Caveat: I generally don't get along with this grape. Yet I found much to enjoy in this wine (so I wonder if those who generally like the grape and its NZ manifestation would enjoy this?): a lovely, pure, slightly mineral aroma. It lacks the over-ripe, tropical aromas and it lacks the harsh, cat's piss aromas, too. Rather it seems like wine for a change (oh dear... are my prejudices showing?
). Good body, good acidity, nothing over the top - in fact I would like to use the word "elegant", that I hardly ever use with this grape (especially from NZ). Good wine. I want to try a bottle at home with dinner, however, as a quick sample in a tasting is never the best way to experience a wine - especially if it is a style that is generally outside of one's comfort zone.Then followed four wines from Pyramid Valley.
Pyramid Valley Hille Vineyard Semillon 2007 from Marlborough had a powerful aroma. It's quite difficult to describe the aroma: the oxymoron of ripe greenness is the closest I can come. It smells like ripe and sugary peas and something sharp and invigorating I have no name for (ooh, this is a classy TN!
). Dry, powerful, crisp, much grip. I like it. Seems like it could use time.Pyramid Valley Calvert Vineyard Pinot Noir 2008 from Central Otago was a nice enough Pinot Noir, very primary, with a bit of that cranberry jam + oak that seems to be stereotype of NZ PN from the tiny sampling we have available here - but at least these aromas are reserved and the Pinosity is foremost. Full bodied, full of sexy fruit, soft tannins but perfectly adequate acidity. 25% sees new oak and of course I would prefer it to be less. But even with my allergy, I did find much to enjoy in this wine.
Pyramid Valley Earth Smoke Pinot Noir 2008 is from Canterbury and also sees 25% new oak like the Calvert. It is also a wine with forward Pinosity, but gladly the cranberry jam + oak formula is less obvious (though I expected from such a name as Earth Smoke that this would be strongly oak-marked). Full bodied, well structured with refreshing tannins and acidity, very primary fruit. Needs time, but I think I like it. Both these Pinots had over 14% abv yet they really didn't taste like it.
Pyramid Valley Hille Late Harvest Semillon 2008 is from Marlborough. Just like the dry Semillon, this has the sharp and invigorating and utterly unique aroma that I still have difficulty describing: peas, maybe. This sees some new oak IIRC, but it doesn't show too badly (I think my opinions on even a slight amount showing are well known....). It has about a 100g/l RS but the overall feeling is that of a refreshing and even moresih wine. Nice.