New Zealand's national bird is the kiwi. Producing giant eggs in relation to their body size and being unable to fly, they're certainly unique and, unfortunately, under threat of extinction.
New Zealand wines, on the other hand, are going from strength to strength. This release features the country's product. As usual, the wines chosen are good - well made, very drinkable, but not cheap. The focus of NZ winemakers is narrow. The main push remains on sauvignon blanc, which Kiwi winemakers have really made into their own grape and style, and pinot noir. The Vintages team have ensured broader grape representation though, with merlot, syrah, and a couple of merlot/cab blends in addition to the two biggies.
As noted in my news item on the New Zealand Wine Fair, there are some excellent examples of pinot from NZ, especially from the southernmost (i.e., coolest) region, Central Otago. For all the talk of cool climate though, many NZ pinots have a more New World fruit profile than their Burgundy brethren, and some can verge on fruit bomb-ish.
Wine quality and consistency aside, one other notable feature of wines from Down Under is the number of crazy names on labels. But sometimes you have to smile.
This release, New Zealand weighs in with Elephant Hill Syrah and the forlorn sounding Mt. Difficulty was featured at the fair, but brasher Australia goes one up (or down) and conjures up fellatio gone sour with Suckfizzle. But the dispiriting name is more than compensated for by a terrific cabernet sauvignon very characteristic of cabs from the Margaret River. Expensive though.
Some good whites from Canada, a couple of good Cali ones, and yet another good one from Australia: I think they're sorry about Yellow Tail and the critter wines, which are declining in popularity - so enjoy the new Battle for Canada as they launch selective strikes on our liquor stores with the good stuff. Check out my top value white pick, the Margaret River Evans & Tate Chardonnay 2006.
With apologies to New Zealand, my top value red pick is also from Australia.
While I try to keep the top value picks around $15 or lower, there just isn't much in this release in that price range... maybe Vintages feels the recession is over.
To get a hold of any of these wines, visit the LCBO website to check availability near you.
Temple Bruer Grenache/Shiraz/Viognier 2005. $17.95 ** TOP VALUE RED**
Langhorne Creek, South Australia
Beautiful ripe yet fresh nose of slightly overextracted berry fruit and a hint of floral - lavender. Full, fresh and rich on the palate, which has raspberry, blackberry and some herbal. Good tannins and acidity and some darker notes give it some depth. Lovely finish. 89 points.
Evans & Tate Chardonnay 2006 $19.95 ** TOP VALUE WHITE**
Margaret River, Western Australia
Lovely ripe nose with melon and a bit of tropical fruit. Smooth and fresh on the medium bodied palate, which has ripe fruit but good acidity and some lemon notes. Lovely finish with a hint of vanilla. Very judicious use of oak. 90 points.
The Sparkling Wines
Henry of Pelham Cuvee Catharine Brut. $29.95
VQA Niagara
Rich nose with nougat, lemon and a bit of an aged note of toffee. Moderately lively mousse, great acidity, fresh lemon. Rich, clean and fairly full. Decent lingering finish of lemon candy. A definite contender for Canada's best bubbly. 88 points. (note from December 6 release)
New Zealand Whites
Kim Crawford SP The Mistress Riesling 2005. $24.95
Waipara, North Island
Lovely fresh aromatic nose with floral and mineral notes. Fairly full and zesty on the palate, which is dry and has a bit of green apple. There's a smooth but fresh finish. 88 points.
Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2008. $18.95
Marlborough, South Island
Not to be confused with high end Cloudy Bay, this wine is reliably New Zealand: quite big gooseberry and grassy nose, zesty acidity on the palate, which is nicely muted with ripe white fruit and tropical notes of passion fruit. 87 points.
Spy Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2008. $14.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Marlborough, South Island
Very much at the low end of the price scale for NZ, this is as big as sauv blanc gets: OTT nose covering both sides of the grape - super herbaceous/grassy and also tropical fruit notes on the nose. Acidity is good and fresh on the palate, which leans more toward tropical, especially passion fruit. Nice fruity finish. 87 points.
New Zealand Reds
Babich Merlot/Cabernet 2007. $17.95
Hawkes Bay, North Island
Fairly rich nose with ripe berry fruit as well as wood and smoke notes. Fruity and spicy on the palate, the tannins and acidity are both high. Nice kick of smoke on the finish. 87 points
Palliser Estate Pinot Noir 2006. $28.95 ** GOOD PREMIUM VALUE **
Martinborough, North Island
The bright pale ruby colour is attractive and the nose is big, fresh, ripe and on the darker side, with cherry cough candy and a herbal hint. On the palate it's smooth with moderate tannins and quite high acidity. There are darker woody notes, super ripe cherry fruit and a delicate lightness even though it's really medium bodied. A nice hint of smoke on the lingering finish of cherries and a bit of raspberry. An elegant smoothie. 90 points
Carrick Pinot Noir 2006. $39.95 ** GOOD PREMIUM VALUE **
Central Otago, South Island
Well it's from the area touted as the finest for pinot in NZ and it's certainly the finest I've tried from the country. At 45 degrees south, Central Otago is even further from the equator than Niagara, but its winters are less frosty and summers hotter and drier. It must've been hot in 06, because this pinot has a very big nose with lots of dark cherry fruit over some woody notes and spice. Quite full on the palate (for a pinot), and there's very ripe cherry fruit, but not over the top. There's fresh acidity, good grippy tannins, herbal and spice notes as well as more wood. Complex and interesting, good finish. 91 points.
Coopers Creek Merlot 2007. $18.95
Hawkes Bay, North Island
Choose the merlot over the pricier syrah, which has decent fruit but an odd nose. The merlot's nose is fairly bold and dark, with ripe plum and cherry fruit over some woody secondary notes. Dry and fresh on the palate, though the tannins are high and the acidity is also elevated. Rather short finish though. 87 points.
Elephant Hill Syrah 2008. $23.95 ** GOOD PREMIUM VALUE **
Hawkes Bay, North Island
Very rich dark nose with cedar, ripe blackberry, black cherry and a bit of tar and some red flowers. Dry on the palate, acid and tannins are both elevated. There's more good ripe dark red fruit, cedar, black pepper and then a lingering finish of fresh red fruit. 89 points.
Neudorf Tom's Block Pinot Noir 2007. $26.95
Nelson, South Island
Slightly stinky nose with meaty notes and muted dark red fruit. Smooth and fresh on the palate, however, which is full and fruity. Cherry fruit, woody notes a hint of spice and smoke on the finish. 87/88 points.
Oyster Bay Pinot Noir 2007. $19.95
Marlborough, South Island
Fruity nose that's both jammy and fresh from this reliable and lower priced (for NZ) producer. There are also some darker herbal notes, a bit of spiciness and earth. Smooth and even a touch round on the palate, but it stays fresh. Nice finish on the darker side. A reasonably complex pinot for the price. 88 points.
C.J. Pask Gimblett Road Cabernet/Merlot/Malbec 2006. $19.95
Hawkes Bay, North Island
Fairly earthy nose with ripe dark red fruit, including blackberry and blackcurrent. Smooth and fresh on the palate, which has a hint of a green note. Fresh ripe fruit and a woody note as well as a hint of mint. Good clean and fresh finish. 88 points.
Other Whites
Cave Spring Estate Riesling 2007. $17.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara
This terrific Niagara riesling is reliably good year in and year out. Aromatic and rich nose with ripe peach, apple, mineral notes and petrol (so soon!). Fairly full and nicely dry on the palate, it still manages to be very fruity - pink grapefruit, more apple, and there's a long, fresh finish. This is quite rightly a "Vintages Essential", meaning it's available most of the time and is regularly re-released. 88 points.
Hidden Bench Estate Chardonnay 2006. $29.95
VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara
Successful businessman Harald Thiel opened this winery in 2007 and he spared no expense - everything's up to date at Hidden Bench. Winemaker Jean-Marc Bouchard - a Quebecker who has worked in several other wine regions - has shown particular skill with chardonnay. He is a fan of oak though, so do be ready for oaky vanilla notes dominating on the nose, which also has lemon and ripe white fruit. Smooth and fairly full on the palate which has suggestions of peach and green apple with a lemon top note. Acidity is crisp and the good fruit carries through with a smoke note on the finish. 89 points.
Megalomaniac Narcissist Riesling 2007. $17.95
VQA Niagara Peninsula
Striking label and questionable name, but here's a good Niagara riesling. Rich and fruity nose with peach and yellow plum. Fairly full and verging, it seemed to me, on off-dry (ie, sweet), but the acidity level and lime on the palate, which also has peach, is nicely fresh. OK finish. 87 points.
Quail's Gate Chardonnay 2006. $19.95
VQA Okanagan Valley
One of BC's more well regarded producers, Quail's Gate is very reliable with its chard and this is no exception. Fresh and fairly bold nose with oaky notes over apple and lemon. The oak is quite evident on the palate, which has vanilla, lemon, citrus rind, and good fresh acidity - this is not a round Cali/warm climate chard: "fresh and good" I scribbled. 88 points.
Cuvaison Chardonnay 2007. $25.95
Napa, California
Even though it's from "cool" Carneros, this is a big Californian but with enough acidity to save it from fat and round. Big rich nose with a hint of spice over very ripe white fruit and tropical fruit notes. Fairly full also on the palate, which has enough freshening acidity to keep the fruit from being overbearing. Very Cali. 88 points
Greg Norman California Estates Chardonnay 2005. $19.95
Santa Barbara, California
From the Central Coast region, golfer Greg Norman delivers a decent Cali chard here: Clean fresh nose with a hint of anise over ripe white fruit. Fuller bodied but still fresh on the palate, which has a bit of spice and a nice vanilla oak note over the ripe fruit. 88 points
Concha Y Toro Marques de Casa Concha Chardonnay 2007. $17.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Maipo Valley, Chile
This big producer delivers a fine and even if-Burgundy-were-New-World chardonnay here - nice ripe nose with yellow plum, pear and anise notes. Zesty acidity keeps it fresh on the palate, which has vanilla and a bit of smoke over the ripe fruit. Good finish. 89 points.
Chateau Vignol Blanc 2007. $15.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Bordeaux, France
Fresh and lively nose with just a hint of grass and some lemon - after the lush New Zealand sauvignon blancs, this sauvignon/semillon blend is austerely French. Very crisp acidity and not too fruity on the palate - but the fruit that's there is ripe. The herbaceous note is fairly strong suggesting it's majority sauv blanc. This would be terrific very chilled on a hot day. 88 points
Domaine des Malandes Chablis 2007. $24.95 ** GOOD PREMIUM VALUE **
Burgundy, France
Nicely muted nose with apple fruit and a wet stone hint - the nose does open up over time, revealing more fruit and a spicy note. Lovely and fresh on the palate, which is super smooth, restrained and elegant. Lemon and minerality dominate on the palate, which also has white fruit. Lovely, elegant, lingering finish. 91 points.
Domain Michel-Andreaotti Montagy 1er cru 2006. $23.95
Burgundy, France
A richer fuller nose of honeysuckle, apple, a bit of anise and a slight buttery note. Fairly rich on the palate, acidity pronounced and there's a hint of vanilla and butter. Lovely finish with a surprising and very slight sweet edge over more apple. 89 points.
Duas Quintas White 2007. $15.95
Douro, Portugal
Fairly big nose with a hint of sauvignon blanc's grassiness - the wine is a blend of three Portuguese grapes viosinho, rabigato and arinto. There are also aromatic notes on the nose as well as ripe peach. Good acidity and not as fruity as expected on the palate, which is nicely dry and has lemon fruit. Good finish. 87 points.
Other Reds
Liberty School Syrah 2005. $17.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Paso Robles, California
Dark and ripe nose with lots of plummy fruit. Spicy note on the palate, which has more ripe plum and cherry. Full bodied and with a good finish of ripe cherry/berry fruit. 88 points.
Shafer Vineyards Merlot 2006. $72.95
Napa, California
Beautiful rich nose of dark ripe cherries, anise and tobacco. Super big and rich on the palate, with a good balance of elevated tannins and acidity, lots of fruit, more tobacco and black licorice. Lovely lingering finish on this big California merlot. 91 points.
Mendel Malbec 2007. $31.95
Mendoza, Argentina
While $72 is a ton of money for a California merlot, I think $32 is for a Mendoza malbec that's good without being amazing. Youthful nose and colour - it's purplish at the rim of the glass. Dark cherry and blueberry fruit as well as a spicy note. Big, full and tannic on the palate, which has woody notes and is a very ripe cherry/plummy mouthful. Good finish of fresh plums and this is actually a good candidate for cellaring... be nice to try in 3 - 5 years... 88/89 points.
G7 Reserva Carmenere 2006. $14.95
Loncomilla Valley, Chile
The almost candied nose carries more than a whiff of "cheap" and is not promising initially. Darker notes emerge and it's fairly full and serious on the palate, with ripe red fruit that's not candied and that slight sour note that carmenere often has. This would be a decent barbecue wine. 86 points.
Dowie Doole Cabernet Sauvignon 2006. $21.95
McLaren Vale, South Australia
Beautiful rich nose with spicy, smoky notes and dark berry fruit. Super ripe cherry and berry on the palate, which also has tobacco and a hint of mint. Rich, ripe and lengthy finish. 88 points
Suckfizzle Cabernet Sauvignon 2006. $35.95
Margaret River, Western Australia
The name made me think of fellatio gone wrong, but apparently it's based on a character in a 14th century epic tale by French monk turned writer Rabelais - but then he was known for being coarse. Regardless, if you like the super green qualities common in Margaret River cabs, this is a good one. The green pepper/green tomato notes over the dark berry fruit give it a cab franc feel. On the palate it's full and smooth, with lovely ripe fruit under the still-evident green notes. Great finish of cherry and blackberry. Not a standard cab, but then it's not easy being green... 88 points
Chateau Verdignan 1999. $29.95
Bordeaux, France
Here's a chance to taste an older Bordeaux at a not insane price. There's a slight cooked note on the nose, which also has leather notes over the dark berry fruit. The aging is already advanced in the colour dept. - it's orange-hued heading towards brick. Great fresh surprise on the palate though, which is medium bodied, has good ripe red fruit and a mint hint. 88 points.
Hauts de Pontet-Canet 2005. $69
Bordeaux, France
This is the "second wine" of the heavyweight producers Pontet-Canet, a 5th Growth winery in Pauillac. Expect a lovely rich nose of blackberry, plum, cigar and a hint of mushroom. Acidity and tannins are both still elevated, but it's smooth, ripe and rich on the palate. There's good berry fruit, some vanilla and an alluring secondary note of pencil shavings. Darkly fruity finish. 89 points.
Chanson Pere & Fils Le Bourgogne Pinot Noir 2007. $19.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Burgundy, France
Lovely muted nose with cherry, earthy notes and a herbal/spice hint. Great fresh acidity on the very restrained palate. Acidity is high but the tannins are moderate, giving it a smooth, supple feel. The cherry fruit is ripe, the overall tone is lighter and quite elegant. Very good for an entry level Burg. 88 points.
Vincent Girardin Les Vergelesses Savigny-Les-Beaunes 1er Cru 2006. $44.95
Burgundy, France
Further up the Burgundy food chain, this one will give you a richer, darker nose of raspberry, cherry, underbrush and charcoal. Acidity and tannins are both high and this really isn't ready yet but is very promising. It's dry on the palate, which is moderately fruity and there's a slight note of citrus rind. Good finish with the fruit coming back. 89 points.
Baron De Ley Reserva 2004. $21.95 ** GOOD PREMIUM VALUE **
Rioja, Spain
Rich nose already showing signs of maturity with dark cherry fruit and a hint of pencil lead. Full bodied palate with good ripe fruit. Tannins and acidity both elevated and there's a nice chewiness to the ripe cherry and sweet blackberry fruit. Good finish. 89 points.
Rioja Bordon Gran Reserva 2001. $26.95
Rioja, Spain
Rich nose with dark blackberry fruit, dried fruit and a herbal note. Quite oaky on the full and very dry palate - cedar and a spicy note. Tannins are high and there's a lovely finish with woody and smoky notes over the cherry fruit. This is already a mature wine but it promises to be better still in a couple more years. 89 points.
Rose Wines
Mas Belles Eaux Rose 2008. $14.95 ** GOOD VALUE **
Languedoc, France
Great salmon colour and a lovely fresh nose with strawberry and citrus. Nice and fresh on the palate, which is smooth, lightly fruity and dry. A great patio sipper with a fresh finish. 87 points
Perrin Reserve Rose 2008. $15.95
Rhone Valley, France
These reliable producers turn out a good rose as well - this one has a brighter pink colour and lots of fresh berry fruit. Good acidity and ripe strawberry fruit on the palate, but it's nicely muted. Refreshing finish with a plum note. 87 points.
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