New Zealand Tasting (January 2016)

In the depths of Winter in Canada on the other side of the world they are celebrating Summer, so there really isn’t a better time to taste wines from New Zealand than now. I had the pleasure of tasting through Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir, for which many people already know New Zealand. We also tasted Chardonnay, Syrah, and Pinot Gris. I have been a fan of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc for quite some time. I have memories of a fishing trip to northern Manitoba with my Dad a few years ago where we brought nothing but Ontario Cabernet Franc and New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc on the trip. Let’s just say that the Sauv Blanc was a better pairing with the shore lunch than the franc.

There were 23 bottles of Sauvignon Blanc in total to taste. I will admit I was expecting it to be a little more uniform and was certain it would be hard to pick a few standouts. This definitely wasn’t the case. There certainly was a lot of bell pepper and gooseberry. I’ll even concede a little bit of the “cat pee” smell. I usually refrain from using this descriptor but after living with a pair of cats for a few months you learn that it is in fact quite apt. There was a lot more balance than I was expecting with alot of very nice Citrus and grassy notes. It really is no wonder that New Zealand have managed to build a reputation on this varietal because there is great depth in style if you can get beyond some of the more household name producers that everyone seems to have on the tip of their tongue. Here are a few of the wines I enjoyed. I should also point out that two of the three wines currently available in the LCBO are well under twenty dollars and one is a general list wine so it should be easy to pick up one of these wines.

2013 Grove Mill (Foley Family Wines)
2014 Clifford Bay
2013 Loveblock – Vintages 366310 – $24.95
2013 Matua Lands and Legends
2014 Middle Earth – Vintages 391987 – $17.95
2014 Sileni the Straits
2015 Villa Maria Private Bin – LCBO 426601 – $16.95

There were 12 bottles of Pinot Noir on the table. I realize that New Zealand is making a name for themselves for the Pinot Noir but I have never tasted a bottle of New Zealand Pinot Noir that has truly wowed me. I was hoping that this would change. While I didn’t find a bottle that I would consider a “show stopper” I did get a better understanding of what to expect from a bottle of New Zealand Pinot. The wines offer very ripe and jammy Cherry and Strawberry notes. The fruit is so ripe that it is almost Californian, the alcohol in these wines are warm too with the average sitting around 13.5%. That being said the New Zealand Pinot Noir offers a bit of finesse that is missing from Californian Pinot Noir. These wines are ripe, jammy but velvet soft on the finish for the most part. I still don’t think I can get on board with cooked fruit Pinot Noir but I am looking at New Zealand Pinot through a new lens.

2012 Auntsfield Estate
2013 Saint Clair Premium Pinot Noir – Vintages 413591 – $20.95

We only had a handful of Syrah on the table. Given what I tasted from the 4 bottles present it’s damned shame we don’t have more. What was open offered a beautiful balance between ripe fruit flavours and black pepper notes on the finish. Meaty notes rounded on the wine making just a fantastic Syrah. Frankly, given the quality of these wines if I were making wine in New Zealand I would be in a hurry to plant more Syrah vines.

2011 Craggy Range
2013 Trinity Hill – Vintages 194274 – $22.95