Christmas bottles

OK, a round-up of some of the memorable wines we’ve had this holiday. Pictured above: the Man O’War Chardonnay 2009, with its characteristic matchstick reduction adding some Burgundian-style complexity. This is a superb wine with real interest. And I’m pleased to say I spotted it when served blind!

Totally different, and thoroughly enjoyable. La Morandina Moscato [...]

Video: Brancott Estate, Marlborough, New Zealand

A short film from my visit to the Marlborough wine region this week, including the famous tipping tanks.

Red wines from Marlborough

On my last evening in Blenheim, the buzzing metropolis at the heart of the Marlborough wine region, I dined with Jim Robertson (Pernod Ricard’s wine ambassador) and Jeremy Oliver (one of Australia’s leading wine journos) at Raupo, a relaxed bistro on the riverbank.

The wine list could, in all honesty, do with a bit of work, [...]

'Wines from here will become world famous'

The Brancott Estate earlier today

The title of this blog post – ‘wines from here will be come world famous’ – were the prophetic words uttered by Montana’s Frank Yukich as he put the first vines of the modern era into the ground in Marlborough.

There’s a monument to his achievement at the Brancott Estate. Yukich [...]

Meeting the Prime Minister at the opening of the Brancott Estate Heritage Centre

John Key speaking at the opening of the Brancott Estate Heritage Centre

Last night was fun. It was the official opening of the new Brancott Estate Heritage Centre, which has recently been completed. The centre has been built on a small hill overlooking the historic Brancott Vineyard, where Marlborough’s first Sauvignon Blanc grapes were planted [...]

More Rugby and some very nice Gosset

A big day yesterday. It began with a stroll down to the waterfront for some beers with Nick Stock and Iain Riggs (of Brokenwood in Australia’s Hunter Valley), but this morphed into lunch when Stocky successfully got us a table in a crowded restaurant by slipping a member of staff some $$$. His view is [...]

Some affordable Kiwi wines with friends

I’m just waking up after my first sleep in New Zealand. After arriving at 7 am yesterday from London, I’m very proud that I managed to stay up until midnight, and slept through until this morning. I’ll need my energy: tonight it’s Wales v France, and I suspect a late night coming on.

I spent yesterday [...]

Brancott Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2011

So, after reporting the new release of Cloudy Bay’s Sauvignon Blanc, here’s another Marlborough classic: Brancott Estate.

Until 2010 this was labelled Montana, and as such, it was another wine I grew up with. The 2011 is fabulous – one of the best vintages of this wine that I’ve tried. List price is around £9, but [...]

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2011, the new release

The world’s most famous Sauvignon Blanc has had a few rocky years, but I reckon the 2011 is right back on form. This is a bity expensive compared with its peer group, but it’s really tasty. And it has that fabulous label. So stylish. I grew up with this wine, so it still has a [...]

Sacred Hill Deerstalkers Syrah 2009

Now this is a remarkable New Zealand Syrah, from the famous Gimblett Gravels terroir of Hawkes Bay. It’s a style I like a good deal, and which I predict has a very bright future. As is typical for this blog, I’m not just giving you a tasting note based on a quick slurp and spit, [...]