Which NZ Pinot Noir Should I buy?

[mkcoleman]

I am taking the family over to Queenstown next month and wanted to bring back some PN.

So far my cellar consists of the following PN

Escarpment
Wooing Tree
Amisfield (will be taking the family there for lunch)
Carrick
Dog Point

Last time I was in NZ I really liked the Devines PN, a heavier, richer PN which actually went pretty well with steak at Prime in Queenstown, but what other PN would you recommend (price range upto $50NZD/pb). I will be looking at bringing back 6-8 bottles (max 2 of any type).

Any thoughts for the top 3 or 4??? and also which would be a better vintage 06 or 07

I will not be able to get around any wineries during the hols as I have been told that is a no no by the boss!

Thanks in advance

[Craig(NZ)]

ata rangi
martinborough vineyards
felton road
fromm la strada


re amisfield...i was very disappointed with my dinner there we had in April. dunno where the restaurant it gets its reputation from. heard others say the same

[Bick]

ata rangi
martinborough vineyards
felton road
fromm la strada

Nice list, Craig, but none of them really come within the cost restraint indicated.

Within budget, try: Quartz Reef, Peregrine, Craggy Range Calvert Vineyard, Lamont. I've not had enough 07 to give you a vintgae recommendation, but 06's were all good of these. I'd have put Dog Point and Carrick at the top of thre list, but you already have those.

[Craig(NZ)]

true though mbv is only $60, fromm only up to approx $60, felton cornish ditto, std less.

buy a couple of bottles less then 6-8 and spend a little more pb is my advice

you never know could be a few good sales on soon

rockburn 07 is a good wine if u like the richer style. its $40 in supermarkets

[SueNZ]

MK, 2007 looks to be a humdinger of a vintage in Central Otago. Lots of choice. I like Domain Road, Lowburn Ferry, Drumsara, Rockburn, Peregrine, Wild Earth, Olssens Jackson Barry, Felton Road, Mondillo ( a biggie), Aurum (another biggie) and Awawhiti .... so much choice - at least while you are in Queenstown you will be able to taste a few just by sneaking into Wine Tastes in Queenstown (www.winetastes.co.nz) while the boss is shopping for clothes. They say on their website they have 24 Pinot Noirs for tasting. So if you can't go to the wineries all is not lost and you will get some idea.

You might also be able to sneak in a stop at Gibbston Valley for lunch and a cheese tasting and order a glass of Pinot while you are there - after all you need to eat and a glass of CO Pinot with a meal is another way to try the region's wines.

[mkcoleman]

Sue,

Thanks for that great suggestion re. tasting wines that will be a good option to duck away for an hour, without the boss noticing due to the credit card being used on clothes...and shoes ... and hangbags ... the list goes on and on

I was going to buy via something like otagowines.com, however are there places in Queenstown that would sell at similiar prices to that of them, i..e $52 for Felton Rd 07 etc? I seem to remember there is a supermarket on the way out of QT on the left hand side, but can't remember whether they had a good selection.

Cheers

[Lee]

I was going to suggest Gibbston Valley too - very nice spot, cheeses gorgeous too. I found the Pinot pretty pricey (tourist market I think). They have a wine cave you can go for a tour of if you like.

[SueNZ]

No idea about price comparisons. Otagowine.com is reliable and the prices would be very competitive - and they will have the best price for Lowburn Ferry, as that is their own label.
Unless the supermarket is owner-operated by someone who actually likes wines (eg as in Kerikeri Northland, where there is a comprehensive Northland selection), you are probably more likely to get run of the mill supermarket labels - and in my expereience supermarkets prices are more expensive unless the wine is 'on special'. Personally I prefer to support fine wine retailers. If we don't support them, they will eventually disappear.
Cheers,
Sue

[rooman]

MK, 2007 looks to be a humdinger of a vintage in Central Otago. Lots of choice. I like Domain Road, Lowburn Ferry, Drumsara, Rockburn, Peregrine, Wild Earth, Olssens Jackson Barry, Felton Road, Mondillo ( a biggie), Aurum (another biggie) and Awawhiti .... so much choice - at least while you are in Queenstown you will be able to taste a few just by sneaking into Wine Tastes in Queenstown (www.winetastes.co.nz) while the boss is shopping for clothes. They say on their website they have 24 Pinot Noirs for tasting. So if you can't go to the wineries all is not lost and you will get some idea.

You might also be able to sneak in a stop at Gibbston Valley for lunch and a cheese tasting and order a glass of Pinot while you are there - after all you need to eat and a glass of CO Pinot with a meal is another way to try the region's wines.

good call on the wild earth. i have half a case of the 05 in the cellar. it went through a dumbed down phase for a while but has reemerged and it is great wee drop. also very fond of the schubert b block at present. i know it is outside the price point above but it is an excellent PN.

[Tristram Shandy]

I'm not quite sure why, but no one seems to have mentioned Pegasus Bay. This would be at the top of my list. I would also give a nod to Akarua, although I haven't tasted any vintages after 2005. I didn't think the Peregrine 06 was very good, but perhaps the 07 is better - the 05 was terrific if it can still be found. I also like the Neudorf Moutere, although I don't know if it fits into the price ceiling.

Remember that you can't bring back any bottles as carry-on luggage anymore!

Cheers,

Tristram Shandy

[Paradox]

I am taking the family over to Queenstown next month and wanted to bring back some PN.

Any thoughts for the top 3 or 4??? and also which would be a better vintage 06 or 07

I will not be able to get around any wineries during the hols as I have been told that is a no no by the boss!

You could try http://www.winetastes.co.nz/ which is next to Whitcoulls bookstore in central Queenstown about 1 block from the mall IIRC. They have about 80 NZ (and Australian) wines open for tasting via an Enomatic system and had about 20 pinots open when I was there earlier this year. Nice leather armchairs too! Easy way to taste a few wines and see what you like without leaving Queenstown.

Peregrine has a lovely tasting room and nice architecture and is only a 5 min drive past the AJ Hackett bungy jumping bridge (which is great entertainment to watch). Peregrine and Rockburn are always classy wines, I've reallt liked the last 2 vintages of Wild Earth and Bald Hills and all the wineries in Bannockburn are good - Felton Rd, Mt Diffficulty, Olssens, Akarua and Carrick.

[Craig(NZ)]

is only a 5 min drive past the AJ Hackett bungy jumping bridge (which is great entertainment to watch).

only chickens watch

do it, only costs a couple of bottles of wine and you will be talking about it for longer than a bottle of pinot

[mkcoleman]

Craig,

Yep, watching is for chickens. On our honeymoon we went to Queenstown and I flung myself off various rocks into the abyss ... the boss wasn't too happy after a while and stopped me from doing further jumps ... maybe she hadn't sorted out the life insurance at that stage

[rocknoise]

agree on that Craig save the $$ on some bottles and splurge on something like the Ata Rangi.
Drank one not long ago and it was glorious.

[michel]

thread drift
The food at Amisfield was incredibly good.
Not far from the airport- we had a great meal there and shared a 1/2 bottle of pinot and arrived for our flight settled and happy with a quiet full of food 6 year old.