| 2009 Wine of the Year - Finalists |
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| Written by Craig Thomson | |
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2009 Kiwi Wine Fan Club. Wines of the Year It was the best of times; it was the worst of times. 2009 saw the worldwide recession cut its frosty teeth into the wine market. Well that’s when I noticed the effects the most anyway. It was pretty obvious with many cut price sales, new vintage releases held back as retailers struggled to move current stocks. On the happy side of the equation we have seen some of the best Hawkes Bay reds ever to flow from this country from the 2007 vintage. Many of them were genuinely cheap too. With wines as brilliant as the 2007 Villa Maria Cellar Selection Merlot Cabernet going for as low as $14 at the supermarket it is great pickings for the bargain hunter. A couple of years ago if you wanted a cheap white wine you were looking at nasty Australian Chardonnay or very bad Sauvignon Blanc. Today you can pick up superb 2009 Dashwood Sauvignon Blanc for under $10 a bottle or indeed choose from a handful of labels of similar quality. With prices held in check in many ways there hasn’t been a better time to buy. With the extremely strong 2008 vintage from Auckland beginning to hit the shelves, the quality promises to continue for the astute buyer.
This is now our 10th Annual set of awards, and possibly our last. I hope you enjoy our selection and perhaps even look to celebrate Christmas with one of these fine wines. It is a representation of the best current release wines we have tasted this year. 2009 Wines of the Year – Finalists Sparkling Wine Sparkling Wine of the Year: 2004 Cloudy Bay Vintage Pelorus (Marlborough). This baby toppled Tattinger NV at one of our blind tasting events yet it is half the price. Need I say more. Focused and sophisticated. $40 Sauvignon Blanc. To be completely honest, we haven’t tried too many of the new 2009 vintage yet so it’s a bit early to throw too many judgements although its fair to say it just has to be better than a very patchy 2008 vintage. This year I can only think of one Sauvignon Blanc that has that spellbinding quality which make you think that Sauvignon Blanc can really cut it with other white varieties. Sure, I’ve tried some very pleasant examples but our solitary choice is the only one that just has that bit extra to interest the hardcore enthusiast Sauvignon Blanc of the Year:
Riesling Did I moan last year about how expensive Riesling is becoming? I can’t remember so I will moan again. I hate it how those $22 wines now cost $35. I used to buy some labels by the case. Now it seems more a luxury especially for the better Germanic styled Spatlese wines. There are some of our usual loved labels failed this year or failed to release. Riesling of the Year:
Other Finalists: 2008 Mt Difficulty Target Gully Riesling (Central Otago) $22 Gerwurztraminer Some makers just churn them out year after year. This year a close fought battle between two stunning wines. Really it depends how you like you medicine. If you really like very aromatic gewürztraminer then go for the Johanneshof. If you like a less heady drink then the restrained ginger notes in the Stonecroft may be more your cup of tea. These two picks are both gorgeous in their own way Gewurztraminer of the Year: 2009 Johanneshof Gewurztrmainer (Marlborough) A superbly aromatic wine which is almost liquid turkish delight. However it does offer some lovely restraint not over doing the spices and perfume. Gorgeous mouth feel. It is all there. These guys are masters at this variety. $28 Other Finalist: 2008 Stonecroft Gewurztraminer. (Hawkes Bay). $30 Chardonnay
Chardonnay of the Year: 2007 Sacred Hill Riflemans Chardonnay (Hawkes Bay). This is a gorgeous lemony, detailed and long wine. It is magnificently crafted, almost delicate but with power and concentration in reserve. It is easy to see why this wine pushes toward being regarded as Hawkes Bay’s greatest chardonnay. Watch out Te Mata Elston! $50 Other Finalist: 2007 Stonecroft Old Vines Chardonnay (Hawkes Bay) $40 Other Whites This is really the first year a minor variety has impressed me enough to be included in a short list of superstars. Other White Wine of the Year: 2008 Villa Maria Single Vineyard Omahu Gravels Viognier (Hawkes Bay). It’s not often that Viognier or Pinot Gris gets me excited but this is a stunner. Superbly textured riddled with delicate stone fruits and custard flavours, it is one white wine that takes that next step up in sophistication and class. $32 Pinot Noir I enjoy a number of excellent Pinot Noir’s. There are very few though which just take things to the next level. Great Pinot should be detailed, varietal and seductive. Many NZ Pinot Noirs seem to miss the detail aspect. They lack definition, they lack refinement. They lack poise, elegance and restraint. Too often alcohol is too apparent smothering the wines structure and definition like flab on someone needing to diet. Pinot Noir of the Year:
Other Finalists: 2006 Martinborough Vineyards Marie Zelie Pinot Noir (Martinborough) $160 Bordeaux Blends Although the 2008 reds from Auckland promise to compete hard next year, I haven’t tried many of them. As such Hawkes Bay 2007 rules supreme. It was such a quality vintage with some outstanding wines that are ripe without being jammy, finely structured and densely concentrated. Once more the alcohols are nicely in balance. This vintage also promises to age well, prices have never been better so its time to jump in. Bordeaux Blend of the Year:
Other Finalists: 2007 Esk Valley Reserve Merlot Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon (Hawkes Bay) $60 Syrah This was an absolutely stunning class which again was dominated by Hawkes Bay this year reflecting the quality of the 2007 wines from the region. Next year promises to be dominated by Waiheke Island rolling in a high quality 2008 vintage. Syrah of the Year:
Other Finalists: 2007 Church Road Reserve Syrah (Hawkes Bay) $35 Sweet or Fortified Wines Three wines of contrasting styles form our list this year. Each of them in their own context is amazing stuff. This is a category of wine where quality can vary wildly and it does pay to do the research home in on a good one. Some can be disappointing and are often overpriced. Sweet Wine of the Year:
Other Finalists: 2007 Clearview Sea Red (Hawkes Bay) $30
Our 2009 Overall Champion Wine of the Year has now been decided....... Click Here for our decision!! |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 29 December 2009 ) |
It is fair to say that this year our tasting net has been more limited than usual. We still buy a lot of top wines, but not as much as we once did. We still tour a lot of wineries, but not as many as we once did. We still attend plenty of interesting tastings, but not as many as we once did. Other interests have certainly taken toll on time spent behind a wine glass. Combine this with the fact that many icon releases have been held back this year and plenty of holes show up in our tasting. If this concerns a reader I would direct them to Michael Cooper’s Wine Annual and its 3000+ tasting notes.
2008 Te Mata Cape Crest Sauvignon Blanc. (Hawkes Bay) This wine just oozes sophistication, complexity and class. It is a Sauvignon Blanc that non Sauvignon Blanc drinkers will enjoy, a formal wine and a celebration of this grape. This is absolutely stunning. Anyone that thinks Marlborough is the only place on Sauvignon earth needs sitting down and the truth spelt out! $26
2008 Gibbston Valley Le Fou Riesling (Central Otago). It seems hard to walk past this wine. I am into spreading around the love but again this seems to be my pick this year. Yes, it is expensive but really I found this to have just a tad more structure than the 2007 we went absolutely gaga over last year. It could be a better wine though ive never tried the two vintages side by side. It is expensive, but it is damn good stuff. $35
We haven’t had much chance to try the superstar labels this year. Many have been held back and released late, or in the case of Kumeu River, haven’t been released at all! This leaves a wine which we drank in the Hawkes Bay early this year the winner almost by default. A chardonnay first and foremost to me must have sensible oak treatment. Too many of the show star chardonnays still are heavy handed. Perhaps they just need some time to mellow.
2008 Julicher Pinot Noir (Martinborough). I have mulled over this wine a few times. I have no doubt that my peers agree with me as it won the most prestigious trophy in New Zealand this year. As such this pick is hardly going to be a revelation to many. Once more it might be hard to find! However do I agree with me or is this pick full of bias especially considering it was so recently discovered and front of mind? In some ways those considerations I don’t care about. But after a long hard think through this year there is little competition for this spot among my tasting notes. Add to this its outstanding value for money in comparison with the other contenders and Julicher gets the nod. It exhibits dark cherry and plum flavours wafting with cocoa and sweet spice. The texture is seamless and almost filmy. A stunning wine which is a must buy. $36
2007 Te Mata Coleraine (Hawkes Bay). A predictable choice? Perhaps! But 2007 Te Mata Coleraine is a masterclass in NZ Bordeaux blends. It is dense, brooding, refined and elegant. It is an absolute must buy vintage for anyone with even the faintest interest in New Zealand Bordeaux blends. It will cellar magnificently and will no doubt be in the play when discussions of Coleraine’s greatest ever vintage surface. $70
2007 Stonecroft Syrah (Hawkes Bay). This was such a hard fought category with Church Rd Reserve just a nose behind in this race. Stonecroft Syrah from 2007 is such a regal wine ripple with rose like fragrance and dark fruits. The palate is so pure, fresh and invigorating. The oak sits nicely behind the fruit, not dominating. Fantastic purity and great cellaring potential. Not a wine I have seen in the spotlight this year, but a wine that needs snaffling up. The price is right too. $45
2008 Alluviale Anobli (Hawkes Bay) You have to really like your wine sweet for this one. Not for the faint hearted. It is hedonistically rich with plenty of weight. The explosion of complex flavours is very similar to a good Sauterne. It is rich, layered, textured and well balanced. Next to Bordeaux the super quality in this wine that you get for this price would embarrass many. $40| < Prev | Next > |
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