The Wines Of Huia - Gorgeous Bubbles

by Anto Coates

This week I was fortunate enough to try the wines of Claire and Mike Allan from Huia in Marlborough. It's a brand I've been familiar with for a while but somehow the wines have largely eluded me.

I don't usually write up most of the line ups of wines I taste (there are too many and I have to make some time to sell a bottle here and there), but these ones were too good not to mention, especially the bubbly and the Chardonnay...

Winemaker Claire Allan poured us her 2004 Huia Blanc de Blancs Methode, which had a delicious bready nose,(surely a nod to her time spent at Taittinger many moons ago) with lovely warm toasty oak. The bead was fantastic, amongst the best I've seen here in New Zealand, apparently partially the result of extended aging on lees of the base wine. The palate itself was rich peaches and tart citrus working beautifully in tandem before a dry, elegant finish. Bubbly lovers who haven't tried this one really need to grab a bottle. Sadly we've only got a few bottles left of the 2004 so we're rolling to the 2005, but judging by the standard of the other wines, I don't think we'll have too many worries about losing any quality.

Next up was the Marlborough Chardonnay 2008, which was quite simply one of the best Chardonnays I've had in months. It was everything I love about Marlborough Chardy: peaches, pears and vanilla, backed by that trademark Marlborough acidity. We only have the 2007 in stock currently but will be getting the 2008 soon enough...

Also worth a quick mention was the Huia Sauvignon Blanc 2009, which is wild fermented with a 15% barrel component, giving it just the right amount of sweaty complexity without interfering with the purity. A very attractive proposition.

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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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16-May-2012 - RT @Wellington_JAG: One of the most amazing wine experiences of my life with @regionalwines & Christopher Canan tasting @DOMAINEGUIG ...

16-May-2012 - Absorbing read...the full gamut of emotions from envy to schadenfreude. Click Here

12-May-2012 - Free Mt Difficulty wine tasting starting in 10 mins. Plus we have 20 fill your own taps as of yesterday...great... Click Here

12-May-2012 - Free Mt Difficulty tasting starting in 10 mins until 4 pm today. We now have 20 beer taps too...gerat day to be... Click Here

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