2008 Kiwi Wine Fan Club - Wines of the Year

[Craig(NZ)]

People

Hopefully again Gavin will forgive a piece of blatent self advertising again

We have just published our annual Kiwi Wine Fan Club - Wines of the Year write up and announced this years champion. For those interested:

http://www.kiwiwinefanclub.co.nz/content/view/601/70/

Hope you enjoy the read

[Kate]

Just in time for xmas shopping..........when are you going to send me that csae of Le fou?

[SueNZ]

We have just published our annual Kiwi Wine Fan Club - Wines of the Year write up and announced this years champion.

Well done Craig, lots of exciting wines there and gee, I get a mention too
Only thing I would ask is why now? There is still a whole month to go in the year - or are you on holiday for the whole of December?

PS Blind tasted 9 Syrahs last night and your WOTY was amongst them. All the wines were very very good to exceptional, except for the one riddled with Brett. Tasted before dinner, then with dinner and still don't know what they are as will do a repeat tasting today - in full daylight - to have a good look at the colours and and to see how they fare with a bit of aeration. Then I will choose my No. 1.

[Craig(NZ)]

Only thing I would ask is why now? There is still a whole month to go in the year - or are you on holiday for the whole of December?

I still can't beat Wine Spectator though
Always done it start of December for those doing the Xmas shopping for something special for xmas day
The great wines we taste in Dec overlap into the next year

PS Blind tasted 9 Syrahs last night and your WOTY was amongst them. All the wines were very very good to exceptional .

I think any of the Syrah's in my finalists could have taken top spot. I was in a real pickle trying to pick a top Syrah and a top wine of the year. In the end the other writers opinions all went into the mix which didnt help a hell of a lot either as they felt the same way. Passage Rock by a nose on the day. I liked the differnet stylistic direction and its a little left field. Also we felt it was a year to recognise Syrah. Who knows what another day would have thrown up.

[bacchaebabe]

Excellent write up and good to use to focus on which NZs to buy. Now the tricky bit is just finding them in Aus for a reasonable price.

[Quizmaster]

I can't believe Phar Lap didn't win!

[SueNZ]

I think any of the Syrah's in my finalists could have taken top spot. I was in a real pickle trying to pick a top Syrah and a top wine of the year. In the end the other writers opinions all went into the mix which didnt help a hell of a lot either as they felt the same way. Passage Rock by a nose on the day. I liked the differnet stylistic direction and its a little left field. Also we felt it was a year to recognise Syrah. Who knows what another day would have thrown up.

After my mammoth Syrah tasting, I'm feeling exactly the same way about this. I'd like to to quote your profound statments that you've made here, on my blog, if I may.

[Craig(NZ)]

I'd like to to quote your profound statments that you've made here, on my blog, if I may.

of course! since you are the first to ask you can even do so without paying royalties

I can't believe Phar Lap didn't win!

i thought about it but it is a bit past its best now days (a bit like the NZ Cricket team and the Aussie Rugby League team)

[Craig(NZ)]

nice write up sue on syrah. 06 bilanicia is a fantastic wine. i got to try it 15 minutes before i tried the homage a few months ago. really really good stuff.

would have loved the luxury of trying all my finalists blind side by side to decide a winner but cost put an end to that idea. the joys of amateur blog style opinion!

in my mind the homage is the best syrah experience ive had this year (just) but the price! had a good 3 tastes of it (greedy) but so yummo. a wine however that sure didnt need yet another 'accolade' from little ol us, 12 months after everyone else recognised it Its not exactly news.

Bilancia as I say is a dark horse. Not the profile of Homage, Le Sol etc but so so good. Loved the 02 version too

[SueNZ]

I would love to taste Homage 06 and La Collina 06 together, but never had the chance. At WineNZ this year I attended the Red Wines seminar where Passage Rock Reserve 06 and Homage 06 were poured and actually I preferred the Passage Rock on the day!!! At the same seminar, Bridge Pa Louis 04, which was drinking beauitfully, and Kennedy Point 06 were poured. The Kennedy Point was corked. I arrived at the seminar just after it started. Those who were there early and realised the Kennedy Point was corked had their wine replaced.
Cheers,
Sue

[Craig(NZ)]

.

I would love to taste Homage 06 and La Collina 06 together, but never had the chance

yes and it gets expensive to go out and buy these wines just to satisfy a curiousity

The thing with the log jam of top syrah this year is the tasters 'margin for error' (if there is such a thing) is bigger than the gap in quality

depending on the day, and all the other variables we all know affect our judgement, when trying to be objective, in the world of subjective opinion, there are so many that could get the nod on the day.

As such best advice is to just buy a whole handful of labels!! That's where wines like passage rock, church road, cottage block, unison, craggy block 14 really come into their own as its a lot more economical to buy a selection of those wines than le sol, la collina and homage

[Maximus]

Craig!

Just got around to trying "Le Fou", or "Le Poo" - what the hell are you raving about??? Has anyone else tried this wine?

I was out there today and very unimpressed. The nose is bizarre, with fruit sweetness that's candied, fairy-floss, sherbert-like sweetness (that I detest, but hey, others may like it), and the palate is lacking any decent texture with astringency and bitterness on the finish. I'll concede that the tangy acidity is nice, but it doesn't appear to gel with the residual sugar and the wine appears as more of an anomaly, searching for identity and style.

Anyway, I don't usually go out of my way to damn a wine, and whilst this wine isn't a downright failure, I thought it worthwhile adding perspective from someone who didn't receive such ethereal delights from the bottle. Certainly many, many better Rieslings on the market for my money.

2c.

[Craig(NZ)]

Craig!

Just got around to trying "Le Fou", or "Le Poo" - what the hell are you raving about??? Has anyone else tried this wine?

I was out there today and very unimpressed. The nose is bizarre, with fruit sweetness that's candied, fairy-floss, sherbert-like sweetness (that I detest, but hey, others may like it), and the palate is lacking any decent texture with astringency and bitterness on the finish. I'll concede that the tangy acidity is nice, but it doesn't appear to gel with the residual sugar and the wine appears as more of an anomaly, searching for identity and style.

Anyway, I don't usually go out of my way to damn a wine, and whilst this wine isn't a downright failure, I thought it worthwhile adding perspective from someone who didn't receive such ethereal delights from the bottle. Certainly many, many better Rieslings on the market for my money.

I look forward to reading your review on your website

All I can do is disagree with you. Life must be at rock bottom for you if you can't enjoy a glass of that stuff. Ive drunk Le Fou several times (usually with much company) and every time not only has it impressed me but all those drinking it have loved it. To me a wine that puts a smile across the face of so many has something going for it.

A couple of weeks back we drank it with 6 vintages of peg bay riesling 02-07 and 05 fromm spatlese and it at worst held its own against the best of them.

Our good friend Sue has tried it and also rated it highly on her blog recently "I can see why it seduced him and his KWFC colleagues. It's pretty awesome wine.", so id hardly consider our opinion revolutionary (though am aware that I personally rate wines of this style highly as a general rule - i do enjoy them).

At the end of the day however, your 'adding perspective' may in fact be just creating outlying opinion. Think of it sorta like Sue Bradford in a Parlimentary debate Furthermore you don't rate Puriri Hills either so how can we honestly ever take you seriously??

[Maximus]

I look forward to reading your review on your website

If I don't have something nice to say, I generally avoid saying anything, except for public forums that nobody visits (and of course, when an opportunity to rile you up presents itself).

All I can do is disagree with you. Life must be at rock bottom for you if you can't enjoy a glass of that stuff. Ive drunk Le Fou several times (usually with much company) and every time not only has it impressed me but all those drinking it have loved it. To me a wine that puts a smile across the face of so many has something going for it.

Such an unbiassed and objective forum of learned wine reviewers... I have only tried the wine once (yesterday), but I can only review what was in my glass. Perhaps the smile across their faces is with reference to something else...

A couple of weeks back we drank it with 6 vintages of peg bay riesling 02-07 and 05 fromm spatlese and it at worst held its own against the best of them.

This is a HUGE call... especially given I know your love of both the Peg Bay Riesling and the Fromm Spat, so you've certainly made it clear and reaffirmed your position on this wine.

At the end of the day however, your 'adding perspective' may in fact be just creating outlying opinion. Think of it sorta like Sue Bradford in a Parlimentary debate Furthermore you don't rate Puriri Hills either so how can we honestly ever take you seriously??

So now you're accussing me of lying Craig? "outlying opinion"? I contribute to this forum to provide my opinion and my thoughts on wine, which I do so with the utmost integrity. I think you'll find that you only further damage your own credibility by making such remarks. If you can't carry on a debate, conversation or discussion like an adult and insist on cheap shots, then the forum will only deteriorate.

Who is Sue Bradford?

[Craig(NZ)]

So now you're accussing me of lying Craig? "outlying opinion"? I contribute to this forum to provide my opinion and my thoughts on wine, which I do so with the utmost integrity. I think you'll find that you only further damage your own credibility by making such remarks. If you can't carry on a debate, conversation or discussion like an adult and insist on cheap shots, then the forum will only deteriorate.

Max

1. Opinion. I am sure I have plenty of "outlying opionion" on some wines. Doesnt bother me, shouldnt bother you

2. Credibility. My wine opinion is only my opinion. I have no desire to become a wine critic, it is just a hobby for me. I answer to no one. I like it that way, it shall remain that way. I will keep my day job. It appears that 'credibility' when it is someones big concern only takes the teeth and use out of opinion anyway

This is a HUGE call... especially given I know your love of both the Peg Bay Riesling and the Fromm Spat, so you've certainly made it clear and reaffirmed your position on this wine.

Such an unbiassed and objective forum of learned wine reviewers...

Exactly. Fair call. Our writing is biased and im proud of it. We rate highly what we like and rate lowly what i dont. Its a simple way of doing things. If you find our palate similar to yours our stuff is useful to you. If you dont its a waste of space. We never advertise ourselves as "learned" in fact if you read the "who the hell are we" page you will find the absolute opposite.

Who is Sue Bradford?

Shes the anti smaking lady who pushed through the bill that no one wanted sure that we all wanted it

[Bacchus]

I think to enjoy this wine you actually need more than one tastebud, there is a possibility that Maximus's was on holiday when he tried it .. there is to date at least 8 people who have tried it and put on record within our wee fraternity that it is a superb wine. Personally I am comfortable in my enjoyment of it and can cope with the odd person with an opposite view.
Hell if we all had the same view life would be somewhat boring eh what

[Bick]

I enjoy a soap opera forum spat as much as the next guy, and given I've not tasted the wine, I should probably just keep quiet, but can't help pointing out that Max's main beef seems to be thinking Craig called him a liar: Max: an 'outlying opinion' doesn't indicate lying, it indicates that the opinion is an "outlier", in maths a term indicating that a value is significantly divergent from the mean value of the dataset. Its no less valid, just far from the mean.

I'm going to have to try this wine at some point it seems. Unfortunately I'm not going to buy a six pack of something I've not tried even if KWFC do recommend, and I've not seen it available in less than a 6 pack.

[orpheus]

The syrahs I tasted over Xmas in NZ really impressed me.

I would find it hard to think of a better wine than "le sol", which only manages an honourable mention. I would also rate it a lot higher than the Block 14 syrah. I tasted the two of them in that order on one night, and the step down was marked.

An even darker horse; the Awaroa syrah 2005. Not quite in the same league as "le sol", but a very good wine indeed, and a sign of things to come for this small Waiheke winery.

[Craig(NZ)]

I would find it hard to think of a better wine than "le sol", which only manages an honourable mention. I would also rate it a lot higher than the Block 14 syrah. I tasted the two of them in that order on one night, and the step down was marked.

05 Le Sol was very good, but prefered the 04 and 02 versions. Also prefered the homage and la collina out of the big priced bottlings.

Max: an 'outlying opinion' doesn't indicate lying, it indicates that the opinion is an "outlier", in maths a term indicating that a value is significantly divergent from the mean value of the dataset. Its no less valid, just far from the mean.

I just realised that Max missed the boat (or fell asleep in maths class)re this meaning and can only back up what Bick said. It doesnt mean you are telling fibs. Dictionary defn:

"A value far from most others in a set of data: "

[Curt]

Hi, It is available by the bottle from http://www.otagowine.com

I have ordered to check out what all the fuss is about

[rooman]

I was lucky enough to order a bottle of the 2006 Craggy Range Sophia at lunch recently. Lucky because NZ bord blends are still few and far between. It was a lovely drop and I can see how it would make the final. Not having tried the other, I can't compare.

[SueNZ]

I'm going to have to try this wine at some point it seems. Unfortunately I'm not going to buy a six pack of something I've not tried even if KWFC do recommend, and I've not seen it available in less than a 6 pack.

Try the Central Otago Wine Cellar - www.otagowine.com
They are advertising a 3-pack - one of each of the wines in the Expressionist Series- for $150. Click on 'Latest News'. They also use Craig's description for the marketing of Le Fou. They are all smart wines.

It seems here you can buy single bottles too. I've bought from them before. Very reliable.

Cheers,
Sue

[SueNZ]

An even darker horse; the Awaroa syrah 2005. Not quite in the same league as "le sol", but a very good wine indeed, and a sign of things to come for this small Waiheke winery.

That's a bit of a monster wine at 15.3% alcohol - although very impressionable despite this. Did you get to try the 2006? Alcohol at 13.5% makes a better wine for long term, I think. Liked them both very much when tasted in July 2007.
Cheers,
Sue

[orpheus]

An even darker horse; the Awaroa syrah 2005. Not quite in the same league as "le sol", but a very good wine indeed, and a sign of things to come for this small Waiheke winery.

That's a bit of a monster wine at 15.3% alcohol - although very impressionable despite this. Did you get to try the 2006? Alcohol at 13.5% makes a better wine for long term, I think. Liked them both very much when tasted in July 2007.
Cheers,
Sue

No I haven't tasted the 06.

As for the 05, I agree, that is a lot of alcohol, but it wears it well, and could not be accused of being hot or over-ripe.

[Paradox]

Craig!

Just got around to trying "Le Fou", or "Le Poo" - what the hell are you raving about??? Has anyone else tried this wine?

I was out there today and very unimpressed. The nose is bizarre, with fruit sweetness that's candied, fairy-floss, sherbert-like sweetness (that I detest, but hey, others may like it), and the palate is lacking any decent texture with astringency and bitterness on the finish. I'll concede that the tangy acidity is nice, but it doesn't appear to gel with the residual sugar and the wine appears as more of an anomaly, searching for identity and style.

More 2c. Tasted blind with one other riesling in a group of 8 tasters, in wine options format. Everyone liked it, identified it as an NZ wine, and thought it was very good. Most thought it was Felton Rd or Mt Difficulty Target Gully which IMO places it in the top tier of Otago rieslings. It seemed to have an intense depth of lemon-lime purity with integrated sweetness but lacked the breadth of flavour and complexity which mark out the absolute best NZ riesling; also making it slightly one-dimensional in comparison with good German riesling.

Very nice wine, up there with the better kiwi rieslings but not outstanding IMO.

Cheers
Rob

[SueNZ]

More 2c. Tasted blind with one other riesling in a group of 8 tasters, in wine options format.

Practising already