As usual, an eclectic mix of wines for review. As usual, some disappointments and some surprises. The photos got a bit mixed up this time, my apologies.
BUY
Wither Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2012 – $12 Dan M’s
These wines continue to reinforce the impression that 2012 was not a great vintage for this variety ion NZ, most wines lacking the acid backbone to keep them on the straight and narrow. This wine shows the right herbaceous characters to start with, then hints of that suspect soft drink tropical fruit on the middle palate, then sort of pulls itself together to get over the finish line with a degree of decorum. Got better with airing.
OK for $12 at but I can’t see how it won the Champion Sauvignon Blanc trophy and New World Champion Open White Wine trophy at the recent Air new Zealand Wine Awards.
Rosabrook Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2012 – $14 at 1st Choice Liquor
It has all the acid backbone lacking in the 2012 Kiwi SBs, and authentic flavour. Great line and length plus varietal definition, just needs a year or more to really fill out. Will be great with food.
Margan Chardonnay 2012 – $14 at Cracka
Hunter Valley winery that produces decent wines at fair prices. This one treads the fine line between grapefruit and stone fruit. Given time, it will probably come around to the softer side of things, and add some cashews. Depth and length are there, good balance too. Price is right as well. $15 to $16 elsewhere.
Tar & Roses Pinot Grigio 2012 -$16 at Dan M’s
Don Lewis and Narelle King make the wines at Tar and Roses. Don made the wines for Mitchelton for decades before he started this venture. Nice restrained Pinot Grigio style. Only faint hints of pears, and a touch of fruit sweetness is contained by a good line of acid. No flab here, just a good style. Will fill out nicely over the next 12 months.
Dopff au Moulin Pinot Gris Reserve 2011 – $18 at Dan M’s
The flipside of the coin: rich, ripe, almost unctuous fruit with a distinct touch of sweetness. A wonderful wine in its style, almost oily in its richness, possibly a good bet with very ripe creamy cheeses. Most enjoyable on its own too.
Warburn Riverina Botrytis Semillon 2010 – $9.50 at Dan M’s
Not as rich as our favourite de Bortoli but with more length and acid on the finish. Less Botrytis but will fill out with a year or two. Very clean at the moment, and very sweet, just needs time. Good buying for under $10.
A.C.Byrne & Co Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 – $10 at ALDI
Much as I detest ALDI and what it stands for, I have to admit that this is a real surprise. Not great Coonawarra Cabernet but a lovely early drinking style with tons of sweet fruit. Soft, ripe, smooth and easy on the gums. Hard to fault for the money.
Hewitson Miss Harry 2010 – $20 at Dan M’s
This has all the character the ALDI wine lacks, a very distinctive GSM with strong Barossa fruit given its head. Not much oak here to hold back the fruit, sweet Grenache dominating right now, with that hint of a hard edge that often goes with it. Needs a couple of years to settle down and will be better still.
NOT CONVINCED
Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2011 – was $18 at Dan M’s
Big names are tough, and Virginia Wilcox was Gourmet Traveller’s winemaker of the year 2012. So you give the wine plenty of time over several days to open up and show what it’s made of. Sadly, it never looked like a champ. There’s hot alcohol on the nose, which is not good. 14.5% is a bit more than I like for comfort. There’s a rank flavour on the palate that never really cleared up, and not enough classy fruit to make up for it. Nice line and length, but that’s hardly enough for a $20 wine. In the end, I used it for a beef stew.
Mitchell Sevenhill Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 $25 – Dan M’s
It is the 2006, no matter what Dan M’s website says, and it’s another 14.5% heavyweight – and it’s disappointing for different reasons. There’s a lot of tannin grip for a 7 year old wine here, but not enough of that wonderful Clare fruit to keep it in its place. Not sure that it will come good with time. I’m a big fan of Mitchell’s, but this is not a great buy given the price, even if it’s 7 years old.
Jim Barry Three Little Pigs Cabernet Shiraz Malbec 2010 -$19 at Dan M’s
‘Every year I take delivery of three little pigs,’says Peter Barry. ‘Whilst pigs have the most charming personality, I find their contribution to our family’s famous Christmas hams of most interest. This wine shows excellent depth of fruit and great structure. Perfect with BBQ spare ribs.’
Pigs with charm? To me, the wine lacked charm. It was kind of pleasant, well-balanced, but not really well sorted. All the right ingredients are there but they don’t really seem happy together. Didn’t grab me, and didn’t change much over several days. I’m a big fan of Jim Barry’s Rieslings so I gave it every chance.
AVOID
Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc 2012 – 10.50 at Kemenys
A standard bearer for the oceans of awful Kiwi Sauvignon Blanc being dumped on our shores. This wine gives us a brief a hint of the variety on the nose, before descending into a wishy washy mess on the palate that lacks class and structure and style. Dreadful stuff even at this price.
Toi Toi Marlborough Sauvigon Blanc 2012 – $9.50 at Dan M’s
Even less recognisable as a Savvy than the Stoneleigh if that’s possible, but has more length and depth. It doesn’t have a lot else going for it except that it’s wet, cool and alcoholic.