Just got back from our first trip to New Zealand, limiting our travels to the North Island to allow a bit more exploration of each venue. New Zealand is a drop-dead gorgeous country where one says “Wow” after every turn in the bend and the people are extremely welcoming. Of course, a bit of research into the local wines was in order.
We had the opportunity to taste at the cellar doors of Craggy Range near Havelock North and Ata Rangi in Martinborough. At both wineries there was genuine excitement about the 2013 vintage after a challenging time in 2012.
Craggy Range.
This winery is located near Te Mata peak (which we later climbed: amazing views). We were met by Vicky, who took us through some of their latest releases.
2012 Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay. The vintage was not the best for reds apparently (“just cold and wet” per Vicky) but this white was terrific. White gold hue. Nose of flint and oyster shell with floral notes and white peach as well. Briny on the tongue with a steely acidic spine laced with grapefruit and granny apple. Long finish with more flint and grippy white fruit. 92 points.
2011 Le Sol Syrah. Medium purple. Nose of pepper, blackberry, and coffee. Pepper, tar, and briar on the palate with loads of tangy red and black fruit. Moderately long finish with echoes of garrigue and blackberry. Lots of intensity for reported 13% alcohol. 90 points.
2011 Sophia. A right-bank Bordeaux blend. Dark garnet with nose of currant and cassis. Round and deep on the palate with excellent clarity and delineation of dark plum fruit. Serious but submerged tannins and nice grip at the end. We purchased a bottle which we sampled later with beef, see below. 91 points at the tasting.
2012 Te Muna Single Vineyard Pinot Noir. Ruby color. Alpine floral notes and anise on the nose. Red raspberry fruit on the tongue with a hint of stems (apparently 10% whole cluster when looked up). Clean and bearing good intensity despite its light weight. 89 points.
2011 Aroha Pinot Noir. Sourced from 2 specific parcels within the Te Muna vineyard. Darker ruby. Nose of earth, forest floor, plum, perhaps vanilla. I tasted a lot more oak and more currant in this bottling. Not a favorite today. 87 points.
I had had a good experience with the 2011 Te Muna pinot noir and asked about older vintages. I was able to purchase a bottle of the 2010, which we tasted later as indicated below.
Ata Rangi.
Tasting the wines at this iconic winery was a real pleasure as I had not had the opportunity to sample any of their wines previously. Their cellar door had just re-opened after a lengthy renovation the day before. We met with Nakhesa, who kindly opened a bevy of wines:
2013 Rose. Dark pink. Lovely nose of stone and fresh florals. Incisive and bracing on the palate with sharply-defined, crunchy red fruit. A delightful wine. 89 points.
2013 Sauvignon Blanc. Pale white gold color. Nose of apricot, mown grass, white peach, white rock. Not much grassiness on the palate in favor of more lychee and peach but razor sharp incisiveness and lovely acidity. Quite stony with a moderately-long, quenching finish. Excellent. 91 points.
2013 Pinot Gris. A bit darker in color than the previous wine. Nose of alpine floral notes and a bit of petrol. Fuller body than the Sauvignon Blanc with peach, apple core, and again some petrol. Moderately long finish. 88 points.
2013 Pinot Noir Crimson. Just released, from younger vines. Ruby hue. Nose of cherry, violets, and earth. Youthfully imploded at the tasting, with Bing cherry and raspberry flavors coming out with swirling. Too young to rate.
2012 Pinot Noir. Medium ruby color. Nose of strawberry, raspberry, stone, violets. Layers of elegant, nicely-defined cranberry and strawberry fruit on the palate stretched over a lighter frame with a bit of astringency and a moderately-long finish of strawberry fruit and stone. Rated 89 points at the tasting but we bought a bottle to try later as described below.
2011 Celebre. We had sampled this bottling at dinner the previous evening and it was again quite tasty. TN below.
We had the chance to sample several additional wines at restaurants and while dining in. As a whole I found the wines we tasted to be quite excellent and will be looking to source more New Zealand wines here at home. Highlights:
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2011 Craggy Range Pinot Noir Single Vineyard Te Muna Road Vineyard - New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough (10/4/2014)
I had been impressed with a bottle of this sampled before our trip, so cracked another. Darker ruby color. Nose of red raspberry, slightly acrid stone, earth, violets. Nice intensity on the palate, showing layers of anise, cinnamon, raspberry, black cherry, and a bit of game. Medium-bodied, quite ample acidity, and structured tannins leading to a longer finish of briar, earth, and red plum fruit. Very excellent and consistent with previous tasting. (91 pts.) -
2012 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir - New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough (10/2/2014)
Popped and poured to pair with roast chicken. Medium ruby color. Nose of anise, red raspberry, cranberry, alpine floral scents. After 2 hours of air the palate showed sharply acidic layers of red raspberry and cranberry laced with iron filings and some stemmy notes, later followed by late-appearing mushroom and briar elements. Strong tannins and satin texture leading to a long finish of crunchy red fruit accompanied by grip and earth. An excellent 2012 which can only improve with extended bottle age. (91 pts.) -
2011 Craggy Range Sophia - New Zealand, North Island, Hawkes Bay, Gimblett Gravels (9/29/2014)
Having just experienced the otherworldly vistas of the hike up to Soda Springs on the Tongariro alpine trail we pan-fried some NZ-bred steaks with mushrooms and paired them with this Bordeaux blend acquired at the winery a few days before. Dark purple hue. Nose of perfumed floral notes, cassis, blackberry, licorice, currant. Buoyant blackberry and black currant fruit on the palate laced with cinnamon and juicy red plum. Moderate acidity and strongly-wired tannins submerged by primary fruit. Long finish of ringing red and black plum fruit anchored in stone and earth. Delicious in its infancy and likely to age well. (92 pts.) -
2010 Craggy Range Pinot Noir Single Vineyard Te Muna Road Vineyard - New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough (9/29/2014)
Popped and poured. Darker ruby. Nose of anise, forest floor, raspberry, floral notes. Layers of black raspberry, cherry, and dark plum on the palate laced with a streak of mushroom and game sustained all the way through to the finish. Very good acidity and serious tannins. Long finish of brambles, dark fruit, and earth. Bigger wine than the 2011. Impressive bottling which already exhibits some degree of complexity, caught quite young. (91 pts.) -
2009 Cambridge Road Pinot Noir - New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough (9/28/2014)
Purchased off the wine list at Cool Change, Martinborough. Darker ruby hue. Nose of intense floral notes, both ethereal and dense, plus scents of red raspberry, white stone, and earth. Pure layers of intense bing cherry, red raspberry, and cranberry fruit on the palate with iron and mineral as well. Oak notes and mushroom flavors were well-integrated. Lovely acidity and wide-grained, smoothed tannins lead to a long finish of red raspberry and iodine supported by stone. Excellent! (92 pts.) -
2011 Ata Rangi Célèbre - New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough (9/27/2014)
Sampled at Pinocchio, Martinborough and paired with lamb. Dark garnet hue. Nose of dense earth, briar, cassis, and late-appearing scents of red currant and menthol. Initial hit of currant, plum, and blackberry on the satin-textured palate joined by notes of brambles and garrigue. Moderate acidity and strong but tamed tannins leading to a lovely finish of red and black fruit gripped by earthy tones. Interesting mix of Merlot, Syrah, and Cabernet Sauvignon but it all works very well. (92 pts.) -
2011 Escarpment Pinot Noir - New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough (9/25/2014)
Popped and poured at 3 Doors Up, Ahuriri. Very dark ruby color. Nose of blueberry, plum, lilac, earth. Tensile, pure layers of black raspberry, blueberry, anise, and cinnamon on the palate with plenty of mineral and iron underpinning. Quite acidic with strong tannins buried by fruit on a moderate frame. Very nice grip and earthy sweet red fruit on the long finish. Quite a distinctive, delicious wine from Martinborough. (91 pts.) -
2010 Pyramid Valley Pinot Noir Growers Collection Cowley Family Vineyard - New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough (9/23/2014)
Purchased off the wine list at Cibo to accompany local fish called whitebait. Medium ruby hue. Nose of violets, anise, cherry pits, ferric stone. Flavors of bing cherry, red raspberry, and a bit of strawberry fruit on the palate starting off quietly but building in persistence throughout the evening to become quite layered and elegant. Silky texture, refreshing acidity, and smoothed tannins leading to a long, nuanced finish of red fruit and stone. Last sips showed nice grip. Stylish wine with a great deal to offer with additional bottle age. (91 pts.)
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