Prof Lei - Best Collection of New Zealand

Newmarket, Auckland
Tasted Thursday, February 23, 2023 by evanqian with 124 views

Introduction

Dinner with Prof Lei, I was asked to set a wine list best presenting New Zealand. Here it is. It must miss some great wines, but each one in the list deserve the title of 'the best'.

In my mind, NZ has world class Syrah, Aromatic and sweet wines as well. However, those wines are not easy to find in mainland China. I decided to focus on these 'the best of best' varietals and styles.

Flight 1 - White (2 Notes)

  • 2019 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc Te Koko 92 Points

    New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough

    compare to those 'typical' Marlborough, Te Koko is subtle, elegant and complex, ripe tropical fruits, smooth texture, green herbals and creamy hints, m+ body, long finish with mineral and grass notes.

    BC 95, JS 95, CD 95, NZWR 96, Decanter 98, Falstaff 94

    Ap 5/5, Ar 12/15, Palate 18/20, Overall 5+2/10
    Total 92+/100

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2021 Kumeu River Chardonnay Maté's Vineyard 93 Points

    New Zealand, North Island, Auckland, Kumeu

    peach, nectarine, mild cream and nuts, medium body, obvious oak influence, elegant long finish with some minerals. same as previous vintages, it tastes 'light', maybe just too young to open, not fully developed.

    BC 95, WF 97, MC 5
    Ap 5/5, Ar 12/15, Palate 17/20, Overall 5+4/10
    Total 93+/100

    Post a Comment / 3 people found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 2 - Pinot Noir (2 Notes)

  • 2018 Felton Road Pinot Noir Block 3 95 Points

    New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago

    fragrant, fruity, cherry and raspberry. integrated well but still young, concentrated sweet fruity core, medium body, spice, oak, fresh herbal, creamy and earth, subtle and complex, silky tannins, fresh acidity. gentle and long finish. one of the most wanted pinot noir for NZ wine collectors.

    BC 97, JS 97, WA 94, WS 92, WE 93
    Ap 5/5, Ar 14/15, Palate 17/20, Overall 5+4/10
    Total 95+/100

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2014 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir 94 Points

    New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

    Well mellowed, moderate mushroom, wet earth, wild berries, with a sweet fruity core. Fine grained tannins, mild and long finish, good balance between fruity side and savoury side. Impressive combination of complexity, length and elegance. A classic Martinborough! Just at peak.

    JS 96

    Ap 5/5, Ar 13/15, Palate 18/20, Overall 5+3/10
    Total 94/100

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

Flight 3 - Bordeaux Blend (3 Notes)

  • 2019 Te Mata Estate Coleraine 95 Points

    New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

    59% CS, 37% Me and 4% CF.

    deep dark red/purple, clean and bright. surprisingly smooth and modest, tough it's just a baby. dense dark fruits, some oak, mild spices and tobacco, with a concentrated sweet core, firm but supple tannins, solid acidity, m+/full body, round and fine structure. savoury finish, which is long but quite plain, too young to judge fairly, though it performs very good already, it can be in cellar at least 20 years confidently.

    a super classic NZ red blend, very good on complexity, density and finesse. could be the best vintage of Coleraine, BC 98, CD 97, SK 100

    Ap 5/5, Ar 13/15, Palate 17/20, Overall 5+5/10
    Total 95+/100

    Post a Comment / 1 person found this helpful, do you? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2007 Stonyridge Vineyard Larose 96 Points

    New Zealand, North Island, Auckland, Waiheke Island

    44% CS, 21% Ma, 15% Me, 15% PV & 5% CF

    impenetrable dark red. dense rich flavours, dark fruits, cedar, tobacco, well mellowed, ripe, velvety tannins, still a little grippy. long finish with dark chocolate note. very good on density and concentration.

    it just stepped into peak window, an average vintage but performed excellent tonight.

    Ap 5/5, Ar 13/15, Palate 19/20, Overall 5+4/10
    Total 96/100

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

  • 2014 Church Road Tom 96 Points

    New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

    Impenetrable dark red. tastes still very young, firm and intense flavours. dark fruits, sweet spices, cigar box, some flesh and mineral notes. firm, fine grained tannins, full body, concentrated core with sweetness and strength. it's a monolith of NZ red blend.

    62% Merlot, 38% CS. Alc 15.0% aged 20 months in 74% new French oak barriques. RC 20.0, MC 5.

    Ap 5/5, Ar 13/15, Palate 18/20, Overall 5+5/10
    Total 96+/100

    Post a Comment / Do you find this review helpful? Yes - No / Report Issue

×
×