| 2009 Wine of the Year |
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| Written by Craig Thomson | |
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Kiwi Wine Fan Club - 2009 Champion Wine of the Year Our wine of the year again has been difficult to select. It was easy enough to create a short list which contained the likes of 2007 Te Mata Coleraine; an outstanding vintage of a classic Hawkes Bay wine. Hawkes Syrah also continues to astound us with its development. A number of 2007 Hawkes Bay Syrah’s would have featured in a top 10 list including our top example; 2007 Stonecroft Syrah. Looking back over the years it is plain to see that Hawkes Bay does receive a bit of bias from us, so this year with a fantastic Martinborough Pinot Noir demanding our attention, coupled with its awesome value for money, for the first time we award our top gong to a red burgundy styled wine; 2008 Julicher Pinot Noir.
The price also is a revelation. It is a top class Pinot Noir which is affordable and it is from Martinborough. These guys are to be congratulated. It will be interesting however to see if the success this year is reflected in the price next year! One to watch!
It is still about in places. On release it could be had for as low as $35 but you would probably now expect to pay around its RRP which is $42. Well worth it still at that money So congratulations to Julicher, adding our little accolade to the heavy weight Air NZ trophy already received. Previous Winners 2000 = 1998 Te Mata "Awatea" Cabernet Merlot (Hawkes Bay) If you haven' already been there, check out our other finalists here |
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 29 December 2009 ) |
We have tasted and drunk this wine on a number of occasions now. Every time it is an impressive crowd pleaser putting a smile on the face of the wine geek and novice alike. I have little history tasting Julicher wines and our recent disappointing tour of the region did nothing to help fill in any gaps; however you just have to love the 2008 Pinot Noir. It easily competes with the big name labels which retail for basically twice the price. It is gorgeously textured, perfumed and offers a depth and layering of flavour which I have not experienced from Otago Pinot Noirs this year. It also has just an extra touch of weight without losing it’s elegance with darker deep plum and cocoa tones. In comparison with similarly priced Otago Pinot Noir, Juicher has better focus and precision and just has so much going on with a lovely complex palate
I am not expecting miracles in the cellar with this wine in the same way I would with some of our previous picks, although it no doubt could improve a little with short to medium term cellaring. It is just so approachable and seductive now, it almost seems folly to risk too much to see how it develops!| Next > |
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