Tag Archives: New Zealand

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

 

Kelly Washington, Sauvignon Blanc, 2017 Marlborough, New Zealand

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Kelly Washington have produced this organic Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough, New Zealand and its very good, nee excellent. Decanter gave it 92 points which is spot on, its a fresh youthful looking pale lemon in colour with plenty of sparkle. There are aromas of flint, lime, honey and a bit of smokiness in there, subtle. its not your typical sauvignon blanc from New Zealand but more french. You get flavours of gooseberry but the citrus notes and mineral freshness are what you pick up on more and its delightful.

We went to the Smokehouse in Maldon, Essex as their food is amazing and they allow BYO so the £20 a bottle retail made it worth the money, sure its not cheap but its worth it.

Kelly Washington, Sauvignon Blanc, 2017 Marlborough, New Zealand

Kelly Washington, Sauvignon Blanc, 2017 Marlborough, New Zealand

 

Lake Chalice, Falcon, Pinot Noir, 2016, New Zealand

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New Zealand has knack of doing SOME great Sauvignon Blanc and great Pinot Noir, but whats this “Falcon” Pinot Noir from Lake Chalice like?

Its light, dry and pretty smooth. You get aromas of cranberry and strawberry with redcurrant and vanilla. These feed into the taste with a little plum and cherry adding to it. All light and subtle with a beautiful smoothness that makes you want to savour this wine rather than gulp it. Its not that expensive at £15 a bottle, at the lower end of New Zealand pinot Noir and very good value.

Lake Chalice, Falcon, Pinot Noir, 2016, New Zealand

Lake Chalice, Falcon, Pinot Noir, 2016, New Zealand

Paddy Borthwick, Pinot Noir, 2014, New Zealand

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This Paddy Borthwick Pinot Noir is from Wairarapa on the south part of the north island of New Zealand. Light, smooth, dry and fabulous is how I can best describe this wine.

There are aromas of leather, cherry, redcurrant and strawberry with a oaky earthy notes in there. There are additional flavours of mushroom, plum, tobacco which are all in balance with each other, nothing too much poking through. This is a very enjoyable and very drinkable wine, recommend all year round with or without food. Cracking.

At £18 a bottle its good value for an excellent New Zealand Pinot Noir.

Paddy Borthwick, Pinot Noir, 2014, New Zealand

Paddy Borthwick, Pinot Noir, 2014, New Zealand

St Clair, Estate Selection, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand

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St Clair, Estate Selection is a Sauvignon Blanc to rival the Cloudy Bay and Greywacke Sauvignon Blanc’s, not so much for the sheer quality but for the sheer value. This is a great wine wine, nipping at the heals of the other but at a £11 a bottle, the others are double or 50% more respectively.

The aromas are grassy notes with gooseberry coming through but the tastes change that. You get ripe pineapple, followed through with gooseberry and then a bit of lime and grass poking through. Its reasonably dry but the full fruit flavours hide the dryness and the acidity. The secret is to allow the wine to warm up a little to release the flavours.

This got a bronze medal at the Internal Wine Challenage which is a little stingy, silver medal in my humble opinion evey time.

St Clair, Estate Selection, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand

    St Clair, Estate Selection, Sauvignon Blanc, 2018, Marlborough, New Zealand