James Halliday, wine wizard of Oz, venturing an opinion

Just received an email from the “wine wizard of OZ” James Halliday. He was incontinent with joy at the success of Australia and New Zealand and the dismal performance of California in an international Chardonnay competition. James wrote: 

“I couldn’t resist sending you the outcome of an international chardonnay tasting held in conjunction with the Winewise annual Small Winemaker Competition.  It will probably come as no surprise to you to see that the Californian chardonnays performed as dismally as ever, and, at the other end of the scale, that Australia and New Zealand shared the first nine places (there were five Australian and five kiwi wines).  I didn’t know the Coldstream Hills was in the tasting, but was one of many who thought it was by far the best wine, with much conjecture as to what it might be.  Of course, the tasting was blind, and all the points collated before there was any discussion between the 20 judges.”

Here are the results, with average score and cost in Australian dollars (apologies for the wonky formatting):

                                                                                                                                  points

1.       2006 Coldstream Hills Reserve                                                                    18.7       $50

2.       2006 Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Vineyard                                           18.3       $45 ($29 in NZ)

3.       2006 Voyager Estate Margaret River                                                           18           $37

4.       2006 Giaconda                                                                                              17.8        $105

5.       2006 Cloudy Bay                                                                                           17.7        $38

6.       2006 Kumeu River Coddington VY                                                                17.6        $50

7.       2006 Leeuwin Estate Art Series                                                                    17.4        $80

8.       2006 Ata Rangi Craighall                                                                              17.4        $60

9.       2006 Chablis Grenouilles (Louis Michel)                                                      17.4        $75

10.   2005 Bindi Quartz                                                                                          17           $75

11.   2006 Church Road Tom                                                                                  17           Not released

12.   2006 Meursault Perrières (Pierre Morey)                                                      16.9        $225

13.   2005 Corton Charlemagne (Marc Colin)                                                        16.9        $180

14.   2005 Chevalier-Montrachet Les Demoiselles (Louis Jadot)                          16.7        $490

15.   2006 Peter Michael Winery “Ma Belle Fille” Sonoma County                       16.3        $140

16.   2006 Bâtard-Montrachet (Domaine Leflaive)                                                16.1        $520

17.   2005 Kenwood Family Vineyards Tor Sonoma County                                   16           $92

18.   2006 Kongsgaard Napa Valley                                                                       15.9        $180

19.   2005 Kistler Dutton Ranch Russian River Valley                                           15.8        $125

20.   2005 Mount Eden Estate                                                                                15.5        $100

Putting my feet up - for a couple of months!

Beware the deadly donkey

Falling slowly from the sky

You can choose the way you live my friend,

But not the way you die

Edward Monkton

A week ago I had a close brush with the deadly donkey. It was Saturday evening, Marion was cooking boeuf bourguignon, house guest Richard was reading a book and I was trying to decide what to drink while we watched the six o’clock news. There was just time to change the spa pool filter before we settled down for the evening. I strolled out onto the cold, rain-swept deck and slipped on a short piece of hose. My leg buckled under me.  I collapsed in agony.  Certain that I’d broken a femur I writhed on the slippery deck until Marion and Richard rushed to my aid.

I often think of peculiar things in times of great stress. It occurred to me that I hadn’t cursed when I hit the deck. Then I thought of gangster movies. If someone fires a shot and it narrowly misses its target the intended victim will often exclaim “shit”, or perhaps “shit, you nearly hit me”. If the bullet inflicts a minor wound the curse might be upgraded to “fuck!” or “fuck, I’m hit”. But if someone receives a fatal shot they never curse. Instead they utter a throaty “Aaaargh!” before dropping dead. Cussing is beginning to lose its impact. Even respectable TV presenters now utter the odd obscenity that might have once landed a man in jail. Perhaps they should consider a good old primeval “Aaaaargh” for more impact. It worked for me. I gave such a genuine, back-to-basics “Aaaarg!!” that help arrived in seconds. “Fuck” might have taken minutes while nobody seems to give a shit about “shit” anymore.

Neither leg seemed to work. If I moved a muscle I received the sort of spasm that makes childbirth look like a doddle. Eventually I was dragged inside and checked by a doctor as I downed a therapeutic glass of Moss Wood 2007 Cabernet Merlot. Spinal column intact, no broken bones apparent but there could be muscle and/or ligament damage. Four hours in the Accident and Emergency Department of our local hospital produced a similar diagnosis. I was given pain-killers and crutches despite my assurance that it was impossible for me to use crutches. They didn’t supply wheelchairs because patients nicked them.

I had a new class starting on a couple of days. Borrowed a wheelchair from a rest home and with the help of Marion; who set up, cleared up and chauffeured; it was a success.

Returning home at 9.30pm I called a friend and orthopaedic surgeon for his opinion. I explained how the accident happened to which he said, “I know what it is, I’ll be there in five minutes.” I’d apparently, and unusually, broken the quadriceps tendons in both thighs. I needed an operation or I’d never walk again. “Be at the hospital by 8am tomorrow morning”, I was told.

I quite enjoyed a spell in hospital. The food was crap but the portions were so small they tasted great. Didn’t feel much pain, slept a lot and read a bit. Marion arrived with a bottle of decent wine every evening but seldom had more than a sip – plastic tumblers kill good wine.

HIGH POINT:  While giving me a sponge bath at 3am the night nurse commented, “You’re in quite good shape for a man your age”.

LOW POINT:  Back home. Hadn’t had a shower for a week (but was enjoying the sponge baths). A ramp had been constructed to allow me access to my shower. I stripped butt-naked and taped a plastic rubbish bag to each leg to protect my leg braces. The wheelchair wouldn’t go up the ramp. Marion grabbed her camera but couldn’t focus due to tears in her eyes. I was in a dark mood for the rest of the evening.

I’ll be in leg braces for 6-8 weeks then in rehab. for a while to get my legs working. At least the deadly donkey didn’t make a direct hit.

I’m a keen but very amateur photographer who seldon takes anything other than wine-related subjects. I’m immensely impressed by the very professional work of Kevin Judd, wine photography specialist. When Kevin invited me to join him on a photoshoot during a recent trip to Marlborough I jumped at the chance. He’s already found the spot to photograph – a high point on Yealand Estate’s Awatere vineyard that looks east out toward the sea and the rising sun. We had to be there just before sunrise – around 6pm. Upon arrival we drove rapidly up and down the vineyard looking for the perfect spot to set up. Having found the spot and set up the gear it was just a matter of waiting. Of course it helps if you’ve got a high-end roll-film camera, a stout tripod and a four-wheel-drive with a ladder giving roof access. I on the other hand had my trusty Canon D20 SLR, a borrowed tripod and thin jersey which didn’t really keep out the cold. As the sun rose Kevin began to press the shutter, framing each shot with different shutter speeds to get the perfect shot. In around 30 minutes he filled three rolls of film – for one photograph!! I on the other hand took 150 very different shots – most of Kevin. To tell you the truth I didn’t want to compare my effort of the sunrise shot against Kevin’s. I might never have clicked a shutter again.

Yealands vineyard and coast

According to Kevin taking good photos is easy. All you need is good gear, you must know how to use it and you have to be prepared to get up before sunrise.

But does it taste as good as it looks?

I’ve just tasted 83 samples of Rosé from six countries (NZ, Australia, Italy, Spain, France and South Africa since you ask). I discovered that Rose can be great, offering a wine with the refreshing qualities of white wine and some of the flavour intensity that makes red wine so appealing.

Many were annoyingly sweet. That’s hardly surprising when you consider that making Rosé involves a certain amount of skin contact and as well as extracting colour and flavour from the skins winemakers inevitably extract tannnins. Tannins need to be balanced by residual sugar in order to prevent the wine from being unpleasantly grippy on the finish. In the case of NZ Rosé cool climate growing conditions can produce wines with fresh acidity that also needs to be balanced by sweetness.

Most South Island Rose is made from Pinot Noir, producing delicate, charming wines that can lack mouthfeel and weight. If you want wine with weight you should choose Rosé from a region that grows Bordeaux grape varieties, such as Hawke’s Bay.

None of the wines achieved a gold medal score (93 points or above) although 14 earned silver medal status. They are:

88 Clearview 2008 Black Reef Blush Hawke’s Bay $16.00 NZ

88 Martinborough Vineyard 2008 Rose (500ml) Martinborough $19.00 NZ

86 Domaine de L’Ameillaud 2007 Caianne Cote du Rhone Villages $25.00 France

86 Gibbston Valley 2008 Blanc de Pinot Noir Central Otago $25.00 NZ

85 Shaky Bridge 2008 Pinot Noir Rose Central Otago $18.00 NZ

85 Sileni 2008 Cabernet Franc Rose Hawke’s Bay $19.95 NZ

85 Rockburn 2008 Stolen Kiss Central Otago $20.00 NZ

85 Esk Valley 2008 Merlot/Malbec Rose Hawke’s Bay $20.99 NZ

85 Unison 2008 Rose Hawke’s Bay $22.00 NZ

85 Cable Bay 2008 Rose Waiheke Island $22.00 NZ

85 Mount Dottrel 2008 Saignee Rose Central Otago $23.95 NZ

85 Margrain 2008 Pinot Rose Martinborough $24.00 NZ

85 Mitolo 2008 Jester Sangiovese Rose $24.90 Australia

85 Conde de Valdemar 2007 $26.00 Spain

All (plus 38 bronze medal wines) are reviewed in detail in the Rose Tasting Notes section of this website.

Wine judging is hard yakka

I’ve spent the last week judging at the Royal International Wine Show. “International” means that New Zealand wines are allowed to be entered although I understand that this years entries were fairly small.

This is one of my favourite Australian wine competitions, not the least because I like Hobart and Tasmanians. Judging standards are high thanks to a good judging team. Let’s cut to the chase. A selection of the top wines (few of which are available in NZ) are as follows:

Tamar Ridge 2007 Botrytis Riesling – a stunning wine that competes with the best in NZ.

Banrock Station Albarino – I’ve no idea what vintage at this stage but this is a top example of a style that may have a bright future in this country.

Nautilus Estate 2007 Pinot Noir – top Pinot Noir in the show.

Yalumba Octavious  2006 Shiraz – top Shiraz, a terrific wine with great concentration and poise.

Stefano Luniana 2006 Pinot Noir – A cracker Tasmanian Pinot with great intensity and style.

Coldstream Reserve 2006 Chardonnay – Oz Chard doesn’t get much better than this.

Morris Old Premium Liqueur Muscat – More of a religious experience than a good glass of fortified wine.

Chateau Reynella 2004 Vintage Port – Made with Portugese varieties – a modern style that’s approachable now but will age. Port lovers should make an effort to buy this.

Super stickies from the master of sweet

I recently attended a new release tasting of six Framingham Botrytised wines from the 2008 vintage – a year when botrytis made its indelible and sometimes painful mark on many Marlborough wines. The wines will be reviewed in full when I have had a second chance to taste samples blind with similar styles.

The wines are:

Framingham 2008  Botrytised Viognier 375ml (148 bottles) RS 250g/l $40

Framingham 2008 Botrytised Gewurztraminer 375ml (450 bottles) RS 240g/l $40

Framingham 2008 Noble Riesling 375ml (2500 bottles) RS 190g/l $30.95

Framingham 2008 No.1 Auslese 375ml (260 bottles) RS 220g/l $40

Framingham 2008 No.2 Auslese 375ml (265 bottles) RS 220g/l $40

Framingham 2008 No.3 Auslese 375ml (254 bottles) RS 275g/l $40

I plan to add prices and residual sugar levels when I can get these from Framingham’s brilliant winemaker, Andrew Hedley. All are very good (and very collectible). My own favourite is the Gewurztraminer, an absolutely amazing wine with pure botrytis and strong varietal flavours.

Andrew says that the harvest sugars on all three Auslese Rieslings are above or just on the minimum for trockenbeerenauslese wines in Germany.

The botrytised Viognier will be sold in a two-bottle gift pack with the (outstanding) 2007 Viognier table wine for around $80. The three Riesling Auslesen will be sold in a pack of three for $100 and the leftovers (if any) will be sold as single bottles at the above prices.

Stephen Bennett MW - photo taken two years ago but he hasn't changed much

Stephen Bennett MW, founder and principal owner of Auckland-based wine distributor, Bennett & Deller, has put his money where his fairly outspoken mouth is by launching his own wine label.

Bennett & Deller mainly distributes wine from France, Spain, Italy and Argentina although they have represented several local wineries, including Isabel, Daniel Schuster and Gravitas. Steve has worked with some of his brand owners helping them to fine tune wine styles to more closely meet the market. Now he has taken total control by “designing” three wines he describes as “uncompromisingly food wines” for his mostly restaurant customers.

To demonstrate the strength and style of his Sauvingon Blanc, Riesling and Pinot Noir Steve presented them to me blind with other benchmark wines.

His Discovery Point 2008 Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was matched with Dog Point 2008, Cloudy Bay 2008 and Saint Clair 2008 Wairau Reserve – three wines that I had previously rated highly. Discovery Point has a retail price of around $22 while the others sell for $25-$32. Discovery Point did not disgrace itself, in fact I thought that this bone-dry style oozed Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc character. It has good power and purity – I gave it 90 points.

Discovery Point Dry Marlborough Riesling $22 was matched with Craggy Range Fletcher Vineyard Marlborough Riesling – a slightly uneven playing field because the latter wine has a residual sugar level of 13.5 grams/litre while the Discovery Point is 5 g/l – although the difference probably works in favour of Craggy Range. They are both good wines. The Discovery Point Riesling is weightier with a richer and more voluptuous texture. It is, as Steve claims, an excellent food wine that gives a nod in the direction of Alsace.

At that point I ran out of time to complete the tasting and had to dash. Steve left me three glasses of Pinot Noir: his Breaksea Sound 2006, Mt Difficulty 2007 and Peregrine 2007 – all from Central Otago. I tasted the wines a couple of hours later but didn’t record notes because they had been exposed to too much air by then. Once again Steve’s wine stood up well to the competition and at a $30 price point is significantly cheaper (Mt Difficulty is $40 and Peregrine $37).

A good start. I highly recommend all three wines. All are reviewed on this site (I haven’t yet figured how to hot-link them to reviews).

They say it will age ... but will it?

A chance remark resulted in an extensive tasting of 41 examples of Central Otago Pinot Noir from 2003 or earlier. The objective of the tasting … to determine whether we should drink Central Otago Pinot Noir now or later.

When the question of ageworthiness was raised, Ruenell Rapoza, marketing and events co-ordinator of Central Otago Pinot Noir Ltd (COPL), swung into action. Member wineries were contacted and invited to send Pinot Noir from 2003 or earlier to me for a tasting that might determine just how well these wines age.

Wineries that sent samples were: Akarua, Amisfield, Carrick, Chard Farm, Desert Heart, Felton Road, Mount Edward, Mt Difficulty, Olssens, Peregrine, Pisa Range Estate, Quartz Reef, Rippon and Two Paddocks. 13 wineries sounds like a good turnout although my database reveals a further 20 wineries made wine from 2003 or before. They may not have had stocks to share or perhaps they were not members of COPL (two no longer exist).

Why is ageability an issue? Central Otago Pinot Noir is often so drop-dead delicious when it’s released why not just drink it? Ageing is an issue because it ADDS VALUE. Central Otago is already a probationary member of the Pinot Noir Big Boys Club. To gain full membership it must demonstrate that its wines improve with age. Not just hang-on-in-there with age, but improve.

Check out the president of the Pinot Noir Big Boys Club – Burgundy. Grand Cru burgundy of stature is parctically undrinkable when first released. It’s expected to be cellared for at least 10-15 years by when it will be mellow and (with luck) very complex. Would anyone shell out $1000 for a bottle of La Tache if it was best enjoyed two years after vintage? Even Premier Cru burgundy undergoes a metamorphosis from ugly egg to beautiful butterfly. Village burgundy is best enjoyed within a few years of release – but most of it cowers well under the $50 price point.

The tasting was complicated by vintage variation, a transition to screwcaps in 2001 or 2002 and, I guess, vine age plus the expected evolution in vineyard and winery that tends to create a lumpy playing field. Cutting to the chase, here are my conclusions from the tasting:

• 2002 was such a good vintage generally that it frequently emerged as the best wine in a single winery vertical. In general terms Pinot from the 2002 vintage are ageing well depite predictions that they would become over-blown and be short-lived.
• 14 out of the 41 wines were sealed with a cork. None were corked although two wines had a noticable woody cork flavour that did them no good. The two oldest wines in the tasting, both from 1999 and under cork, looked very good. I believe that both had improved significantly since they were released.
• Many wines that had seductive fruit flavours and were deliciously drinkable on release (Akarua 2002 is an example) still looked good although they hadn’t gained much benefit from bottle age.
• Felton Road “Block” wines that are (in my opinion) often over-shaddowed by the winery’s regular label upon first release seem to have outstripped the less expensive wine with bottle age. They showed very good bottle development. Conversely, I regard the recently tasted Felton Road 2007 Block 5 Pinot Noir as the best New Zealand Pinot Noir I have ever tasted. Will it get even better. You bet!

Finally … not all Central Otago Pinots are equal. Some deliciously fruity wines will never be much more than that – deliciously fruity and seem destined to decline in quality (quality = fruit) with bottle age. Others did seem to improve markedly with bottle age (Felton Block 3 & 5 are examples). I wonder whether the increasing use of stems during fermentation, in vintages that allow it, will add an extra dimension of complexity? More work needs to be done and winemakers who wish to build ageing potential into their wines need to keep a close eye on those who are already able to build wines with a future.

Tasting notes, with scores, are on my website database.