Tag Archives: New Zealand

Thomas Brothers, Greystone, Pinot Noir, 2015, Waipara, New Zealand

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Thomas Brothers, Greystone, Pinot Noir, 2015, Waipara, New Zealand

Thomas Brothers, Greystone, Pinot Noir, 2015, Waipara, New Zealand

 

Quite wonderful is how I would describe this Pinot Noir from the Thomas Brothers. Read the below if you want but this is the Pinot to get for special occasions, at £50 a bottle it’s not cheap. There’s flawless integration of tannins, red fruit, oak, with hints of chocolate and leather. There’s a smoothness to this dry red wine where nothing is out of place and a desire just to sip and enjoy.

 

It only got a bronze at the Decanter World Wine Awards which I think is more down to price than quality. I loved this wine.

Amisfield, Pinot Noir, Central Otago, 2014, New Zealand

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Amisfield, Pinot Noir, Central Otago, 2014, New Zealand

Amisfield, Pinot Noir, Central Otago, 2014, New Zealand

 

New Zealand Pinot Noir has a very good reputation and this 2014 from Amisfield shows why. There’s plenty of red and black fruit aromas and flavours with cherry being dominant but there are notes of chocolate, leather, coffee and an under lying earthiness to it all. Dry, smooth and quite light this is great on its own or with food, we had it with turkey and thought it paired very well.at £40 a bottle it’s not cheap.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The King’s Desire, Pinot Noir Rose, 2020, Marlborough, New Zealand

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The King's Desire, Pinot Noir Rose, 2020, Marlborough, New Zealand

The King’s Desire, Pinot Noir Rose, 2020, Marlborough, New Zealand

New Zealand Pinot Noir has a very good reputation, but things are changing and cheaper wines, especially pinot noir from New Zealand, are starting to come on the market. This is good if the quality can keep up with the lower price but I think this is an example where it’s slid in the wrong direction.

Its dry and crisp.  You get aromas and flavours of raspberry and redcurrant but it’s a little bit on a flat side and a bit one dimensional. Normally New Zealand Pinot Noir has been at a much higher standard. At £13 a bottle, for a single bottle at majestic, its way over priced but at £8 bottle mix it’s fair value it’s hard to fault it at that price.

Eradus, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand

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Eradus, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand

Eradus, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is pretty much in gained into British wine drinking society now and for good reason which this one from Eradus shows. Tropical flavours of pineapple, lemon, grapefruit and peach with a little green apple and gooseberry all nicely tied together. It’s dry,  crisp and perfect for summer.

At £15 a bottle it’s possibly a little over priced but it’s a good solid Sauvignon Blanc.

 

Marisco, Pride and Glory, Sauvignon Blanc, 2015, New Zealand

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Marisco, Pride and Glory, Sauvignon Blanc, 2015, New Zealand

Marisco, Pride and Glory, Sauvignon Blanc, 2015, New Zealand

This is the first Sauvignon Blanc from Marisco that I have tried and and the name is quite correct, they can certainly claim pride and glory in what they produced.

You get tropical notes with a bit of gooseberry a little butter and vanilla on the nose and flavours that are subtle reasonably complex but well integrated hint of oak finishes this off and it’s certainly an excellent wine it’s just a shame at £35 a bottle it’s out of reach of most people. The one that is equally as good and half the price that should be tried is the Greywacke standard range Sauvignon Blanc.

Anthony Joseph Vidal, Legacy, Syrah, 2014, New Zealand

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Anthony Joseph Vidal can make wine, good wine but at £30 a bottle it needs to be really good.

This Legacy, Syrah from the Hawks Bay area has some fine qualities. There are aromas of plum and raspberry with notes of spice, for the flavours get more darker fruits Oak and some very fine tannings which are slightly out of balance with the fruit flavour.  On the plus side I got no hangover after having an entire bottle of this wine one evening, which shows this is pretty good, it’s just not £10 good.

 

Anthony Joseph Vidal, Legacy, Syrah, 2014, New Zealand

Anthony Joseph Vidal, Legacy, Syrah, 2014, New Zealand

O:TU, Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand

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O:TU, Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand

O:TU, Sauvignon Blanc, New Zealand

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, love it or hate it, its a Marmite wine. This one from O:TU is very good, not outstanding but theres lots to like about it.

Its a dry, acidic white with decent body and length of flavour. There are aromas and flavours of lemon, lime, grapefruit and gooseberry with a little green apple and hints of ripe melon.

Its no Greywacke but its a decent wine.

Crossroads, Milestone Series, Pinot Noir, 2016, New Zealand

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There’s lots of New Zealand Pinot Noir out there, some cheap and some expensive and this Crossroads, Milestone Series is a cheaper one, under £10 a bottle. It dry, pretty smooth, light with aromas of redcurrant, tobacco hints that are followed by flavours of strawberries and hints of plum and vanilla.

It’s what you would have mid week or as a second bottle at an evening dinner party. It’s nice but not excellent.

Crossroads, Milestone Series, Pinot Noir, 2016, New Zealand

Crossroads, Milestone Series, Pinot Noir, 2016, New Zealand

Stoneleigh, Repaura Series, Chardonnay, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand

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New Zealand does great Pinot Noir and pretty good Sauvignon Blanc. It can do Chardonnay but this one from Stoneleigh, Repaura Series, Chardonnay is not one to drink. The aromas are oak followed by oak followed by oak. There are notes of condensed lemon in the nose but not a great initial feeling. It doesn’t get any better when you taste it, far too much oak. The wife thinks it should have been laid down for a few more years and that should allow the flavours to come out.

At £10 a bottle is not expensive for NZ wine but for a drink now wine it doesn’t work.

Stoneleigh, Repairs Series, Chardonnay, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand

Stoneleigh, Repaura Series, Chardonnay, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand

Framingham, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, New Zealand

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There are 2 types of Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand, cheap and expensive and this one from Framingham is the later. At £15 a bottle its not Greywacke Wild Sauvignon price but a lot of people will see this at twice the price of what they would expect when they taste it. At £15 you are into the standard Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc which is far superior.

There are aromas of grapefruit and gooseberry which are joined by flavours of lemon and hints of green apple. Its all a bit harsh and acid based rather than elegant. Its more like a £6.99 bottle from Tesco. Its not terrible but get a bottle of Greywacke and see the light.

Framingham, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, New Zealand

Framingham, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, New Zealand