Bob Campbell is one of only 264 Masters of Wine in the world. An international wine judge, Bob judges wine professionally in ten countries and contributes regularly to publications around the world. His specialty is New Zealand wine which he reviews from an international perspective.
When a group of Gimblett Gravels winemakers organised a competitive tasting between their wines and the best from Bordeaux no one expected a Kiwi wine to come out on top. The best they hoped for was to at least have one or two wines in the hunt. Staging a comparitive tasting with the best wines in existence is a good ploy. If you (predictably) come second you still score points because your wines are so much cheaper and (hopefully) the gap wasn’t that great.
Here’s what happened. The organisers selected 24 Bordeaux blends from the Gimblett Gravels region – all from the 2005 vintage. They invited Australian wine guru, James Halliday, to pick the best six in a blind tasting. Retail value for the six bottles was $290. Six wines, including three First Growth labels, were purchased from the highly rated 2005 vintage. Cost $7,750.
The wines were served in a blind tasting to a guest list that included Halliday, Elin McCoy from New York (author of “The Emperor of Wine” – an excellent book about Robert Parker jnr), winemakers, wine enthusiasts and a “sponge” (this collective noun was suggested by a local winemaker) of wine writers. The scores of a handful of invited guests, including Parker and McCoy were used to get an “official” result.
Here is the list of the top wines, in order:
1. Blake Family Vineyards “Redd Gravels” Gimblett Gravels
2. Chateau Lafite-Rothschild Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
5. Chateau Mouton-Rothschild Pauillac, Bordeaux, France
6. Trinity Hill “The Gimblett” Gimblett Gravels
Here is a picture of James Halliday shortly before a tasting he called “both audacious and courageous”. I include the picture because I particularly like it.
Wine guru James Halliday in full flight
I spoke to James after the event. He said “This was no put up job. It’s hard to argue with the results which cannot be swept under the carpet”.
Here are my comments on the wine: “Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc blend that beat three First Growth Bordeaux and a bunch of other distinguished wines from the same vintage. This really is a very classy red – wonderfully dense, long and linear flavours contained by very fine tannins. An aristocratic wine without any hint of coarseness. Quite remarkable. Very complex although it’s difficult to describe the array of berry, floral, spice and savoury flavours.” Score: 97 points
Matt Thomson is a winemaking wiz. He was voted White Winemaker of the Year at the 2008 International Wine Challenge in London (I was co-chairman at the competition) and is a consultant winemaker to Saint Clair, Mudhouse, Lake Chalice and Cape Campbell. Delta Vineyard was established to make top Marlborough Pinot Noir but strategically added international calling card, Sauvignon Blanc, to its list.
Matt dropped by with three newly released or soon-to-be-released wine samples that are worthy of note.
Delta 2008 Sauvignon Blanc $22 – I’ve just tasted well over 200 examples of NZ Sauvignon Blanc and this certainly ranks amongst the best. It’s a pretty wine with beautifully pure mineral and redcurrant flavours that escaped the worst of unseasonable rain thanks to Matt’s early warning system – a hotline to Astrolabe winemaker, Simon Waghorn and a sophisticated weather tracking system. 90 points
Delta 2007 Pinot Noir $25 – I have two Pinot Noir bugbears. I hate people who see a Pinot Noir with a light colour and write it off before they taste it. Some delicate wines have great power. Worse than that are winemakers who over-extract Pinot Noir to compensate for its light colour. They too often turn a charming wine into a tough and tannic beast. This light but superbly powerful wine is utterly charming. It has beautiful floral and mineral flavours that linger tantalisingly on the palate. Well priced. 90 points
Hatters Hill 2007 Pinot Noir $40 – (due for release in March). A beefier version of Delta Pinot Noir with more of everything – fruit, oak and power. Great purity and an impressive linear flavour profile that leads to a very long finish. It’s a better wine than Delta but I’d prefer to drink it’s younger brother now. 93 points.
Trinity HIll prefers to lead rather than follow. Manager/winemaker John Hancock has a history of testing the boundaries in his 35 years involvement with wine. Trinity HIll pioneered Tempranillo and Touriga Nacional in this country and was one of the first producers to grow Arneis, Montepulciano, Roussanne and Marsanne.
Hancock celebrated the release of the 2007 vintage of Montepulciano with a vertical tasting of seven vintages at a lunch featuring Spanish dishes and a presentation of Flamenco dancing by one of Spain’s top groups of dancers and musicians. Lead dancer, ex-patriot Kiwi Francine Sweet, gave a brilliant and stirring presentation.
Here’s a picture of Hancock (who has become an overnight enthusiast of Flamenco dancing) and Francine (past student of my wine diploma course).
John Hancock (right) cuddling up to Flamenco dancer Francine Sweet
Here are my brief tasting notes for the seven vintages of Trinity HIll Tempranillo with scores (earlier ratings in brackets).
2002 77 – Savoury, earthy wine with hints of fruit but drying out and now well past its best. Historically interesting.
2003 80 (93) – Tannic and drying out. Earthy, savoury wine that’s also past its best (although other bottles were apparantly better than mine). Vestiges of fruit and spice provide character and a hint of what the wine once was.
2004 90 (83) – My first impression was not favourable but as the wine sat in the glass it displayed an attractive floral and spice character that won me over. Still has some fruit sweetness and length. A delicate, pretty wine – this is what I chose to drink with lunch.
2005 88 (93) – Might have had a rush of blood to the head when I tasted this wine two years ago. Alternatively I may have been a bit tough two days ago. It’s a dense and fairly tannic wine with savoury, earthy bitter chocolate characters. I like the wine’s rich texture a lot. Needs food and will develop well.
2006 93 – Delicious, accessible wine that is easy to love. Plenty of fruit sweetness (assisted by 7% Malbec and 3% Syrah in the blend) with spice, floral/violet, plum and berry characters all supported by manly tannins. Good length.
2007 90 (88) – Attractive mixed spice (or “Asian spices” as Parker jnr says) with appealing savoury complexity. Classically varietal although I’d like to see more floral characters. Dense and powerful red.
2008 94 – (barrel sample) Plump, rich and fruity wine with plum, spice floral and classy oak flavours. Very intense and powerful Tempranillo – Trinity’s best yet. Blend includes Touriga 10%, Malbec 2%, Viognier 1% – the Viognier is co-fermented.
Sorry, couldn’t resist using the first line of theme tune from the film “ladies Night”. It just seemed to fit for a vertical tasting of Cabernet Sauvignon blends back to 1998 from Hawke’s Bay producer, Hatton Estate.
Hatton Estate is a 16-hectare vineyard and winery in the Gimblett Gravels region of Hawke’s Bay. They make a range of impressive wines including Tahi-One, A Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Cabernet Franc blend. Michael invited me to a vertical tasting of seven vintages of Tahi-One, because: ” Our top wines are typically described as “closed tannic monsters, requiring age”- and instantly dismissed as they are normally tried too young and we believe this vertical will provide some good perspective as to what we have been trying to achieve. The wines end up elegant expressions of a Hawkes Bay Bordeaux blend, and apart from a mad trip down the US market palate in 02 and to a lesser extent in 03 we have remained true to the fruit and subtle oak aging.”
Although I have tasted a number of Hatton Estate wines, and particularly liked the Gimblett Road Reserve, another Bordeaux blend, I had never previously tasted their flagship wine, Tahi-One. Here are some very brief tasting notes (it was a hurried affair, I only had 15 minutes to review all wines – my fault because I had a wine course to run).
2006 (93 points) My favourite wine (not due for release until 2010). Very Bordeaux-like with fine tannins and an array of delicate (and complex) fruit, spice and floral flavours. More about structure than fruit – will age.
2005 (89 points) Attractive wine in a very different style to the 06. A classically New World style with gobs of berryfruit plus an undercurrent of spicy notes. Bigger and more obvious – easy to appreciate. Will age but accessible now.
2004 (85 points) Quite mellow wine with sweet fruit and obvious smoky oak. Dusty tannins. A bit too simple but shows nice concentration.
2003 (83 points) I was surprised to see a wine from this very frost-affected vintage. Few wineries released a top red in 2003. Quite herbal with raw, peppery flavours that contrast with riper fruit characters.
2002 (80 points) Lean, savoury wine with a thread of hardness from VA. Interesting savoury characters but a tad too much VA for a better score.
2000 (88 points) Quite bright and youthful. Still showing plenty of primary fruit flavours. Elegant and accessible. Not greatly complex but a very satisfying drink.
1998 (84 points) A bit of a curate’s egg. Slightly fecal, reduced nose (the wine, like all in the range was sealed with a cork) together with an array of developed berry and savoury characters. Hard to score – if I was in a panel and the others wanted to give it a much higher mark I wouldn’t object strongly.
Conclusion: the wines do age and the superior later vintages will age very well indeed. New winemaker, Frenchman David Ramonteu, made the 2005 and 2006 vintages. The future looks particularly bright under his stewardship.
We all know wine glasses make a difference to the pleasure we get from wine but should we spend $150 for a top-of-the-line Riedel or buy a more modest glass and spend the difference on some decent wines to put in it?
I asked eight of my fellow Kiwi (resident if not passport carrying Kiwis) MW’s to name their everyday glass of choice with a few words of explanation.
Bob Campbell MW- Let’s start with me. I use the Spiegelau Authentis Tasting glass, mainly because it’s the glass I use in my wine courses and I’ve got 100 of them. When I bought the glasses I also purchased the larger white wine Authentis and even larger red wine Authentis but seldom use them. Though small, the Tasting Glass is perfectly adequate for reds and whites. When I open a decent Pinot Noir I generally dust off My Riedel Sommelier Pinot Noir glasses – they are bigger and seem to offer a better expression of the wine’s aroma. The Spiegelau Authentis stands 186mm high and has a capacity of 320 ml. Here’s a picture:
Stephen Bennett MW - “Mine’s the same as yours for work tasting purposes – primarily because I’ve got them I suppose, and managed to get them at a good price for a large number of glasses which we need for tastings. They are pretty good for white and (to a lesser extent) red and durable in the dishwasher.
For personal everyday drinking I use Eisch Breathable glasses, as recommended by Ronn Wiegand MW (and used by Parker apparently) they are great for opening up wines quickly if they haven’t had enough air time (and I’m usually opening wine on a whim), look classy and are nice and sturdy which is important for a clumsy bastard like myself.”
Eisch Breathable glasses may be viewed at http://www.eisch.de/eng/website/news/breathable_glass/index.php Interesting that Eisch is being sued by Reidel apparantly because they were offered the technology first but rejected it because they didn’t think it worked.
Michael Brajkovich MW – “At home my all-purpose choice is the Zerrutti Ultimo Taster Red, which we bought left over from Pinot Noir 2007.It is dishwasher friendly, and has a reasonably large capacity and a turned-in top good for concentrating aromas.For somethingfiner,and taller, I like the Schott Zwiesel Diva Burgundy, but this one must be hand washed. The finer glass seems to bring out aromas better.
In the winery lab and wineshop, we use the very versatile and robust Schott Zwiesel Vina Wine Goblet. It looks good, not at all bulkyor chunky, and it is fine enough to show the colour and clarity nicely, and has a cut edge lip, but is still OK to clean in the dishwasher. “
Zerrutti Ultimo
Schott Diva Burgundy
Schott Vina Goblet
Simon Nash MW – “I use the Spiegleau Festival Multipurpose line. For me its a great all round glass: nice bowl shape for swirling, not too tall or big so its practical; tough enough for the dishwasher as necessary, and its shaped so it suits red and white wines well. I also like that the stem is not too long and the glass is light enough so its a pleasure to lift, swirl and drink with. All round, for everyday use its ideal. And it saves setting out different shaped glasses, which does confuse some people or reminds others too much of Restaurant style formality.”
Spiegelau Festival Multipurpose
Jane Skilton MW – “I use the Riedel O Series Viognier Chardonnay every day. It isn’t showy, the glasses go in the dishwasher and if I continue to write after dinner, there is less chance I’ll knock the glass over and ruin the computer keyboard. I know some people think the lack of stem means greasy finger marks on the bowl but I’ve never had that problem. Clean hands I suppose.
But if I am opening sparkling wine or Champagne, I always unleash my Riedel Sommelier Vintage Champagne flutes, even though I have to wash the wretched things by hand the following day.”
Riedel O-Viognier
Riedel Sommelier Champagne
Alastair Maling MW – My everyday glass is also a Spiegelau and reading Simon’s email I am assuming the glass is also the multipurpose version although I am not 100% sure. The bulb shape is ideal for white and red, the size is ideal – not to big or small. Shortish stem, reduces chance of breaking and fits in the dishwasher perfectly. I quite like glasses with a thin rim – the Spiegalau is not thin thin but is thin enough to not feel chunky but also be strong enough for everyday use and minimise the likelihood of breaking.
Paul Tudor MW – As for our everyday glasses, we have an odd assortment from various sets over the years, ironically nothing matching at all, but as we are yet to design and build our dream kitchen, I have nowhere to put decent glassware and access it. My favourite for everyday use is the same as yours (Spiegelau Authentis Tasting glass), versatile enough and large enough, but I do use some ordinary glass glasses that a friend of mine gave me many years ago. Not quite as well shaped as that Spiegelau model, but solidly built and able to withstand the occasional drop on our polished Matai floorboards.We do not have a dishwasher either, so we do not have that worry, yet.
But every opportunity I get, I try to break out the few pairs of Riedel stemware that I have. This makes me feel like a millionaire, even if I am not. I realise that a lot of people poo-poo Riedel’s ranges and that there are some unfair accusations about their philosophy, but my answer is to pour the APPROPRIATE wine into the correct glass and into one less suitable and let people judge for themselves (of course, I don’t tell them how much it costs.) I really like their Shiraz glass in the Sommelier range (although wish it were called something else) and Riedel’s Port Sommelier is a particular favourite of mine, as is the wine within.
Nelson wines have traditionally maintained a low profile. Wine production is small while wineries are mostly boutique and all family-owned. The region boasts one winemaking hero. Neudorf is to Nelson what Chateau d’Yquem is to Sauternes – way out in front of the field. Greenhough has always been a distant second although the gap appears to be closing a little.
In recent years the region has experienced a minor revolution with a number of new wineries, and one or two existing players, beginning to demonstrate that they may one day challenge the leader. Blackenbrook, Brightwater, Himmelsfeld, Renato, Rimu Grove, Seifried, Waimea and Woollaston are all showing flashes of brilliance. Put those flashes together and Nelson’s potential as a fine wine region is clearly evident.
I recently attended a tasting in Auckland with some of Nelson’s more serious producers. Neudorf and Greenhough were notably absent – perhaps you don’t have to try quite as hard when you’re on top. I heard a rumour that Neudorf originally planned to attend but withdrew when they heard that Martinborough producers were staging a similar event on the same day. That’s a pity. It takes a hero to pull the crowds, although there did seem to be plenty of key wine trade people sipping Nelson wine and engaging in earnest discussion with the makers.
I had previously tasted most of the wines on offer (see my wine notes on this website) but made a few happy discoveries, including a new winery, Redoubt Hill, that has got off to a flying start. They boast Nelson’s steepest vineyard of modest (5-6 hectares) dimension. It is, according to owner Daniel Jackson, the only vineyard in New Zealand with separation point granite soils. I’m not entirely sure what that means but their first release 2008 Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris merited scores of 86 and 85 respectively while their 08 Riesling narrowly missed silver medal status with a score of 84.
Other standout wines included Waimea 2008 Gewurztraminer $25 (wonderfully pure Turkish delight flavours), Kahurangi 2007 Mt Arthur Riesling $20.50 (dry with strong lime and mineral flavours, great acidity and an ethereal texture) and Seifried’s celebrated 2008 Pinot Gris $22 (Off/dry wine with a soft texture and masses of tropical fruit and spice flavours – very impressive).
A group of Martinborough wineries (you never get a full complement because they’re a passionate bunch who seem to hate each other) gathered in Auckland to show their wares to the wine trade. They staged a panel tasting, complete with audience, to prove the premise that Martinborough is New Zealand’s most versatile wine region. I was one of the panelists. We reviewed 11 wines ( a curiously unbalanced number) to demonstrate that Martinborough can make a wide range of wine styles well.
The wines were (with very brief comments, sorry no scores):
Craggy Range 2008 Te Muna Sauvignon Blanc – one of the best 2008 Savvies from any region. Taut, minerally wine with subtle melon and stone fruit characters.
Vynefields 2007 Classic Dry Riesling – very pure, dry-ish (5 gms RS) Riesling with an interesting backbone of fine tannins adding to its structure.
Nga Waka 2003 Riesling – a stunner. Intense wine with strong mineral and pure kero flavours (in a nice way).
Dry River 2007 Pinot Gris – powerful, intense but subtle wine. A clear leader on the Pinot Gris game.
Margrain 2008 Pinot Gris – I liked this wine more than those around me. Bone dry, taut, subtle pear flavours and fine tannins that worked well.
Palliser Estate 2007 Chardonnay – succulent white peach and melon with subtle spicy oak. A very modern New World masterpiece.
Martinborough 2006 Chardonnay – a wine clearly modelled on white burgundy. Powerful, complex and impressive. It will be an absolute knockout in a couple of years time.
Alana 2006 Lumiere Pinot Noir – garish label, a new top-of-the-line Pinot from a winery that’s trying hard. Fine, tight, mineral, delicate and relatively austere. Really opened in the glass (worth decanting). Top stuff!
Escarpment 2006 Kupe Pinot Noir – wonderfully intense wine that achieves a peacock’s tail of many flavours on the finish. Full of fruit, spice and classy oak.
Kusuda 2006 Pinot Noir – Hiro Kusuda is the most fastidious winemaker I’ve ever met. His wines are beautifully immaculate. This wine is all about texture (which is great) although a complex array of flavours did begin to emerge after a while. Like the Alana it needs plenty of bottle age.
Ata Rangi 2006 Pinot Noir – A silken texture, powerful yet restrained fruit flavours and much more. Deservedly hailed by many as NZ’s best Pinot. No argument from me.
I was dissapointed not to see a Dry River Syrah and perhaps a good Bordeaux blend such as Benfield and Delamare 06 to drive the point of the tasting home. Yes, Martinborough can make many wine styles very well. Incidentally, according to my database of 23,000 wine ratings, Martinborough wines have a higher average score (84.32) than any other NZ wine region – they also have the highest average price ($34.44). Curiously Marlborough has the second highest average score (82.62) but is sixth highest in price ($24.57). I guess Marlborough wins on value.
Finally, which sub-district of Martinborough makes the best Pinot Noir; the original Martinborough Terraces or the cocky newcomers in Te Muna? It’s a close race but I’d still put my money on Martinborough Terraces by a very narrow margin. That could be about to change.
Winemaker Matt Dicey talks about vintage conditions
I have never been a great fan of Mt Difficulty’s standard Pinot Noir. On the other hand I’m a huge fan of their single vineyard wines. So when I receieved an invite to taste a decade of Mt Difficulty Pinot Noir it was an opportunity to see whether I’d judged their wines too harshly simply because they were young.
It was an informal tasting at Auckland’s Grove restaurant followed by lunch. I destest people who hog spittoons. Tasting etiquette demands that you taste, step forward, spit, then step backwards to leave room for others. My technique for getting the message across to spittoon hogs is to spit from a great height, splashing those within a 250ml radius. They soon get the message, especially if they’re wearing white.
Here are my scores and brief comments for each vintage with previous scores in parenthesis:
2007 Pinot Noir 93 (no earlier tasting records) – Totally charming wine with attractive floral, spice and ripe cherry flavours.
2006 Pinot Noir 88 (90) – lifted cherry aromas, tighter and more savoury than the 07 with good length. A suspicion of sulphide (not noted when tasted at an earlier date). A wine for the future perhaps?
2005 Pinot Noir 89 (93) – Similar in style to the 06 but showing more development (naturally). Once again a rather tight and slightly bony wine with a suspicion of sulphide that forces me to reduce my previous score.
2004 Pinot Noir 78 (80) – Light aroma, slightly floral but with green tannins and some herbal flavours. Lacks ripeness. Too austere.
2003 Pinot Noir 86 (85) – Tight wine with weight and power. This is a sleeper that should strut its stuff in another year or two. Quite complex, drying tannins.
2002 Pinot Noir 93 (93) – Plump, fleshy wine – an elegant fruit bomb. Sleek Pinot Noir that’s in great drinking form right now.
2001 Pinot Noir 79 (no earlier tasting records) – First year under screwcap. Austere, savoury, slightly green and a tad hard.
2000 Pinot Noir 90 (no earlier tasting records) – Lovely lifted cherry flavours with an appealing savoury influence. Supple and in good form now. Light but elegant wine with very attractive flavours.
1999 Pinot Noir 75 (85) – Well past its best. Bitter, oxidised.
1998 Pinot Noir 88 (85) – Quite developed but in lovely condition. The texture is beginning to dry out but the wine is still a lovely drink.
Conclusion: Mt Difficulty Pinot Noir ages well (the 99 excepted) and is on an exciting growth path in quality terms. The 07 is a terrific wine. I expect the 08 to be even better (If Matt Dicey’s comments can be relied upon).
After the judging ... a beer. Judges James Halliday, Bob Campbell, Robert Joseph, Michael Fridjhon
The Tri-Nations Wine Challenge is a unique wine competition. It reviews the best wines of three countries; Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. The wines are selected by a judge from each country:
Australia – James Halliday (wine critic and author)
Bob Campbell – wine critic and educator
Michael Fridjhon – wine critic, distributor and author
Although the class criteria can change from year to year, the 13 classes in 2008 were as follows:
Sparkling wine (7 per country)
Chardonnay (10)
Aromatic – mostly Riesling and Gewurztraminer (7)
Sauvignon Blanc and blends (10)
Other white wines (10)
Pinot Noir (7)
Merlot (7)
Shiraz/Syrah (10)
Cabernet Sauvignon (10)
Bordeaux blends (10)
Other red blends (10)
Other red varietals (10)
Dessert wines (7)
The chairman of judges is Robert Joseph, UK critic and author. Joseph was co-founder of the International Wine Challenge and Wine magazine (now Wine & Spirit) and is in hot demand as a speaker and wine taster internationally.
The four judges review each class of wine in a blind lineup of 21 or 30 wines. We choose our top seven wines and rank them by awarding 10 points for first, 7 for second, 5 for third and so on. Our scores are recorded to decide the first and second wine in each class and the country winner (highest points).
A trophy tasting of top wines in each class determines the winning white and red plus top wine overall. Results will be revealed in this blog in early November.
Bob Campbell is one of only 264 Masters of Wine in the world. An international wine judge, Bob judges wine professionally in ten countries and contributes regularly to publications around the world. His specialty is New Zealand wine which he reviews from an international perspective.
