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New Zealand Wine Annual Tasting 2007 Part 2

New Zealand wine This is part two of this look at the wines of New Zealand today, facilitated by the annual Wines of New Zealand tasting which visited Edinburgh earlier this year. In part one I focussed on the white wines, mainly Sauvignon Blanc as you might expect, but also a number of other varieties, both expected and unexpected. In part two I deal with the red wines, and again we might anticipate one variety more than others here. That variety is, of course, Pinot Noir.

Indeed, there were many examples of Pinot Noir on the day; this is New Zealand's new signature wine, but whereas Sauvignon has been widely available and has usually been sold at a price within the reach of many, neither of these statements are true of Pinot Noir. This is still very much a niche wine, despite its financial significance to the wine industry. What was disheartening to see, at this tasting at least, is how many producers seem to have jumped on the Pinot bandwagon and yet have failed to back up their label with the necessary quality; there were a surprising number of wines which disappointed with coarseness, a disjointed structure and sometimes a hot and unattractive character. Fortunately, there were also some - one or two at least - which showed why New Zealand must surely now be regarded as this variety's second home after Burgundy.

Looking beyond Pinot Noir, there were a few other varieties on show; looking at this admittedly very small cohort of wines was quite depressing, and I hope isn't truly reflective of New Zealand's capabilities with Cabernet and Syrah. Nevertheless, amongst this crowd, there was a star or two, in the shape of Craggy Range. (13/12/07)

New Zealand Wine 2007 Part 2 - Tasting Notes

Tasted in November 2007. Click to locate stockists:

Palliser Estate Pinot Noir (Martinborough) 2005: This has a nicely dense colour, and this is complemented by a firm, dense, animalistic, cherry-gamey character on the nose. Full, rounded, attractive, somewhat chalky in style but with good substance and nice, direct fruit. This rises in intensity on the finish with more waves of fruit. Nicely composed wine. 16-16.5/20

Carrick Unravelled Pinot Noir (Central Otago) 2005: This cuvée accommodates the fruit of younger vines and lesser plots. It has a rather smoky, gamey nose and a feral, cherry fruit character. Firm substance on the palate, straightforward cherry fruit character, perhaps a touch coarse and bitter. Quite grippy, and quite a bit of extraction too. Slightly hot finish. Pleasant enough though. 14/20

Carrick Pinot Noir (Central Otago) 2003: This is showing maturity, with an orange-tinged rim on inspection and a hot, smoky, spicy, bacon and game character on the nose. Firmly composed, showing lots of structure and tannin, and not really an elegant style. Nicely extracted though. It seems a little top heavy. I suspect it may be better with food though. 16/20

Mount Difficulty Roaring Meg Pinot Noir (Central Otago) 2007: Fairly pale wine. This has a really attractive nose, showing dense herby, cherry fruit. There is some appropriate oak, and a little roasted meat nuance to it. Appealing. Straightforward enough at first on the palate, but showing a good composition, a good balance of fruit and acids, before rounding off in a grippy, peppery finish. This is good. 16+/20

Mount Difficulty Pinot Noir (Central Otago) 2006: A denser colour. Rather closed here, less interest than the Roaring Meg at present, showing nuances of aroma at most. On the palate there is very good structure, with good depth and an excellent, sensuous, chalk-tinged texture. Lots of appeal and substance here. When this opens up to reveal more aroma and flavour, it will be just fine. 17+/20

Craggy Range Te Muna Road Vineyard Pinot Noir (Martinborough) 2006: A rather bright, pink-cherry hue. Not a nose with a lot of impact at first, just showing some appealing cherry character, with a subtle lick of oak. The palate reveals a supple style, with lovely structure, some extract and a good texture. Lovely fruit and an admirable balance too. There is grip and also style here. Very good indeed. 17+/20

Craggy Range Te Kahu Gimblett Gravels Vineyard Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon (Hawke's Bay) 2004: This is in fact 77% Merlot, 11% Cabernet Sauvignon, 6% Malbec and 6% Cabernet Franc. A glossy, moderately dense hue, with floral notes, violets, wild herbs and a very elegant style. Supple, creamy, textured but still very elegant on the palate, with appealing flavour and a lovely, integrated composition. One of the best wines (if not the best) wines of the tasting. 17.5+/20

Hunter's Pinot Noir (Marlborough) 2006: A bright cherry-red appearance here, with cherries and spicy oaak on the nose. Rather dilute style, light in character, bitty-peppery with simple cherry fruit. There is a little gaminess, but overall this is very straightforward. 15/20

Kim Crawford Pinot Noir (Marlborough) 2006: A pale cherry-red, with bright beetroot and cherry fruit on the nose. This is another simple wine, showing a gamy character, but mostly marked by one-dimensional cherry fruit. Nevertheless it has a clean character, nice direction, and there is a little substance through the midpalate. Afterwards, though, it fades away with a slightly bitter finish. 14.5/20

Kim Crawford Small Parcel Anderson Valley Pinot Noir (Marlborough) 2005: There is a little more density here, both when looking at the colour and on the nose. Dark fruits, sweet cherry, and some oak too on a nice, open nose. It has a well defined palate, with a good texture and a backbone of moderate acidity. Appealing, ripe cherry fruit. Good potential here. 16.5+20

Ata Rangi Crimson Pinot Noir (Martinborough) 2006: Quite a pale, cherry-red hue here. Not a very expressive nose, a little beetrooty perhaps, also notes of canned strawberries, all told I don't find the aromatic profile the most appealing. A light style on the palate, lacking concentration, but with bright acidity and a nice, chalk-edged texture. This may perhaps develop more interest in bottle which would be pleasing to see. A rather resinous, slightly bitter finish. 14+/20

Ata Rangi Wild Earth Pinot Noir (Central Otago) 2005: There is a little more colour here than found in the Crimson, but it is still quite a transparent wine. It has rather subdued fruit on the nose. Again, here we have a rather chalky element to the palate, and I feel it lacks concentration. There is a slightly bitter edge to the structure, and a bit of grip. It seems a little harshly composed. It isn't to my tastes. 13.5+/20

Matakana Estate Pinot Noir (Marlborough) 2005: A nice cherry note on the nose, but this is overwhelmed by acetic, balsamic notes. The palate is rather chalky, quite broad and fleshy with lots of texture, but that acetic note carries through. Grippy, firm style, not elegant, with a peppery flavour. I can't rate this wine very highly at all. 13.5/20

Matakana Estate Cabernet Franc (Hawke's Bay) 2006: This is really not showing very much on the nose, and the same is true of the palate. It has a textured, chalky structure which rather resembles that of the Pinot. Good grip, nice acidity, fairly light, but currently quite closed down and showing little flavour, just a little sense of toffee oak on the finish. Difficult to judge. 14.5-15.5+/20

Matakana Estate Merlot (Hawke's Bay) 2005: This actually includes 15% Cabernet Franc in the blend. The nose is not so expressive, but it is showing some nice plum character that holds a little promise. A very firmly structured wine, peppery and grippy, dry and chalky, but not showing a lot of texture with it. There is quite a grippy finish too. This perhaps has potential, but it is difficult to judge. 15.5+?/20

Matakana Estate Syrah (Hawke's Bay) 2005: A moderate depth of colour at best, and some rather lifted, open, bright fruit on the nose, which is a very positive point after the last three wines. Little subtleties of Syrah and oak - chocolate, spearmint - flit in and out of view. On the palate, surprisingly light despite the attractive nose, not showing the concentration or weight you might have expected, although it does pick up a little. Slightly stewed fruit character. Interesting to taste, but not a patch on the Aurora Vineyard's Syrah - the only other New Zealand example of this variety that I have ever tasted. 14/20