Wine Reviews

Meanwhile, other grapes and regions have been developed to show that New Zealand is no one trick pony. Quite the most impressive of these regions has been Central Otago. Just twenty years ago it was considered too marginal a climate for grape growing but pioneers like Irishman Alan Brady have proved once again that marginal climates make the best wines. Is it long hang time or something in the soil or water regime? I don’t know, but goodness it works. Wines from cool climate grapes like chardonnay, riesling, pinot noir, pinot gris and sauvignon grown here have a startlingly European like quality with a mineral layer and acidic structure that goes way beyond the simple fruit cocktail that any good winemaker can conjure up. The only fly in the ointment is price, particularly for pinot noir. Sadly pinot noir has that effect on winemakers who feel that they are worth it because the French can charge these sums. They seem to forget that they’ve had 1700 years head start.

 Elsewhere pinot gris has made an encouraging start and not surprisingly riesling can be wonderful, while everyone, everywhere seems to want to make a pinot noir. It’s a fussy grape so it’s unlikely to be successful everywhere. Other red grapes, for me, are best confined to warmer spots like Hawkes Bay, where cabernet can be good and even the occasional syrah impresses in the right vintage, but I have to say that I am as under whelmed by most NZ reds as I am thrilled by anything from Central Otago.

Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 2001, Martinborough  
A highly regarded and expensive wine, but it does have some lovely perfumed strawberry and cherry fruit plus oak in the manner, perhaps, of an elegant Rioja. But £27 is a lot of money. (Irl: u/n) (UK: Fine Wines of NZ +44 (0)20 7482 0093)  
 

€G

90

Babich Wines Pinot Gris 2002, Marlborough
Simple light style. (Irl: GG) (UK: Percy Fox: +44 (0)1279 756 238)  
  

€C

84

Borthwick Estate Riesling 2001, Wairarapa 2001  
A touch of petrol on nose and palate with chalky mineral tones and lemon peel fruit. Very good. (Irl: n/imp) (UK: John Armit +44 (0) 20 7908 0620)  
 

€C

90

Carrick Wines Chardonnay 2001, Central Otago Lovely orange and mineral notes to this wine plus oak but you’d hardly notice it. (Irl: n/imp) (UK: Bonhote Foster +44 (0) 1440 730 779)  
 

€F

90

Carrick Wines Pinot Noir 2001, Central Otago Intense fruit with cherry and a kind of cough mixture spicy note, ripe tannin and oak and good length. (Irl: n/imp) (UK: Bonhote Foster +44 (0) 1440 730 779)  
 

€G

90

Babich Wines Pinot Gris 2002, Marlborough 
Simple light style. (Irl: GG) (UK: Percy Fox: +44 (0)1279 756 238)  
 

€C

84

Borthwick Estate Riesling 2001, Wairarapa 2001  
A touch of petrol on nose and palate with chalky mineral tones and lemon peel fruit. Very good. (Irl: n/imp) (UK: John Armit +44 (0) 20 7908 0620)  
 

€C

90

Carrick Wines Chardonnay 2001, Central Otago  
Lovely orange and mineral notes to this wine plus oak but you’d hardly notice it. (Irl: n/imp) (UK: Bonhote Foster +44 (0) 1440 730 779)  
 

€F

90

Carrick Wines Pinot Noir 2001, Central Otago  
Intense fruit with cherry and a kind of cough mixture spicy note, ripe tannin and oak and good length. (Irl: n/imp) (UK: Bonhote Foster +44 (0) 1440 730 779)  
  

€G

90

Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2000 Marlborough  
Samples have varied from slightly earthy to smart nuts, cream and melon with good length, hence the variable score. (Irl:FD) (UK: Cloudy Bay +44 (0)20 7408 7408)  
 

€G

87-89

Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2001, Marlborough  
Disappointing for such a big name as this seems a fairly simple wine with cherry and strawberry like. (Irl:FD) (UK: Cloudy Bay +44 (0)20 7408 7408)  
 

€G

87

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Marlborough
Attractive lemon and mineral fruit but this icon has been overtaken by some of its peers. (Irl:FD) (UK: Cloudy Bay +44 (0)20 7408 7408)
 

€G

88

Cloudy Bay Vineyards Pelorus 1998, Marlborough 
Two different samples tried. Both full and toasty but one had a vegetal edge to the fruit that distracted from it for me. (Irl:FD) (UK: Cloudy Bay +44 (0)20 7408 7408)
  

€G

86-88?

Craggy Range Avery Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2002,  Marlborough 
Attractive lemon and ripe gooseberry fruit and mid to good length. (Irl: u/n) (UK: Capricorn + 44(0) 161 908 1361)
 

€D

88

Craggy Range Old Renwick Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Marlborough  
Master of Wine Steve Smith has crafted what just may be Marlborough’s best sauvignon blanc. Of course it has attractive, intense zesty lime, lemon and gooseberry fruit, as so many do, but there’s another dimension to the beautifully textured fruit on the palate with mineral qualities and terrific length. (Irl: u/n) (UK: Capricorn + 44(0) 161 908 1361)
 

€D

92

Deutz Marlborough Cuvée NV, Sparkling, Marlborough Good autolytic character with biscuit and touch of toffee and fair to good length. (Irl: GT) (UK: Allied Domecq + 44 (0)20 323 8196)
 

€F (E)

87

Esk Valley Black Label Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Hawkes Bay 
Quite elegant with lemon curd and gooseberry fruit. (Irl:FD) (Hatch Mansfield +44 (0)1344 871 800)
 

€D

88

Felton Rd Dry Riesling 2001, Central Otago
One sniff and your brain says “Alsace Grand cru”? It’s a stunning wine with lime peel, pear, mineral fruit, piercing long acidity and texture. (Irl: BB) (UK: Cornish Point Wines  +44 (0)125 270 5102)
 

€F(E)

93

Felton Rd Chardonnay 2001
An unoaked wine that’s a ringer for Chablis premier cru with its pure steely mineral and citrus fruit, texture and length. (Irl: BB) (UK: Cornish Point Wines  +44 (0)125 270 5102)
 

€F(E)

91

Forest Estate Pinot Noir 2001, Marlborough 
Reasonable cherry fruit and fair length. (Irl: u/n)  (UK: Haughton +44 2502 727 288)
  

€D

88

Forest Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Marlborough
Quite classy, elegant wine with ripe gooseberry and mineral character plus just a hint of herbaceous green pepper. (Irl: u/n)  (UK: Haughton +44 2502 727 288)
  

€D

90

Goldwater Estate Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Marlborough 
I’m told that Cloudy Bay’s Kevin Judd makes this and this vintage is much more successful than the clumsy 2001 with quite classy lemon and gooseberry and mineral flavours. (Irl:TS)  (Hallgarten +44 2582 722 538)
  

€D

89

Grove Mill Pinot Gris 2002, Marlborough 
Rich and creamy orange and melon fruit. Very promising effort. (Irl:WD) (Chalié Richards + 44 (0) 1403 250 500) 
  

€D

89

Grove Mill Riesling 2002, Marlborough 
Good concentration with mineral and citrus fruit. (Irl:WD) (Chalié Richards + 44 (0) 1403 250 500)
 

€D

88

Grove Mill Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Marlborough 
A well-made wine with elegant lemon and gooseberry fruit, mineral notes on the palate and good length. (Irl:WD) (Chalié Richards + 44 (0) 1403 250 500)
 

€D

88

Jackson Estate Pinot Noir 2001, Marlborough
Good ripe cherry fruit with some nutty spice and mid to good length. (Irl: u/n)  (UK: HWCG Wine growers + 44 (0)1279 873 500)
 

€G

88

Jackson Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Marlborough  
Refreshing lemon and gooseberry fruit but this has that extra dimension of mineral character and length too. (Irl: u/n)  (UK: HWCG Wine growers + 44 (0)1279 873 500)
 

€D

90

Kim Crawford Pinot Gris 2002, Marlborough 
From the wonderfully named Boyzone vineyard, this has an impressive mix of orange, mineral and nut character and good length. (Irl & UK: info@libertywine.co.uk.)
 

€D

89

Kim Crawford Pinot Noir 2002, Hawkes Bay 
Mid weight with cherry fruit and oak spice. (Irl & UK: info@libertywine.co.uk.)
 

€D

87

Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Marlborough 
Well mad lemon and gooseberry scented wine with a touch of mineral too. (Irl & UK: info@libertywine.co.uk.)
 

€D

89

Kim Crawford Unoaked Chardonnay 2002, Marlborough 
For my money this is consistently one of Crawford’s best wines. It has Chablis like mineral texture and delightful peach and butter fruit. Who needs oak when it tastes this good. (Irl & UK: info@libertywine.co.uk.)
 

€D

89

Lindauer Special Reserve NV Sparkling, Marlborough 
Toasty on nose and palate with a little creanm and lemon. (Irl: u/n)  (UK: Allied Domecq + 44 (0)20 323 8196)
 

€E(D)

86

Martinborough Vineyards Chardonnay 2001, Martinborough 
One of the best NZ chardonnays that I’ve tried because of its very Burgundian style with its flavours of nut, peach, creamy lees and mineral character and excellent length. (Irl: u/n)  (UK: Haughton +44 2502 727 288)
 

€F

92

Martinborough Vineyards Pinot Noir 2001, Marlborough 
Class act with perfumed black cherry, spice, rich but elegant palate and good length. The style here used to be very vegetal a decade ago and maybe it develops that way in time. (Irl: u/n)  (UK: Haughton +44 2502 727 288)
 

€G

91

Martinborough Vineyards Riesling 2002, Martinborough
Floral and orange fruit but only mid weight. (Irl: u/n)  (UK: Haughton +44 2502 727 288)
 

€D

86

Matua Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Hawkes Bay 
Very simple, crunchy green pepper style that NZ seems to be moving away from. (Irl: GB) (UK: Beringer Blass + 44 (0)20 8744 2999)
 

€B

85

Matua Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Marlborough 
Surprisingly elegant wine for this price level with good clean aromatic fruit. (Irl: GB) (UK: Beringer Blass + 44 (0)20 8744 2999)
 

€C

87

Millton Mclldowie Vineyard, The Growers Series Gewürztraminer 2002, Gisborne
Mandarin and melon on nose plus good rich orangey, musky melon palate. It’s subdued for this variety but very attractive. (Irl: u/n)  (UK: Bottle Green +44 (0)113 205 4500)
 

€B

89

Montana Wines Reserve Riesling 2001, Marlborough
Elegant petrol and citrus nose with mineral character and good length. (Irl: GT) (UK: Allied Domecq + 44 (0)20 323 8196)
 

€C

90

Montana Wines Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Marlborough 
Good quality elegant lemon and gooseberry character to this wine. (Irl: GT) (UK: Allied Domecq + 44 (0)20 323 8196)
 

€C

88

Montana Wines Riesling 2002, Marlborough 
Light clean floral, citrus and a hint of pear drop too. (Irl: GT) (UK: Allied Domecq + 44 (0)20 323 8196)
  

€B

85

Montana Wines Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Marlborough 
The original standard bearer for New Zealand and still the biggest brand seems to have taken a step backward in style in 2002 towards the pea pod and green pepper end of the spectrum, sadly as 2001 was a much more elegant wine. (Irl: GT) (UK: Allied Domecq + 44 (0)20 323 8196)
 

€C (B)

85

Mount Riley Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Marlborough 
Zesty orange rather than the more usual lemon plus gooseberry and a mineral tang. Good. (Irl: u/n)  (UK: Alivini +44 (0) 20 8880 2526)
 

€D

89

Mt. Difficulty Chardonnay 2001, Central Otago 
Lean and long and elegant with stony fruit. (Irl: u/n)  (UK: Bonhote Foster +44 (0) 1440 730 779)
 

€F

90

Mt. Difficulty Pinot Noir 2001, Central Otago 
Very smart mix of cherry, plum and raspberry, spicy oak adding weight and definition. Very good. (Irl: u/n)  UK: Bonhote Foster +44 (0) 1440 730 779)
 

€G

92

Mt. Difficulty Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Central Otago 
Akin to gooseberry scented Chablis Premier cru with its terrific mineral qualities, texture and length. Really classy. (Irl: u/n)  (UK: Bonhote Foster +44 (0) 1440 730 779)
 

€D

92-93

Nautilus Estate Pinot Gris 2002, Marlborough  
Seems very lightweight and simple for this kind of price. (Irl: CD)  (UK: Negociants UK +44 (0)1582 462 859)
 

€F

 86

Nautilus Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Marlborough 
Sound, simple, melon and lemon. (Irl: CD)  (UK: Negociants UK +44 (0)1582 462 859)
 

€D

86

Ngatarawa Glazebrook Winemakers Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Hawkes Bay
 Attractive ripe gooseberry and passion fruit. (Irl: MC) (UK: Siegal + 44 1256 701 518)
 

€D

88

Palliser Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Martinborough An elegant mix of lemon zest and ripe gooseberry with good length. (Irl: u/n)  (UK: J & B + 44 (0) 20 7484 6400)
 

€D

88

Quartz Reef Pinot Gris 2002, Central Otago 
A shy beauty that should blossom. A light nose but the palate has marvellous mineral character and very good length. (Irl: u/n)  (UK: Fine Wines of NZ +44 (0)20 7482 0093)
 

€F

89

Seresin Estate Pinot Gris 2002, Marlborough 
Seresin are a consistently classy outfit and this is no exception showing pear, orange, nut, cream and good length. (Irl: BC)  (UK: John Armit + 44 (0)20 7908 0623)
  

€D

90

Seresin Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Marlborough 
Very elegant zesty lime. Lemon and ripe gooseberry with a little mineral too. (Irl: BC)  (UK: John Armit + 44 (0)20 7908 0623)
 

€E

90

Seresin Estate, Marama Sauvignon Blanc 2001, Marlborough 
An oaked sauvignon which isn’t really my thing but this has attractive peach and orange fruit, if a bit too much oak. Some would score it more highly that I do. (Irl: BC)  (UK: John Armit + 44 (0)20 7908 0623)
 

€E

88

Sherwood Estate Reserve Riesling 2002, Waipara 
Lightly tropical alongside the citrus and mineral fruit that makes it a dash more full than some. Good length too. (Irl: u/n)  (UK: Alliance Wine Ltd +44 (0)20  1505 506 060)
 

€C

88

Sileni Estate Selection Semillon 2002, Hawkes Bay  
Clean lime fruit and mid length. (Irl: GB) (UK: Beringer Blass + 44 (0)20 8744 2999)
 

€D

86

Te Mata Estate Coleraine Cabernet Merlot 2000, Hawkes Bay 
I hadn’t tried this for a couple of yours and nice to see that it confirms my opinion that it is consistently one of NZ’s best reds. (Irl: u/n)  (UK: John E Fells + 44 (0)1442 870 900)
 

€G

89

Tohu Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Marlborough
Ripe gooseberry but also some less welcome raw green pepper, meaning it’s not as elegant as some. (Irl: DD)  (UK: Tohu Wines (Europe) +44 (0) 1792 528 354)
 

€D

87

Vavasour Wines Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2001, Awatere Valley, Marlborough 
This has the extra dimension beyond clean gooseberry and lemon fruit that merits an excellent rating. (Irl: u/n)  (UK: Orbital Wines + 44 (0) 1858 570 600)
 

€E

90

Villa Maria Private Bin Gewurztraminer 2002, East Coast 
A little subdued for traminer, but fair orange and musky melon fruit. (Irl: AD) (UK: (Hatch Mansfield +44 (0)1344 871 800)
 

€C

86

Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Gris 2002, Marlborough There’s some pear and nut fruit but it lacks concentration. (Irl: AD) (UK: (Hatch Mansfield +44 (0)1344 871 800)
 

€C

85

Villa Maria Reserve Wairau Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2002, Marlborough 
Gooseberry and citrus fruit has been captured well but it’s surprisingly hollow behind that façade for a reserve wine. (Irl: AD) (UK: (Hatch Mansfield +44 (0)1344 871 800)
 

€D

87

Waipara West Pinot Noir 2001, Waipara 
A bowl of cherries with a couple of mint leaves thrown in are the flavours here allied to good length. (Irl: u/n)  (UK: Waterloo Wine Co. +44 (0)20 7403 7967)
 

€F

88

Wither Hills Pinot Noir 2001, Marlborough