UK WineclubNew Zealand
| North Island | ||||
| Wine | Tasted | Source | Notes | Mark |
| Babich Winemaker's Reserve Syrah 2002 (Gimlett Gravels Hawkes Bay) 13% | CLWS 6.5.09 | NZ House of Wine £9.20 | Dark red. Black fruit nose. With ahint of mould? Cooked fruit, quite acidic: finish is rather short and hot | 4 |
| Craggy Range Te Kahu 2004 14% | IWD 19.1.08 | Handford £17 | CS/Merlot from Gimlet Gravels vineyard. Dark red with blackcurrant nose. Good balance of fruit and tannin: good length, but little development yet | 5+ |
| Esk Valley 2003 (Hawkes Bay) 13% | CLWS 20.6.07 | Flagship Wines £13 | Owned by Villa Maria. Very much a stalky NZ red – thin and hard on palate. | 4 |
| Kumeu River Village Pinot Noir 2006 (Auckland) 13% | CLWS 13.08.08 | Berry Bros £11 | Moderate colour. Warm raspberry nose. Cooked fruit, enough acidity: not much length or depth. | 4 |
| Lindauer Rose NV 12% | CLWS 18.06.08 | Majestic £8.99 | Very pale pink, moderate mousse. No nose or fruit character. Very dilute and acidic with no grape character or finish | 2 |
| Lone Range Gimblett Gravels Red 2005 (Hawkes Bay) 13.5% | CLWS 18.06.08 | Marks & Spencer £10 | Bordeaux blend. Quite a deep colour, with a purple edge. Black fruit on nose. Young, tannic palate with some fruit under, but lacks complexity and finish | 4+ |
| Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir 2006 (Martinborough) 13.9% | CLWS 6.5.09 | NZ House of Wine £24 | Quite dense colour, some browning to rim. Nose rather dumb. Rather baked and bitter on palate and still hard - good length | 5- |
| Martinborough Vineyard Riesling 2006 (Martinborough) 12.5% | CLWS 6.5.09 | NZ House of Wine £13 | Fairly late-picked. Very pale green. Nose has full Riesling character. Palate is off-dry, with mouthfilling fruit and acidity, with lime and spice on long finish. | 5+ |
| Montana Merlot/Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 (East Coast) 12.5% | CLWS 20.6.07 | Waitrose £6 | Unripe, acidic, some finish. Probably won’t improve | 4+ |
| Oyster Bay Merlot 2005 (Hawkes Bay) 13% | CLWS 20.6.07 | Majestic £8 | Bland, commercial, rather green. | 4 |
| Palliser Estate Pinot Noir 2005 (Martinborough) 14% | CLWS 8.4.09 | Helen Verdcourt £14 | Modest colour. Hot, rubbery nose. Ripe palate with balancing acidity, length and some interesting development. Needs 5 years | 5- |
| Paritua Dinah Noble Semillon 2006 (Hawkes Bay) | LIWF 22.05.08 | Pale gold. Spicy, lanolin nose. Intensely sweet, with a good varietal character and some development, but possibly lacking acidity | 5 | |
| Southbank Pinot Grigio 2006 (Hawkes Bay) 13% | IWD 21.7.07 | Majestic £6 | Good weight of fruit | 4+ |
| Southbank Syrah 2005 (Hawkes Bay) 12.5% | IWD 19.07.08 | Majestic £14 | Good colour but little nose. Restrained, European style - well balanced and some length | 5 |
| Stonecroft Syrah 2001 (Gimlett Gravels Hawkes Bay) 13.5% | CLWS 6.5.09 | Lea & Sandeman £14 | Good colour with a broad pale fringe. Mature black fruit nose with some violets. Very good balance, complex, long and maturing. | 6 |
| Te Mata Estates Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2000 (Awatea Hawkes Bay) 13% | CLWS 6.5.09 | Black red. Little nose. Subtle fruit with balanced structure: perhaps rather green on end. | 4+ | |
| Te Mata Estates Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot 2006 (Awatea Hawkes Bay) 13.5% | CLWS 6.5.09 | NZ House of Wine £16.35 | Young red colour. Blackcurrant nose. Good fruit, fine tannins and high acidity: moderate length, herbaceous finish | 5+ |
| Trinity Hall Syrah 2004 (Hawkes Bay) 13.5% | CLWS 20.6.07 | Harvey Nichols £15 | Green shiraz nose, some fruit, huge acidity. Unpleasant. | 4 |
| Unison Syrah 2006 (Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay) 13% | CLWS 18.06.08 | Wine Society £19 | Good red with little fringing. Floral nose. Good weight of fruit and acidic structure. Quite long, but undeveloped finish. | 5 |
| Villa Maria Cellar Selection 2002 (Hawkes Bay) 14% | CLWS 28.2.07 | Highbury Vintners £11 | Merlot + CS. Deep red with some maturity. Little nose. Ripe plum fruit with loads of acidity and some tannin: astringent, leafy finish | 4+ |
| Waimea Pinot Gris 2006 (Nelson) 13% | CLWS 20.6.07 | Majestic £8.99 | Warm country wine, off-dry, no PG character. | 4 |
| Waimea Pinot Gris 2007 (Nelson) 14.5% | IWD 18.7.09 | Majestic £9 | Quite yellow. Not much nose. Off dry, some fruit and oil but unimpressive | 4+ |
| South Island | ||||
| Wine | Tasted | Source | Notes | Mark |
| Blenheim Point Sauvignon Blanc 2005 (Marlborough) | Jas 19.10.07 | Jascots £8.95 | Pale colour. Restrained, almost Loire nose. Bell pepper on palate: not much length or development | 5- |
| Boreham Wood Pinot Gris 2008 (Awatere, Marlborough) 13.5% | CLWS 24.6.09 | Flagship Wines £10 | Palae. Faint aromas of apples and smoke. Off dry, pretty neutral and forgettable | 3 |
| Boreham Wood Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (Awatere Marlborough) 13.5% | ONS 7.5.09 | Flagship Wines £10 | Yellow colour. Rich, strong, gooseberry nose. Good fruit, soft acidity, some finish | 4 |
| Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2005 (Marlborough) 14.5% | CLWS 18.06.08 | Majestic £20 | Pale gold. Lots of new oak - oil and vanilla. Oak dominates palate, some sherbert lemon acidity: show reserve style, overblown | 4+ |
| Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2006 13.5% | CLWS 20.6.07 | Philglas & Swiggot £18 Waitrose £16 (briefly) | Has 10% Semillon. Very grassy nose. Palate is slightly soapy, but good length. Probably too young | 4+ |
| Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2007 13.5% | IWD 18.05.08 | about 16-18 | Pale colour. Intense gooseberry nose. Intense fruit and acidity: good length but little devlopment | 5 |
| Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2008 13.5% | CLWS 7.1.09 | about 16-18 | Very pale. Strong gooseberry nose. Good fruit, lots of acidity and some length. | 5- |
| Coney Pizzicato Pinot Noir 2003 (Martinborough) 14.5% | HASS 6.8.09 | Majestic £12 | Solid red. Some prune fruit on nose. Cooked fruit, acidity and tannins not yet in balance: fair length | 5+ |
| Coney Pizzicato Pinot Noir 2005 (Martinborough) 14% | CLWS 20.6.07 | Majestic £15 | Slightly petillant. Raspberry fruit. Very young unbalanced palate, but serious long finish. Needs a year or two. | 5 |
| Craggy Range Pinot Noir 2004 (Martinborough) 14% | CLWS 22.11.06 | Wine Society Exhibition Range £15 | Dull colour. Not much nose. Over-ripe fruit and high acidity give a rather sweet and sour palate. Not much length or development - rather hot and hollow on end | 4 |
| Drylands Sauvignon Blanc 2006 13% | MENSA 12.8.07 | Majestic £9.99 | Pale. Grass and tropical fruits on nose going through to palate. Balancing acidity. Fair length. | 5- |
| Earth's End Pinot Noir 2006 (Central Otago) 13.5% | CLWS 18.06.08 | Marks & Spencer £15 | Goood colour. Raspberry on nose. Palate has ripe fruit with some complexity, but thin and very green in middle. Young vines. | 5? |
| Highfield Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Marlborough) 13% | CLWS 24.10.07 | Tesco Finest £5 | Plae colour. Strong NZ gooseberry and herb nose. Off dry, gooseberry fruit and grapefruit acidity. Not much length or complexity | 4 |
| Lindauer Sparkling Rosé NV 12% | CLWS 20.6.07 | Majestic £7.99 | Pinot noir + chardonnay. Pink. Unchallenging, soft. | 3+ |
| Montana Brut NV 12.5% | IWD 28.3.09 | Majestic £9 | Chardonnay + Pinot Noir. Rather fizzy pale yellow. Not much nose. Dry fruity attack, with yeasty hints on finish | 4+ |
| Montana Sauvignon Blanc 2008 (Marlborough) 12.5% | CLWS 6.5.09 | Waitrose £6 | Pale green. Intense gooseberry nose. Clean, sharp palate with little sublety | 4+ |
| Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Marlborough) 13% | IWD 19.5.07 | Majestic £6.99 | Good quality, with intense goosberry fruit | 4+ |
| Quartz Reef Pinot Noir 2005 (Central Otago) 14% | CLWS 6.5.09 | Majestic £16 | Good density of colour. Ripe red fruit on nose and palate. Balanced with good length and a little development | 6- |
| Quartz Reef Pinot Noir 2006 (Central Otago) 14.5% | IWD 18.7.09 | Majestic £17.50 | Deep red. Some red fruit on nose. Still rather structured, with wood tannins over fruit: good length | 5+ |
| Rippon Gewurztraminer 2006 (Central Otago) 13.4% | CLWS 20.6.07 | Lea & Sandeman £14 | Aromatic nose, slightly green. Off dry, good fruit, but thin in middle and quite short. Too young? | 4 |
| Saint Clair Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Marlborough) 13% | CLWS 28.2.07 | Eagles Wines £9 | Pale green-yellow. Strong gooseberry nose. Ripe fruit and acidity: quite long but undeveloped | 5- |
| Seifried Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2007 (Nelson) 12.5% | CLWS 18.06.08 | Marks & Spencer £7.99 | Very pale green. Complex gooseberry fruit nose. Dry, well balanced palate: resonable length with fruit to end | 5 |
| Stockman's Station Pinot Noir 2003 (Central Otago) 13.5% | IWD 19.7.08 | Tesco £14 | Mature colour and cooked fruit nose, with some vegetal hints. Eich, well balanced, very long and with some development. No rush to drink | 6 |
| Tarras Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc 2006 (Marlborough) | Jas 19.10.07 | Jascots £10 | Merchant wine. Big NZ attack, but finish is slightly hollow | 5 |
| Te Mania Pinot Noir Reserve 2005 (Nelson) | Jas 19.10.07 | Jascots £16 | Mature colour and nose, Ripe fruit balanced by acidity: some development | 5+ |
| Te Mania Riesling 2005 (Nelson) | Jas 19.10.07 | Jascots £11 | Pale. Riesling flowers and paraffin nose developing in glass. Dry palate, with fruit, oil and acidity in balance: some complexity and length | 5 |
| Tesco's Finest Sauvinon Blanc 2007 (Marlborough) 13% | CLWS 18.06.08 | Tesco £8.52 | Pale green. Lots of bell pepper aromas. Fruity, off-dry, some acidity: not a lot of character | 4- |
| Tesco's Finest Pinot Noir 2006 (Marlborough) | CLWS 18.06.08 | Tesco £9.99 | Pale red. Burnt fruit on nose. Ripe fruit over very green acidity. Lacks character or quality | 2 |
| Villa maria Taylors Pass Pinot Gris 2006 (Marlborough) 12.5% | CLWS 6.5.09 | NZ House of Wine £13 | Late picked - 22g/l sugar. Light colour. Some honey on nose. Modestly sweet and oily on palate, but rather stalky and hot on finish | 4+ |
| Wither Hills Pinot Gris 2007 (Marlborough) 14% | CLWS 6.5.09 | Waitrose £10 | Very pale. A lot of bottle stink: with airing develops some oil. Stalky green palate, with burnt, oily notes. No real finish | 3+ |
| Wither Hills Pinot Noir 2005 14% | IWD 21.7.07 | Waitrose £13 | Reasonable colour. Raspberry leaf nose. Good ripe fruit, balancing structure and length | 5 |