Despite the popular belief that wine writers have their noses continuously in the trough, sometimes Emma and I do pay our own way and go to tastings just for the sheer hell of it.
Waiheke's Obsidian Vineyard advertised a 'Super 14 Syrah' tasting that appealed to me greatly for two reasons; firstly it was to be held at Eden Park (so only a short dash from home) and secondly with a ticket price of $50, it was unbelievable value.
Two flights of syrah were served blind and tasters asked to comment. What became apparent was that ( surprise, surprise) there was no clear favourite and everyone seemed to like a particular style of wine, be it glossy and new world-ish or savoury and European. And before all the NZ syrah producers jump up and down and proclaim that they can make savoury, French inspired wines - well perhaps they can. But on Saturday's showing, the New Zealand wines were defined by their pure sweet fruit character, whilst the French wines seemed to rely on acidity for structure rather than tannin.
The tasting was well organised. Michael Wood, Obsidian's winemaker, was a good host, giving plenty of background information and his opinions on the wine but who was also keen to hear the thoughts of others. Certainly no grandstanding nor over eager consumers desperate to share their thoughts. There wasn't much discussion on how the wines had been selected; no doubt it what was available in NZ, a range of appellations and also prices.
According to Lindsay Spilman, the tasting was oversubscribed so my advice would be to email Janet (janet@obsidian.co.nz) and asked to be put on the mailing list as this tasting was a 'test run' one and Spilman hopes to organise more in the future.
2008 Te Mata Bullnose Syrah : Deep youthful ruby with a violet rim. Muted aromas; black pepper, plum. A little fresh meat. Brightly fruited. Supple tannins. Still fairly primary and pure, not a great deal of development as yet. Could be approached now though really 3-5 years.
2008 Crozes Hermitage, Maxime Graillot : I am a huge fan of Graillot pere despite a bottle of 1990 Graillot Crozes being responsible for one of my worse ever hangovers. . . and so I was interested to taste the wine made by his son Maxime. Deep ruby. Tight on the nose; black pepper, school ink, Dense yet also some attractive flora/blueberry. Firm acid in entry, ripe tannins yet not too big or blocky. Still needs time. $40 = amazing value.
2008 Obsidian Syrah : This was the favourite wine of the flight for many of the tasters; dark berry fruit, some pepper and spice. Tighter than the 09, some oak but well handled.
2006 Seppelts St Peters Shiraz : an odd wine. Nose has started to develop some secondary notes of mocha and coffee bean but there is an underlying eucalyptus and green bean character too. Raspberry cordial. Unconvincing and almost $50 too.
2006 Cornas les Vires Cuilleron : Deep ruby. School ink, aniseed but a touch of brett that is this case isn't attractive but instead adds a medicinal, chlorine note. Palate is better but still a thread of hardness.
2009 Weeping Sands Syrah : Youthful ruby. Slightly heavy handed with the oak, but pretty aromas underneath with lots of violets, blueberry and damson. A floral style that really needs a little longer in bottle.
2005 Saint Joseph les Royes, Domaine Courbis : Youthful ruby. Complex aromas starting to develop, forest floor, liquorice, plum and roasting meat. Palate less evolved with acid and tannin still unresolved.
2007 Cote Rotie Seigneur de Maurigon, Delas : Aromas of forest floor, cinnamon, violets but also a touch of pine forest too. Real core of fruit sweetness but slightly masked by acid at this stage. Good length.
2009 Obsidian Syrah : Very deep purple. Vibrant exotic plum and black pepper. Plenty of new oak but balanced by luscious, plump fruit. Glossy and ripe. Too young, but should be a cracker in time.
2006 Cote Rotie Terres Sombres : Absolutely delicious. Earth, forest floor, roast meat and fresh liver. Some oak but muted. High acidity dominates but dusty tannins too. An old fashioned style of wine but still with lovely fruit purity
2006 Clonakilla Shiraz Viognier : I am a huge fan of Tim Kirk so was slightly surprised by this wine. Quite a feral undertow and an almost 'warm cat fur' aroma. Exotic spices, star anise especially. Soft and inviting, it just didn't catch my eye on the day.
2005 Cornas Les Eygats Domaine Courbis : A pure yet almost exotic aroma; very lifted and fruit forward. Curry leaf and soy sauce plus blueberry and dark plum. Dusty, chewy tannins, firm acidity, just a little tough. Needs longer for the palate to catch up with the nose.
2007 Hermitage Marquise de la Tourette : Youthful ruby. Starting to develop some secondary aromas; camphor, forest floor, black pepper and a sneaky touch of brett. The palate a little tough and unyieldy and the alcohol just poking through.
2007 Trinity Hill Homage : What a fascinating pair of Hawke's Bay wines to bookend the tasting. The Trinity Hill couldn't be further away from the Te Mata in style. Plump, exotic and super ripe with masses of dark plum, raspberry and black cherry fruit. Proof that although John Hancock is a shadow of his former self (all that jogging is paying dividends) the wines are still as exuberant, lush and densely fruited as before. And no sign of the rather drying tannins that characterised some of the earlier Trinity Hill premium releases.
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