The Auswine Forum

Everyone seems to be raving about this wine lately - does anyone know where it can be procured without mortgaging the house or whether indeed it is worth mortgaging the house for?

yes good question. ive seen it on sale in a few places at $100-120 a bottle. Had a few vintages of it and it is very very good. However at the time I could also pick up 98 Martinborough Reserve (yum) for $120 which makes all the Otago luxury bottlings look a fools game.

Problem is these days that every bloody Otago (and other region) winery has a super premium luxury bottling of Pinot whether Gibbston Res, Peregrene Pinnacle, Mt Diff Pipeclay, target gully, carrick exelsius, amisfield rocky knoll, pyramid valley earth smoke, mbv mariw zelie, pallisers flash one, escarpment kupe, bla bla and on the list goes.

Can't keep up, wallet can't keep up so have to let them pass.

I did buy a felton rd cornish point which is a little cheaper and id suggest basically as good. Also had the advantage of being able to try it first.

Personally now I find Ata Rangi and the Escarpment Single vineyards best value at $65 if talking great labels

The Ata Rangi and Escarpment are in the same league as the Felton Rd?

Luke W wrote:The Ata Rangi and Escarpment are in the same league as the Felton Rd?

Personally I think the Escarpment is vastly overrated. The vines are much younger than the other two from what I have been told and the difference is noticeable.

The Ata Rangi and Escarpment are in the same league as the Felton Rd?

I think on balance most people in NZ would think so for Ata rangi at least. Felton Rd has been hyped by a lot of international Press. Dont get me wrong Felton makes some great stuff. I had a bottle of 2000 Block 5 last year which was just a sensation. Felton Rd to me was the latest big thing when I was buying the 1997 vintage! it isnt exactly new news

Its also amazing how perceptions change re these things depending on what country you are in. A similar flipside example off the top of my head would be Rockford Basket press which I think is hyped more in Aussie than it is in NZ. Marketing influences perceptions!!

I think many people in NZ would rate Ata Rangi as NZ's best/most consistant producer of Pinot Noir probably through years of service, years of trial and years of comfort. It is also a wine that is available all year round to be purchased

Personally I think the Escarpment is vastly overrated. The vines are much younger than the other two from what I have been told and the difference is noticeable.

I can see where you are coming from. Many of their early efforts were just too chunky and clumsy. I too didnt think much of them - even the early Kupe. However there is no denying that the new single vineyard insight bottlings are pretty special (well the Te Rehua and Voyager are the ones ive tried anyway) - more feminine and sexy. The vines for all 3 of the Insight Series bottlings are 20-25 years old. I reckon they are a steal at $65

Felton Rds' Elms vineyard which supplies the Block 3 and Block 5 wines was planted in 1992 making it younger than the vineyards supplying the Escarpment Insight series at 17 years old

I can get the 2007 Ata rangi for about $80 in Aus, the Escarpment 2007 for $45 and the 2004 for $45. The Escarpment had a 2006 Moana Pinot for $60 - which do you advise?

Id advise find some 06 Ata Rangi. I havent tried the 07 yet and have heard varying reports. Havent bought any, may do one day if i try and like

The Moana is the one insight series wine i havent tried and is generally regarded as the least of the three. It is apparently a very soft subtle wine

The Voyager and Te Rehua are both excellent. Dont really have a preference but if I had to choose id prob go te rehua

Thanks Craig

I'll get the 2006 Ata rangi and the Voyager

Cheers

Luke

Luke

For me, the best kiwi pinot at the NZ wine show last year was the Schubert B Block. If it is a little too expensive, the Marion from the same company is also superb. I also think the Martinborough Vineyard PN is year in year out one of the stellar kiwi PN.

yeah the 06 mbv pinot is pretty tidy stuff. prob still go 06 AR at the same price but wouldnt mind being given a bottle of either

Do u know where the Schubert is available in Aus?

Luke W wrote:Do u know where the Schubert is available in Aus?

Was available in a Brisbane Bottleshop not sure if it still is, I'll pm...

If Wizz can't find you any, wine searcher is throwing up Best Cellars in Sydney with Marion at $57. If you haven't come across wine searcher before, it is a great tool. It doesn't cover all shop but it does give you a really great range to select from.

http://www.wine-searcher.com/prof/wine- ... W6H7CS00BX

Luke W wrote:Thanks Craig

I'll get the 2006 Ata rangi and the Voyager

Cheers

Luke

Yep, I think you'll not go wrong with these choices, though I've had the Te Rehua, not the Voyager.

Just an extra thought though - if you wanted to try a very good pinot from a vineyard literally over the road from Block 5 then there is a cheaper, more accessible, alternative to the Felton Road: Craggy Range Calvert Vineyard Pinot Noir comes from a single vineyard on the north of Felton Rd, whereas Block 5 is from the Calvert Vineyard over the road. The 06 Craggy Range I had was a very good wine, and I hear the 07 is also good. Its available in Australia, according to Wine Searcher, at around the $80. I wouldn't buy it ahead of the Ata Rangi, but just thought I'd mention it...

whereas Block 5 is from the Calvert Vineyard over the road.

the bottle says it comes from elms vineyard, their oldest??

Oops, yep, you're quite right. I could have sworn it was from Calvert. The Elms is less than a km down Felton Rd from Calvert Vineyard.

I thought the latest release of Block 5 was an extremely attractive and enjoyable wine. But I did wonder whether, for this price, should you be getting a wine that has a more vineyard-specific personality? While a very good wine, it wasn't wildly different from the other big name Pinots from Otago. I guess I'm starting to think that, at the moment, the beauty of Otago is the combination of an excellent climate for the excellent burgundian Pinot clones (esp. 777) that they've been growing there for longer than anyone else in the southern hemisphere. But maybe we will have to wait until Otago's vines are a bit older before we start to see the real (vineyard specific) potential of this awesome region. And until then, shouldn't they be charging a bit less?!

The best way to procure these wines is on the "Block" List, I have been on it for years, but I suspect quite a long waiting list. Then the hassle of getting the wines to Aussie.

Gazzab

gazzab wrote:The best way to procure these wines is on the "Block" List, I have been on it for years, but I suspect quite a long waiting list. Then the hassle of getting the wines to Aussie.

Gazzab

The Felton Block's you've opened for me over the years, GB, were very smart indeed. And although very expensive, all looked to have very good shelf lives. About as good as I've ever had from enzed, I'd reckon .... and better than the few Ata Rangi's and probably about on par with a couple of Martinborough Reserve's I've tried from the 90's. Caveat - I don't drink a lot of NZ Pinot Noir.

Luke, although Craig is somewhat mentally deranged (just look at his 109 point scoring system), his advice should taken as close to gospel. He is the man on this subject. SueNZ is the woman!

DLO, I am offended, surely I am more balanced, I have a foot in both camps! Overall the Block Pinots are great, but some years not quite on the mark. Blair I gather is saying the 07's are the ONE. I don't think the standard is that far off the mark, from the winery the Blocks are NZ$69, the std NZ$46, then if you take in the exchange rate a bargain! The only problem is the limited amounts, and that you have to buy a dozen wine in total. So the cellar has a fair amount of Felton Rd, if I recall rightly BC has just rated a Block Charddie really highly. GB

By the way, I wandered where you were lurking! GB

gazzab wrote:DLO, I am offended, surely I am more balanced, I have a foot in both camps! Overall the Block Pinots are great, but some years not quite on the mark. Blair I gather is saying the 07's are the ONE. I don't think the standard is that far off the mark, from the winery the Blocks are NZ$69, the std NZ$46, then if you take in the exchange rate a bargain! The only problem is the limited amounts, and that you have to buy a dozen wine in total. So the cellar has a fair amount of Felton Rd, if I recall rightly BC has just rated a Block Charddie really highly. GB

I apologise profusely if any offence taken. You are definitely more balanced than my mate Craig, although I luv youse both about the same.

Luke, although Craig is somewhat mentally deranged (just look at his 109 point scoring system), his advice should taken as close to gospel. He is the man on this subject. SueNZ is the woman!

Awww the love shown around here makes me feel all warm and fuzzy. At the end of the day if someone serves me up Ata Rangi, Felton Rd Block 5, and old Mbv Reserve or a Escarpment Insight Series Pinot...........etc etc , im not exactly gonna complain and get picky.

You only need to get choosy if $$ available run out before options available do. It isnt always a case of rejecting what you personally haven't purchased. All the Block 5's I have tried have been exceptional

For me personally 2x Escarpment te Rehua is a smarter choice than 1x FR Block 5 for the mortgage and 2 kids type on a less than millionaire salary

Luke W wrote:Everyone seems to be raving about this wine lately - does anyone know where it can be procured without mortgaging the house or whether indeed it is worth mortgaging the house for?

2007 was a superb year in Central Otago. Some absolutely delicious wines for a third to a quarter of the Block 5 price, so why mortgage the house just to buy a label that everyone is raving about.

Two I've tasted over the last week are Wild Earth 2007 (vineyard at end of Felton Road)and Domain Road 2007 (from next road above Felton Road in Bannockburn). I also love the Lowburn Ferry 2007, although that is from a vineyard about 10 kilometres north of Felton Road as the crow flies.

You are always going to get the hype with the Felton Road wines as the name has such cachet, but I don't think the wine is 3 to 4 times better.

dlo wrote:Luke, although Craig is somewhat mentally deranged (just look at his 109 point scoring system), his advice should taken as close to gospel. He is the man on this subject. SueNZ is the woman!

The cheque is in the post

Thanks Sue

Great advice - my problem in Central Q'ld is getting any premium NZ pinot - do u know of anywhere in Oz that distributes these?

Regards

Luke

Luke W wrote:Thanks Sue

Great advice - my problem in Central Q'ld is getting any premium NZ pinot - do u know of anywhere in Oz that distributes these?

Regards

Luke

No- no idea about Queensland.
Roger at www.otagowine.com will ship if you are prepared to pay the shipping costs.

Just looking at his site see he has the Olssens Jackson Barry 2007 - that also is in Felton Road- almost opposite Felton Road Wines - and has claimed four golds and a trophy already.

Cheers,
Sue

Thanks Sue

I've ordered a few premiums today thanks to Kevin Rudd:
a six pack of the Lowburn Ferry 2007 Pinot, a 2006 and 2007 Ata rangi, and 3 Ata rangi Crimson 2008's and an Escarpment Voyager 2006.

I hope I like NZ Pinot!

Thanks for everything

If I like what I see I'll be over at your wineries soon

Cheers

Luke