Wines of New Zealand were featured at our neighborhood tasting:
The whites:
2007 Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc, $10
Can't really improve on the Spectator's description: "Bracing with very good intensity to grapefruit, grass and savory herb notes. Wet gravel and lime acidity streamline the finish."
2007 Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc, $14
Even more wet rocks and lime than the Nobilo, and more open initially. My favorite of the three savvies.
2006 Isabel Sauvignon Blanc, $17
Although the 06 Isabel is atypical for for an Isabel and shows the hot vintage, the way in which this wine was so different from the two others was actually a net benefit for a comparative tasting. Leesy nose with ripe melon and citrus fruit.
The reds (served blind):
2002 Kim Crawford Merlot, East Coast, $20
The wine in the distributor's catalog was the Te Awanga, not the East Coast, but the EC was what they delivered. Leery of the substitution (I purchased all the wines and had vetted all my decisions with Kiwi wine expert Sue Courtney), I insisted on tasting it first and found this wine unacceptably thin and green. So I pulled it from the lineup and substituted the only other non-pinot New Zealand red I could get on short notice:
2004 Nobilo Merlot, $19
Darkest of the reds. Clearing rim and garnet hue suggests a little age. Good body with black cherry and plum flavors plus cocoa and leather in a sultry finish. Group #1, and in fact no surprise as most of the participants are more used to merlot than pinot, and because this wine just showed better in the majority of the glassware people bring to these tastings, including my own. Only people with wide-bodied or burgundy bowls really got the pinots.
2002 Mills Reef "Elspeth" Cabernet Suvignon/Merlot, Hawkes Bay, $34
Unbelievably, three out of five bottles were corked. And so badly that I smelled the first one from three feet away, where I was bagging the wines while someone else removed the lids. The two that were okay were actually fairly good, rich and full-bodied with expressive, cedary cab fruit, but considering the dilemna that we had two bottles for 52 people, no one actually cared. Fie on you, Mills Reef.
2006 Amisfield pinot noir, Central Otago, $35
Blueish purple color, obviously one of the 06's, with spicy berry fruit, stoney minerality and bay leaf. Quite taut at this stage of life, which relegated it to Group 4th place.
2005 Craggy Range "Te Muna" Pinot Noir, Martinborough, $49
Instantly my favorite of the pinots: more color, more concentration and the most generous mid-palate fruit of cherry and plum with a whiff of black pepper and luxuuriously round tannins on the finish. Everyone had a feeling this would be the spendy one, and they weren't wrong. Group 2nd place.
2006 Konrad pinot noir, Central Otago, $20
Spicy raspberry fruit of the type I'm now beginning to associate with Central Otago pinots, with a chocolatey character. As Steve Tanzer said, "A nicely concentrated young pinot noir with plenty of palate presence, not to mention good sappy life in the mouth." A very good wine for the money. Group 6th place wine, though it deserved better: it was my 2nd favorite of the pinots.
2006 Spy Valley pinot noir, Marlborough, $27
Though Sue reccomended the 05 and the distributor said yes he had it, he sent the 06 instead. Grrrr. The lightest of the pinots with a lavender hue. Candied violet nose with powdered sugar and a light raspberry streak on the palate. Overall, rather simple. Once again I'm out of synch with the group, they give it 3rd where for me it was firmly in last place.
But how about that Mills Reef--three out of five bottles corked!