Dhall and Nash Fine Wines on 13th March 2012
- Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010:Pale straw with brilliant clarity. Attractive bouquet displaying typicity of style and sub region, with a nod to Sancerre, the following evidence in the glass supports this. Flint, fresh cut grass, dried herbs, grapefruit, peach, passion fruit, stony, mineral, lemon & floral characters. Moderate weight on palate with a chalky mouth feel, cinnamon spice, red apple skin, good concentration in a fresh, moderately complex and dry style
- Marlborough Pinot Gris 2010:Straw with brilliant clarity. Bouquet displays a clear balance between varietal characters with a complex, savoury expression as seen by the following descriptors. Pastry, pear, red apple skin, rose petal, smoke, moderate intensity of fruit with some mineral complexity. Palate is flavoured with cinnamon, has an oily yet talcum powdered mouth feel , tautly structured, rich texture, spicy, fleshy, balanced, intense, in a dry, medium bodied and complex style from lees influence, which gives a smoky, spicy finish.
- Marlborough Chardonnay 2010: Straw, green highlights with brilliant clarity. This Chardonnay evokes a Southern Burgundy, Macconais style white wine, this is supported by the following characters in the glass. Mealy, fresh mushroom, clove, citrus, smoke, moderate complexity and intensity. The palate displays grapefruit, fresh nuts and an oily mouth feel. The fruit is balanced by moderate oak, which gives structure followed by ripe fruit and a creamy texture, with good balance of alcohol and moderate acidity. A dry, moderately complex, medium bodied style with a touch of mineral and citrus on the finish.
- Central Otago Pinot Noir 2009:Ruby red, crimson on rim with brilliant clarity. High intensity bouquet, with great typicity of style, region and vintage. The following notes support this. Black olive, liquorice, lavender, pot pourri, violets and classic red cherries scent of good Otago Pinot noir. The palate is youthful, intense, bright, racy, in a medium bodied, yet firm, dry style. Fresh, floral, with good acid/alcohol balance. The wine has a schist derived tannin structure, which gives a stony mouth feel that lingers, showing some mineral & cinnamon spice on the finish. The wine is tightly structured now and should unwind over the next five to seven years allowing medium term cellaring potential.
- Hawkes Bay Havelock Hills Merlot 2010:Dark red, ruby at rim with brilliant clarity. Excellent cool climate, varietal expression here showing tar, plums, spice, red liquorice, cedar, leather and iodine characters with moderate intensity of fruit. Bold entry, round, plush palate structure supported by firm, moderate oak tannins. Palate remains juicy, balanced, with good acidity giving a fresh and supple mouth feel. Moderate length with cherry and dried herb flavours alongside a grainy texture with chocolate and spice on finish.
- Kahurangi Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2010 : - A fresh tropical Sauvignon Blanc displaying the classic cool climate flavours of freshly cut grass & asparagus. Cellar Drink young or cellar up to 2 years. Serving Suggestions Well matched with seafood, fresh seasonal asparagus, salads and egg dishes.
- Kahurangi Reserve Riesling 2009: - A well balanced elegant wine with superb poise and style, worthy of our Reserve Status. Cellar :A wine to enjoy now or cellar up to 4 years. Serving Suggestions This Riesling makes a perfect aperitif or well matched with cheese.
- Kahurangi Pinot Gris 2011:- Deliciously scented bouquet revealing pears and spice with a slightly oily, fleshy texture filled with lingering ginger and fruit delights. Cellar : 3 years. Serving Suggestions This elegant wine makes a perfect aperitif, served chilled, also great with fresh fish.
- Kahurangi Mt Arthur Chardonnay 2010: A stylish Chardonnay with prominent tropical fruit and melon characters with lively acidity running through peachy, slightly creamy flavours and a lingering smooth finish. Cellar: 4 years. Serving Suggestions : Chicken and pasta dishes.
- Kahurangi Pinot Noir 2010:- A delicious, approachable Pinot Noir with a bouquet of fruit and spice followed with complex layers of black pepper, cinnamon & red cherry and a lovely silky texture to finish. Cellar :3 years Serving Suggestions: Honey Braised Duck or Sweet Spring Lamb.
- Tyrrells Rufus Stone Shiraz 2008:- Deep rich red to crimson in colour, indicates the intensity of this wine. The nose is full of ripe plum and dark cherries with a hint of white pepper and sweet vanillin. The flavours carry onto the palate which is full of big soft fruit, but balanced by an elegant oak structure and natural acid, resulting in a rich wine with a complex and fresh structure. Serving Suggestions: The intense berry fruit flavours and mouth-filling appeal of this rich red wine makes it a fine accompaniment for lamb, beef and game dishes. Cellar: This wine is excellent drinking now and will cellar for the medium term - up to six years.
- 2007 Vintage Port (won Gold and Trophy this year at the New Zealand International Wine Competition).
- P.X 12 Yr Old (won Gold and Trophy this year at the Spegialu International Wine Show)
The Specialist Group Tasting on 12h July 2011
Cuvée No. 1 Shining gold. A little restrained on the nose with subtle floral and marmite scents, but rich flavours that are quite yeasty with hints of peach and a creamy texture cut by a hint of grapefruit with a touch of marmite savouriness on the toasty finish. The bubbles are very fine both in appearance and taste and it's dry and clean with fantastic length Sue Courtney “Wine of the Week”
Cuvée Virginie Very pale gold with delicate rose petal bubbles. A tightly focussed bouquet; sweet scents of vanilla cream, white flower, nougat and fragrant lemon blossom. The Virginie 2006 delivers further delights on the palate with hints of hazelnut meringue and bright citrus. The rich full palate is made deceptively delicate by a dense satin like mousse. Intriguing and fulfilling, the very pure line and cleansing acidity promises even more for anyone patient enough to wait.
Very pale gold with delicate rose petal bubbles. A tightly focussed bouquet; sweet scents of vanilla cream, white flower, nougat and fragrant lemon blossom. The Virginie 2006 delivers further delights on the palate with hints of hazelnut meringue and bright citrus. The rich full palate is made deceptively delicate by a dense satin like mousse. Intriguing and fulfilling, the very pure line and cleansing acidity promises even more for anyone patient enough to wait.
Fairbourne 2010 A unique expression of Sauvignon Blanc made with finesse and balance.Fresh crushed lemon and lime with alluvial river stone and melon Taste of fresh citrus entry, a smooth generous bodied mid palate.Dry with a persistent fruit and mineral flavours. Alcohol: 13.5% Vol.
2009 Two TailsThe 2009 vintage was grown in the Wairau Valley. Fresh and vibrant, it is medium-bodied and sweet-fruited, with very good depth and delicacy of melon and lime flavours. (Michael Cooper’s Buyer’s Guide to New Zealand Wines 2011)
2006 Vinoptima Reserve Gewurztraminer The wine displays a character quite different to previous vintages. Intense spicy characters of ginger all-spice and vanilla with lychee fruit typical of a great Gewurztraminer.Brix at harvest: 24° Brix average Alcohol:13% volResidual sugar:13 grams/litre
Wooing Tree Pinot Noir 2008 Ripe hand picked fruit, gentle winemaking and maturation in French oak have resulted in a complex and powerful wine, with aromas of ripe cherries, raspberries and Black Doris plums, a rich and silky smooth palate with fine grainy tannins to match the fruit. Excellent value, drinking fantastically well now and will develop and cellar for several years.
Wooing Tree Sandstorm Reserve 2008 Especially low yielding ripe hand picked fruit, gentle winemaking and extended maturation in French oak have resulted in a complex and powerful wine. It has aromas of ripe cherries and plums, a rich and silky smooth palate and a long spicy finish. A great example of one of the best Central Otago Pinot Noirs – Best rewards are gained by careful cellaring.
Hay Paddock 2007 Syrah SENSORY Colour: Bright, mid-red. EVALUATION: Nose: Raspberry, pepper, herbs. Palate: Raspberry, pepper, toasty oak. Alc 13.9% 3.55 pH 0.08 g/l sugar
Mystae This blend strikes a balance between the power of Cabernet and the fruit characters of Merlot. Blended from all five varietals, Mystae typically begins with a bouquet of developed fruit that will increase in complexity under proper cellar conditions for a decade or more. The “Mystae” were ancient Greek philosophers and followers of Dionysus (the Greek God of Wine), who sought a deeper understanding of the universe's mysteries.
Destinae This blend is dominated by free-run fractions and a higher percentage of Merlot. It reflects more of a "Right Bank" Bordeaux style of wine compared with the other two blends. Destinae presents dark fruit on the nose and is quite approachable at a young age even though it has potential to age for a decade or more. The name acknowledges our belief that destiny is not a matter of chance nor something to wait for, but rather a matter of choice and something to be achieved.
Medium straw-yellow. A bright fruited nose leads onto a mouthfilling but juicy, zesty, savoury lees-edged palate. Dense and sweet, with an almost creamy texture nicely leavened by ripe, harmonious acidity. Shows a peach nectar quality toward the back and the thickness of a high-end Sancerre. Wonderfully fresh, tangy and textured – guaranteed to bring a smile to your face
Raats Chenin Blanc 2009
Pale green-tinged yellow. Complex nose melds pear, guava, candied pineapple and minerals, plus a peppery nuance that reminded me of gruner veltliner. Supple and pliant but juicy; surprisingly dry and fat-free after the sweet nose. Lemon and ginger flavors carry nicely on the aftertaste. Just 2.2 grams of r.s. here.
Pax Verbatim Viognier 2008
Light straw gold in colour.Smoky, nutty aromatics with a wheat grain nuance and the merest hint of lanolin. A rich, warm wine in the mouth, with perhaps a hint of oak adding to the overall complexity. The palate is spicy and savoury and just a little chardonnay-like with its full-bodied richness and mealiness. There's a green grape fruitiness and a lifted aromatic finish with a spicy zing. A powerful wine and while not particularly fruity, it is nice to drink.
Kaapzicht Hanepoot Jerepigo 2008
Pale golden straw colour with luscious Muscat aromas inviting a sip; viscous but well balanced and not syrupy with layers of papaya, lychee and orange marmalade giving a true taste of summer’s abundance; silky, smooth with enough acidity for a clean, "more-ish" finish
Thelema Mountain Red 2008
Spicy aromas of black pepper and mulberry mingle with the plum flavours in this soft and approachable wine. Although this wine is already drinking well, it will reward further cellaring.
Ernie Els Syrah
The opaque, garnet-black core offers the first intentions of this gutsy Syrah. Its sweet nose shows pronounced boysenberries, kirsch, black olive and hints of star anise. Concentrated black fruits balance phenomenal intensity and power, all checked by chiselled, layered tannins. This impressive modern style dances the tightrope of ripeness and elegance. Rather closed in its rambunctious youth, time in the cellar will add further breadth and tame the grippy tannins.
Kaapzicht Pinotage 2008
Intense purple with saturated, opaque center; ripe layers of mulberry, plums, blackcherry and dark chocolate/mocha tones, a trace of minerality and forward oak aromatics add more complexity; boisterous display of Pinotage character with firm tannins and good acidity bodes well for some 3-5 years of maturation.
LOURENS RIVER VALLEY 2005
Concentrated and vibrant; dark mulberry red colour. This wine carries a subtle perfume of wild flowers, sub-tropical fruit, cinnamon and vanilla oak spice. The palate senses black currants, liquorice and spice, a freshly integrated, balanced acid and tannin ratio with youthful expression. The tannins have a firm grip that show the long path of evolution ahead, but they are certainly neither clawy nor aggressive. The future bodes well for this 2005 vintage.
