I wasn't familiar with Corazon Wines so before I opened the bottles I looked through the release notes. It appeared the wines were made by a man called Shayne and the grapes for the 2009 Corazon Chardonnay came from Kumeu in West Auckland. Immediately I conjured up an impression of the wine; West Auckland = surfers, wild beaches, dazzling sunshine and Outrageous Fortune. Brash and bold, the wine was bound to taste peachy and full bodied with plenty of new oak.
Wrong, wrong , wrong.
Instead I was surprised to find a subtle, restrained chardonnay with a strong mealy/oatmeal malolactic edge. At first I wasn't sure about the wine because it was so definitely not what I was expecting. With time in the glass it really opened up, with some ripe apple and grapefruit aromas but still retaining the almost non fruity, chalky complex character. It was the sort of wine that I know would be overwhelmed by glossier, more oaky chardonnays on a wine show table but proved to be a toothsome, enjoyable glass when drunk with food; Arista al Latte to be precise.
The 2009 Corazon Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was a suitably bright, crunchy wine with an attractive lime and ripe gooseberry character whilst the 2008 Corazon Hawke's Bay Syrah was already drinking well; floral black plum and dark cherry, not too much oak and a fresh, juicy palate.
An interesting group of wines.
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