This week has been hectic; Champagne training in Whangarei, tasting for the Foodtown magazine, numerous deadlines, student assignments to mark etc etc. I am trying to condense lots of work into a short time because this Sunday I am flying off to Blenheim to take part in the Liquorland Top 100 judging and that means a week away from my office.
Having told Mahi's Dave Kenny that I would only fly to Marlborough once 747s were introduced onto the Auckland-Blenheim route, I have had to go back on my word and I am now destined to spend the 20 minutes it takes to fly from Wellington to Blenheim on Sunday morning either screaming in terror or crying hysterically.
Tomorrow I'll have to overcome my perennial problem; weighing the suitcase to make sure I don't incur the wrath of Air New Zealand. Having had a gothic horror of a check-in en route to Perth last November I am now very careful about excess kilos. The only problem is that after I have heaved the suitcase onto our bathroom scales, I can't read the dial. And once I have packed the 6 pairs of shoes, (ideally it would have been 10), plus the bottle of something 'interesting' for the Judges Dinner, plus the Champagne to drink on Sunday night - Hotel d'Urville is BYO on Sundays - I will hardly have room for any clothes. Simon Nunns turned up in Gisborne with a bicycle in his luggage so now sure how he managed that one but there we go . .
Emma and I have decided to go a day early so we can spend some time visiting winemakers, driving around Marlborough and generally taking in the sights. We'll be publishing a report of our trip next week. (I am hoping to cajole my son into lending us his Flip but failing that we'll have the trusty digital camera and plenty of opportunities to take cheesy photos).
The house renovations continue apace but Colin the Builder's power tools remain parked in front of the cellar door. I am beginning to smell the faint whiff of a conspiracy between him and my husband. In desperation, tonight I broached the samples sent by Kingsmill Wines from Central Otago. In direct contravention of the Independent Wine Monthly code of ethics, (to taste together) I sallied forth on my own.
"Nice labels" remarked my daughter and indeed the packaging is attractive, the label's wax seal and golden flourish eye catching But what of the wines ?
2008 Kingsmill Tippet's Race Riesling is a light, vibrant wine, with a moderately intense aroma of satsuma peel, chalk and lemon. The palate is fairly dry, the small amount of residual sweetness cancelled out by mouthwatering limey acidity. Clean and correct, I'd like to see this in another couple of years when it has taken on some bottle aged character. At first I thought I had been sent two bottles of the same Pinot, but on closer inspection of the labels, one was 06 and one 07. The 2007 Kingsmill Tippet's Dam Pinot Noir is textbook Central Otago ; an exotic lush nose with plenty of damson and dark plum. Silky and sweetly fruited, with only a touch of tannin. The 2006 Kingsmill Tippet's Dam Pinot Noir is less opulent, slightly chewier with savoury plum and spice flavours.
The three wines were well made and enjoyable but I do have a reservation about price. The Riesling is $27 and the brace of Pinot Noirs $47 which puts them at the upper end of the scale. Perhaps in a few years the vines will produce wines of enough intensity and weight to justify these prices but right now the appeal is all upfront charm and the Pinots especially just lack a little by way of power and length. The $40+ price bracket is generously served by Central Pinots already and an new entrant to the market must be able to hold its own. Let's hope that Kingsmill Wines, who has made this promising start, has enough tenacity to go the distance.
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