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IWM January 2010

In the rather peculiar business of being a wine 'critic' it is nothing if not fascinating to read what other critics think of the wines you yourself have just been reviewing.
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After we have finished tasting, our scores have been noted and set in stone, Jane and I often whip into cyberspace to read other reviews. It is especially fascinating when there are major differences in our scores and those of our peers.

"Is it just us??"

Well, maybe it is. But an interesting issue of debate is the uniformly high scores one sees regularly given out. Naturally there is no point in being miserly for the sake of it, but when nearly every NZ pinot and sauvignon is scored 92-98/100, it leaves only a very small space for the Yquems, Raveneaus, Granges and Lafites et al to fit, does it not?

Leaving aside the fact that numerical wine scores are such a blunt, and misleadingly precise, measure of a wine, it seems curious indeed that the vast majority of local wines appear clustered at the very top end if one is to believe the local reviews trumpeted on websites and in print media. While I am a great champion of our industry (Jane and I became firm friends as the result of our first encounter; a heated argument over the merits of NZ wine; naturally I was Team NZ) nevertheless even I find it hard to believe that there are so few ordinary wines out there, which is the impression given by many reviewers. Is it really such a bad thing to say a wine is just basic? Or horrid as the case may be. Not much room for spurring on improvement, let alone honesty, when doing a patsy job.

There is little doubt the numerical scoring system abets this maddeningly concertinaed state of affairs. So call us indecisive women (and I don't doubt we have been called worse) and wary of falling into the same trap, we have now amended our scoring system to include arrows up and down, indicating where in the sliding scale of quality, the wine in question falls. This adds a bit of extra depth to our scoring system of choice and hopefully conveys a more accurate impression of our assessments.

Tohu www.tohuwines.co.nz

2009 Tohu Sauvignon Blanc

Marlborough

$16.00

17.0

Tohu relaunched in 2009 with smart new labels and packaging which whilst still reflecting its Maori connections, also made the bottle look more contemporary. The 2009 Tohu Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc has a pretty and inviting nose of nettles, ripe stonefruit and the unique Marlborough fresh sweat character. The palate is crisp and bright with lovely purity and offers grassy, capsicum notes alongside ripe almost tropical fruit. A crunchy, dry finish.

Astrolabe www.astrolabewines.co.nz

2009 Voyage Sauvignon Blanc	Marlborough	$21.95	18.0
2009 Discovery Kekerengu Coast Sauvignon Blanc	Marlborough	$25.95	18.0
2009 Discovery Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc	Marlborough	$23.95	19.0
2009 Experience Astrolabe Farm Riesling	Marlborough	$17.95	19.0
2009 Discovery Kekerungu Coast Pinot Gris	Marlborough	$25.95	17.0
2008 Experience The Rocks Pinot Gris	Marlborough	$34.95	17.5

Most of our experience with Astrolabe wines has come through tasting the wines via the show system so it was delightful to be sent a small selection of whites with representatives from the three ranges - Voyage, Discovery and Experience.

It isn't especially obvious at first glance to see how the three tiers fit together, compounded by their being all quite closely (and sharply) priced. Rather than take the usual Marlborough labelling approach (cheaper and cheerful label = entry level, smarter = mid tier, totally over the top = premium), the wines are all beautifully presented with stylish labels and heritage callligraphy fonts. But after some detective work, and full use of the winery website, we managed to uncover the fact that the ranges are separated by an approach in style rather than the more typical 'quality' tiers, with the Voyage range representing textbook Marlborough, the Discovery range highlighting vineyard/sub-regional fruit character and the Experience range more winemaker driven.

We thought we had it sorted, but then found the Experience Astrolabe Farm Riesling to be much less expensive than the Voyage Dry Riesling which threw a spanner in the works, so we abandoned understanding the various subtleties and got on with tasting the wines.

Simon Waghorn's reputation rests upon his deft touch with sauvignon blanc and from these three wines tasted above it is easy to see why. The 2009 Astrolabe Voyage Sauvignon Blanc is a blend of the three sub-regions, combining to produce a delicious wine that displays a bold nose with lots of fresh peas, gooseberry, pineapple and fresh mown grass. Just a hint of fresh sweat. The palate has good weight and nice texture and the finish is crisp and assured. The 2009 Astrolabe Discovery Kekerengu Coast Sauvignon Blanc has received fulsome praise from the wine media and it is easy to see why with its understated yet immensely pungent nose with lovely smoky, citrus peel aromatics leading to a rich, almost creamy palate packed with nettles and grapefruit, lovely balanced acidity and a smart pithy finish.

But for us, our hearts were won by the immensely stylish and delicious 2009 Astrolabe Discovery Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc which offered all of the previous wine's best points as well as the distinctive Awatere Valley thumbprint - crisp, green capsicum, new mown grass, nettley aromatics, fine mineral palate and a beautifully judged vein of acidity. It would be hard to find a better example of 2009 Marlborough sauvignon than this.

It was indeed treat jostling with treat as when the rieslings line-up was unveiled - and we discovered that our highest scoring wine was again an Astrolabe: the 2009 Astrolabe Experience Astrolabe Farm Riesling - and it was indeed an experience. This is a masterful example of the New Zealand take on the Mosel-style. It could be easy to overlook a wine such as this with its delicacy, purity and low (9%) alcohol level but if ever there was a mouthful of wine you were tempted to swallow in a tasting this was it. Poised and graceful with harmonious integration of fruit, alcohol and acidity, this was the wine we looked forward to drinking at the end of the day.

On to the brace of pinots gris. First up was the 2009 Astrolabe Discovery Kekerungu Coast Pinot Gris which ticked all the boxes as one would expect from a well crafted Marlborough Pinot Gris: ripe fruit, silky texture, very appealing. The 2008 Astrolabe Experience The Rocks Marlborough Pinot Gris, as befitting the ethos of the label, is a different take altogether on the variety. A degree of barrel fermentation has been very nicely judged and has allowed varietal expression to shine through whilst adding extra texture, weight and complexity. An impressive selection of wines.

The Ned www.thened.co.nz

2009 Pinot Gris	Marlborough	$19.00	16.5↑
2009 Sauvignon Blanc	Marlborough	$19.00	16.0

Pinot Gris is still continuing its reign as a crowd pleaser and it would be fair to say that Marlborough seems to be providing most of the popular examples. The Ned label seems to have established itself making textbook examples of Marlborough's key varieties and accordingly, the 2009 The Ned Marlborough Pinot Gris is a classic example with spicy white peach and fresh pear fruit, off-dry and a nice, crisp finish. The wine is a tad pink in colour, suggesting some extended skin contact had occurred and there is a hint of phenolics on the finish but this doesn’t detract too much from its clean, rather appealing style. The 2009 The Ned Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is similarly classic with a passionfruit pineapple grassy nose and a mineral crisp palate. Nice but just lacking a bit of intensity though an appealing dry finish and reasonable length.

Marisco www.marisco.co.nz

2009 Sauvignon Blanc	Marlborough	$22.95	16.0
2009 Pinot Gris	Marlborough	$22.95	15.0

Our feelings already having been made clear about the enormous rafts of PR palaver that accompanies so many new range launches, we shall spare you our thoughts on the oversized, glossy spiral-bound book that arrived with the first two Marisco wines. That said, we did chortle at the premise of Marisco - The Mayflower of Marlborough - who would have been expecting a direct line to Marlborough from 1204?? All jokes aside, what we did find curious is the positioning of the range. Leaving the pomp, ceremony and tenuous royal connections, it seems to be positioned very close to The Ned - surely Brent Marris doesn’t intend cannibalising its sales? It is hard to know as neither the glossy book nor website sheds any real light.

So, what of the wines? So far the sauvignon and pinot gris are the only releases, with a chardonnay and pinot noir due for release in the not too distant future. The 2009 Marisco Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is a solid example with a punchy, classic nose - vibrant fruit with a slightly sweaty armpit on the nose, crisp acidity and crunchy fruit on the plate though alas, a little dilute. The 2009 Marisco Marlborough Pinot Gris is distinctly pink in the glass and has a unfortunate whiff of esters on the nose. Fruit is mostly stonefruit and citrus with a slightly phenolic, grippy palate finished off with very crisp acidity. Not altogether a successful effort - in this instance you would be better off saving $5 and buying the much more cheerful The Ned version.

Martinborough Vineyards www.martinborough-vineyard.com

2008 Pinot Gris	Martinborough	$40.00	17.0
2007 Chardonnay	Martinborough	$40.00	18.0
2008 Te Tera Pinot Noir	Martinborough	$32.00	17.0 ↑
2007 Pinot Noir	Martinborough	$70.00	18.5

It must be a hard act, taking over the winemaking reins at one of Martinborough's more established and highly awarded wineries but Paul Mason is proving to be a deft and assured pair of hands, and he continues to refine and polish the house style. The 2008 Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Gris is made in an attractive, crisp style, with good ripeness of fruit, fairly light but nicely balanced. The 2007 Martinborough Vineyard Chardonnay has that immediate 'hubba hubba' style, with a bold nose of struck match, oatmeal, toasted nuts and a medley of stonefruit and citrus. Needless to say we plunged our noses into the glass and inhaled deeply. The palate did not disappoint with rich fruit nicely tempered by savoury oak and a delicious mealy, nutty finish that was satisfyingly dry. In a way an almost old-fashioned sort of chardonnay but done with panache.

Martinborough the region and the vineyard both have justifiably renowned reputations for good pinot noir and it is no surprise from this showing. The 2008 Martinborough Vineyards Te Tera Pinot Noir is surely one of the better value pinots out there with a spicy nose laden with poached berries, strawberry jam and vanilla and a supple, sweet fruited palate that finishes with finely judged acidity. This is a very attractive and complete wine. As one would expect, its big brother the 2007 Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir is a step up in concentration and richness while retaining a sappy, stemmy character that adds balance, texture and interest to the wine. The dense black cherry fruit has a savoury, earthy depth to it that continued to open well in the glass suggesting a wine that will develop well with some bottle age. Delicious.

Rockburn Wines www.rockburn.co.nz

2009 Sauvignon Blanc	Central Otago	$22.00	14.0
2009 Pinot Gris	Central Otago	$23.00	17.0
2008 Parkburn Riesling	Central Otago	$22.00	15.0
2009 Rosé	Central Otago		15.0
2008 Pinot Noir	Central Otago	$36.00	17.5

While Central Otago has produced some memorable sauvignon blancs, on the balance the region's naturally high acidity when combined with that of the variety's can make for some fairly bracing results. The 2009 Rockburn Sauvignon Blanc is very grassy with some green gooseberry and has piercing acidity that combined with the lean fruit

make for a rather austere wine. Much more appealing is the 2009 Rockburn Pinot Gris with its white peach and nectarine nose and spicy pear palate. This time the acidity adds a crisp freshness to the wine and balances the just off-medium residual sugar. Nice intensity and moderate length leave a satisfying final impression. Alas, the 2008 Rockburn Parkburn Riesling is not quite as successful, light and dry, it lacks the fruit intensity to carry the firm acidity whilst the 2009 Rockburn Rosé is pleasant if slightly undistinguished with strawberry candy floss fruit and a slightly sweet/sour character. The 2008 Rockburn Pinot Noir finished off the range on a high note with a softly fragrant nose of red and black berryfruit, spice and some enticing forest floor. Medium bodied with the silky sweet Central fruit profile nicely balanced by a light sappy gaminess. A mixed bag.

Saint Clair www.saintclair.co.nz

2009 Pioneer Block 9 Big John Riesling	Marlborough	$21.00	17.0 .↓
2008 Pinoeer Block 12 Lone Gum Gewurztraminer	Marlborough	$21.00	17.0 ↑
2008 Pioneer Block 15 Strip Block Pinot Noir	Marlborough	$32.00	17.0

Saint Clair now make an almost bewilderingly large range of wines mostly due to the ever-expanding Pioneer Block series but you have to take your hat off to them for keeping quality and general appeal high. They are very user-friendly wines and the sort you could safely order at dinner or take along to a bbq knowing that most people are going to like them.↓

The 2009 Saint Clair Pioneer Block 9 Big John Riesling has a nose of orange blossom, lime and some kero/toast hints and a sweet, ripely fruited palate, reined in by firm acidity, though perhaps not quite enough enough to balance the residual sugar? The 2008 Saint Clair Pioneer Block 12 Lone Gum Gewurztraminer is a rather heady affair with all the floral spice, roses and Turkish Delight you could hope for plus plenty of honeysuckle and ginger beer too. Persistant fruit on the palate, a certain lightness of touch despite the exotic richness and nice length make for a good example albeit in a very definitive style. The 2008 Saint Clair Pioneer Block 15 Strip Block Pinot Noir has plenty of red currant, cherry and plum fruit with some forest floor and toasty oak. A nice sappy thread cuts through the rich fruit which teamed with balanced acidity makes for attractive drinking.

Sacred Hill www.sacredhill.com

2009 Halo Sauvignon Blanc	Marlborough	$24.00	15.5
2009 Halo Pinot Gris	Marlborough	$25.00	17.0↑
2008 Halo Chardonnay	Hawke's Bay	$24.00	16.0
2008 Halo Syrah	Hawke's Bay	$24.00	16.5↑
2008 Halo Pinot Noir	Marlborough	$24.00	15.0

The smartly-labelled Halo range of wines is a new release from the ever-reliable and popular Sacred Hill winery. Going by price, the Halo range appears to sit in Sacred Hill’s hierarchy above the (rather confusingly named) entry-level Reserve range, a few dollars a bottle below than the restaurant and cellar door-only Wine Thief range, with the top of the line wines including the illustrious Rifleman’s Chardonnay and Helmsman Cabernet Merlot coming under the Special Selection label. One has to wonder why New Zealanders claim to be so confused by Old World wines when many of our own producers have portfolios of wines that leave one scratching one’s head and delving into the website for guidance.
That said, the wines offer a fairly solid if unexceptional range across the most popular varieties. The 2009 Sacred Hill Halo Sauvignon Blanc has the hallmark grassily pungent Marlborough character but we found this wine to be rather light and quite austere, and not offering as good value as the Reserve range’s Marlborough sauvignon. However, the 2009 Sacred Hill Halo Pinot Gris, also made from Marlborough fruit was more successful: prettily fragrant with lovely intensity and richness, it is a textbook example that will doubtless deliver all imbibers have come to expect from the label and the variety. Sacred Hill has a long and distinguished reputation as one of Hawke’s Bay’s (and New Zealand’s) best producers of chardonnay and the 2008 Sacred Hill Halo Chardonnay is a classic peaches and cream number, with nice underlying oat biscuit and oak notes. The palate has bright fruit, quite firm acidity and a citrus fruit finish. Moderate intensity and length complete the picture. Moving on to the reds… Fruit for the 2008 Sacred Hill Halo Syrah hails from Hawke’s Bay and the wine displays a crème de cassis nose alongside blueberry and spice. The palate is ripe but nicely savoury and dry with moderate intensity and body and good length. Textbook if a little soulless but still offering good value. Sacred Hill have clearly decided not to join those pioneering Hawke’s Bay pinot noir and fruit for the 2008 Sacred Hill Halo Pinot Noir has instead been sourced from Marlborough (and their top label Prospector Pinot Nor is from Central Otago). The wine is light-bodied and as with the sauvignon, slightly austere in style which seems to show its 14% alcohol a little, with cherry and red currant fruit, light herbal notes and some creaminess from the (French) oak on the palate.

Gibbston Valley www.gvwines.co.nz

2008 Expressionist Series Gewurztraminer	Central Otago	$45.00	17.0
2008 Pinot Blanc	Central Otago	$28.00	17.0
2008 Le Fou Riesling	Central Otago	$35.00	16.0↑
2008 Reserve Chardonnay	Central Otago	$32.00	17.5
2008 Le Mineur d'Orient Pinot Noir	Central Otago	$55.00	17.0
2008 Reserve Pinot Noir	Central Otago	$100.00	17.5

Gibbston Valley is an established identity in the Central Otago landscape and has been producing wines of renown for many years. A change of hands in the winemaking department suggests a slight change in style but a sure and capable one at that.

The 2008 Gibbston Valley Expressionist Series Gewurztraminer has a rather pretty and enticing bouquet of lychee, white flowers and gentle spiciness with an overall fresh light character. The palate continues this lightness of touch and also offers a slight creaminess, nicely persistent with some residual sugar this is an enjoyable drop. Rather pricey.

Pinot blanc is a seldom seen variety in New Zealand, far overshadowed by its fashionable cousin pinot gris so we were pleasantly surprised to see the label of this wine - and happily Gibbston Valley have made a good fist of it. The 2008 Gibbston Valley Pinot Blanc displays an attractive rice pudding, lemon and oatmeal nose laced with vanillin stonefruit. The palate is subtle and balanced with a nice chalkiness to the ripe stonefruit, almond butter and again that oatmeal undertone. Good length.

Germany is producing a greater range of wine styles than ever before but here in NZ we tend to call any lower alcohol, higher residual sugar riesling 'germanic'. That said, this style of wine is beginning to take off here and fits quite well with the climate and fruit profile especially the cooler sites. The 2008 Gibbston Valley Le Fou Riesling, with only 9% alcohol and 40g/L residual sugar, has a bright lively character with floral lime sherbet fruit and crisp granny smith acidity. Relatively light with some lovely mineral notes; a pleasing example, again though rather on the pricey side considering the competition. Chardonnay from Central Otago can be a mixed bag but thankfully the 2008 Gibbston Valley Reserve Chardonnay was firmly in the good drinking camp. The nose offers up plenty of subtle and attractive stonefruit and honeydew melon. This is an elegant wine, quite delicate and fruit-driven but with some nice complexity and a lovely balance and length. A dry savoury finish completes the picture and leaves one wanting more – always a good thing in our book.

Onwards then, to the reds. The 2008 Gibbston Valley Le Mineur d'Orient Pinot Noir is numbered bottle, limited release wine with fruit coming from a single vineyard (Chinaman’s Terrace) in the increasingly sought-after Bendigo sub-region. It has an ultra-spicy ripe nose with plenty of blackberry and raspberry fruit. There is a cedary oak note on the nose and some evident on the palate but there is enough ripe spicy fruit to carry it. Despite this seeming opulence this is still quite a subtle wine in a lighter style with good texture and length. Slight heat on the finish.

Despite garnering lots of favourable press over the years, past vintages of Gibbston Reserve Pinot seemed to be marred by excessive oak which spoiled the delicate fruit expression found in Gibbston. So it was a nice to reveal the label of the 2008 Gibbston Valley Reserve Pinot Noir and see our notes made no mention of obtrusive oak at all (perhaps then it won’t be as successful elsewhere??). Either way, this offers the same sort of bold nose as the previous wine with lots of ripe red and black berry fruit, plenty of spice as well as floral hints . The palate is smooth with a rich velvety texture, some extract but you can imagine this being a real crowd-pleaser (except perhaps for the price tag). Quintessential Central Otago uber-pinot, but charming with it.

Lawson's Dry Hills www.lawsonsdryhills.co.nz

2009 Pinot Gris	Marlborough	$25.95	16.0
2009 Sauvignon Blanc	Marlborough	$21.95	15.5

The nose of the 2009 Lawson’s Dry Hills Pinot Gris is fragrant and peachy with baked pear and vanillin spice. Residual sugar gives weight but ripe fruit balances this relatively simple but nevertheless appealing wine. Good length, though perhaps leaning on sugar a little. By contrast the 2009 Lawson’s Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc is positively austere in style. The nose has some tropical fruit salad and melon notes but the palate is dry, grassy and herbaceous, accompanying by a curious pine needle character that seems to clip the finish a bit short. Lawson’s is usually a reliable label that sometimes scales the heights of greatness particularly with aromatic whites so it was surprising to see this off-note.

Muddy Water www.muddywater.co.nz

2009 Dry Riesling	Waipara	$29.00	16.5
2008 Unplugged Riesling	Waipara	$29.00	17.5
2008 James Hardwick Riesling	Waipara	$29.00	17.5↑

Muddy Water have established a reputation for producing stylish riesling and the three on offer give consumers a choice of styles as well as suggest the winery is passionate about expressing the variety’s many faces. The 2009 Muddy Water Dry Riesling has a crisp nose with limes, white stonefruit and mandarin peel (slight hint of reduction that dissipates fairly quickly) and some nice mineral/beeswax notes. The palate is lively and fresh, very limey with some underlying nectarine, very dry and firm so may not appeal to all but nicely done. A balanced wine with reasonable length suggesting it should improve in the bottle over the next few years. The 2008 Muddy Water Riesling Unplugged has masses of floral, honey and intense ripe citrus and stonefruit, plus a slightly developed creamy note that makes it seem a little more developed than one would expect from the vintage (botrytis influence?). The palate is rich in fruit and sugar and there is good length. Quite a particular style, perhaps best enjoyed as a palate cleanser between main and pudding or with fresh fruit, but an enjoyable wine nonetheless. The final riesling of the trio was the 2008 Muddy Water James Hardwick Riesling, which had plenty of dissolved CO2 in the glass and a very pure, forward nose of lime blossom and marmalade. This is more an off-dry/medium style if that makes sense and with its poised acidity and ripe fruit was perhaps the most accessible of the three as well as being a very smart wine in its own right. Very good length.

Jackson Estate www.jacksonestate.co.nz

2009 Stich Sauvignon Blanc	Marlborough	$21.00	16.5
2008 Stich Sauvignon Blanc	Marlborough	$21.00	17.5
2008 Shelter Belt Chardonnay	Marlborough	$22.50	16.5
2008 Vintage Widow Pinot Noir	Marlborough	$40.00	17.0

Jackson Estate often seems to fly under the radar a little and yet has a long history and good pedigree making some smart wine. Aiming for a more focused style, the wines are sometimes easy to pass over at first glance but given time to unfold in the glass offer elegant, textured examples of Marlborough's flagship varieties. The 2009 Jackson Estate Stich Sauvignon Blanc has a nose strongly reminiscent of boiled sweeties accompanied by plenty of tropical pineapple and passionfruit. The palate is lighter-bodied with lemon, cut grass and capsicum. Moderate intensity and length, this is world’s away from the big sweaty sweet styles currently popular but easier to drink because of it. It was interesting to be able to compare two vintages of the same sauvignon alongside one another (indicative of the times?) and the 2008 Jackson Estate Stich Sauvignon Blanc has a similar character to the 2009 with its lighter body and relatively elegant style but then a much more crisp, herbal nose with lots of gooseberry, ripe capsicum and pineapple. It is almost classic old-school Marlborough and has a lovely texture and good length. At the moment, it is the more appealing of the two and perhaps belies the commonly held belief that of the fresher the better for the style (the thiols vs. methoxypyrazine debate perhaps?). The 2008 Jackson Estate Shelter Belt Chardonnay has soft peachy fruit with underlying fresh straw and golden delicious apples. Rather inviting and leads to a elegant palate, fruit driven with nice balance; this is enjoyable drinking. The 2008 Jackson Estate Vintage Widow Pinot Noir has an attractive sappy, stemmy nose with lots of red berry fruit and some nice spice, very pure pinot character. The palate also has that attractive stemminess which in turn balances the ripe rich fruit. Sour cherry finish with a nice savoury note, this is a label that is developing into a very smart expression of the Marlborough style.

Couper's Shed

2008 Pinot Gris	Hawke's Bay	$18.00	16.0
2008 Syrah	Hawke's Bay	$23.00	16.5↑

We were both very surprised when we unmasked the bottles to see this was the 2009 Couper's Shed Hawke's Bay Pinot Gris, a wine that has received glowing reviews and the 2009 Air New Zealand WIne Awards Trophy in the pinot gris class. We found quite pretty with baked fruit, honeyed quinces and medium sweetness. A nicely made wine in a popular style but its slightly beery finish and perhaps reliance on sugar over real fruit intensity let it down a bit. It is a smartly made and undeniably appealing wine that will find favor with many, but it is hard to believe that this is really the cream of the crop?

Following on in the crowd-pleasing style, the 2008 Coupers Shed Hawke's Bay Syrah has a cracked black pepper and dark berry aroma, moderately concentrated pallet with silky tannins and a faintly stalky edge. Bright and appealing, this offers good value.

Misha’s Vineyard www.mishasvineyard.com

2009 ‘Limelight’ Riesling	Central Otago	$26.00	17.0
2009 ‘Dress Circle’ Pinot Gris	Central Otago	$27.00	17.0
2009 ‘The Gallery’ Gewurztraminer	Central Otago	$28.00	18.0
2008 ‘The High Note’ Pinot Noir	Central Otago	$45.00	17.5↑

As mentioned in the previous review of the Misha’s Vineyard Gewurztraminer, this new label from Central Otago is an accomplished range from a switched-on producer. With vineyards in the well regarded sub-region of Bendigo, and a talented crew on board, it will be interesting to see how the label progresses. The 2009 Misha’s Vineyard ‘Limelight’ Riesling has a pretty floral nose with lime/orange blossom, slightly chalky sherbet notes and a surprisingly weighty palate. Crisp acidity gives a nice limey edge and a flinty minerality adds a bit of complexity to the fresh youthfulness. The 2009 Misha’s Vineyard ‘Dress Circle’ Pinot Gris sits firmly into the bold and spicy camp and has plenty of fruit sweetness though with only 5g/L residual sugar it is on the dryish side. Lots of stonefruit and ripe citrus notes (grapefruit, mandarin, candied limes) with crisp acidity and a nice pithy finish. Good balance, though the 14.8% alcohol contributes a slight headiness to the finish, and nice length. Completing a trio of aromatics is the 2009 Misha’s Vineyard ‘The Gallery’ Gewurztraminer with its spicy Turkish Delight and floral notes, a palate that combines oily weight with balanced acidity and a lovely savoury dry finish. Misha’s Vineyard has engaged the talented Olly Masters as their winemaker and his skilled hand is apparent in the 2008 Misha’s Vineyard ‘The High Note’ Pinot Noir combines the exuberantly bold and spicy nose laced with sweet dark cherry and ripe black and red berry fruit one has come to expect from Central Otago with a more savoury dense undercurrent of his former stomping ground of Martinborough. This sappy savoury character is also predominant on the palate alongside dark berryfruit, anise and liquorice and gives denseness and at this stage a certain tightness to the wine. This is nice as it adds a more serious feel than the often superficially attractive but in time cloying character of Central pinot. There is just a touch of heat to the finish (14.2%) which a bit of a pity but perhaps might not bother some.

Black Barn www.blackbarn.com

2009 Sauvignon Blanc	Hawke's Bay	$25.00	15.0
2007 Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc	Hawke's Bay	$30.00	16.5
2009 Pinot Gris	Hawke's Bay	$25.00	16.5
2007 Single Vineyard Riesling	Hawke's Bay	$25.00	15.5↑
2008 Pinot Noir	Hawke's Bay	$32.00	17.0
2008 Syrah	Hawke's Bay	$32.00	17.5↑

Black Barn are now a rather established identity in Hawke's Bay between their range of wines, successful farmers' market and smart accommodation. It would also be hard to meet a more genial, likeable fellow than winemaker Dave McKee. So we were slightly dismayed to unveil the 2009 Black Barn TukiTuki Sauvignon Blanc with its odd sort of air freshener notes (pine/cedar?) which are difficult to get past; the palate is sweet fruited, with a mainly tropical focus and that same slightly Retsina-ish finish. things perked up with the 2007 Black Barn Barrel Fermented Sauvignon Blanc which has a nose of soft grassy fruit and gentle, older oak. There is a slightly oxidative character (similar on palate) but nothing unpleasant by any means. A lightly tropical/herbaceous palate with spicy oaked finish, this is a different take but is rather more successful and one can just imagine it as a perfect food wine too. The 2009 Black Barn Pinot Gris offers a pretty nose of peach, baked quince, apple crumble and spice/vanilla leading to a soft and fragrant apple pie palate with a nice texture and moderate length. Very pleasant and easy to drink. A different kettle of fish is the 2007 Black Barn Single Vineyard Riesling, showing a golden colour indicative of its bottle age and a nice floral focused nose with attractive hints of kero around edges. Light bodied palate with moderate fruit intensity, settling into bottle well, but perhaps just lacking real balance and poise. The merits of Hawke's Bay pinot noir has been a topic of much discussion round the IWM tasting table and though the 2008 Black Barn Hawke's Bay Pinot Noir is a nice wine, it would be fair to say the just is still out. Plenty of vanillin oak and sweet brambly fruit though at this point the oak rather dominates, leaving slightly bitter finish on palate. By comparison, syrah seems a more natural fit and accordingly, the 2008 Black Barn Hawke's Bay Syrah shows an intensely spiced nose with lots of pepper and again cedary oak though this time it is better matched with the fruit. Good ripe, rounded palate of blackberry, blueberry, plums and nicely balanced oak lending a vanillin finish. Quite a bit of oomph, youthful and fresh.

Carrick www.carrick.co.nz

2008 Crown and Cross Pinot Noir

Central Otago

$34.00

16.5

Previous tastings of Carrick have given a mixed bag of results which is also a fair description of how the 2008 Carrick Crown and Cross Pinot Noir showed this time round. The nose gives a slightly rubbery toasty oak which tends to slightly dominate fruit, a shame as there is an underlying succulent fruit apparent on the palate which also shows good texture and length. Pity about the nose as the rest of the wine is pretty smart – perhaps another bottle may have been better?

Nautilus Estate www.nautilusestate.com

2008 Sauvignon Blanc