Friends from Wellington visit Central Otago - Dinner with friends and R.W.
Wanaka Wedge House, Queensberry, Central Otago, New Zealand
Tasted Wednesday, August 20, 2025 by Marc with 50 views
Introduction
with John and Chris, Nick and Jo, Justine and Marc
Salmon and bulgar tartare with preserved lemon - olive salsa
Aroz negra
Duck confit with cherry mustard and celeriac slaw
Vension fillet with pomegranate labne, blackberries, and peanut brittle
Cold rhubarb soup with ginger icecream
2017 Arnot-Roberts Old Vine White Heinstein Vineyard 94 Points
USA, California, Sonoma County, Sonoma Valley
Predictably fabulous, and the winemaker at the table certainly had his head turned, wanting to do something similar in Central Otago! N outstanding wine that simply presents as a beautifully proportioned wi e with impeccable fruit quality and a refinement that is uncommon. Totally dry (and perhaps slightly drying) with a refined acid nance and long finish. Certain,y Alsatian in personality.
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2017 Caroline Morey Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru Les Chaumées 93 Points
France, Burgundy, Côte de Beaune, Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru
Really refined and balanced Cassagne. Superb palate density and the broad acid balance was impressive. Mealy, mineral , with superb elevage.Drunk with a Arroz Negra recipe from Estela Restaurant, this was not a brilliant match, but it stood up to the dens,y flavoured dish very well.
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2022 Pisoni Pinot Noir Estate 88 Points
USA, California, Central Coast, Santa Lucia Highlands
Warm and rich. Varietal and refined. Very new world. A fine match with the duck confit with mustard sauce. It is beautifully constructed, but for my tastes, veers a little too far towards the opulent, very ripe style of new world Pinot. Trying some of the 2021 individual vineyard Pinots of Rippon directly next to this certainly strengthen my preference for Pinots made in slightly mrte marginal areas. This is really good and will be interesting to see how it develops over the next decade - it is fine winemaking.
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1995 M. Chapoutier Ermitage Le Pavillon 96 Points
France, Rhône, Northern Rhône, Hermitage
Sailing through the age of thirty is full flight. While at full maturity, this wine has a firm structure, classic, feral blackberry fruit, tertiary, forest floor character , and is a superb expression of both Syrah and its terroir. More my tastes, a far more compelling wine than the 1990, which feels over ripe in comparison. Grand wine. 96+
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2021 Rippon Pinot Noir Tinker's Field 93 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Lake Wanaka
Superb wine with a fabulous, savoury purity of fruit expression, linear tannins, pin point accuracy, and refined whole bunch character. This is clearly one of the great Pinots of Central Otago. More intense and defined that the Pisoni 22 drunk earlier in the evening. Needs time to show further development and develop more tertiary character. Excellent.
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2021 Rippon Pinot Noir Emma's block 91 Points
New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Lake Wanaka
Tasted after the ‘22 Tinker’s, this came across as Les focused, but more forthcoming. Whereas the Tinker’s Field displayed intense focus and firm tannic grip, the tannins on this wine were softer and more powdery. Also a sure bet to improve, this wine just shoes a different vineyard character.
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