Bel & Brio, Barangaroo
Tasted Wednesday, October 24, 2018 by chatters with 110 views
An opportunity to see the most recent releases from Church Road
That Marzemino was lovely - I always think of it as a cheap sparkler grape but this was really good.
2014 Church Road Blanc de Noirs Hawke's Bay
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay
A little muted wild strawberry, biscuit & slight yeastiness. In the mouth it's sour and bone dry with a little wild strawberry sprinkled with lemon and some biscuit.
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2017 Church Road Chardonnay Grand Reserve
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay
Lemon butter, slight toasted notes, a little green apple, savoury, slightly meaty, cedar. And so it proves on the palate…lemon, butter, oaky, medium plus length and finishes warm. Worked.
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2014 Church Road Chardonnay Tom Hawke's Bay
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay
extremely toasted and buttery, rich, over citric notes and cheesy lees with a little smoked bacon. Rich, toasty, buttery, almost a little astringent from the oak here with some citrus notes, a little alcohol warmth on the finish. Yeah, with a shelf price of 225 AUD I'd rather have a Giaconda and a Leeuwin Estate...or auction Burgundy...
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2015 Church Road Marzemino McDonald Series Hawke's Bay
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay
Pretty, soft red berry, raspberry, cream, wet clay, very slightly smoky, tightly tannic, very slightly chalky but not over powering, lovely fruit, easy, fresh and lush, supple. Lovely
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2015 Church Road Tempranillo McDonald Series Hawke's Bay
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay
Ripe red berry tending to strawberry backed by blackberry. Cream, vanilla, quite concentrated on the nose. In the mouth it has concentrated dark fruits, plenty of alcohol heat, and oak. It's a little too much for me. Quite roided.
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2016 Church Road Merlot 1
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay
Meaty, plummy, savoury, alcohol heat with time a little tomato sauce, cream, polished oak. Plummy, spicy, rich, alcoholically warm. Tannins close down the palate a bit for me. Meh.
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2016 Church Road Malbec 1
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay
Black plums, meaty, smells dense, closed almost, but also polished with a slight VA note. Savoury plums on the palate and this is surprisingly juicy, tannins are tight and granular but the fruit persists. Pretty good. But not 175 AUD good.
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2016 Church Road Syrah 1
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay
Blackberry, meaty, green peppercorns, peppery, charcuterie, almost stalk ash but not whole bunch. Juicy, fleshy, blackberry, tight, grippy tannins, slightly grainy texture, fruit persists, quite dense, finish with peppery spice and alcohol. I'm guessing time will help but this shows promise. Again for 175 AUD I'm not sure of the value - I'd rather have the Ogier Cote Rotie Village
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2013 Church Road Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Grand Reserve Hawke's Bay
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay
Open and poured from under screwcap. Thoroughly resisted my attempts to get it to show anything on the nose despite aggressive agitation. After about ten minutes, and through it's reductive state, it started to show red currant, baked spice, cedar…On the palate that red fruit note continues but it also feels a little baked. Tannins are tight and grippy. I'm sure a proper decant and a couple of hours of breathing time would help enormously but on this showing it's a 'Nah' for me.
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2014 Church Road Tom
New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay
Rich, dense perfumed plums, cream, a little tomato sauce, cedar and spice underpinned by a little blackcurrant, charcuterie, hot sweet spice and a tiny touch of blueberry. In the mouth it's rich, plush, warm vintage St Emilion style, velvety tannins, plummy fruit, beautifully balanced. Rather lovely.
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