The place for all things wine, focused on serious wine discussions.

What NZ wines should I look for?

Moderators: Jenise, Robin Garr, David M. Bueker

no avatar
User

Dan Donahue

Rank

Ultra geek

Posts

359

Joined

Thu Mar 23, 2006 5:02 pm

Location

IL

What NZ wines should I look for?

by Dan Donahue » Fri May 05, 2006 12:57 pm

The world of wine is just too large to try everything and I've, mostly, ignored New Zealand. I usually get a couple bottles of Kim Crawford SB every year, I've tried a few Cloudy Bays and a couple of Central Otago PN's but that is it.

This week, however, I had a chance to taste a few more at a dinner and I was pretty impressed, especially with a Kumeu River Chardonnay and a Felton Road Pinot Noir. Apparantly ignoring NZ is a mistake. So, what else is out there that I should try?
no avatar
User

Hoke

Rank

Achieving Wine Immortality

Posts

11420

Joined

Sat Apr 15, 2006 1:07 am

Location

Portland, OR

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Hoke » Fri May 05, 2006 1:27 pm

For perhaps an even bigger surprise, Dan, you might consider checking out some (and I'm not kidding) Syrahs and Merlots from the Hawke's Bay area on the North Island!

Another producer that's doing some surprising things is Spy Valley. Good SB, better than good Riesling, and really, really good Gewurztraminer!

With the Kumeu Chard and the Felton Road PN, you've already found two shining stars (although I don't buy the Kumeu, partly because it's gotten damend pricy and if I'm gonna spend that much for Chardonnay it will probably be in indecipherable and unpronounceable French).

My advice: take a look at Sue Courtney's website. She's about as sound and up to date on NZ wines as I can imagine anyone being, and I trust and rely on her reccos. My only complaint with her is she keeps talking about good stuff that I never get the chance to taste because they hog it all at home. :)
no avatar
User

Mark Lipton

Rank

Oenochemist

Posts

4285

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 1:18 pm

Location

Indiana

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Mark Lipton » Fri May 05, 2006 1:50 pm

Hoke wrote:For perhaps an even bigger surprise, Dan, you might consider checking out some (and I'm not kidding) Syrahs and Merlots from the Hawke's Bay area on the North Island!


And Malbecs, too! Hawke's Bay is the warmest wine region in NZ and makes the best non-PN reds. A standout is Te Mata's Coleraine and Awatea (I wasn't so taken with the Bullnose Syrah)

Another producer that's doing some surprising things is Spy Valley. Good SB, better than good Riesling, and really, really good Gewurztraminer!


Seconded. Esk Valley's wines are also worth locating. For less "in your face" NZ SB, try Wairau River's, especially with some bottle age.

With the Kumeu Chard and the Felton Road PN, you've already found two shining stars (although I don't buy the Kumeu, partly because it's gotten damend pricy and if I'm gonna spend that much for Chardonnay it will probably be in indecipherable and unpronounceable French).


I also like quite a few NZ Chards, but haven't tried buying any here in the US. I still suspect that the best NZ Chards are going to be cheaper than the Puligny- and Chassagne-Montrachets that they taste like.

My advice: take a look at Sue Courtney's website. She's about as sound and up to date on NZ wines as I can imagine anyone being, and I trust and rely on her reccos. My only complaint with her is she keeps talking about good stuff that I never get the chance to taste because they hog it all at home. :)


Thor Iverson has also written extensively (to put it mildly) on his tour of NZ. You can find the writeups on his website.

Mark Lipton
no avatar
User

Ian Sutton

Rank

Spanna in the works

Posts

2558

Joined

Sun Apr 09, 2006 2:10 pm

Location

Norwich, UK

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Ian Sutton » Fri May 05, 2006 3:24 pm

Echo the comments of others who have provided very good recco's. Just don't take it all ok!

For some other thoughts:
Newton-Forrest Cornerstone (again Gimblett gravels). There's occasional Syrahs and staright Cab Sav, but the regular blend is Cab/Merlot/Malbec I believe. It drinks well at 5-8 years normally.

Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir. Drinks well at 4-6 years and is a one of the few Pinot Noirs (anywhere) that's impressed me.

Mission Jewelstone Chardonnay - this seems to be gaining greater credibility, but I loved it when I tried it 4-5 years ago. Still run by monks I believe.

Recent red wine vintages haven't been great, but then it's still a fairly marginal climate. However the wines are much improved on the green wines of 10-20 years ago.

For books, I'd recommend Michael Coopers wine buying guide (annual), which gives great coverage and I like his TN's. He also does a big glossy guide, which I'm told is fantastic, but it looked too glossy to me :oops:
no avatar
User

Dan Donahue

Rank

Ultra geek

Posts

359

Joined

Thu Mar 23, 2006 5:02 pm

Location

IL

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Dan Donahue » Fri May 05, 2006 3:54 pm

Thanks guys--I've printed this thread out because it looks like I've got a lot of exploring to do. These wines sound too good to ignore.
no avatar
User

Neil Courtney

Rank

Wine guru

Posts

3257

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:39 pm

Location

Auckland, New Zealand

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Neil Courtney » Fri May 05, 2006 7:57 pm

Hoke mentions Sue's web site, but it is easier if you get the link as well.

http://www.wineoftheweek.com
Cheers,
Neil Courtney

'Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it.' --- Anonymous.
no avatar
User

Mark Lipton

Rank

Oenochemist

Posts

4285

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 1:18 pm

Location

Indiana

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Mark Lipton » Fri May 05, 2006 11:52 pm

Ian Sutton wrote:Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir. Drinks well at 4-6 years and is a one of the few Pinot Noirs (anywhere) that's impressed me.


When I visited NZ, I went expecting to find many Pinot Noirs that I liked. Instead, I found the majority of them to taste a bit green and "sappy" to me. A friend who joined me for those tastings identified that character as being that of young (< 15 years) vines. (note: I only went as far South as Marlborough, so I didn't get a chance to try more than one Central Otago PN while there) The one exception was Martinborough Vineyards, whose Pinot Noirs impressed me as being round enough to be interesting and structured enough to be ageworthy.

Mark Lipton
no avatar
User

Sue Courtney

Rank

Wine guru

Posts

1809

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:33 pm

Location

Auckland, NZ

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Sue Courtney » Mon May 08, 2006 1:25 am

Hi Mark,
I coming a bit late to this conversation, but late last year I had the opportunity to taste a vertical of all the Pinot Noirs that Martinborough Vineyard had ever produced, from 1984 to 2003. They are indeed ageworthy and some of the older wines were outstandingly delicious.
The notes are on my website at http://www.wineoftheweek.com/archives/wine051211.html.
Cheers,
Sue
no avatar
User

Sam Platt

Rank

I am Sam, Sam I am

Posts

2330

Joined

Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:22 pm

Location

Indiana, USA

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Sam Platt » Mon May 08, 2006 11:45 am

Mark,

If you stumble onto some Monkey Bay SB you might grab it as a gamble. It's quite cheap ($8.00). I found it kind of flat and uninspiring, but the local wine mart says it's their best selling SB. Worth a shot on the chance that I had a bad bottle.

One other NZ SB of note is Matariki. I had a '97 that was very good; rich, zippy and balanced with grass, green pepper, and citrus notes.
Sam

"The biggest problem most people have is that they think they shouldn't have any." - Tony Robbins
no avatar
User

Mark Lipton

Rank

Oenochemist

Posts

4285

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 1:18 pm

Location

Indiana

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Mark Lipton » Mon May 08, 2006 2:53 pm

Sam Platt wrote:If you stumble onto some Monkey Bay SB you might grab it as a gamble. It's quite cheap ($8.00). I found it kind of flat and uninspiring, but the local wine mart says it's their best selling SB. Worth a shot on the chance that I had a bad bottle.


Sam, if you're paying $8 for the Monkey Bay, you're paying too much. It sells for $5-6 in Marsh supermarkets, after all. FWIW, it's made by the House of Nobilo near Auckland, which is now an arm of the Constellation mega-empire. I've enjoyed the '05 Monkey Bay enough to suggest it to a friend for her wedding reception's white wine.

One other NZ SB of note is Matariki. I had a '97 that was very good; rich, zippy and balanced with grass, green pepper, and citrus notes.


I quite enjoyed my visit to Matariki, but remember the Quintology and their Chardonnay more than their SB, though as I recall all of their wines were well made.

Mark Lipton
no avatar
User

Mark Lipton

Rank

Oenochemist

Posts

4285

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 1:18 pm

Location

Indiana

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Mark Lipton » Mon May 08, 2006 2:55 pm

Sue Courtney wrote:Hi Mark,
I coming a bit late to this conversation, but late last year I had the opportunity to taste a vertical of all the Pinot Noirs that Martinborough Vineyard had ever produced, from 1984 to 2003. They are indeed ageworthy and some of the older wines were outstandingly delicious.
The notes are on my website at http://www.wineoftheweek.com/archives/wine051211.html.
Cheers,
Sue


Thanks, Sue. When at the winery, I had the 2000, which I bought and flew back with. I also had a chance to buy the '98 Reserve, but balked since I couldn't taste it beforehand. Oh, the fish that got away... :cry:

Mark Lipton
no avatar
User

Sue Courtney

Rank

Wine guru

Posts

1809

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:33 pm

Location

Auckland, NZ

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Sue Courtney » Mon May 08, 2006 3:24 pm

Sam Platt wrote:Mark,

If you stumble onto some Monkey Bay SB you might grab it as a gamble. It's quite cheap ($8.00). I found it kind of flat and uninspiring, but the local wine mart says it's their best selling SB. Worth a shot on the chance that I had a bad bottle.


Sam, I think Monkey Bay is probably one of the biggest sellers because of the cute label, good marketing and the price. Personally my notes concur with yours and there are so many better NZSB's around, including those made by Monkey Bay's stable mates - House of Nobilo and Selaks.
Cheers,
Sue
no avatar
User

Sam Platt

Rank

I am Sam, Sam I am

Posts

2330

Joined

Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:22 pm

Location

Indiana, USA

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Sam Platt » Mon May 08, 2006 4:56 pm

Mark Lipton wrote:Sam, if you're paying $8 for the Monkey Bay, you're paying too much. It sells for $5-6 in Marsh supermarkets, after all.


Thanks Mark! Now I feel like I got screwed royally on my Monkey Bay purchase. :wink: Actually, I tried the one bottle on a lark, didn't much care for it, and never did any comparison shopping. Although six buck is a good price.

Sue Courtney wrote:Sam, I think Monkey Bay is probably one of the biggest sellers because of the cute label, good marketing and the price.


I'm sure that you are correct Sue. The label is attractive and the price point here in the US is favorable compared to the better SB's like Kim Crawford (our house SB) and Cloudy Bay. Are you familiar with the Matariki SB? Did I just get lucky with the '97? I bought it on the recommendation of a friend and it wasn't cheap (over $30). It was very tasty though.
Sam

"The biggest problem most people have is that they think they shouldn't have any." - Tony Robbins
no avatar
User

Neil Courtney

Rank

Wine guru

Posts

3257

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:39 pm

Location

Auckland, New Zealand

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Neil Courtney » Mon May 08, 2006 5:48 pm

When did you try the '97 Matariki SB Sam? This is getting very old for a SB if you had it recently.
Cheers,
Neil Courtney

'Wine improves with age. The older I get, the better I like it.' --- Anonymous.
no avatar
User

Sam Platt

Rank

I am Sam, Sam I am

Posts

2330

Joined

Sat Mar 25, 2006 12:22 pm

Location

Indiana, USA

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Sam Platt » Tue May 09, 2006 9:20 am

Neil Courtney wrote:When did you try the '97 Matariki SB Sam?


Neil,

I had the Matariki on early 2005. A friend, who was a fan of Matariki, bought one of the handful of '97's at the local wine shop. He loved it and went back to buy more. Only two bottles remained. He bought them both and offered to sell one to me. Of course he then came over and helped drink the bottle that I bought from him! The '97 Matariki was by far the oldest SB that I have ever tasted. It was a real treat. I wish I could find more.
Sam

"The biggest problem most people have is that they think they shouldn't have any." - Tony Robbins
no avatar
User

michael dietrich

Rank

Ultra geek

Posts

246

Joined

Wed May 10, 2006 5:09 pm

Location

West Linn, Oregon

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by michael dietrich » Wed May 10, 2006 5:23 pm

I am a retailer in Oregon and my best deal is called Redcliffe. It comes in 750 ml. and 1.5 ltr. The 1.5 sells for $15 and it tastes like good Sauv Blanc. My family and I are going to New Zealand in mid-June. We are hitting Martinborough/ Wairarapa, Marlborough, and Nelson. This is our first trip. I am so looking forward to it.
no avatar
User

Jenise

Rank

FLDG Dishwasher

Posts

42549

Joined

Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:45 pm

Location

The Pacific Northest Westest

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Jenise » Wed May 10, 2006 5:51 pm

Sue Courtney wrote: The notes are on my website at http://www.wineoftheweek.com/archives/wine051211.html.
Cheers,
Sue


Sue, if you had a search engine on your site I'd look this up instead of asking you, but what can you tell me about a producer called Rimu Grove? I've got a bottle of their latest pinot in the tasting queue, and it's a winery I'm not familiar with--it was recommended by a retailer who thinks he knows my palate.
My wine shopping and I have never had a problem. Just a perpetual race between the bankruptcy court and Hell.--Rogov
no avatar
User

Sue Courtney

Rank

Wine guru

Posts

1809

Joined

Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:33 pm

Location

Auckland, NZ

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Sue Courtney » Wed May 10, 2006 6:15 pm

Hi Jenise, I do have a search engine on my site - it's right on the front page, just below the date updated.
Anyway, Patrick and Barbara Stowe at Rimu Grove are doing great things in Nelson, producing very good wines. A good place to visit, especially if you like American Blues music, as Patrick usually has that playing in the winery. We drove through Nelson in April of this year on our way further south and rang up to see if we could visit, unfortunately they had their answer phone on so missed out. They were probably in the vineyard harvesting their grapes.

This note comes from my Pinot Noir tasting notes page.

Rimu Grove Nelson Pinot Noir 2004 (screwcap) Smoky oak, musk and spice on the nose and musky, cherry-infused flavours with rich, crushed velvet tannins that impart lovely mouthfeel and weight. Sweet-fruited, ripe and well-balanced with a touch of fennel on the long, savoury finish which has lots of complex layers. Very drinkable. 14% alc. NZ$40. 10Mar2006.

These guys are from California. Check out their website - http://www.rimugrove.co.nz

Cheers,
Sue
no avatar
User

Bob Parsons Alberta

Rank

aka Doris

Posts

10773

Joined

Tue Mar 21, 2006 3:09 pm

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Bob Parsons Alberta » Thu Dec 28, 2006 11:29 pm

Bumping this up as we have a new Open Mike on NZ SB!!!
no avatar
User

JC (NC)

Rank

Lifelong Learner

Posts

6679

Joined

Mon Mar 27, 2006 12:23 pm

Location

Fayetteville, NC

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by JC (NC) » Fri Dec 29, 2006 10:50 am

I second the recommendations for Kim Crawford, Nobilo (the Icon especially), Selaks, and add Blind River and Crossings for S.B. Still haven't found any Pinot Noir that really thrilled me. Among the Sauvignon Blanc I forgot to mention Bedford Road, one of my favorites, from a property adjacent to Cloudy Bay's Kenwick property.
Last edited by JC (NC) on Fri Dec 29, 2006 12:15 pm, edited 1 time in total.
no avatar
User

Mike B.

Rank

Ultra geek

Posts

367

Joined

Fri Aug 25, 2006 10:56 am

Location

Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Mike B. » Fri Dec 29, 2006 11:58 am

Notice that Hawkes Bay gets mentioned a lot in this thread. I'm partial to Mills Reef. Their Elspeth series Malbec, Syrah and Merlot are excellent.
no avatar
User

Bob Parsons Alberta

Rank

aka Doris

Posts

10773

Joined

Tue Mar 21, 2006 3:09 pm

Re: What NZ wines should I look for?

by Bob Parsons Alberta » Fri Dec 29, 2006 1:11 pm

JC (NC) wrote:I second the recommendations for Kim Crawford, Nobilo (the Icon especially), Selaks, and add Blind River and Crossings for S.B. Still haven't found any Pinot Noir that really thrilled me. Among the Sauvignon Blanc I forgot to mention Bedford Road, one of my favorites, from a property adjacent to Cloudy Bay's Kenwick property.


Thanks JC, we have an Open Mike going on. Subject NZ SB. See you there?!!

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: ClaudeBot, Google [Bot], Google Adsense [Bot], SemrushBot and 3 guests

Powered by phpBB ® | phpBB3 Style by KomiDesign