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Wine Review

Royal Easter Show Wine Awards 2008 - Trophy Winners

By Raymond Chan
The 55th Royal Easter Show Wine Awards was notable for the advancement of aspirant young judges placed in roles of leadership. Competition Director Terry Dunleavy and Chairman of Judges Bob Campbell took a leap of faith in assigning many key positions of the judging team to younger personnel. It must be said that the new team justified their appointments with a successful judging and a set of results as credible as ever.

The 2008 show saw 1334 wines exhibited with 79 (5.9%) Gold medals, (15.0%) 200 Silver and 576 (43.2%) Bronze medals awarded, around 100 more medals awarded than that of 2007, which saw 1375 wines in total judged. This increase in total medals (by way of Silvers and Bronzes) for 2008 may be attributed to the very successful 2007 and 2006 vintages in New Zealand.

Of the varieties entered, Sauvignon Blanc saw 18 Golds, demonstrating the success of this important variety, though it seems the 2006 vintage produced more concentrated wines at the top level. Marlborough labels dominated these results. Syrah was the standout variety, with 9 Golds from 69 wines entered. Though there are only around 250 hectares planted in the country, the quality seems astounding. Hawke’s Bay is excelling here. Only 10 Pinot Noirs were awarded Gold, a lesser proportion expected, considering the number of entries for this leading red variety. This may be a result of the higher yields for the 2006 vintage, resulting in lighter wines. Marlborough accounted for 50% of the Pinot Noir Golds. The other varieties performed as expected, with outstanding wines being rewarded. Of note was the quality of the Marlborough aromatic wines, Riesling with 8 Golds and Gewurztraminer with 3 Golds.

Regionally, Marlborough collected 37 Golds, a result to be expected for our largest vignoble. Proportionally, Hawke’s Bay was more successful, with 26 Golds. The area produces the best Bordeaux varietal styled wines. The other Gold medals were spread throughout the other growing areas evenly, with both the Wairarapa, where Riesling showed well and Central Otago, both regions capturing 4 Gold medals each.

Once again, Villa Maria was the most successful exhibitor winning 6 of the 16 wine trophies, 18 of the 79 Gold medals, and ‘Winemaker of the Year’ Award, with Alastair Maling named. It is encouraging to see the strong performance of the Pernod-Ricard labels of Church Road, Cottage Block and Stoneleigh, showing the strength of our large producers.

Regional Wines conducted a Masterclass of the Trophy winning wines. The tasting was well attended, showing the strong interest in credible wine judging results. Interestingly, attendees were willing to voice their own opinions on the quality and style of the wines, but were pleased to see the wines worthy of serious recommendations by experienced palates. Following are my brief comments on the wines tasted:

Sparkling


Daniel Le Brun Methode Traditionelle Brut NV
12.5% alc, 4.0 g/l rs, mainly 2003 vintage fruit, 60% PN, 30% Ch, 10% PM. Up to four years on lees. Pale colour with fine bead. This has finely expressed, classic yeast autolysis on the nose. Quite dry, this is crisp from the acidity and the wine is elegant in expression. Medium bodied, with delicacy of flavours, quite fine-grained. Classy methode traditionelle. 19.0/20

Aromatic Whites


Stoneleigh ‘Rapaura Series’ Marlborough Pinot Gris 2007
13.8% alc, 11.5 g/l rs, fruit fro sites on the northern side of the Wairau Valley, inoculated yeasts, cool fermentation. Soft, full and ripe fruit on the bouquet with pears and stonefruits and some spice notes. Slightly sweet, the fruit expression is ripe with lusciousness. Some warmth from the alcohol is noticeable, but the wine has weight and good concentration. 18.5+/20

Spy Valley Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2007
13.5% alc, 10 g/l rs, fruit from Wairau and Waihopi Valley, S/S fermented at warm temperatures. This is very fine with lovely florals and rose petal aromatics and delicate spice notes. Off dry, the purity of fruit is a feature. Gentle florals and spice notes, with a degree of refinement and class. Good concentration and length. Very attractive. The second preferred wine of the tasting for the group of tasters. My score 19.0-/20

Full, Dry Whites


Saint Clair ‘Pioneer Block 11 – Cell Block’ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007
13.0% alc, 3.5 g/l rs, fruit from ex-Police detective Colin MacKay’s cooler site vineyard, near the coast, Dillons Point. Inoculated yeast, cool ferment. Youthful, pale colour, This is very full on the nose with a powerful, pungent, ‘sweaty’ nose, ripe with tropical fruits, and very rich. The palate has a marvelous mineral and acidic cut, giving the wine a freshness. Excellent counterpoise with the pungency. The wine has richness and real weight and body. 19.0-/20

Villa Maria ‘Cellar Selection’ Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2007
14.0% alc, 2 g/l rs, fruit mainly from the Omahu Gravels site in the Gimblett Gravels and Evans vineyard in the Dartmoor Valley. Elegant, fine and concentrated bouquet with pure apricot and citrus zest aromatics. Benchmark varietal expression. Dry, fine-grained and very tightly bound, the wine is shy and firmly textured at present. Some heat noticeable, but the concentration carries it all. 18.0+/20

Church Road Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2006
14.0% alc, <1 g/l rs, 45% Clone 15, 46% Clone 95, 9% Mendoza, from 54% Korokipo, 20% Omaranui and 26% Brooklands vineyards. WBP, wild fermentation, MLF. 14 months in 58% new French barriques. Deepish straw yellow with golden hues. Rich, intense nose, mealy with restrained tropical fruit notes, complex oak nuttiness. Full-bodied, this is mouthfilling with ripe mealy fruit, powerful oak. The wine has real interest, concentration and layers of flavours that unfold on the very long finish. A superb Chardonnay, that will drink well over the next 4-5 years. 19.0+/20

Aromatic Reds


Villa Maria ‘Cellar Selection’ Marlborough Pinot Noir 2006
14.0% alc, an array of clones, fruit from Awatere and Wairau Valleys. Destemmed, 10 days cold soak, some natural ferment, temperatures up to 32ºC, 11 months in French barriques. Lighter ruby red colour. Lovely fragrance of strawberries, cherries and red berries. This is elegant and medium-weighted with good fruit expression. Fresh and crisp, there is a cool note, good acidity and fine, firm tannins. The palate has a suppleness to allow approachability now. 18.5-/20

Villa Maria Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2006
14.0% alc, fruit from the Gimblett Gravels, destemmed, inoculated yeast, ferment temperatures up to 33ºC, hand plunged four times daily, 21 days on skins. 20 months in 60% new French barriques. Black purple-red colour, impenetrable. Great concentration on nose of black pepper, dark berried fruits and floral notes with spice. Amazing intensity and concentration, yet a purity of fruit expression. Fine-grained, but extremely powerful. This has elegance and strength of core. A wine that will last 15 years easily. The most preferred of the wines t
The Products...
VILLA MARIA SYRAH RES 07
Villa Maria Syrah Res 07
Made from fruit from sites in the Gimblett Gravels, the grapes were tot...
$40.70 750 MLS
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DANIEL LE BRUN METHODE NV
Daniel Le Brun Methode Nv
12.5% alc, 4.0 g/l rs, mainly 2003 vintage fruit, 60% PN, 30% Ch, 10% P...
$31.35 750 MLS
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Staff Recommendations

DAVID

Easter weekend I flew up to Auckland and had a great time visiting family. I made sure I went to Maison Vauron, a must if you enjoy French wines and also Galbraiths to try a few craft beers.

RICHARD

Roast Chicken for dinner evidently. Which Kumeu River Chardy shall I choose?
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