which means it is often impossible to get consistency.)
Cloudy Bay’s Te Koko is a 100% wild yeast, barrel fermented sauvignon blanc that undergoes 100% malolactic fermentation before spending about 10 months in barrel. The 2004 Cloudy Bay Te Koko (17.0 points) is the best release to date; lavender furniture polish and beeswax on the nose with a creamy quality to the palate and a soft, textural finish. However, much as I like the mental stimulation of the wine, it just doesn’t appeal to my heart. It doesn’t have the mid palate richness nor complexity to make a truly satisfying wine and the oak, though better integrated with each vintage never quite sits with the fruit; neither Arthur nor Martha I suppose. Still everyone else at the tasting eulogised so I kept quiet.
The 2005 Cloudy Bay Chardonnay (18.5 points) was a revelation; elegant with a restrained fresh lemon meringue aroma enhanced by subtle oak, indeed much less oak than I remembered from past vintages. “ Did this wine see less oak than previous vintages?” I asked. “No” came the reply. Well, that settled that and keen not to make any further howlers, I concentrated on the wine which was now opening up to reveal bran biscuit and white peach aromas and an understated smoky palate. As a treat, two older vintages of Chardonnay were served: 2000 and 1999 (from magnum). Both were in pristine condition, showing no signs of fading. I marginally preferred the 2000 Cloudy Bay Chardonnay (19.0 points) for its wonderful cedar and biscuit aroma with just a teensy hint of struck match. Beautifully integrated and complex yet still full of life and poise. The 1999 Cloudy Bay Chardonnay (18.0 points) was fresh and vibrant with a toasted hazlenut and citrus aroma and a wonderfully integrated palate.
The final wine was the 2005 Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir (18.5 points). Kevin regards this wine as the finest Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir yet, which he attributes to better clones in the vineyard. It certainly makes a strong case for Marlborough being able to produce great wines with the variety when they put some effort into it. Very aromatic with an attractive sappy spiciness rather than simple fruit, this is a thoughtful Pinot Noir with elegance and texture. Showing lovely complexity for such a youthful wine, there is ripe cherry fruit aligned with seamless subtle oak and an attractive tautness that should repay a few years in the cellar handsomely. Showing great complexity for such a youthful wine, Cloudy Bay are obviously making pinot noir for grown-ups and going for texture and personality over overt fruitiness, hopefully leading the way for the region.
I go to plenty of new release tastings, usually ones where the winemaker will speak at length about his wines and how fabulous they are. Kevin Judd is the exact opposite. He is not unfriendly, far from it, but his words are spoken quietly and with thought. Very much like his wines in fact. Cloudy Bay is always at risk from the tall poppy syndrome, from critics suggesting that there are better and certainly cheaper look-alike wines out in the market. But, and it’s a viewpoint I hold dear, it is my belief that you can only be considered a great winemaker if you are capable of making wines that can age. We opened a bottle of 1997 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc in February to celebrate our daughter’s 10th birthday and the wine was a revelation. No hint of asparagus nor tinned peas, instead a fresh, youthful wine that no-one guessed had spent a decade in bottle (and had been to London and back).
At the tasting, the older two vintages of Cloudy Bay chardonnay were magical and showed the true beauty of aged wine. (And only served to highlight crass attitude of certain invited tasters, one of whom exclaimed that the 2000 Chardonnay smelled of ‘old socks’. Until of course the vintage was pointed out to them after which they pronounced the wine to be wonderful).
Matua Valley (www.matua.co.nz)
| 2006 Matheson Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2006 Northbank Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc | Hawke’s Bay Marlborough | 16.5 15.0 |
Past vintages of Matheson Sauvignon Blanc have been dominated by an ‘old barrel’ character which, whilst adding complexity, somehow managed to dull the fruit. The 2006 Matua Valley Matheson Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc is a departure in style; the oak is much more subdued which lets the red capsicum, fennel, citrus and fresh pineapple flavours show through. Crisp and clean with good concentration and length. It would appear the money saved on barrels in Hawke’s Bay has been spent in Marlborough. Considering Sauvignon Blanc is regarded as New Zealand’s flagship white grape, it is good to see people experimenting with different styles; the 2006 Matua Valley Northbank Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has been fermented in older French oak barrels. Unfortunately this may not necessarily be the best example of a new direction for the variety. The typically pungent Marlborough fruit of capsicum, gooseberry and ripe tropical pineapple and passionfruit sits rather incongruously with the cedar and spicy vanillin oak. The components do not appear to integrate well on either nose or palate and whilst there is good concentration of flavours the overall impression is of a slightly disjointed wine. Good to see Matua are experimenting, adding more complexity and depth to the traditional style, but there is clearly still a bit of work to be done.
Fairhall Downs (www.fairhalldowns.co.nz)
| 2006 Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Single Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Noir | 16.0 15.5 |
The 2006 Fairhall Downs Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc has an attractive nose; capsicum, guava passionfruit and almost a hint of barley sugar. The palate is rich and full flavoured with decent concentration, balanced by marked mineral acidity. Decent length and concentration. 2006 Fairhall Downs Single Vineyard Pinot Noir is textbook Marlborough pinot; moderately intense ruby red in colour with a nose dominated by stewed plums and rhubarb, vanillin oak and a distinct underlying character of crushed autumn leaves The palate is rather subdued, with sour cherry, light plum and slightly dominating cedar oak on the finish. Decent wine but not particularly distinguished. (NB thankfully the old packaging, a vivid violet reminiscent of Cadbury’s milk chocolate, has been replaced with a evocative sepia tinted label which makes the range look much classier.
Forrest Estate (www.forrestwines.co.nz)
| 2006 James Randall Sauvignon Blanc | Marlborough | 17.0 |
John Forrest has released the 2006 Forrest Estate James Randall Sauvignon Blanc as a ‘tribute to my grandfather’, (a Marlburnian farmer) and presumably to emphasise his family’s long association with the region. The nose is very youthful with lemon meringue, pineapple, red capsicum and cut grass leading to an intensely flavoured palate of citrus fruit, capsicum and strong gooseberry - this is a very herbaceous wine – finely balanced acidity and very good length. A more serious example of the style and no doubt a fine tribute to Grandfather Randall. However there was a slightly buttock clenching moment when we realised the wine would retail around $38 which certainly puts it right at the top of the price ladder for Marlborough sauvignon blanc. We then had one of those slightly scary ‘old people’-type discussions about whether we’d rather have one bottle of this or two bottles of the regular Forrest sauvignon and didn’t come to any firm conclusion.
Framingham (www.framingham.co.nz)
| 2006 Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Select Riesling | Marlborough Marlborough | 17.00 17.00 |
The 2006 Framingham Sauvignon Blanc is intensely aromatic with a passionfruit, mown grass and red capsicum note with just the merest hint of fresh sweat. The palate has crunchy green vegetable flavours with lovely fresh acidity and a clean yet persistent finish. Textbook sauvignon blanc. Good stuff. There is a current trend in New Zealand towards trialling more germanic styles of riesling with higher residual sugars and lower alcohols. As fans of Framingham’s Dry and Classic Rieslings, we were thrilled to see winemaker Andrew Hedley’s take on an auslesen style; the 2005 Framingham Select Riesling is made from late harvested grapes fermented to leave quite noticeable residual sweetness. The nose offers quince, orange blossom, beeswax and honey whilst the palate has a knife edge balance between racy acidity and rich sweetness, both of sugar and fruit. There is real lemony, quince-like honeyed intensity. Light bodied with lovely poise and only 9% alcohol. It will be interesting to see how the wine develops over time though is eminently drinkable now.
Lake Hayes (www.lakehayes.co.nz)
| 2006 Lake Hayes Pinot Gris | Central Otago | 16.5 |
The 2006 Lake Hayes Pinot Gris is strongly varietal with aromas of baked pear, smoky bacon and red apple. The palate is rich and mouthfilling and though there is a little touch of residual sweetness, this is more than compensated by the tingly mouthwatering acidity. There is a degree of complexity and a creamy, spicy textural quality to the palate that gives interest. An attractive rather succulent wine that is ready now.
Nautilus (www.nautilusestate.com)
| 2005 Chardonnay | Marlborough | 17.0 |
The 2005 Nautilus Chardonnay is just starting to open up and reveal ripe stone fruit, grapefruit and white peach aromas. These are interwoven with subtle French oak, a supporting rather than starring role. A pretty seamless example of Marlborough Chardonnay which is ready now but will probably gain additional richness and complexity with another year or two under its belt.
Te Mãnia Wines (www.temaniawines.co.nz)
| 2005 Riesling 2005 Reserve Nelson Chardonnay 2005 Nelson Pinot Noir 2005 Reserve Nelson Pinot Noir | Nelson Nelson Nelson Nelson | 15.0 16.0 14.5 17.0 |
The 2005 Te Mania Riesling has a ripe apple and floral nose with faint hints of mineral and kerosene. Medium concentration and a firmly acidic palate with just a touch of residual sweetness balancing a crisp, quite tart finish. The 2005 Te Mania Reserve Nelson Chardonnay was matured in French barrels for 10 months; this is definitely a butterscotch and toast style and will please lovers of bold, creamy chardonnay. Plenty of oak but some stonefruit and citrus to be found as well. The palate is dense, creamy and rich, again the oak slightly dominates the fruit at this point but there is enough richness of fruit to suggest it may yet meld together with time. Moderate intensity and length with a very buttery finish spiced by cedar oak. Not a subtle wine but there are plenty of fans of this style of Chardonnay. The 2005 Te Mania Nelson Pinot Noir is undeniably aromatic with sour cherry and cranberry aromas. The palate is cheerful enough with similar sour cherry notes though there is a medicinal edge that suggests some brettanomyces may be dulling the fruit, although this is not dominating at this point. The 2005 Te Mania Reserve Nelson Pinot Noir is a much better wine; deep and intense on the nose with ripe dark plum and cherry aromas. The palate is silky and ripe with dark berry and a touch of forest floor emerging. Supple and ripe. Ready now.
Rippon Vineyards (www.rippon.co.nz)
| 2006 Jeunesse Pinot Noir | 17.5 |
Nick Mills spent a number of years working in Burgundy and his experience shows in his Rippon wines. The 2006 Rippon Vineyards Jeunesse Pinot Noir, off younger vines, is a pretty wine, juicy, youthful, uncomplicated; this is a great example of what can be done when not trying to over-egg the pudding. Rippon has young vines, but instead of trying to squeeze the life out of them or tart them up with too much oak, it has made a very drinkable wine, just what you want to drink when you want a clearly varietal wine, with good balance and enough substance and stuffing to keep you interested and partner a meal, but not have New Zealand’s pinot-potential bashed over your head. Very well balanced, this is also a refreshing wine to drink, which is more than can be said for many other highly-regarded Pinots. Great drinking now.
Sticks Yarra Valley (www.yarravalleywine.com)
| 2006 Sauvignon Blanc 2004 Chardonnay 2005 Pinot Noir 2004 Cabernet Sauvignon | 15.5 15.5 16.0 15.0 |
Established in 2001 but only a recent arrival on the New Zealand market, Sticks (named after winemaker Rob ‘Stick’ Dolan) has just purchased the Yarra Ridge winery from Fosters giving the label a permanent home. The 2006 Sticks Sauvignon Blanc has a strong spicy tropical nose, ripe red capsicum and some grassy notes but predominantly guava, pineapple, passionfruit. Quite a fat, tropical palate, lots of fruit sweetness, with only moderate acidity, this offers a pleasant alternative from the more aggressively pungent Marlborough style. While it lacks real intensity or length, it is a cleanly made pleasant wine which would not go amiss at its suggested retail price of around $18. The 2004 Sticks Chardonnay has had a couple of years to develop bottle aged characters; peaches and cream with the faintest whiff of savoury secondary notes. This is a lighter-bodied chardonnay with citrus and nectarine flavours, a hint of oak to add a bit of weight and complexity. Similar in style to the Sauvignon with only moderate intensity and length, it none the less offers an honest chardonnay with no pretences. The 2005 Sticks Pinot Noir has a very pale garnet colour, lightly stewed rhubarb and plums on the nose, slightly sappy with a touch of spice (clove and cinnamon), and a light but rather attractive uncomplicated palate. Light in body but with reasonable depth of flavour and an appealing herbal (though not green) edge, this wine has a good balance of soft ripe fruit with fine acidity and light oak. The 2004 Sticks Cabernet Sauvignon offers a leafy tobacco nose, some cassis and cedar, definitely cooler climate cabernet. Softly fruited palate, surprisingly ripe after the nose. Nothing especially exciting but then nothing really wrong with it either.
Hungerford Hill (www.hungerfordhill.com.au)
| 2006 Hunter Valley Semillon 2006 Victoria Pinot Gris 2005 Tumbarumba Chardonnay | 15.5 16.5 18.0 |
There is plenty of dissolved C02 in the 2006 Hungerford Hill Semillon, which is released when the wine is poured. Very youthful and tight with notes of lemon, straw, fresh grass, on the nose. This is a very youthful Hunter Semillon with lemon-sucking acidity on the palate but the balance and moderate intensity coupled with melony fruit suggests that some patience would reward you with a mellower, more toasty wine over the next five years.
The 2006 Hungerford Hill Victoria Pinot Gris is an attractive wine with a pear sherbet and spice nose, well-balanced acidity offering structure to the ripe fruit and a hint of residual sugar. Some leesy creamy notes add a bit of extra complexity to complete the picture. This is a wine you could imagine drinking at lunchtime, a couple of glasses slipping down quite easily. Philip Johns certainly has the golden touch when it comes to chardonnay.
His 2005 Hungerford Hills Tumbarumba Chardonnay has plenty of oak on the nose but in an attractive rather than overwhelming way. Melon, with some stonefruit and a hint of citrus but again in a rich and ripe rather than sweet or overpowering manner. All the separate components are pulled together well and balanced with lifting acidity and good intensity. Nice length completes the picture and it would be good to see this wine in a year or two when it reaches it peak. (The emerging region of Tumbarumba is producing some very exciting wines and is definitely one to watch).