TN's - NZ and Oz wine tasting in London

[Phil Shorten]

Some notes from a tasting last night....

2002 Montana Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough

Clear pale silvery lemon. Clean nose, classic NZ Sauvignon Blanc - ripe cut grass and gooseberry. On the palate, dry, medium bodied, high acidity, ripe passionfruit and gooseberry dominate, slightly herbal. Good finish.

Very good commercial wine.

NV Pelorus, Marlborough

Clean medium yellowish gold suggesting a disturbing level of development, confirmed on the nose, which shows a surprising level of yeast and toastiness, which I put down more to development than ageing on lees. The palate is dry, medium bodied, quite soft (reflecting that it is a bit past its best), quite biscuity, and finishes short. Would have been better a while back.

2002 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough

Clear bright pale silvery green, lighter in colour than the Montana. Clean youthful nose, quite vegetal - green bean/asparagus and parsley. Dry medium+ bodied (it is 13.5% ABV), very good fruit intensity, "ripe but green" - the palate reflects the bouquet, long finish. Shows its class and easily masks the alcohol. One can see that this wine would improve in the bottle over the medium term. Is it worth the £20+ that it sometimes commands in the UK? Frankly no. At £12 it is a good wine and worth the price.

1999 Cloudy Bay Chardonnay, Marlborough

Clear bright medium yellow with hints of gold. Clean nose, albeit slightly reticent and dumb. Dry, medium bodied, slightly honeyed palate, showing very good melon and fig fruit intermingled with judicious well integrated oak. A very good wine that is drinking well now and should hold for 18-24 months.

2000 Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir, Marlborough

Clear bright strawberry red. Clean nose showing some development - violets, cherries and a touch of the old barnyard. Dry, medium bodied, well structured wine, good cherry/raspberry fruit, soft tannins, fine acidity. Drinking near its peak now. Good stuff. One of the better Marlborough pinots I've tasted.

2002 First Step Merlot, Langhorne Creek

Clear bright medium-deep mulberry/purple. Clean youthful nose of ripe plum fruit. Medium+ bodied palate of ripe (but not overripe) dark plum and mulberry, touches of vanilla oak. Soft and easy drinking commercial wine, very good value at £4.99. Wines like this will ensure that Australia continues to thrive in this very competitive price bracket in the UK.

2002 Angove's Stonegate Petit Verdot, South Australia (presumably substantially Riverland fruit)

Clear bright medium-deep ruby/purple. Clean youthful connfected nose - jammy sweet bubblegum and violet - does not augur well. The palate is dominated by ripe fruit, a mixture of sweet and sour cherry, redcurrant jelly. To me this both smelt and tasted like a "manufactured" wine. Not good.

1994 Cape Mentelle Cabernet Sauvignon, Margaret River

Clear deep purple, fading to garnet at the rim. Clean, slightly smoky developed nose of tobacco, earth and pepper. Dry, medium bodied palate of ripe blackcurrent fruit, integrated with oak, tannins are fully resolved. Very good, but unfortunately the palate doesn't quite match up to the enticing bouquet.

1996 Lindemans Pyrus, Coonawarra

Clear bright medium-deep crimson/purple, slightly faded at the rim. Clean nose loaded with mint and eucalyptus overlaying red fruits. Dry, medium+ bodied palate of good ripe briar and plum, tannins are fully integrated. Good finish. A very good wine that has entered its drinking window, showing more complexity and class than the Cape Mentelle. Excellent.

Cheers
Phil