Clearview’s restaurant is a pretty popular place, judging by the crowd we saw at lunch today. I can confirm the food and setting are both excellent. But how are the wines? We tried two with lunch, of which this was the first. Really nutty, yeasty aromas initially dominate the nose, with nectarine and melon-like fruit emerging with some vigorous swirling. There are also sweet butterscotch aromas and toastiness. All in all, this wine seems pretty heavily worked, but also complex and interesting.In the mouth, this is a little lighter than one might expect from the nose. Initially, the oak is quite dominant, but that’s ok because it’s super tasty and the winemaking creates a wide spectrum of flavours. Acidity is lively through the palate, and well integrated. The malo-derived flavours are quite prominent. As the wine warmed up, some fruit weight became evident, and to my taste the balance of the wine improved markedly. So I wouldn’t serve this straight from the fridge if you want to taste all that’s in there. A lengthy finish rounds the wine off nicely.Despite the style, it’s a food friendly wine that accompanied our meal well.Clearview EstatePrice: $NZ35Closure: StelvinDate tasted: December 2007