A brilliant Kiwi sparkling wine from Huia

I recently wrote up the 2004 Huia Blanc de Blancs. Very favourably.

The 2005 is the current vintage, and the good news is that this is also exceptional.

Huia Blanc de Blancs 2005 Marlborough, New Zealand
12.5% alcohol. The base wine is aged in French oak. Very attractive rich toasty nose with a sweet creamy edge. The palate [...]

A Malbec from New Zealand that I really like

A lovely, fresh expression of Malbec from a country not normally associated with it: New Zealand. And at a penny under a tenner, this is cracking value for money.

M&S Nelson Malbec, Seifried Estate 2011 Nelson, New Zealand
14.5% alcohol. Unoaked, this is a vivid red/purple colour. Highly aromatic with joyful, fresh aromas of damson and raspberry. The [...]

The remarkable F series wines from Framingham

I recently had the chance to try a series of utterly remarkable New Zealand wines.

They’re from Framingham in Marlborough, a producer whose points of difference are that they are experts in Riesling, and also in sweet wines.

As a set of wines, these were quite stunning. The Pinot Noir is one of New Zealand’s best, and I’d [...]

A really good Kiwi fizz: Huia Blanc de Blancs 2004

New World sparkling wine isn’t my happiest hunting ground. But this is really good: full flavoured, complex, intense. I can’t find any UK stockists, but I reckon it will come in about the same price as Pelorus, the sparkling wine from Cloudy Bay.

Huia Blanc de Blancs 2004 Marlborough, New Zealand
A sparkling Chardonnay with the base [...]

The Ned Sauvignon Blanc 2011

I’ve really liked a lot of the 2011 Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs that I’ve tried. And here’s another good one. It’s from Brent Maris’ new venture in the Waihopai subdistrict of Marlborough, where the other big player is Ara.

The Ned Sauvignon Blanc 2011 Waihopai River, Marlborough, New Zealand
12% alcohol. Nice intensity here: bracing, fresh and lively [...]

A seductive New Zealand Red: Kaituna Hills Cabernet Merlot 2010

I’m enjoying this wine. It’s superbly polished and sleek, with a seductive personality, fusing lush, ripe ‘New World’ fruit with the freshness and definition of the ‘Old World’. It’s not the most complex wine ever, but it is incredibly drinkable. It’s the ideal wine for serving to a broad spectrum of drinkers. There’s enough interest [...]

Mountford Estate Chardonnay 2008, one of the highlights of today's NZ tasting

Spent a few hours at the New Zealand Wine Growers tasting today in London. It was great to see so many winemakers and punters there, but it did make it very hard to concentrate on tasting.

One of my highlights – and there were a few – was this Chardonnay from Mountford Estate in Waipara. They [...]

Greywacke Pinot Noir

Very impressed with this. Kevin Judd is well known for his Sauvignons, but this Pinot Noir is one of a growing band of serious expressions of this grape from New Zealand’s Marlborough region. It’s a region capable of making great Pinot, but it’s often overlooked, which is a shame.

Greywacke Pinot Noir 2010 Marlborough, New Zealand
I [...]

Syrah and Pinot Noir, and why I love them

Two wines tonight, shared with friends, which really worked.

The first, a northern Rhone Syrah from the Cornas appellation, but bottled as Vin de Pays. It’s the Les Collines de Laure Syrah 2010 from Jean-Luc Colombo who I met last week. I bought a case of this (direct from Hatch Mansfield because retailers haven’t yet switched [...]

Video: Brancott Estate, Marlborough, New Zealand

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