New Chief Winemaker Julian Grounds was an inspired if slightly avant-garde choice after the previous sets of steady hands that had driven Craggy’s reputation for very well mannered, classical wines with no edges, with a strong following amongst those who enjoy the slightly old school luxurious vibe of the Prestige Collection. Julian is clearly mindful of the pedigree and weight of expectation attached to the Prestige range, seeking to make changes slowly rather than a lurch into the unknown, but it’s also clear from the wines that he’s brought a new energy.
Tag: chardonnay
You say Te Mata…
Te Mata has a long-established and rather enviable reputation in New Zealand but appear not to rest upon their laurels nor resist change. The past few years have seen the passing of the torch from long-time senior winemaker Peter Cowley to Phil Brodie – a seamless transition given Phil’s near 30-year tenure making wine at Te Mata…
Pleasures old and new – 2014 Felton Road Bannockburn Chardonnay
As someone who cannot resist adding yet another book to already teetering piles, the creeping fear of needing to live to 500 to read them all is very real. The pleasure then of rereading a favourite book is an infrequent one, but when it occurs it is a very real pleasure indeed.
2018 Matawhero ‘Irwin’ Chardonnay
It has turned out to be a little run on chardonnay at the IWM; this time round a wine from a region where it is the dominant variety. Gisborne can often seem to get the short end of the straw in the NZ wine industry.
Trinity Hill Estate Collection
It seems only reasonable that New Zealand’s top wines should command decent prices – this after all is the way of the world. Perhaps we have just become used to our wines being too modestly priced and we should rejoice in the upwards trend. That the three wines have now sold out shows price was no barrier to their fans – indeed, perhaps it was even an enticement?
Thoughts on Chardonnay
The recent arrival of a couple of high profile 2018 Hawke’s Bay chardonnays piqued my interest and I thought it might be interesting to add a couple of other 2018s from different regions. It turned out to be a mini masterclass in the stylistic debate that has been raging around chardonnay the past few years.
Dog Point : new releases
For a team as experienced as the Dog Pointers (surely some of the most consistently capable of hands) it would take a catastrophic upset for the wines to be anything other than excellent. So when the year’s new releases arrived from the winery there was an initial fleeting thought; “do we actually need to review these or shall we just drink them?”
Church Road Tom
Church Road’s flagship white has had an evolution in style, moving away from the bolder expressions of earlier vintages towards a wine that is more taut, linear and textural.
Mahi : new releases
Mahi’s owner and winemaker Brian Bicknell is a thoughtful producer whose wines may not be the most exuberant but rarely disappoint.
Novum Wines
Novum is the new venture from William Hoare (who sold his interest in Marlborough Fromm Vineyard last year), and his wife, Rachel Jackson-Hoare.
Felton Road Retrospective
Let me begin with a disclaimer. This is indeed a flattering review typed after an enjoyable lunch. Oh dear.But having tasted such a stellar line-up of Felton Road’s latest releases (plus some gems from the cellar), I would have to have had no sense of taste at all or be curmudgeonly in the extreme not…
Kumeu River 2007 New Releases
Kumeu River winery invites wine writers to taste its latest releases each November and the tasting and accompanying lunch is a highly sought after ticket. It is an opportunity not to be missed as I discovered, not just for the chance to taste through one of NZ’s best winery’s offerings but also to enjoy Melba…