We started off with a trip to Puriri Hills where we were lucky enough to share in the leftovers of a wine/ food matchin exercise for Judy's Bracu Dinner which she is having in a couple of weeks. The wines had been open a couple of days.
2004 Puriri Hills Estate. I wasn't a huge fan of this vintage of estate when it came out but now it is fully deleloped it is a pure pleasure to drink. Lots of integrated seconday flavours. just so much interest. Formal dinner claret, pretty and detailed
2006 Puriri Hills Reserve. Stunning integrated wine. Developed, savoury and sweet. Endless palate, so so so complex. Stunning. I've tried this wine many mnay times and this is by far the best it has ever shown
2008 Puriri Hills Estate. A lot more primary in all aspects. Purple hue in comparison to the more aged red of the previous wine. Chalky tannins with juicy, breezy fruit. Not the complexity of the previous two but that will no doubt come with time.
2008 Puriri Hills Reserve. Showed well, more depth and structure than the estate obviously. Perhaps shutting down a bit but we did try this wine out of a new bottle as Judy had it disappear while watching a movie the previous night (and why not)
2008 Puriri Hills Pope. Opened for two days this wine showed better than the bottle we had at lunch showing sweet spice, eastern spices and a long long rich soft finish. Luxurious
2007 Puriri Hills Estate. The only wine to show to me any oxidisation from being open for two days. A lesser vintage on paper but no Reserve or Pope made which helps this wine. Notes a bit unfair as it was on the way out
Then with Lunch
1998 Tyrrells Vat 1 Semillon. Just loved this. NZ doesn't come anywhere close with this grape. Just perfect mature interesting white wine. Woulda gone great with some seafood. Fantastic thx Mike
1991 Wynns Centenary Shiraz Cab. ex magnum. To me a perfect place in its development. Rich, integrated, complex and generous. Serious stuff. Thx Mike
1998 Esk Valley Terraces. Perhaps not quite as good as the bottle we had a couple of years back but this even so was one of the favourites of the day. Still youthful in colour and fruit driven, seductive and black fruited. Lots of black fruit with tinges of spice. Classy. Thx Jafa. I will help you drink another whenever you are free
1998 Vidals Reserve Cab Merlot. I bought many of these along with many 98 Awateas and the head to head comparison had it coming out 2nd just because it was a bit clunky. A few more years seems to have fixed this. Lovely wine, fine, perfectly ripe and vital.
1999 Stonyridge Larose. A textbook cabernet blend. Varietal from 100 metres away. Only a retard would pick this as anything else but the most classical of cabernet styles. Lovely understated fruit, stunning purity and varietal definition. A textbook in a glass.
2007 Te Mata Coleraine. A mamoth Coleraine which competes with the 1991 for biggest ever Coleraine. This needs a pile of time, preferably a decade or more further development. A broad rich wine. I'm not sure this will end up pipping the 2009 as best Coleraine of the decade but it certainly could argue itself as 2nd or 3rd.
2008 Puriri Hills Pope. Certainly supercharged and the alcohol was certainly there today. Sultry, spicy, finely boned, rich and long. It certainly has the cult wine feel to it. I would have liked to have decanted this on reflection. Based on the mornings tasting also, it needs some time.
2009 Sacred Hill Brokenstone Merlot. Modern and dense Merlot with a fine detailed structure. The oak is showing a little at this young age but it is sure to integrate. needs time. Very nice
2010 Sacred Hill Helmsman. Again finely structured, linear and textural wine. Looks of concentration in this wine and it really is packed with some luxurious fruit. Modern and convincing. Will cellar but also amazingly approachable
Very very hard to pick a winner for the day. Speaking with Mike his thoughts the same. They were all stunning wines. For me to drink today slow and long id probably actually give the nod to the 2006 Puriri Reserve opeed for two days! That was so good! Everything else id give at least 100 points to
