When deciding on which red wines to serve at a wedding, best
practice suggests one light red wine like a Pinot to appeal to the majority, and
one full-bodied red to serve with dinner.
If I were a bride (though it’s unlikely I ever will be), I
wouldn’t have to look any further than the Wild Rock ‘Strugglers Flat’ Pinot
Noir and ‘Gravel Pit’ Merlot Malbec.
These two wines fit into the light and full categories
perfectly – and also feature beautifully embossed labels that will look
fetching next to your painstakingly assembled table centerpieces. The only
worry for the truly neurotic bride is that the bottles are so tactile and
pretty, they may distract attention away from the texture of the woven silk
bodice on her wedding gown.
Of course you don’t have to be getting married to appreciate
these wines. Far from it – you can happily toast your bachelorhood or spinsterdom
with a glass of either (or both) next to the fire this winter.
The Wild Rock Strugglers Flat Martinborough Pinot Noir 2008
is a light burgundy-coloured wine with a varietal nose showing pinosity, new
upholstery and herbs. It is vibrant and fun on the palate with that
all-important quality - drinkability. Beautiful notes of raspberry and white
chocolate vie for dominance on a lingering finish. In short, it’s a lot of wine
for the money, and its Craggy
Range pedigree shows
through like a black singlet under a wedding dress.
The Wild Rock Gravel Pit Merlot Malbec 2008 has a lovely
Ribena colour that really purplifies the glass. And since we’re making up
words, it also has a certain A-above-middle-C-ishness – i.e. if we’re singing ‘Do-Re-Mi’,
then ‘La’ is the note it seems to exude. Getting back to more familiar – if
equally abstract – territory, it has blackberries and milk chocolate on the
nose, perhaps some black plum skins in the mouth before a long, dry (actually,
almost sulking!) finish. I found it improved as it warmed up from cellar
temperature and was best above about 18 degrees, when the warmth released
further aromas and assuaged some of the tannins.
Second labels are most commonly associated with top Bordeaux wines and
represent a less financially crippling way to get a taste of the style of the chateau.
It’s fantastic news for New Zealand
wine drinkers that reputable producers like Craggy Range,
whose wines are already quite fairly priced, are determined to make wines like
these that over-deliver on their price both in terms of quality and
presentation.
- Anto Coates