TASTING BOOKLET. It s blind-tasting time!

Transcription

1 TASTING BOOKLET It s blind-tasting time!

2 x Since 1990, New Zealand Wine Society has helped thousands of New Zealanders go on wine adventures to discover new favourites, all from the comfort of their home. Many have discovered new regions, styles, varieties and producers thanks to us. Uniquely, we have our own multi-awarded and extremely talented team of winemakers as well as strong relationships with some of the biggest names in the business, so we have access to the best quality and best value wines possible. From hundreds of wines made each year, a few stand out as being truly special. Some have pedigree, some win awards, others are new discoveries. All are favourites of the Tasting Panel and customers alike. The best of the best end up here; in your Wine of the Year Finalist case. Enjoy! Our Tasting Panel invites you to experience the finalists JO GEAR Head Winemaker New Zealand Wine Cellars JEREMY MCKENZIE Trophy-winning Winemaker VIC WILLIAMS Cellar Director & Tasting Panel Chairman Being a wine judge for a night is as much fun as it sounds and we hope you love tasting, rating and discussing this year s finalists. Everyone s palate is different so get set for some lively debate - and remember to cleanse your palate with water between each wine. - VIC WILLIAMS

3 Welcome to your 2018 Wine of the Year Finalist experience I m delighted to bring you the 2018 Wine of the Year Finalists. The finalist wines are all in the running to be crowned the 2018 Red and White Wine of the Year; the wines that are undisputed champions when it comes to quality, pedigree and supreme value for money. I m huge on sharing good food and amazing wine with friends and I encourage you to invite your nearest and dearest over for a blind-tasting party. This booklet is designed to help you create a night to remember with notes on each wine in your case and my food-match suggestions. Don t worry - nothing involves head-cheflevel ability, but I promise you a flavour experience you ll love. Your case also includes bottle bags to conceal the labels, score sheets for you to mark each wine, and a guide so you can taste and judge the wines like an expert. Here s what to do: Put a bottle of each wine into the bottle bags provided Pour a couple of centimetres of wine into each glass Apply the professional tasting guidelines printed on the score sheet to see, smell and sip the wine, and write down your impressions as you go Once you ve settled on your scores, uncover the wine labels to reveal your favourite If you d like to compare your impressions with ours, we ve included our notes for you to refer to We d love to see your tasting-party photos - tag us on Instagram with #nzwinesociety, send us a message on Facebook, or enquiries@nzwinesociety.co.nz. The winning wines will be announced in September when you ll find out whether your pick matches ours. Kind regards, Vic Williams Cellar Director and Tasting Panel Chairman

4 How to host a tasting party It s simpler than you d expect to have a blind-tasting party - and loads of fun! Here are some tips to be the host with the most. First invite your friends and family and explain the idea of the evening - to try new wines and pick a favourite without knowing what they are. Then get organised. Every good host provides plenty to eat so we ve included some food-match suggestions for each wine. They can be served as finger food, or as a small-plate dish. Make sure you have plenty of time to prepare everything ahead of time, or delegate a dish to each guest. One Block Wines Waihopai Marlborough Pinot Gris 2017 Region: Waihopai Marlborough Winemaker: Jo Gear Alcohol: 12.5% Cellar to: end 2021 Food: Slices of firm pear smeared with soft blue cheese. The bouquet speaks of firm pear, red-apple skin and chamomile. On the palate it s unquestionably Pinot Gris with pear, ginger and spice characters which are nicely balanced by fresh acidity. With just 6 grammes of residual sugar per litre (technically dry), it s very food friendly. Make sure you have enough glasses. Each person will need two wine glasses - one for whites and one for reds - and a water glass. Chill your white wines - you want them below room temperature, but not too cold as that supresses the wine s aromas and flavours. Set out glasses, the scorecards from your case (if you need more go to nzwinesociety.co.nz/woty to download and print), and pens for everyone, then conceal the bottles in the bags provided. Now the fun begins! Serve each wine with its suggested dish and follow the tasting directions on your scorecard. Remember to cleanse your palate with water after each wine. Enjoy the discussion and company - and make sure your guests can get home safely, or you can accommodate them for the night (that way they can help tidy up in the morning).

5 Cape Campbell Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2018 Region: Blind River, Marlborough Winemaker: The Cape Campbell Winemaking Team Alcohol: 12.8% Cellar to: end 2021 Food: Grilled bacon-wrapped oysters, or skewers of firm goats cheese and olives. Beautifully aromatic, the oyster shell and seabreeze notes speak of the proximity to the wild Marlborough coastline, with lime zest, blackcurrant and fresh green herbs reflecting the cool site. It has excellent weight on the entry with genuine concentration and then a beautiful core of juicy acidity that pulls all that flavour to the finish, filling the mouth long after the wine has gone.

6 Ata Mara Anthem Central Region: Pisa, Central Otago Owners: Janiene Bayliss & David Pratt Alcohol: 12.0% Cellar to: at least 2023 Food: Fresh strawberries tossed in a little balsamic vinegar and icing sugar. Region: Pisa, Central Otago Grower: James Dicey Alcohol: 13.0% Cellar to: 2022 Food: Chicken thigh strips, marinated overnight in buttermilk, drained, tossed in well-spiced flour and shallowfried golden-brown. Serve with homemade mayonnaise for dipping. Central Otago Riesling 2016 Lime zest, honeysuckle and jasmine aromas are supported by flint and wet stone notes in this handpicked, single vineyard wine. Ripe citrus fruit flavours are balanced by a thread of juicy acidity that delivers length and delicacy to the long, off-dry finish. Otago Pinot Gris 2017 It s easy to imagine superripe pears and baked apples on the nose, along with a suggestion of ginger loaf. The palate texture is both exceptional and memorable; integrated acids have ensured a smooth framework for the richness of the fully ripe fruit and contributed to the lingering, fresh-faced finish.

7 Hawkesbridge Marlborough Chardonnay 2017 Region: Wairau Valley, Marlborough Winemaker: The Hawkesbridge team led by Jo Gear Alcohol: 13.5% Cellar to: at least 2022 Food: Firm-fleshed fish hot-smoked in a wok over raw rice and Jasmine tea leaves. This genuinely handcrafted single-vineyard wine has aromas of stone fruit with lovely smoky, toasty notes. There s a warmth to the elegant peach and nectarine flavours and a nutty nuance from carefully selected oak. The palate is creamy with bold texture and good complexity. Coopers Creek Limited Release Hawke s Bay Chardonnay 2017 Region: Hawke s Bay Winemaker: Simon Nunns Alcohol: 13.0% Cellar to: 2020 Food: Mushroom caps stuffed with a mixture of ricotta, grated parmesan and olive oil, grilled. Citrus notes dominate the nose of this approachable wine; look for sweet grapefruit or very ripe lemons. Malolactic fermentation has smoothed out the texture and added weight and richness to the palate, creating a Chardonnay of considerable presence..

8 Bird In Hand Blackbird Adelaide Hills Merlot 2016 Region: Adelaide Hills, South Australia Winemaker: Kym Milne MW Alcohol: 14.0% Cellar to: 2023 Food: Pink-cooked lamb cutlets crumbed with panko and dipped in homemade aioli. Lifted aromas of plums, blackberries, violets and pepper come to the fore with light toasty notes in support. It s silky and plump on the palate with sweet cherry, strawberry and plum fruit flavours and stylishly integrated French oak. The finish is faintly peppery and satisfyingly long. Mansion House Bay By Whitehaven Marlborough Pinot Noir 2016 Awards: 1 Gold Medal Region: Marlborough Winemaker: Sam Smail and Rowan Langdon Alcohol: 13.5% Cellar to: 2021 Food: Aranchini balls made with cooked and cooled mushroom risotto. Think plum, cherries and cinnamon and you ll have an idea of the bouquet. Hints of cedar and smoke sit in the background. It s medium-bodied and velvet-smooth on the palate where red fruit and savoury oak flavours persist on its lengthy finish.

9 Stonyfell Regional Selection Langhorne Creek Malbec 2016 Region: Langhorne Creek, South Australia Winemaker: Nigel Dolan Alcohol: 14.5% Cellar to: 2023 Food: Shredded slowcooked beef cheek, served in small bowls with a cocktail fork. With fresh aromas of plum, spice and dark berry fruits, this sumptuous wine has a palate of spicy wildcherry and rich-berry flavours. It s a soft and eminently generous wine with soft tannins and a lingering finish. Dorrien Estate Vine Vale Road Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 Region: Barossa, South Australia Winemaker: Richard Quodling Alcohol: 13.0% Cellar to: 2025 Food: Baked eggplant, red onion and capsicum with pomegranate seeds, served on toasted baguette slices. Spicy oak sits behind layered aromas of concentrated blackberry and blackcurrant fruit. You ll find the same impressions on the warm, generous palate, where they are given gentle grip by nicely integrated tannins. The overall effect is a full, rounded mouthfeel with a long, lingering finish.

10 Mockingbird Hill Slate Lane Clare Valley Shiraz 2016 Region: Clare Valley, South Australia Winemaker: Matthew Reimann Alcohol: 15% Cellar to: 2025 Food: Well-peppered sirloin steak, cooked rare, sliced thinly and served on angle-sliced Lebanese cucumber with a dab of homemade aioli. Inviting aromas of dark berry and liquorice flow onto the palate where they re joined by coffee and mocha flavours. Firm yet fine, elegant tannins from American and French oak add structure and complexity with long length of flavour on the finish. This is full of cool-climate style. Blood Brother Republic Mclaren Vale Shiraz 2016 Region: McLaren Vale, South Australia Winemaker: Mark Jamieson Alcohol: 14.5% Cellar to: at least 2022 Food: Chunky, well-spiced home-made chicken liver terrine served with thickly sliced sourdough toast. Rich black-fruit aromas mingle with spicy oak on the nose and introduce the upfront blackberry flavour of the palate. Fine, silky tannins coat the palate and deliver excellent length to this wine s intense flavour. A Shiraz of great character.

11 Tell us what you think We d love to see your tasting-party photos - tag us on Instagram with #nzwinesociety, send us a message on Facebook, or enquiries@nzwinesociety.co.nz. And you re always welcome to leave a review on our website.

12 nzwinesociety.co.nz/woty Every wine we offer has received a medal-winning equivalent score from one of our expert Tasting Panel members using New Zealand Wine Show judging criteria. But in the end you re the only judge who counts. If you don t like a wine for any reason whatsoever, we will credit your account. It s that simple. We operate from Level 11, 92 Albert Street, Auckland Central, under Liquor License Number 007/OFF/9063/2015.