Tag Archives: 2007

Unison Vineyard Rosé 2006

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Another wine from Unison that we tasted (and purchased) at cellar door. It seems everyone is producing a rosé nowadays, and it’s curious to watch the influence of fashion on wine production, especially regarding a wine style that has gone from terminally daggy to hip in the space of a very few years. Unison is quick to point out that its rosé is made from grapes of the same quality as the used in rest of its range, not inferior grapes as may be the case with other producers. The proof is in the pudding, of course.
A bright, almost lurid rose petal colour, good clarity, fun to look at. The nose is surprisingly complex and contains elements of bright red fruit, some peppery spice, and fresh flowers. It’s not a superficial flavour profile, and the wine hints at a depth of flavour that doesn’t always present in rosé styles.
Entry is bright and ushers in a palate of quite generous body. The flavour profile is fun and friendly but also possesses a savoury aspect that adds sophistication to this wine. It’s totally dry but full of fruit flavour, such that there’s the impression of sweetness and weight without residual sugar. Good acidity, not overdone, keeps things fresh in the mouth. Tannins are pretty subliminal on the finish, and it’s not the longest wine around.
This is a good wine to haul out if you want a rosé with some sophistication to serve with, say, paella.
Unison VineyardPrice: $NZ24Closure: StelvinDate tasted: December 2007

Black Barn Sauvignon Blanc 2007

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I had a few Hawkes Bay Sauvignon Blancs while in the area and, perhaps inevitably, found some wineries comparing their wines to (perhaps even justifying against) Marlborough wines. This wine from Black Barn is pretty representative of the Hawkes Bay style.Pale, hay-like colour, brilliant clarity. Heavy, thick tropical fruit aromas that lack the higher register of flavours that make the Marlborough style so distinctive. Some may consider this a very good thing. Certainly flavourful, if not explosive. Lively entry that zings with firm, though not searing, acidity. The middle palate is full of tropical fruit flavours and passionfruit, not lightfooted so much as thick and heady. No great complexity here, but it’s a nice flavour profile for sure. The after palate rises in the back of the mouth to a climax and then tapers off pretty quickly. The finish is of adequate length for this variety.I’m in two minds about this wine. On the one hand, it’s a nice change from Marlborough wines, it tastes good and it’s well priced. On the other hand, it’s a not especially distinctive wine (and style). Nice for a change of pace, perhaps.Black BarnPrice: $NZ18Closure: StelvinDate tasted: December 2007

Stoneleigh Sauvignon Blanc 2007

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As blatant as they can sometimes be, I do rather like a Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc now and then. It’s like blue cheese or test cricket — if you’re in the mood, nothing else will do. This one popped up at the lunch table the other day and, as it was a hot day, I dived in.

Whether you like this wine will depend on how you like your Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Some lean quite far towards the piercingly aromatic end of the spectrum, whereas others exist in a more easygoing space, more tropical fruit and less cat’s piss. This one definitely sits at the the easygoing end, with obvious and slightly cloying aromas of tropical fruit, passionfruit, etc. Pretty typical in style, although not showing much of the minerality that can add extra complexity to these wines.

The palate continues the same theme, with softer acidity than some, and a sweetness to the fruit that you will either enjoy or find just vulgar (alas, I fall into the latter camp). The sweetness is such that I wondered whether there’s a degree of residual sugar hanging about. As well made as it is, I found this wine a bit cloying on the palate in particular, a factor amplified by this wine’s length (it does linger). On the plus side, it’s pretty crowd pleasing and is full of flavour.

Maybe I wasn’t in the mood after all.

Stoneleigh
Price: $A13
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: November 2007

Wirra Wirra Mrs Wigley Rosé 2007

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Dinner last night was enjoyed outdoors, accompanied by balmy weather and appropriate wines, of course! We had this wine as an aperitif, without food. It was served straight from the fridge and had a chance to warm during consumption. It is made from 100% Grenache.

Bright, happy, lolly shop aromas leap from the glass with the sort of eagerness that one looks for in a wine of this style. Having said that, it’s not overly sweet or cloying, and the bright fruit aromas are balanced, a little anyway, by hints of savouriness, and complemented by more floral, rose petal type overtones. In the mouth, this wine immediately presents fruit flavours along the same lines as the nose, perhaps lacking the intensity promised, but attractive nonetheless. The floral element is slightly stronger on the palate.

Served cold, though, the wine starts to go a bit awry at this stage, structurally. There are surprisingly firm tannins from about mid-way through the palate that rob the wine of its fruity fun just a smidge too soon, and carry the wine off to a premature finish. Mind you, the tannins are fine and ripe, just a bit too eager. As the wine warmed up, the tannins receded a little, and enabled the wine to present a more rounded palate profile, which I enjoyed. But I also found the wine started to lack crispness at this warmer temperature, owing to a fairly relaxed acid structure, and edged towards flabbiness.

I’m probably being super critical of this wine, and really it’s a juicy, tasty rose that will make most people happy at Friday afternoon drinks.

Wirra Wirra
Price: $A18
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: November 2007

Recoleta Malbec Bonarda 2007

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For a moment I found myself transfixed by the nose of this wine… it smelled familiar, and yet not. But what was it? Ah, there we are: scented permanent markets, just like the ones we used to huff in elementary school. Childhood memories… Seriously, it smells like children’s fruit candy: plums and raspberries and nothing too complicated or unusual. There’s also a slight hint of camphor there as well; on the whole, a promising start.

In the mouth, it’s just this side of off-dry (as I’m coming to expect from fresh&easy’s own label wines), with a fleeting sourness and not much else in the way of flavor, save for something that’s reminiscent of raspberry flavored wax lips candy. There’s a bit of tannin on the finish, probably more from pressing the grapes too hard than any kind of barrel fermentation, and then it’s gone. It all works reasonably well and would be a fantastic accompaniment to spicy barbecue or good old fashioned meat loaf. Amazing value and recommended for your next braai.

Recoleta [but really fresh&easy]
Price: US $2.99
Closure: Short, low quality cork amusingly labeled “estate bottled”
Tasted: November 2007

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I’d like to note that I won’t always be tasting bargain basement wines from Tesco’s new US chain stores; it’s just that they happened to open their doors here two weeks ago, which prompted me to buy a case of their least expensive wine just for the heck of it. So far, I’m impressed by the QPR [quality price ratio] but haven’t found anything I’d drink on a regular basis. Thankfully, I’m down to only a few bottles – the most expensive one almost breaking the ten dollar mark – and when they open one near my home in San Diego, I promise I’ll go back and try their high-end own-label wines [I think I remember seeing a $15.99 Napa merlot, for example].

Clonakilla Riesling 2007

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The 2007 Clonakilla Riesling was made from non-Estate fruit, after Clonakilla’s own was lost to frost. Still Canberra region fruit, though.

Expressive nose that shows fruit blossom and juicier fruit aromas, framed by a powdery mineral edge. The entry is lively and delivers flavour quickly onto the middle palate, which is surprisingly dense and juicy, with more citrus, herb and mineral flavours. Acid is abundant and balanced, though is perhaps a little coarse (less so as the wine warms in the glass). A slight phenolic bitterness asserts itself as the wine progresses towards the after palate, building flavour intensity as it goes, and the wine’s finish is long. A small amount of residual sugar boosts body and helps the wine’s attractive and moderately complex flavours to assert themselves.

Part of me wished for the wine to have been made in an even less dry style, as the flavours respond well to the residual sugar that is there, and there’s certainly plenty of acidity to maintain balance. As it is, a lovely wine, enjoyable and well priced.

Clonakilla
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: November 2007