We started with a white from a region that both winemakers are very excited by, Waitaki Valley. It is a true cool climate in NZ with superb limestone (and some schist) soils. It is a pretty recent wine area so the vines are still young - but that didn't seem to matter!
Ostler Audrey's Pinot Gris 2011 - Otago, Waitaki Valley
This is the PG most Alsace in style I have had outside of Alsace! Spicy and floral aromatics; rich but dry and delightfully acidic. Very pure and fresh and varietally true. Really great PG. Not neutral at all but with all that exotic aroma that one can get in the best Alsace PGs. And it has such great delineation, too!
Black Estate Riesling 2011 - Waipara Valley; label
Absurdly one dimensional aroma of lime. And more lime. And still a bit more lime. Quite soft acidity, perhaps some RS which further softens the palate. Perfectly nice to drink, but I wasn't really excited with this. I want more nervousness in Riesling.
&Co. The Supernatural Sauvignon Blanc 2010 - Hawkes Bay
13,5% abv; a "natural" SB with an awesome label and under a crown cap. I rarely taste enjoyable Sauvignon Blancs (oddly, not even from the Loire), but like the 2009, this 2010 is atypical for the grape - and that must be why I like it. The 2009 had some obvious botrytis; I'm not so sure if the 2010 does, but it does smell sweet and honeyed for this grape and it is uncommonly aromatic in the floral spectrum of aromas. It seems more like Riesling than SB in some respects but it does have an earthy/grassy scent to it, too, which is pretty typical for the grape. This is a dry wine despite some aromatics suggesting a sweet wine, but it is so rich that at first I was going to dismiss this as acid deficient - no matter how interesting the aromas, if the wine doesn't have enough acidity, I can't enjoy the whole. But the peacock's tail finish does contain a hefty dose of acidity. After a few sips my mouth seems to acclimatize to this wine and judging by how fast I drank a couple glasses, I have to say that this is - despite my initial reaction - a very moreish wine. Weird, unusual and ultimately lovely.
Appletree Apple & Elderflower Cider 2011 - Hawkes Bay; label
Clean and pure though not terribly crisp so the Elderflower character is needed. And with that, this is really nice.
Cambridge Road Pinot Noir 2009 - Martinborough; label
Lance has been going toward a more "natural" and less stereotypical style of NZ Pinot in recent years. He now consciously aims for a lighter style rather than the sweet, heavy style so common in the area. He's also aims to tone down the oak influence and has been buying bigger barrels for the upcoming vintages. This 2009 still sees Barrique though only 30% new. Everyone here must know by now how much I detest new oak aromas, but I have to admit that they have been swallowed up pretty well in this wine: it seems to have pure, delightfully crisp, red toned, slightly stemmy pinosity. This is nothing like the dark fruited, cherry cola, chocolate milk Pinots I've usually had from NZ. Nor does it have their annoying cranberry juice harshness. Once the oak calms down a bit more and more aged aromas appear, this will be great. Though the more recent vintages, says Lance, will be even more to my taste since there will be even less oak.
Lance wanted me to post the action figure of him instead of the sober pose
Cambridge Road Syrah 2009 - Martinborough; label
Blue fruit, quite reductive and here the new oak aroma coupled with the reductive character made it difficult for me to enjoy. But once again the good news is that future vintages will have much less oak. Rich, soft entry, the acids lag behind the fruit a bit so it doesn't seem all that harmonious to me. I am sure more air would have done wonders for this wine, but tastings are always a bit tricky because some wines will never see the optimal amount of oxygen exposure.
Cambridge Road "Dovetail" 2010 - Martinborough; label
A field blend in the exact proportions that vines are grown in Lance's vineyard: 71% Pinot Noir and 29% Syrah. This is a "natural" wine and smells like it, too (though it is not at all in the freaky end of the "natural" spectrum). A bit reductive, very sweet and pure berry aromas; really attractive tannins, has the freshness and bite of good green tea. I really liked this.
Ostler Caroline's Pinot Noir 2009 - Waitaki Valley; label
At the end of the tasting we come back to the coolest climate in NZ, but this one actually seemed more stereotypically NZ than the Cambridge Road since it has dark, coca cola fruit, plenty of toasty oak and it almost smells pruney. It does have good acidity and lacks the cranberry harshness, but it is very dense and quite frankly, after the outstanding Pinot Gris, this is a disappointment.
Thanks to Gabrielle and Lance, two obviously hugely talented wine makers, this was one of the most memorable tastings I have taken part in. And it is wonderful how these two wine makers weren't just interested in what goes on in their own vineyards and close neighbours but were knowledgeable and enthusiastic about all regions. Rarely have I learned as much in a single tasting; and rarely have I had as much fun, too!