Good things are meant to be shared!

By far this is one of my most passionate articles to date, I’ve known this wine and label for some time and after another recent tasting, the love and passion for this drop has finally found its roots deeply rooted to the heart of my palate! Call me bias? Who cares! It’s a passion that I would love to share with all vinophiles.

Champagne, the wine of kings…..tried and true in this case. Maison Joseph Perrier, well appreciated even by the Royal blood of Britain, recognized by Queen Victoria and King Edward VII and last but not least drank as a Royal toast during royal marriage ceremonies within the last century! This certainly is a champagne/ wine worth seeking out not merely for its merit and status but for what it has to offer which has captured the hearts of many. The style and quality of this bubbly drop is tremendously solid and one can only attest to the many achievements under its label. 

The non-vintage (NV) Cuvee Royale Brut may be considered as the ‘basic-entry’ level but in my opinion, it has so much to offer with great structure, finesse and complexity. This wine has almost equal proportions of the only three grape varietals allowed in Champagne used for this blend (35% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir and 30% Pinot Meunier). For slightly more information on Champagne, do refer to my previous Dom Perignon article.

Tasting Notes: On the nose there’s a myriad of nuances ranging from crisp apples, pears, some yeasty feel with slight nuttiness and a hint of coconut all laid on a bed of baked pie crust. As the great subtle and elegant mousse caress the palate, it bursts with great flavor intensity of baked apple pie mixed with pears and cinnamon topped off with dried apricots and a layer of crushed biscuits. I have to say this beautiful medium bodied wine has good acidity and what really caught my attention was ultimate purity of the fruit!

Bias?!?

My usual advice………..

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

Sante~!

What a wonderful sight, as the table was beautifully decorated with bottles…not just any bottles but foiled bottles! It was a night where ‘blind dates’ were brought to the table! The fun begins as they came filled all the way from Burgundy. Yes, it’s a Burgs night out!

One by one we, the liquid of either juices of the pinkish-red Pinot Noir or golden-yellow Chardonnay started getting us all excited…let me share the joy! Firstly…

CHÂTEAU FUISSÉ, Vieilles Vignes 2008 (Pouilly-Fuisse)
Tasting Notes: Beautiful fresh lemons with floral notes overlapping with great minerality coming along together with peaches and heavy toast. On the palate, it is light to medium bodied with vibrant lemony acidity, ripe fruits on the front before a gravelly mineral midpalate and heavy vanilla oak at the backend. Overall, nice structure with potential but has yet to meld together now.

Maison Louis Jadot, Clos-St-Jacques Premier Cru 2003 (Gevrey-Chambertin)
Ahh…the famed premier cru of Gevrey-Chambertin! One of those climats fabled to be as solid as any Grand Cru…

Tasting Notes: Red cherries, raspberries, white pepper with a whiff of vanilla on the nose. The most enjoyable part of this wine is the purity of the fruit as it reaches your palate! Not those lab produced flavourings but pure ripe red fruits ala cherries and strawberries with a hint of earth and minerality. A rather medium bodied wine with good acid, likely with medium to long term keeping potential to enjoy while Burg-erholics wait for the 2005s to lavish upon.

Domaine Pierre Damoy, Clos de Beze 1992 (Gevrey-Chambertin)
Tasting Notes: Red fruited nose with notable secondary development buzzing off with animally notes over sweet spices. Palate wise, this wine is probably at its peak at the moment. Medium bodied, noticeable soft tannins and acidity at the edge with animal barnyard notes mixed with green capsicum interlaced with red fruits and plums on the midpalate before some beautiful roses to end.

Maison Champy, Clos-St-Denis 2002 (Morey St Denis)
Tasting Notes: The nose reminds me of red currants, red berries, light spices and pepper while the palate flaunts itself with red fruits but the enjoyable part of this bottle is the nicely done intensity on the midpalate with a hint of tea as it opens up with some minerality showing its terroir. A medium bodied beauty with good acid-tannin structure that opens up with time, be patient!

Domaine des Hospices de Beaune, Cuvee Madeleine Collignon 1995 (Mazis-Chambertin)
Tasting Notes: Charming nose – spices, tea, red fruits, raspberry and strawberry cream. Palate wise - medium bodied, edgy acid with a tighter wound tannin structure coming forth with red fruits and a moderate intense tea-ish midpalate. Typical or atypical of a vintage?

Domaine Thomas-Moillard, Bonne-Mares 1997 (Chambolle-Musigny)
Tasting Notes: Wow…Brooding nose! Dark fruits, slightly earthy, sweet savoury spices and liquorice with tonnes of pepper. Among the lot, this is by far the densest wine with a fuller palate, medium acidity yet remaining rather tannic with a profile of dark fruits, plum skins, light spices with peppery notes on the palate. After 24hours in the bottle, the tannins were much more mellowed in the juice as it sung with additional rosemary together with some animal hide on the palate. At almost 14years old, this ‘97 Bonne-Mares, in my opinion is only still an infant if not in its youth. Perhaps a long way before maturity with the kind of stuffing it possesses however the level of potential secondary/tertiary development is always a mystery!



Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

Santé!

There are many ways to describe a wine. Some describe and remembers it as a memoir, food pairing, taste profiles, and so on…Previously, I did ask and was wondering what other ways can a wine be described? For the sake of this article, I’ll be swaying away from the conventional tasting notes but instead I shall describe the wines below as a ‘personality’. I’ll be describing the wines as how these personalities have charmed my palate.

Just recently, I was with a group of wine lovers for an “appreciation” night. Five wines, all red, BLINDED and well decanted by the host himself for no less than 2 hours. Let the fun begin! Surely different wines require different amount of ‘airtime’ to strut their full potential but this goes to show how serious these wine lovers are and how hedonistic pleasures may be achieved through various methods of preparation before serving.

Firstly, KUDOS to the host! He has certainly done it well and got most of us fooled (in a good way)! All the wines certainly had a similar distinct characteristic….very Bordeaux like indeed (Cabernet Sauvignon/ Merlot based wines). Since the wines were blind with the only theme of being present and to enjoy the company amidst the red velvets in front of us, most knew the style of wine but certainly were not sure of the origin, what more the vintage. All of us even thought there was a ‘joker’, otherwise a teaser, amongst the flight of wines. Soon enough when the bottles were unveiled, it turned out to be a VERTICAL TASTING!  Fooled! But this is how fun is defined in wine terminology (for geeks like me amongst aficionados)!

It was truly a great way to learn and to experience the true nature of each vintage, not forgetting the style of the winemaker and the terroir of the vineyard.  The wines were from……a Bordeaux Second Growth from the appellation St-Julien, Chateau Léoville-Barton. Below are the five vintages that we savoured.

1995
Wine Personality: A sexy shy damsel indeed, packed with inner beauty and elegance but only still peeking from behind. Perhaps, it’s a Burg lover’s style of Bordeaux.


1999
Wine Personality: This is a beauty from the first whiff, packed on some weight over the decade yet one who knows how to keep elegance in check to continue charming the beholder, leaving a long lasting impression!

2002
Wine Personality: Compared to the other siblings, this has a more petite personality, not bad just lesser dominance with slightly sharper and edgy characteristics.

2003
Wine Personality: A hunk in a tank top with muscles ripping through wearing a light musky floral perfume where one senses the raw might of a gymjunkie with a firm grip.

2004
Wine Personality: Similar to the 2003, yet different. Unlike his other 2004 counterparts who may be not as ‘big’ from this vintage, this is a well build teenager, young and masculine but dressed in a tightly knitted suit framed as a gentleman!


During your next sip, do think about how you’d like to express your drink!

Remember folks…..

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

Salut!

 

 

Time flies, there goes 2010…another year older for us but it will also be another vintage older for the bottles that we savour! Positive wine talk! If the festive drinks are special treats, bubbles or old vintages, what then shall be next on the list?

 As for me, one of the wines that have caught my attention within the past 30 days of 2011 is an Italian Brunello. Brunello di Montalcino is an area around Tuscany, Italy also famous for the Chianti wines where Sangiovese is the famous local native grape varietal. Some may argue that Sangiovese based wines lack the mid palate in a wine’s personality. Hence, blends are often used in Chianti. Ironically, Brunellos are always and surely 100% Sangiovese! But what often makes them round with charming personalities?!?

Answer: They are made with Sangiovese CLONES unlike the native Sangiovese found in Chianti!

The wine that swept me off my feet last January was:

Agricola San Felice, Campogiovanni Il Quercione Riserva 1999 (Brunello di Montalcino)

Tasting Notes:  A beautiful nose of dark cherries, blackberries and earth which flows on to the palate with great intensity and lively acidity, again with dark cherries and red berries plus a touch of iodine before ending dry with earthy and austere tannins.

Mama Mia~!

Perhaps, I have a question for all you noses….how would you like to describe your wines?

Think about it…

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

Salut!

 

 

Behold there are a huge majority who loves celebrating with sparklies, bubbles and for some, champagne! If Champagne is what you have in mind but unsure of what you may be splurging on, here’s a glimpse. I had the opportunity to be at 1855 The Bottle Shop at 111 Somerset, tasting some of their NV Champers a while back and here are my tasting notes on them:



Louis Roederer, NV
Tasting Notes: White guava with bready notes on the nose moving on to a simplistic high acid palate profile with appley guava nuances.

Barons de Rothchild, NV Blanc de Blanc
Tasting Notes: On the nose, showcasing yeasty and stony characters while the palate is lightly bubbly with apple and stony mineral notes.

Lanson, NV
Tasting Notes: Yeasty and floral with light tropical fruit nose while the palate shows nice green apples with a dry yeasty finish

Piper Heidsieck, NV
Tasting Notes: Nice nose displaying apples, musky floral notes with toast and nuttiness transiting to a palate full of green apples on a toasted brioche with a hint of nuttiness once again for a nice lengthy finish

Bollinger, NV
Tasting Notes:  Berry like on the nose with nicely balanced yeasty-toasty characters plus some gingery stemmy notes. On the palate there are good creamy bubbly character and acid structure, boasting pearish fruits, tropical fruits and mineral nuances.

Bollinger, NV Rose
Tasting Notes: The bouquet is full of red berries, grape skin plus stem notes with yeasty toast notes while the palate boasts pears, apples and red cherries on the mid palate with a hint of toasted dry finish.
Definitely a food style Champagne!

What ever you choose, may you have absolute merriment this joyous season with those close to your heart! Happy Holidays!

This is just a glimpse, but remember….

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!
Salut!

 

As a follow up from my previous post on Food and Wine pairings with Beringer’s Senior Wine Educator, here are some of my tasting notes on Beringer’s Private Reserves, some of which are Jerry’s favourite picks. After a truly informative and mind stimulating workshop, there comes the time to just ‘chill’ for some. However, for myself, it was great to have tasted the following:



Beringer, 2007 Private Reserve Chardonnay
Tasting Notes: Stonefruits, nutty and apple bouquet on the nose following on to a nice concentration on the palate with apples, mild buttery notes and slight honeyed like complexity.

Beringer, 2003 Private Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon
Tasting Notes: Nose showing leafy blackcurrants, black fruits with herbaceous eucalyptus notes while it is medium bodied on the palate with good balance and nice acidity, once again with blackcurrants, herbaceous green pickles on the mid palate plus some chocolaty notes.

Beringer, 2003 Chateau St Jean Cinq Cepage
One of Beringer’s single vineyard icons!

Tasting Notes: Truly Bordeaux like for the ‘Bord’ lovers with a bit more sunshine in my opinion!
The nose is showing funky earthy and black fruity nuances while the body is well structured, medium in depth with good concentration and intensity displaying black fruits, blackcurrant and dusty chocolaty oak. A well poised wine that is not over the top with vibrant acidity keeping it in check.

 

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!
Cheers!

 

Pairing wines with foods has always been an uphill task for many, even for top sommeliers when new dishes are created on the menus of any top restaurants. Likewise at our Local Nose HQ, a single dish has to be paired with many wines with the approval of not one but a few local tasters before coming to a mutual consent. However, when they do match…..Ahh, it’s a real delight to see how they synergistically complement each others’ own characteristics!

So what’s the secret?

Let me share what Mr Jerry Comfort, Beringer’s Senior Wine Educator (and a chef himself) has shared with us, in a very enlightening and mind opening session! It was great to learn as Jerry helped us understand the simple details that we often over look.

The common few types of food and wine pairing are the ‘Regional Pairing’ – where wine is paired to a local dish. Eg: French food with French wines, Italian foods with Italian wines. No doubt these pillars of pairing set a good framework as tradition and culture have equally played a part in cuisine and wine production.   For instance, Provencal/ Rhone wines often have a ‘spicy’ character as are their cuisines often prepared with many local spices. The second style of pairing is often to match food to wine by ‘imitating’ the flavours of a wine. Hence, a dish is prepared according to the flavours, structure style and complexity of a wine.  However in reality, it is often ONE bottle with MANY dishes across the table! (And as Jerry joked, the one who gets the best pairing is often the one ordering the bottle!)

Next, wines can be classified into 5 simple categories:
1)      Off dry/ Sweet
2)      Dry, UNoaked (white)
3)      Dry, OAKED (white)
4)      Lightly tannic (red)
5)      Heavily tannic (red)

After classifying wines into their categories, here are some ground rules:
·         DO NOT pair to Flavour, but PAIR to TASTE
·         DO NOT pair to Varietal, but PAIR to STYLE
·         DO NOT pair to Protein, but PAIR to PREPARATION

Let me try to demystify things a little, when it comes to taste, there are 4 different tastes our palate can perceive – sweet, sour, salty, bitter (and the latest 5th Umami – savourish protein craving). However, there are countless types of flavours we can pick up. For example, sweet is a taste sensation but many flavours are sweet such as fruits, honey or candies. Secondly, pairing to styles (as the 5 categories above) of a wine is important because a varietal may differ in styles such as a Chardonnay may be oaked or unoaked or even as Blanc de Blanc Champagne. Lastly, pairing to the preparation of a dish is important as the same chicken/ beef may be served in a thick creamy sauce, spicy salsa or a very sharp acidic marinade.

A hint, always taste the wines first! (Food changes the way a wine taste but seldom the other way) or as a good friend of mine will say, which do you pay more (locally) – a bottle of wine or a single dish?!

During the course of the session, we experienced how different taste sensations alter wine styles and how they complement each other by trying various foods with wine. Here I say, food not dishes because we tasted a slice of apple, a wedge of lemon, a cube of cheese, cooked unsalted fish and steak. Next to these foods were condiments such as salt and pepper. We had the experience of tasting each food by itself with the wines (white, rose, light tannin red and strong tannin red) and then adding salt/ pepper/ lemon to the cheese/ fish/ steak! Fun indeed and a great way to learn!

What I learnt from the session was,
·         Highly acidic foods (sour) – softens a wine
·         Sweet foods  & umami tastes – turns a wine sour and ‘stronger’ (Hence, for any sweet foods/ desserts, the wine has to be sweeter in order not to be overpowered by the dish)
·         Salty foods – blocks the bitter sensation and makes wine taste ‘sweeter’
·         Salt BALANCED foods are wine FRIENDLY (as most cooking requires salt)
·         Tannins make our palate more sensitive to spices (no wonder I’m not a fan of big reds with curries!)

And off course after this mind stimulating session comes to a close, there comes the time to stimulate the palate….Check out my next post for Beringer’s Private Reserve Selections and their single vineyard icon!

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

Cheers!

Portugal, one of the pioneers in maritime exploration, once guardians of the Straits of Malacca and last but not least they are also part of the old world pioneers fermenting grape juices that we happily sip today. When one thinks of the wines Portugal brings to the table, it is often the popular Port wine which historically has been fortified with strong spirits by sailors to avoid wine spoilage during their voyage off Porto.

Personally, Port wines are good and are indeed enjoyable sips but the rest of Portugal remains undiscovered and underrated. Just as majority of the ‘old world’ wine regions have their own native grapes, so does Portugal. Often these wines are blended together, may it be a blend of the local indigenous grapes or between the indigenous grapes with more renowned new world varietals.

 Vinophiles, here’s a secret to share….

These wines are often a bang for your buck! Real good value, real good deals!

Reason? --> They are gems that remain underrated and quite unheard of! Test yourselves, have you tasted varietals such as Touriga Nacional or even Castelao? Have you tried a ‘green wine’ (vinho verde) before?

If you are looking for these wines to try, they are already available on shores of Singapore! In our local 365 days of summer, a fresh vinho verde can do the trick for an afternoon chiller!

A couple of Local Noses along with a great hangout group were fortunate to have Mr Covas from Viva Vino, a Portugese wine supplier in Singapore to share his passion about his homeland and their offerings. During the session, we were introduced to wines and grape varietals from various regions of Portugal and were able experience the diverse varietals that the Portuguese can boast about. Starting from Minho, in the north travelling south to Douro, Extremadura around Lisbon (unlike the Spanish region), Ribatejo and all the way to Alentejo where it is often scorched, hence producing bigger wines but not without finesse. Last but not least, we travelled back up to Douro again just to end on a sweet note with some Ports!

The following wines that were tasted are available at Viva Vino:

Quinta da Aveleda, 2009 Vinho Verde (Minho)

Tasting Notes: Fresh, light and crisp with intense citrusy floral notes…a great chiller!

Fiuza, 2008 Premium Vinho Branco (Ribatejo)

Tasting Notes: Another quaffer with notes of green asparagus and minerality coming through with fresh acidity before a dry yet buttery finish .

Herdade do Esporao, 2007 Reserva Branco (Alentejo)

Tasting Notes: Cold climate-Chablis like nose with flint and stones with cold climate fruits and herbaceous notes before coming through big and bold with good acid supporting the palate showing tropical fruits and flint with a buttered popcorn finish.

Nieepoort, 2006 Vertente (Douro)

Tasting Notes: Nose of a new world shiraz akin spicy, plumy and chocolaty plus red licorice notes but well restrained with a medium bodied palate, good acidity for balance with plums, melted red licorice, spicy with earthy tones before ending with dry tannins.

Quita do Casal Branco, 2006 Vinho Tinto (Ribatejo)

Tasting Notes: Leafy notes with spicy blackberries on the nose leading to a very easy drinking style with dark berries and hints of earthiness on the palate.

Quinta de Monte D’oiro, 2003 Aurius (Estremadura)

Tasting Notes: One would expect a typical Barossa Shiraz by nosing the wine as it displays big jammy plumy and milk chocolaty bouquet. On the palate it follows through nicely with big jammy sweet ripe fruits ala berry basket with pomegranate smothered in chocolate.

Herdade da Mingorra, 2004 Vinhas da Ira (Alentejo)

Tasting Notes: Nose reminds me of a Hermitage blended with an Amarone that I had previously of earthy, saddle leather, herbs, soy and tar with dried raisins (almost Port like). A big boy on the palate with good vibrancy showcasing intense blackberries, tar and a red fruit compote mid palate finishing off with austere tannins.

Nieepoort, 1998 Colcheita (Douro)

Tasting Notes: Reminisce of a cognac with dark Jaffa chocolate and dried fruits while the palate is medium bodied with sweet plums, hint of floral notes together with chocolaty orange nuances.

Sogrape, 2000 Ferreira Vintage Porto (Douro)

Tasting Notes: Dark cherries, dark chocolate and coffee notes with a herbaceous minty nose. Good acid and structure on the palate presenting with a myriad of flavours -dried raisins, coffee, orange peel , dark cherries and plums and off course ending with soft but fine tannins.  This was decanted for 2 hours….and what’s great is that it is delicious yet not overly cloying on the palate, hence it does makes one continue the joy of having sips after sips!

Let your palate explore new sensations and delights as the Portuguese did!!!

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

 

Salut!

  
 

 

Bordeaux, an uncommon name to call upon for most drinkers. The Bordeaux region produces many dry reds, some great whites and off course fantastic ‘sweets’ / stickies as some like to call it, although the whites may sometimes be overshadowed by the great reds of Bordeaux, especially those coming from the Medoc 1855 Classification where they bear the pride of the Grand Cru Classé.  Besides the Grand Cru Classé classification of Classed Growths, there are also other levels of classification for those Chateaux which did not make it one and half century ago such as the straight AOC appellations to Cru Bourgeois (which comes with controversies) for the left bank of Bordeaux. Leaving legal issues and controversies aside, many people are just keen to enjoy wines as they are and what each bottled juice has to offer.

 

Hence, comes the question of what Bordeaux are available that one is able to enjoy, as most good Bordeaux wines are made to age and will often last for the medium to long haul?

True to say that most good vintages have the potential to age, however, the following red Bordeaux (but not limited to) does drink quite well with simplicity at the moment especially when there are good companions around!

Château D’Escurac, 2006 Cru Bourgeois Superieur (Medoc)

Tasting Notes: Dark blackberries and red cherries follow through from the nose with a touch of earthiness and graphite-leanness on the palate. Medium bodied, youthful acidity, not wholly complex but easy going with soft approachable tannins.

In my opinion, this is a decent value-play ‘weekday’ Bordeaux for the ‘Bord-lovers’ before lavishly uncorking the Crus at the end of the week. Besides, its soft tannins make it approachable even at this young stage. If you are around the Orchard shopping belt, this Bordeaux (and many other Crus) are available at 1855 The Bottle Shop.

 

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

Salut!

 

When at Raffles, experience Dubai…When at Raffles, experience Beijing…so were the advertisement banners in the elevators of Raffles Hotel, Singapore. This time, it shall be “When at Raffles, experience New Zealand” wine growers! It was an evening with the kiwis, wine growers strutting their stuff (some for the very first time) in Singapore. Along with the growers were many from the trade, media and writers such as Singapore’s reknowned palate, Mr Ch’ng Poh Tiong .

It was a great session not only to taste wines but to mingle around the growers and one can definitely sense the enthusiasm and passion that these growers posses. It made wines not just for consumption but also to cherish the labourious efforts these growers have stamped into each vintage and each bottle making the fruits of their labour worth every drop . Another reason that makes masterclasses and events like this worth attending would be the eye opening experience to their local scene which can be rather educational! A very interesting fact that I picked up was how the ‘Abel clone’ also known as the ‘Gumboot clone’ got its reputation. This Abel clone was actually nicked off the famous Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (DRC) in Burgundy and brought in illegally into New Zealand (NZ), hence vineyards with this Abel Clone would have a ‘sense of Burg’ in their wines!

Lastly, when at Raffles (after visiting NZ)…..experience the Raffles cellar! We were fortunate enough to have our guide, Raffles sommelier himself, Dheeraj Bhatia to lead us through the ‘maze’ of Raffles Hotel to the cellar. Once a lifetime? Perhaps not, but surely it was very delightful to have had come this close to the prized collections that many can only dream about. Such bottles/ magnums…Chateau Margaux 1900, Y’quem 1900, La Tache, DRCs!!! Just imagine a ‘car in a bottle’!

Now back to some highlights, (but not limited to) for the night…

Two Paddocks, 2006 Pinot Noir (Central Otago)

Fruits for this Pinot Noir are sourced from three different vineyards across Central Otago. The first of which comes from vines in Gibbston Valley aged around 17 years while the other two vineyards of about 10 years of age are from Alexandra. This Pinot is available from Hermitage Wines.

Bouquet: Floral bouquet opening up with red cherries with a hint of earthiness.

Palate: Fruit focused on the palate with red cherries and light earthiness for a medium bodied wine that has medium acidity.

 

Gibbston Highgate Estate, 2007 Soultake Pinot Noir (Central Otago)

Murky and slightly cloudy…my first question, “Is this filtered?”

Vineyard director, “Unfiltered and unfined”

This Gibbston vineyard is about 25 years old, producing good quality fruits for the final blend of which there is also a proportion of the legendary ‘Abel clone’! Beautiful wine and my understanding is this wine will be made available at Rev Wines.

Bouquet: Sweet strawberry candies (think strawberries and cream), some Turkish delight nuances and light undergrowth

Palate: If the palate is too ‘ripe’…fret not, the fruit here is pure and the palate smooth with flavours of red cherries, some dark plums and light earthy savouryness with a nice acid backbone and soft tannins.

 

Lime Rock, 2007 White Knuckle Road Pinot Noir (Central Hawkes Bay)

Central Hawkes Bay…if you’re thinking why are they growing Pinots in Hawkes Bay? Then, you’re not alone…Central Hawkes Bay is a new and upcoming wine growing region in NZ and (nope) it is not in Hawkes Bay. This is single vineyard Pinot Noir for those who enjoy terroir and the essence of a particular vineyard.

Bouquet: Spicy and floral with cherries and a hint of meatiness.

Palate: Intense cherries with beautiful spice notes and a touch of earthy tones. Simple and nicely done

 

Weka River, 2007 Pinot Noir (Waipara Valley)

Those who enjoy simple wines, here is a good choice. Simple, easy drinking wine for the times that too much thinking has been done over the day and wines are for simple relaxation in the evening!

Bouquet: Dark fruity nose with a savoury touch plus some spiciness.

Palate: Soft tannins for easy enjoyment with some dark cherries coming through on the palate

 

Cambridge Road, 2008 Syrah (Martinborough)

Not all Pinot here, but hang on…YES, SYRAH in Martinborough! The winemaker did not get it wrong, on the contrary, this is the second oldest Syrah vines in NZ, planted in 1986!

Bouquet: Rhone beauty comes to mind with pepper, sweet spices, licorice and bitter dark chocolate.

Palate: Medium bodied, cool climate styled syrah with a nice fruit core showing red fruits, pepper and some spiciness (not alcoholic though) with very soft tannins à perfect for enjoying now!

 

Mount Difficulty, 2002 Pinot Noir (Central Otago)

Yes, an 8 year old Pinot and drinking beautifully.

Bouquet: Musky white pepper, red cherries, spices, ‘dark earthiness’ (if it makes sense) and some meaty notes.

Palate: Nice body and lushes, velvety mouthfeel with soft grained tannins at the back held by vibrant acidity à palate sensations = dark cherries, white pepper, savoury earthiness and a hint of meaty tone as displayed from the nose.

 

Haythornthwaite Wines, 2008 Noble Gewürztraminer (Martinborough)

Good parents = good upbringing = well mannered off springs, while good genes = good quality.

The winemakers themselves are a beautiful couple, which has been reflected in their wines. One may call me bias, but the palate speaks for itself. I have had the honour of vertically tasting the pride of their winery the Susan’s Gewurtztraminier - 2008, 2009, 2010 (speaking of which the 2010 is not even released yet!) The 2008 has developed a great and rich mouthfeel after 2 years in the bottle, I can only imagine how good will the 2010 develop as it current is showing a very promising structure of fruits and acid with a poised balance. Perhaps, we’ll all find out in due time!

Lastly, to end any occasion well…we had a good and NOBLE ‘sticky’ from Haythornthwaite Wines.

Bouquet: Ripe tropical fruits, rich thick honeyed aromas plus ripe apricots and hazelnuts.

Palate: Rich but remains fresh mid way through with layers of ripe mangoes, bananas, apricot crème and a dose of mild hazelnutty ending with lingering residual sweetness.

 

Always trust your PALate, it’s your PAL!

Cheers!