Buyers’ Guide to VINTAGES July 5th – Part One

New Zealand’s Core Strengths
by David Lawrason, with Sara d’Amato

David Lawrason

The collection of wines from New Zealand on the July 5 release provides a clinic on what the tiny, green land is up to these days, and we will get right to it. But first an alert that Part Two, which will focus on Spain and some fine 2010 Bordeaux, will be delayed by about 24 hours next week as Canada Day bumps a lab tasting opportunity until Thursday, July 3. We will all be playing catch up to fill in many reviews still missing at this point. And after travels in Europe and at the just-completed National Wine Awards in B.C., John Szabo will also be back with his observations and recommendations. So tune in on Friday, July 4th.

New Zealand’s successes are undeniable; with industry and export growth galloping ahead year after year. What may be less obvious is why. Sure, there are climatic and terroir conditions that have allowed NZ to position itself in a cooler climate niche within the New World. But behind the scenes the New Zealand industry has been focused on exporting wine of the high quality rather than trying to lure fans with very cheap prices – as several other countries have done. Winemakers have gone to school in their own country, and Australia, and worked and studied abroad; while welcoming Europeans in particular to their midst. Although rapidly exploring and developing terroirs and appellations on a local basis, they are hesitant to stamp them officially, and over-regulate. And they have kept it simple and focused in terms of a NZ brand and worked with a handful of grapes and styles that they can grow well, in contrast to tendencies of the Canadian industry that I discussed in regards to the June 21 release.

This release presents a mini-clinic on NZ’s core strengths, although not every wine is a winner. I urge you to click on all the reviews to get the full scoop before shopping. The recommendations below from Sara and I tell the story, and we are only missing a great NZ chardonnay from to complete the picture. We have aligned on four wines.

Clos Henri 2102 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, South Island $27.75 – David Lawrason. Such is the power of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc on the global stage that is attracting investment from Henri Bourgeois, a leading producer of sauvignon blanc in Sancerre – the spiritual homeland of this grape. Having recently tasted Henri Bourgeois single vineyard bottlings from the Loire I can assure you that the NZ project has the same focus on taut, compact wines – which may be a relief to those who find Kiwi versions generally too intense. Sara d’Amato:. I’ve long admired the elegant style of Henri Bourgeois wines. The grapes on these sites in the Wairau are organically grown and produce richly flavoured wines. This sauvignon blanc is widely expressive on the nose yet remains restrained and polished on the palate. Eight months of lees stirring adds the volume, texture and complexity that makes this sauvignon stand out from the crowd.

Sileni Cellar Selection 2013 Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough, South Island ($17.95) – David Lawrason – Sileni is a frequent visitor to Vintages shelves, and I have always viewed it as competent and tasty but mid-pack in terms of quality. So perhaps it is the quality of the 2013 vintage – that all NZ is talking about – that has elevated this super bright, fruit drenched yet refined offering.

Momo 2103 Pinot Gris Marlborough, South Island $19.95 – Sara d’Amato, This playful and highly gulpable pinot gris is anything but a wallflower. It boasts wonderful concentration and plenty of succulent stone fruit that lingers memorably on the finish. The Momo range of wines are sourced from three of Seresin’s biodynamically farmed vineyards and generally offer very good value. David Lawrason: NZ Pinot Gris is all in the eye of the beholder, as different winemakers sculpt this malleable variety into something unformed that captures what the winemaker likes and what he or she thinks “the consumer” likes. But I sense, as witnessed by this example, that they are trending toward a ripe, fruit, perhaps marginally sweet style as opposed to light crisp pinot grigio. This is very successful, a great chillable summer white.

Lawson’s Dry Hills 2011 Gewürztraminer Marlborough, South Island ($17.95) – David Lawrason. This gets a borderline recommendation. I want you to know that NZ may be the most consistently good gewurz producer outside of Alsace, because here ripeness and opulence matter. There is even a winery called Vinoptima that makes nothing but gewurz in NZ. This example certainly catches the style, although I would rather have seen a 2012 or 2013 vintage that really blooms. Still, it is very much worth a go for gewurz fans, and Lawson is a bit of a specialist.

Clos Henri 2012 Bel Echo Terroir Greywacke Pinot Noir, Marlborough, South Island ($28.95) – David Lawrason – I am intrigued by NZ pinot and am still working on an essay that purports there are already at least 20 fairly distinct appellations. The upper Wairau Valley with it’s ‘greywacke” soils – a variety of sandstone that is hard, dark “grey” color, and contains quartz, feldspar and small rock fragments – is the soil involved here. And as with Clos Henri’s sauvignons, this house is all about the rocks. A superb pinot awaits folks – don’t balk, don’t walk, run to get some. Sara d’Amato: The vineyard for this wine is in a small, stony corner of Clos Henri’s property. It produces a wine with very good aromatic intensity, terrific definition, mineral, verve and purity of fruit. The price certainly does not reflect its premium character.

Staete Landt 2010 Paladin Pinot Noir, Marlborough, South Island ($36.95) – David Lawrason: The organic/biodynamic movement has strong support in NZ, and Netherlands-born winemaker Ruud Maasdam has been a leading voice since starting Staete Landt in 2000. Staete Landt, by the way, was the name given to New Zealand by explorer Abel Tasman in the 17th C. – a rather unimaginative moniker that translates as “land of the governor”. Anyway, this pinot is far from dull; it’s uplifted, vibrant and elegant, all in one breath. And it’s where NZ can go and is going with pinot.

Other Whites

Vina Robles 2012 Sauvignon Blanc, Paso Robles, California ($19.50) – Sara D’Amato– A lovely, slightly smoky and leesy sauvignon blanc with a great deal more complexity than you generally find in a new world version of this classic Loire varietal. Vina Robles is known for its European, old world inspired styles but this example also highlights exceptional California fruit.

Hamilton Russell 2012 Chardonnay, Wo Hemel-en-Aarde Valley, South Africa ($32.95) David Lawrason – It’s a bit old school, but this is profound, attention-grabbing, brilliant chardonnay. Anthony Hamilton Russell, along with Peter Finlayson of Bouchard Finlayson were the founding pioneers in the Hemel-en-Aarde appellation (Heaven and Earth) in coastal Walker Bay. He is meticulous and totally quality oriented, making wines with structure and complexity above all. If you would pay $33 for white Burgundy, California or Canadian chardonnay, you will be shocked by the value here.

Talamonti Trabocchetto 2012 Pecorino, Igp Colline Pescaresi, Abruzzo, Italy ($15.95) – Sara D’Amato. This lovely pecorino is a perfect summer treat for those looking for something a little different. If you are used to sipping on pinot grigio or sauvignon blanc, you’ll likely find this more intriguing. Pecorino is known for its intriguingly complex nose and relatively low yields compared its widely planted neighbor, Trebbiano. The wine offers enticing aromas of peach, flint, white flower and green apple with a delicately refreshing palate. David Lawrason – Not much more detail required here – this may be the best white value of the release.

Other Reds

Red Rooster 2011 Reserve Meritage, Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada, $24.95 (366187) – Sara d’ Amato – Having just returned from the Okanagan judging the 2014 National Wine Awards of Canada, I wanted to highlight a rare Okanagan find (at least on the shelves of the LCBO). Perched on the Naramata Bench, this red Bordelaise blend has been deftly crafted by talented winemaker Karen Gillis whose fresh approach has garnered international acclaim.

Redstone 2010 Reserve Cabernet Franc, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore ($29.95) David Lawrason Redstone is a new property owned by Moray Tawse. It is in the Beamsville area but as the vineyards are lower below the bench it wears the Lincoln Lakeshore appellation. Having just tasted many Canadian cab francs at the 2014 National Wine Awards I can tell you styles vary widely, as winemakers search for a groove between serious and fresh styles. This falls in the middle. I was intrigued to note that guest NWAC judge Jamie Goode, was more enthused by Cdn cab franc than we homegrown critics.

Hidden Bench 2010 Terroir Caché Meritage, VQA Beamsville Bench, Niagara Peninsula $38.20. David Lawrason: I have always been intrigued by the dogged determination of Hidden Bench owner Harald Thiel to make super-premium red Niagara “Bordeaux” blends, even more so on his cooler Beamsville Bench sites. This assembles merlot, cab franc, cab sauvignon and malbec in a vintage that was ripe and warm and gave these varietals a fighting chance. Although I am not for a minute suggesting you should open it now, this has the density, stuffing and tension that might make one a believer.

Château Los Boldos 2011 Vieilles Vignes Syrah Single Vineyard, Cachapoal Andes, Chile ($18.95) David Lawrason – Until 2008 Chateau Los Boldos was a family-owned 190-ha property in the Andean foothills of Cachapoal. That year it was purchased by the giant (red wine focused) Sogrape company of Portugal. Syrah was certainly not among the old vines at the property compared to the cabernet dating from the 40s and 50s. But this still has all the earmarks of lush, vibrant particularly Chilean syrah. And at this price syrah fans can’t afford not to take a look.

That’s a wrap for this week. Again, please stay tuned for Part Two on July 4th, and meanwhile enjoy some upcoming reading next week when Steve Thurlow reports on 20 Under 20 values at the LCBO and Julian Hitner provides a primer for Bordeaux-lovers on the under-appreciated Haut-Medoc region.

Cheers,

David Lawrason
VP of Wine

From VINTAGES June 21st release:

Lawrason’s Take
Sara’s Selections
All Reviews

Editors Note: You can find complete critic reviews by clicking on any of the highlighted wine names, bottle images or links. Paid subscribers to WineAlign see all critics reviews immediately. Non-paid members wait 30 days to see new reviews. Premium membership has its privileges; like first access to great wines!