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Two visits to Waiheke Island (Easter 2019 and New Year's 2020)
Auckland, NZ
Tasted February 5, 2020 by HowardNZ with 424 views
Flight 1 - Easter visits to Thomas's Bach and Batch Winery (4 notes)
Up on a high hill next to Waiheke Island's air strip, the informal Thomas's Bach restaurant is one of the best on the Island.
The associated gravity-fed winery is state of the art but over-engineered for the small volumes of the Batch winery. Therefore, it is used by a number of other Island producers. The top Batch wines are labelled ‘Thomas Legacy’ or, previously ‘Thomas and Sons’ - now being made by winemaker Daniel Struckman are - in my experience - typically workmanlike and reflective of their Waiheke terroir.
Sam Harrop MW - who makes wine overseas and on Waiheke, where he lives - uses the Batch winery to make his NZ wines. His Cedalion wines – Harrop’s top label - are available in the restaurant. In my view, Sam makes some of NZ's best Chardonnays and Syrahs. However, at the time of writing, Sam had lost the excellent source of his Waiheke Chardonnay fruit.
In Easter 2019 I had a couple of lunches at the restaurant and the opportunity to drink and taste:
White
2016 Sam Harrop Chardonnay Cedalion Church Bay
A bottle consumed with an excellent lunch. Pale colour. On the nose, a little flinty reduction and spicy oak, followed by poached pear, lemon, peach and minerals. In the mouth, a smooth, silky entrance followed by brisk acidity on the mid palate. Lemon and lime citrus, pears and touches of pineapple. Discrete vanillin notes on the mid palate. Good volume but balanced by that refreshing, precise acidity. A thread of minerality, finishing moderately long on a saline note. Excellent!
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White
2014 Batch Winery Chardonnay Thomas Legacy
Bottle tasting, small pour. Matchstick reduction, rocky minerals and lemon and lime zest of the bouquet. Mineral and citric in the mouth. Tactile with acceptable volume. Decent length. Not – in my opinion – in the same class as the Cedalion Chardonnay.
Red
2015 Sam Harrop Syrah Cedalion Church Bay
A bottle well matched with an excellent lamb dish. Deep ruby. Attractive aromatics. Spicy, peppery, vanillin oak, blackcurrant, raspberry fragrances with hints of blueberries and violet perfumes. In the mouth, bright, crunchy red and black berry fruit. Lovely acidity. Fine grained tannins. Fine and sleek. Good structure, persistence and length. A top Waiheke Syrah!
Red
2013 Batch Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Thomas Legacy
Bottle tasting, small pour. This is Batch’s top label, in what is presumably their best vintage to date. An even deeper colour than the Cedalion. Inky. A rich bouquet of blackcurrants, high cacao chocolate and cedar. In the mouth, full and unctuous. Some furry tannins on the mid and back palate, yet to integrate. Also, at present, more spicy oak than I would have preferred. Some potential here but I strongly preferred the Cedalion Syrah.
Flight 2 - Easter Visits to Obsidian Vineyard and Man O' War Vineyards (10 notes)
I have a soft spot for the Obsidian Vineyard. They have no restaurant or accommodation, just a winery but with a nice spot for tastings in the courtyard.
Winemaker Michael Wood makes good honest, artisan wines in the coastal hills of the Onetangi Valley, adjacent to the northern coast of the Island. I typically prefer Obsidian’s Bordeaux blends – especially the top label ‘The Obsidian’ - to their Syrahs and other red wines. They also often do a decent Reserve Viognier.
From the decade, Wood rates 2010, 2013, 2014 and 2019 the top Obsidian Syrah vintages.
My favourite part of visiting Waiheke Island is the drive on the 30 kms loop road – much of it gravel – to the far end of the Island and Man O’ War Bay. On the way there you can stop at the Stony Batter Reserve for great views all over the Hauraki Gulf.
At Man O' War Bay, Man O' War Vineyards has a tasting room and restaurant – that does pizzas and nice platters - opposite the sandy beach.
In my opinion the quality of Man O' War wines are improving with typically their Syrahs, rather than their Bordeaux wines, the best wines.
In Waiheke Island terms they are huge, their vineyards are within the 4,500 acre ‘Man O’ War Farm’ (basically a big chunk of the eastern end of the Island).
Before the visit I drank a bottle of 2012 Bellerophon and over a long lunch at the restaurant I tasted four of their better wines.
White
2018 Obsidian Chardonnay Estate
Bottle tasting, small pour. Only old oak used. Pale colour. Pineapple, yellow apple and rock melon nose. A dry and clean mouth. Citric and simple orchard fruit flavours. A nice, fresh entry level Chardonnay.
White
2018 Obsidian Chardonnay Reserve
Bottle tasting, small pour. New French oak 50%, steel tank 50%. Also, pale colour. A less fruit forward bouquet: clotted cream, popcorn, tinned pear and passionfruit. Reduction and spicy oak add complexity. A softer entry to the palate. Weightier and mealier. The oak reasonably aligned. A small step up from the base Chardonnay.
Red
2017 Obsidian Syrah Estate
Bottle tasting, small pour. Only an Estate level wine made due to adverse vintage conditions. I visited Obsidian and Stonyridge in Easter 2017 and witnessed the hail that destroyed about 40% of Obsidian’s total crop. The house made no 2017 Reserve wines. Viognier 2% and 20% new French oak. Very light colour, atypical. A pinot-like nose of red and black cherries with some black pepper. In the mouth, very light, soft and lean with some savouriness. Wood has done well to salvage something here. Drinkable.
Red
2015 Obsidian Vineyard Vitreous
Bottle tasting, small pour. A Bordeaux blend seeing 20% new oak. Perfumes of plums, cherries, spices and a little cassis. In the mouth, a good balance of plummy and blackberry flavours, some earth and the acids. Nice and dry. A decent effort.
White
2014 Obsidian Viognier Reserve
90 points
A bottle drunk later over two evenings. Typically – as here – one of Waiheke Island’s better Viogniers. Pale lemon colour. An interesting bouquet of apricot, ginger, peach, lemon zest, baking spice and almond paste. In the mouth, good Viognier typicity. Wax and some oiliness. Stonefruit, nutty and citric flavours. Lower acid. Lacking some complexity and nuance.
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Red
2012 Man O' War Vineyards Syrah Viognier Bellerophon
92 points
A bottle drunk over two evenings. Viognier 3%. Under screwcap. Classy, Northern Rhone-like Syrah Viognier. A bouquet of black pepper and dark spices, blackberries, dark cherries and black plums. Some stemmy, herby notes (30% whole cluster) add aromatic complexity. There is also vanillin oak (25% new) yet to integrate and a faint top note of violets. A sweet-seeming entry to the mouth. Sleek and medium bodied. Blackberries, dark cherries, liquorice and high cacao chocolate. Lower but acceptable acidity. Dry across the mid and relatively long back palate. At age seven, developing gradually but nicely.
Red
2016 Man O' War Vineyards Syrah Dreadnought
Bottle tasting, small pour. Deep colour. A bouquet of blackcurrants and blackberries, liquorice and milk – not dark – chocolate. More savoury than the 2012 Bellerophon – which I preferred - on entry and across the palate. The black fruit is quite ripe and rich but there is earth and dry, savoury elements to offset. Decent acidity, volume and length.
White
2017 Man O' War Vineyards Chardonnay Valhalla
Bottle tasting, small pour. New French oak 38%. A bouquet heavy in reduction and oak with pears, clotted cream and some minerals. On palate, too much creamy, vanillin oak for my palate. Also, seemingly, insufficient acidity. Not for me.
Red
2016 Man O' War Vineyards Syrah Viognier Bellerophon
Bottle tasting, small pour. Again 3% Viognier. A finer more floral nose than for the Dreadnought. Also, lighter on its feet, and crisper on palate. More red fruited – with some raspberries – mixed with the black fruit and the impression of white pepper. Preferred over the 2016 Dreadnought.
Red
2014 Man O' War Vineyards Ironclad
Bottle tasting, small pour. A Bordeaux blend, thirds of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, with the balance Petit Verdot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec. New oak 35-40% new oak. A smoky, bacon fat bouquet with red and black currants. In the mouth, quite refined with fine grained tannins. Tannins quite integrated. A nice line of acidity. Longer than the Bellerophon. An attractive wine that really though, I suspect, needs 4-5 more years to be at its best.
Flight 3 - Dinner at the Courtyard Café, Oneroa with Simon and Peter (4 notes)
The Courtyard Café in Oneroa is a favourite haunt of Simon’s. I was impressed by the quality of the cuisine and the wine knowledge of the staff there. Due to Simon’s connections, we were able to BYO with dinner:
White - Sparkling
N.V. Ulysse Collin Champagne Blanc de Noirs Extra Brut Les Maillons
92 points
Served blind by Simon. An attractive Blanc de Noirs, I thought. Fairly deep gold. Fine bead. A bouquet of raspberries, red cherries, citrus, autumn leaves and some dried herbs. Fine, savoury and fresh on palate. Reasonably racy acidity. Good precision and focus. Raspberries, earth, grapefruit, dry brushwood and some strawberries. Some development – and appropriate oxidation – evident (disgorged 05/03/2012): caramel and brioche.
White
2014 Domaine du Tunnel (Stéphane Robert) St. Péray Pur Blanc
94 points
A favourite wine of mine I served double blind. Light gold. Cinnamon and other baking spices, honey comb, lemon and mandarin and meadow flower perfumes. A lovely bouquet. On palate, this wine is all about mouth-feel: waxy, viscous and silky, altogether. Weighty, structured and powerful. “Savoury and floral at the same time”, said Simon. Honeyed with peaches, blanched almonds, oranges, dried herbs and melon. Excellent!
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White
2014 Domaine de Montille Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru Le Cailleret
94 points
Served by me double blind. “Grand Cru Chablis-like, particularly on the nose”, said Simon. Pale colour. Spices, limes and lemons, nectarines and pears, with wet river boulder in the background. On palate, classic Puligny-Montrachet, threatening Grand Cru quality. Limes, lemons, pears and chalky minerals. Excellent persistence, power and precision. Focused and linear. Serious fruit weight and volume. A little closed, it’ll be better with another 3-4 years.
Red
1999 Domaine Robert Groffier Chambertin-Clos de Bèze
97 points
Served by me double blind. Dark ruby with a touch of ochre. An ethereal and beautiful bouquet of black plums, raspberries, mixed spices, dark cherries, earth and dried herbs. The fruit aromas a mixture of ripe, opulent fresh fruit and some preserved and dry fruit. With time in the glass vibrant rose and dark floral perfumes emerged. Simon described the bouquet as “transcending savoury, yet primary”. On palate, he said it was “one of the most supple, plush and silky Burgundies … with almost a New World edge”. The ripe fruit and polish of this wine is reminiscent of the New World but – for me - the structure, complexity and detail is all excellent Grand Cru Burgundy. Very complete. One of my wines of the year. Still fairly young-seeming, I expect it to drink in this phase for 10+ years.
Flight 4 - Lunch at Stonyridge and Visit to Te Motu (8 notes)
Stonyridge Vineyard is one of the three original vineyards of the modern era on the Island. Arguably, it is also NZ’s best producer of Bordeaux blends (probably competing only with Te Mata Estate of the Hawke’s Bay). It’s 1987 Larose – only the third vintage - is a benchmark NZ wine and was still drinking very well in 2014 when I last tried it.
The restaurant is fine dining and one of the best – and most expensive – on the Island.
Next door to Stonyridge Vineyard, the Dunleavy family’s Te Motu winery is – in my view – the Island’s second-best producer of Bordeaux variety wines. The first vines were planted in 1989 and the top label – Te Motu – has been produced since 1993. Lesser, or younger vine, wines are labelled ‘Dunleavy’.
Te Motu has an excellent restaurant and cellar door service.
Over a long lunch at Stonyridge we drank bottles of:
Red
2017 Stonyridge Vineyard Luna Negra Hillside Malbec
90 points
2017 was a very difficult year with hail events just after harvest. From low yielding Malbec vines planted in the 1990s. New oak 50%. Primary colour, purple rimmed. A bouquet of blackcurrants, blueberries, cinnamon and other spices, cassis, dried and freshly cut herbs and earth. Some creamy oak, yet to integrate. On palate, blackberries, black currants and dark cherries. Also, some rocky minerals. Silky smooth. Oak – and alcohol (13.4% ABV) not over-prominent. Lighter bodied. Ripe, sweet-seeming tannins, quite fine grained. A youthful, seamless wine, though lacking complexity. Give it 5+ years.
Red
2011 Stonyridge Vineyard Larose
92 points
A moderate vintage at Stonyridge of the top wine. 11,500 bottles made. Six grape varieties: 33% Cabernet Sauvignon, 25% Petit Verdot, 20% Merlot, 15% Malbec, 6% Cabernet Franc and 1% Carmenere. Deep, dark colour. Attractive bouquet of cedar, blackcurrants, spices and blackberries with some new leather and tobacco leaf. Showing some savoury secondary development on palate and more detail than the Luna Negra. Black fruited with cassis, earth, mocha and some dry garrigue and herbs. Drink from now but ideally hold until 2023-24.
Rosé
2018 Dunleavy The Shed
Bottle tasting, small pour. A Rosé. Foot pressed with only three hours skin contact. Rusty colour. Dry and crisp. Refreshing and earthy. Enjoyable.
Red
2018 Dunleavy The Strip
Bottle tasting, small pour. A Cabernet Merlot blend. A 60/40 blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Purple ruby. A nose of blackberries, smoky meat and raspberries. A light and refreshing mouth of cherries, blackberries and bramble. A nice entry level wine.
Red
2009 Te Motu
Bottle tasting, small pour. 2009 was a lesser vintage than 2010 or 2013 or even 2014, but a tasting of the top wine from 2009 to give the taster an idea of the evolution of these wines. Vines planted in 1989 … Browning garnet colour. A secondary earthy, mushroomy bouquet of dried fruit, old leather and tobacco. On palate, leaner, savoury, leathery and earthy. Some fresh and preserved black fruit. Not very complex. Enjoyable, to drink between 2020 and 2030.
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Red
2013 Te Motu
Bottle tasting, small pour. Arguably the best Te Motu wine of the decade. Cabernet Sauvignon 60%, Merlot 30% and Cabernet Franc 10%. Purplish deep red. A primary, fruit forward bouquet of blackberries, raspberries, blackcurrants and some plums. In the mouth, very young and tannic. A huge volume of ripe, rich red and black fruit. Hold for 5-10+ years. Great potential here.
Red
2014 Te Motu Kokoro
Bottle tasting, small pour. Priced similarly to the Te Motu. A more approachable Merlot dominant blend: Merlot 50%, 35% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Malbec and 5% Syrah. Lovely bright ruby. Vibrant, attractive bouquet of red plums, raspberries, spices and florals leaps out of the glass. Much more fruit forward and succulent on palate. Plummy and red fruited with some chocolate and herbs. Very drinkable now but would cellar 10+ years.
Rosé - Sweet/Dessert
2018 Dunleavy The Nectar
Bottle tasting, small pour. A sweet dessert wine. Raspberries, quince paste and strawberries. Sweetly honeyed and very rich.
Flight 5 - Lunch at Restaurant Le Côté de la Colline, Peacock Sky and Visit to Passage Rock (8 notes)
This was my first visit to Peacock Sky, the winery and restaurant at the top of the highest peak on the Island, amongst the native bush. Peacock Sky produces pleasant wines but their focus seemed to be more on their very good restaurant operation.
For me, Passage Rock is another ‘must visit’ Waiheke Island winery. They say they have won more wine awards than any other Waiheke winery. They are one of the Island’s top Syrah producers, in my view, but I find their Bordeaux blends less compelling than those Syrahs. They also typically produce one of the better Viogniers on the Island.
With excellent lunches – including a great vegan option – at Peacock Sky we drank:
Red
2013 Peacock Sky Le Côté de la Colline
A top wine in the Peacock Sky range from an excellent year. Cabernet Sauvignon 63%, Cabernet Franc 26%, Malbec 11%. A classical ‘cooler’ year Cabernet Sauvignon bouquet of herbs, crème de cassis, blackberries, minerals and a touch of cedar. In the mouth, quite lean and light, a bit austere. Accompanied my excellent pasta dish well. Cedary with fine blackberry and black cherry. A little bell pepper. Refined tannins, refreshing acidity. A decent lunch wine.
Red
2013 Peacock Sky Merlot Malbec
The other top wine in the range. Merlot 84%, Malbec 16%. Darker, purple at rim. A cooler vintage Left Bank Bordeaux bouquet of blackcurrants and blackberries, wet underbrush and pencil shavings. Leaner and mineral in the mouth. More prominent tannins than with the de la Colline. Black fruited with some fresh herbs and new leather. Blind, I would have guessed this wine was Cabernet predominant. Preferred over the de la Colline.
White
2017 Passage Rock Chardonnay Reserve
Bottle tasting, small pour. New oak 30%. Some richness on bouquet: peaches, pears and mandarin juice. Some matchstick sulphur and oak complexity. Leaner, cleaner and more mineral than expected on palate, from the nose. Yellow apples, pears, grapefruits and some flinty minerality. A touch of vanillin oak. Lower, but acceptable acidity. An enjoyable but not hugely complex Chardonnay.
White
2018 Passage Rock Viognier Reserve
Bottle tasting, small pour. I preferred the Viognier and preferred this one over Obsidian’s. An attractive bouquet of jasmine and other white flowers, limes and lemons, cinnamon and other spices. In the mouth, viscous and oily. Pears, citrus, apricot kernel and spices. A good Viognier!
Red
2013 Passage Rock Syrah Waiheke Island Reserve
Bottle tasting, small pour. A bouquet of blackberries, dark plums and other black fruit, minerals and black liquorice with a quite powerful – oak derived – milk chocolate overlay (100% new oak, apparently). The oak better integrated on palate. Quite a classy Syrah actually. Blackberries and cherries, liquorice, cloves and graphite. Silky with refined tannins and good volume and structure. Preferred over the 2014. Give it 3-5+ years.
Red
2014 Passage Rock Syrah Waiheke Island Reserve
Bottle tasting, small pour. The product of slightly cooler vintage. On both the nose and the palate the black fruit more blackcurrants than black plums. More black pepper, spices and dried herbs, with apparently a greater volume of fruit sweetness at the core. A touch lighter bodied. I’d drink the 2014 a year or two earlier than the 2013.
Red
2013 Passage Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Reserve
Bottle tasting, small pour. Cabernet 87%, Merlot 10% and Malbec 3%. An attractive cooler New World-style Bordeaux blend. A peppery bouquet of blackberries and other dark fruit, crème de cassis, new leather and earth. In the mouth, attractively leaner with a good freshness and acidity (due to the site’s proneness to diurnal shift).
Red
2017 Passage Rock Magnus
Bottle tasting, small pour. One of Passage Rock’s top cuvées. Cabernet, Merlot and Syrah. Again, very dark fruited. A richer, fuller, riper-seeming expression. My wine of the tasting.
Flight 6 - Dinner at Simon and Tamra's place (4 notes)
White
2015 Domaine Roulot Meursault Les Luchets
92 points
Pale colour. Spicy and perfumed with white florals. A rich and full seeming bouquet. On palate, a lovely Meursault but – reflecting the vintage – ripe and rich, lacking some intensity and acidity. Pears, peaches and other orchard – and a little exotic – fruit, with a little citrus. Simon noted the “nice generosity” while Tamra said that the “phenolic edge replaces the acidity”. There is a touch of apricot kernel bitterness on the finish. Overall, a good, open Meurault, to drink sooner, rather than later, I would think.
White
2018 Kelly Washington Pinot Blanc
Tamra served her wine blind, which I picked as a Chardonnay. Pinot blanc from 25 year old vines. A nose of flinty reduction, pear, citrus and almonds. River boulder and other minerals in the mouth with citric and stone fruit. Tight fine acidity. Some flavour complexity. Sleek and satiny. An interesting wine.
White
2018 Sam Harrop Fiano Bridge Pa
89 points
Tamra also served this wine blind. Gravelly, chalky and saline minerality, pineapple and gooseberry with dashes of Meyer lemon and grapefruit. Also, some creamy oak. A chunky, interesting, tactile texture. Nectarine, grapefruit and straw, some minerals. 13.5% ABV. Dry finish. [Another bottle consumed later on the trip].
Red
2014 Passage Rock Syrah Waiheke Island Reserve
89 points
Similar notes of milk chocolate, black cherries and other dark fruit on nose and mouth. “Plush, ripe and generous but with good acidity”, said Tamra.
Flight 7 - Easter visit to Jurassic Ridge Vineyard (6 notes)
Lance Blumhardt’s Jurassic Ridge Vineyard may be only a couple of hundred metres away from the ultra-commercial, tourist packed mega-wineries in Church Bay, but it is really a world apart. He walks a different path …
Lance operates naturally and organically – but is not certified or biodynamic – and he favours long maturations of his wines in plastic or terracotta, never in oak. For his reds, his current releases should be 2010. However, he bowed to customer demands for 2013 wines and – against his better instincts – now offers a 2013 Montepulciano. Otherwise his current release of premium reds is 2010.
Tourist buses are not permitted to visit and you may need to phone or text ahead to make an appointment.
Most Waiheke Island winemakers will say that 2013 is their best ever vintage. Lance disagrees, rating the best as 2010 – then, in this order - 2008, 2005, 2009, 2007 and 2013.
Lance has 10 ha on Waiheke and 8 ha in Waihopai Valley, Marlborough, where he often heavily declassifies. On the Island, Lance planted his vines 17 years ago. Syrah is his largest planting (Hermitage and Chave clones).
Rosé
2016 Jurassic Ridge Pinot Grigio Blush
Lance tries to produce a totally dry style pinot gris. This wine was lees aged for two months. A crisp nose. Citric and mineral. A racy, stony mouth. Austere, flinty and very dry. I liked it.
White
2011 Jurassic Ridge Sauvignon Blanc Waihopai Valley
Lance tries to produce a Sancerre-style sauvignon and, here, largely suceeds. Not hugely Marlborough-typical herbaceous. Straw – not cut grass – lemon and light gooseberry. Lees aged for 14 months.
Red
2013 Jurassic Ridge Montepulciano
100% Montepulciano. Maceration 10-14 days. Cherries and raspberries, with spicy, herby and meaty notes, on the nose. A sweet, red fruit entry. Softish tannins. A dry, earthy finish of dried herbs, bramble and plums.
Red
2011 Jurassic Ridge Cabernet Franc
100% Cabernet Franc. The 2011 shown to us by Lance to contrast with what he regards as his better vintage, the 2010. Black fruited and perfumed with some dried herbs. Fine, light and elegant. Still, the 2010 is a step up …
Red
2010 Jurassic Ridge Cabernet Franc
A fuller bouquet of bright, dark fruit, particularly blackberries and dark plums. Also, spices, a touch of herbs and some gentle dark florals. Very good!
Red
2010 Jurassic Ridge Syrah
100% Hermitage clone. Spicy red cherries with raspberries and some plums. In the mouth very fruit driven – mainly red berry fruit and cherries – fine and elegant but dense. Spherical tannins. Good volume. A little black pepper on the moderately long finish. Wine of the tasting.
Flight 8 - New Year's visits to Man O' War Vineyards then Passage Rock (13 notes)
Returning to Man O’ War in December 2019, with lunch I tasted:
Red
2017 Man O' War Vineyards Syrah Dreadnought
Drunk with lunch. Red black colour with ruby at the rim. Spicy oak perfumes, blackberries and some blueberries, liquorice and a hint of black pepper. On palate, blackberries, blackcurrants and – with time and accompanied by food – a touch of tar and pepper. Full and seamless – with fine grained tannins - but with good acidity. The product of a cooler vintage. Adequate body. Not over-ripe. Enjoyable but not a top Dreadnought.
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White - Sparkling
2015 Man O' War Vineyards Tulia Blanc de Blancs
Bottle tasting, small pour. 100% Chardonnay. A mouth of almond brioche, pear, orange and mandarin. Refreshing with decent acidity. Grapefruit zest, yellow apples and peaches. A good picnic wine.
White
2017 Man O' War Vineyards Gravestone
Bottle tasting, small pour. A Sémillon-Sauvignon Blanc blend. Most of the Sauvignon vines planted on the Island are Man O’ War’s. The wine from vines grown near Stony Batter. A grassy nose of citrus and gravel. Some green capsicum on palate – with gooseberry, straw, lemon and pineapple – but not full typical Marlborough Sauvignon herbaceousness. Some straw with the cut grass.
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White
2018 Man O' War Vineyards Chardonnay Valhalla
Bottle tasting, small pour. A warmer vintage, not as good – I was told – as 2019. New oak 36%. Malo 0% (which surprised me). On bouquet buttered brioche, cream, pear and lashings of vanillin oak. On palate – to me – just too much oak. Cashews, whipped cream and pears. Too vanillin. Not with enough acidity either to freshen it up. Some phenolic bitterness on the finish.
Red
2016 Man O' War Vineyards Ironclad
Bottle tasting, small pour. Cabernet Franc 45%, Merlot 25%, Petit Verdot 11%, Cabernet Sauvignon 10%, Merlot 9%. A good Bordeaux blend. A bouquet of spices, red plums, red currant and some cigar box. On palate, fairly classical, with a touch of greenness I quite liked. Some dryness from the Franc – I assumed – and a little smokiness. A good effort.
Red
2013 Man O' War Vineyards Tytti Kulta
Bottle tasting, small pour. Man O’ War rates the 2013 vintage and has held back two limited Kulta bottlings at the top of their hierarchy. The two Kulta wines have had four years in oak. Cabernet Franc 30.5%, Merlot 30%, Petit Verdot 18.5%, Cabernet Sauvignon 13%, Merlot 8%. This is the first Bordeaux blend Kulta. Man O’ War will do others in 2018 and 2019. Milk chocolate, plum and cigar box aromas with a touch of florals. A refined, elegant blend with some tannins needing to integrate. Better than the 2016 Ironclad. Give it 3-4+ years.
Red
2013 Man O' War Vineyards Syrah Totto Kulta
92 points
Bottle tasting, small pour. Syrah 100%. Wine of the tasting. Perfumed and floral with spices, black pepper, dark fruit, cedar and black olives. Refined, polished black cherry and blackberry fruit, minerals and spices.
White
2017 Passage Rock Matuku
Small pour, bottle tasting. A white blend. A barrel fermented Chardonnay (55%) and Pinot Gris, Waiheke Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. Pears, nectarines and almonds on the nose. Crisp and refreshing in the mouth. Good acidity.
Red
2014 Passage Rock Syrah Waiheke Island Reserve
Small pour, bottle tasting. Paired with the 2013. A more primary colour. On the bouquet, sleek black and blue fruits with more oak than the 2013, yet to integrate. Leaner, more classic and showing more acidity than the 2013. It needs 2-3+ years for the acids – and the oak – to better integrate.
Red
2013 Passage Rock Syrah Waiheke Island Reserve
Small pour, bottle tasting. On bouquet black fruit with more earth, black pepper and spices and less oak artefact. On palate, lush and full. Powerful with more volume than the 2014. Structured with good acidity. The oak well integrated. Preferred.
Red
2015 Passage Rock Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Reserve
An interesting part of the tasting was the opportunity to taste both stelvin cap and cork versions of the current top Bordeaux blend (you can buy either with the cork version less popular). The stelvin version strongly preferred. Deeper, darker than the cork version (“the screwcap guards what’s in the bottle”, we were told). Spicier, fresher, cleaner-seeming. Blackberries, dark plums and other black fruit. The cork version similar but earthier, funkier (“each bottle with a cork on its own, individual journey”) and more advanced (still it’d last 10+ years, I’d think). Overall though I preferred the Syrahs.
Red
2017 Passage Rock Magnus
Small pour, bottle tasting. The top red blend at Passage Rock. More approachable but also more concentrated and complex than the Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Reserve. Very good!
White
2018 Passage Rock Viognier Reserve
90 points
Drunk with Peter at dinner. Deep gold. A bouquet of honeysuckle, tinned peach, apricot, passionfruit and a little baking spice. Tactile and a touch oily; quite varietal. Rich and full (14.5% ABV). Apricot, passionfruit, pineapple and caramel. Phenolic bitterness on the moderately long finish.
Flight 9 - Visit to Awaroa (8 notes)
Simon suggested I visit Awaroa. I liked the well-priced organic wines, particularly the last two tasted.
The better wines are labelled ‘Awaroa Vineyards’, with a second label of ‘Waiheke Road’ used for lesser wines.
Rosé
2019 Awaroa Vineyards Rosé Waiheke Road
A quick bottle tasting, small pour. A Merlot Rosé. On the nose, strawberries, raspberries, salmon and wet slate. In the mouth, a very dry, mineral Provençal-like style. Raspberries and wet granite. A good, straightforward Rosé.
White
2017 Awaroa Vineyards Raumati Waiheke Road
A quick bottle tasting, small pour. “Raumati” is a Māori word meaning Summer. Chenin Blanc 50%, Albarino 25% and Verdelho 25%. A refreshing, interesting, entry level white with lychees, honey, lemon zest and granite on the nose and lemon citrus and yellow apple in the mouth.
White
2016 Awaroa Vineyards Viognier Waiheke Road
A quick bottle tasting, small pour. Grapes from Obsidian. A bouquet of orange zest, apricots, orange blossom and cinnamon. On palate, zingy acidity. Tactile and creamy with some phenolic bitterness. A nice, simple Viognier.
White
2015 Awaroa Vineyards Chardonnay Reserve Waiheke Road
A quick bottle tasting, small pour. A decent enough Waiheke Chardonnay. Mineral and citric with pears, white peaches and some almonds.
Red
2016 Awaroa Vineyards Cabernet Merlot Malbec Waiheke Island
A quick bottle tasting, small pour. A 50/30/20 blend. Quite good. Aromatic with blackcurrant, plum and spice notes. An attractive, savoury mouth with integrated tannins.
Red
2015 Awaroa Vineyards Syrah
A quick bottle tasting, small pour. Syrah 100%. The best wine at the tasting before the last two. Ideally, it needs 3-5 years in the cellar. Peppery with black cherry and dark plums, prominent toasty oak, sage and lavender.
Red
2018 Awaroa Vineyards Melba Peach
92 points
A bottle tasting. Syrah 100%. The last two wines represented a clear step up in quality. A nose of blackberries and other dark fruit, smoke, cooked meats and graphite. Vanillin oak yet to integrate on bouquet and palate (it needs 5+ years cellar time). Pure, tight, powerful and structured. Quite serious. Wine of the tasting.
Red
2017 Awaroa Vineyards The Dan
A bottle tasting. A Bordeaux blend. A nose of spicy plums, earth, black fruit and liquorice. A mouth of spices, blackberries, black currants, chocolate and freshly cut herbs. Some creamy and grippy tannins that need time (5-7 years?) to integrate.
Flight 10 - Obsidian Vineyard again (6 notes)
Red
2018 Obsidian Tempranillo Waiheke Island
Bottle tasting, small pour. Obsidian has only one row of Tempranillo vines and annually makes only about 200 bottles of this wine. Bright ruby colour. A bouquet of dark cherries, spices, cassis and a touch of toasty oak. In the mouth, a full yet fresh expression. Clean and juicy with soft tannins. Good for this level. Drink from now.
Red
2018 Obsidian Montepulciano
Bottle tasting, small pour. Montepulciano is 8.5% of Obsidian’s eight hectares of plantings. Purple red. On the nose, black cherries with wild blackberries, earth and some savoury elements. A nice, easy drinking Monte. Friendly, supple and soft tannins. Black cherries, blackberries and tilled earth. ABV 14%.
Red
2016 Obsidian Vineyard Vitreous
Bottle tasting, small pour. Cabernet Sauvignon 29%, Merlot 29%, Cabernet Franc 22%, Petit Verdot 18% and Malbec 3%. Nine months in French oak, 20% new. An attractive bouquet of black cherries, liquorice, cloves and spices. A nice, leaner, lighter style, classical-type entry level Bordeaux blend. Rounded tannins. Ready to go now. Not profound or complex.
Red
2018 Obsidian Vineyard The Mayor Reserve
Bottle tasting, small pour. Mostly Cabernet Franc with some Merlot and Malbec, seeing 30% new oak. Red liquorice, raspberry, red currant and herbal perfumes. Again, a leaner, classically styled Cabernet Franc. No blockbuster. Some herbs, crunchy dark berries and dark chocolate. A decent Cabernet Franc.
Red
2015 Obsidian Vineyard The Obsidian
90 points
Tasted at the winery then a bottle shared at dinner that evening. Cabernet Sauvignon 30%, Merlot 28%, Cabernet Franc 15%, Petit Verdot 14% and Malbec 13%. Twelve months in French oak, 40% new. Good ruby. A rich, concentrated bouquet of blackberries, cedar, graphite and olives. A serious Bordeaux blend the best of the tasting. Some grippy tannins to integrate. Ideally, give it 2+ years.
White
2016 Obsidian Viognier Reserve
Bottle tasting, small pour. New oak 20%. Some lees contact. Pale, watery colour. An aromatic nose of meadow flowers, pears and nectarines, citrus and minerals. I liked the freshness and acidity of the Viognier. Clean, citric and mineral in the mouth.
Flight 11 - Dinner at Simon and Tamra's place (4 notes)
White - Sparkling
2002 Pol Roger Champagne Cuvée Sir Winston Churchill
93 points
Deep but bright gold. A bouquet of orchard and tropical fruit particularly pears, passionfruit and pineapples, with fine citrus, cinnamon and other baking spices and a dab of clotted cream. In the mouth, more citric than suggested by the bouquet but with an oxidative edge. More exotic fruit than I would have expected from a Pol Winston (I doubt I would have picked it blind). Very much a ripe, opulent 2002 character. Top quality Champagne!
White
2016 François Raveneau Chablis 1er Cru Les Forêts
93 points
A complex nose of spices, minerals, tangelos, wet river boulder and rock melon with a hint of honeycomb. Fine, mineral and chalky in the mouth. Quite available. Rich and phenolic with grapefruit citrus, peach and some pineapple and other tropical fruit. Good Chablis typicity. “Slate and soil, surprisingly open and approachable”, noted Tamra. Very good!
White
2018 Kelly Washington Chardonnay Rapaura
My first try of the new vintage from Rapaura, Marlborough. Whole bunches pressed, 100% malo, new oak a little below 30%. A warmer, riper vintage than 2017. After some reduction and a little toasty oak, straw, lemon, orange and nectarine. I preferred the 2018, over the 2017. More complete and complex with stone and citric fruit flavours. Rich and full with persistent acidity.
Red
2002 Domaine Michel Lafarge Volnay 1er Cru Clos des Chênes
92 points
A musky nose of dark florals, black plums, dried herbs, mixed spices and blackberries. On palate, a lovely Volnay, showing some nice development. “Very fleshy”, said Tamra. Dark fruited, rounded and integrated. For me, not at all over-ripe. Simon surprised me referring to a minty note with Tamra agreeing that there was “a green element, with that not meant as a negative, the wine is very generous”. Bright, precise acidity. Fine grained tannins. Silky. Drinking well now.
Flight 12 - A long lunch at Batch again followed by a tasting at Woodside Hill Estate (7 notes)
Well off the ‘beaten track’ – set in thick native bush - Woodside Hill Estate is well worth a visit to see real, artisanal Waiheke Island winemaking in a beautiful, rugged setting.
Our two-wheel drive cars could not make it up the gravel driveway and we needed to reverse back down and walk up (the winemaker said he would have picked us up from the road in his 4WD and did drive us back to our vehicles after the tasting).
The Estate has only one hectare of Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot vines planted in 1996 on a steep north and north-west facing vineyard. Low fertility clay and loam soil. Dry farmed, no irrigation.
Before Woodside, we began with lunch at the Batch:
Red
2015 Sam Harrop Syrah Cedalion Church Bay
92 points
Consumed with a very good lunch at the Batch restaurant. Dark red with purple at the rim. Crème de cassis, blackberry, new leather and black cherry. No black pepper or oak artefact. Fine and elegant with an opulent, sweet-seeming core of dark fruit. Good volume and weight. Seamless and spherical. A great pair for my lamb rump dish. In its optimal drinking window. A top Waiheke Island Syrah.
White
2010 Batch Winery Pinot Gris Thomas and Sons
Bottle tasting, small pour. In earlier years the Thomas wines were labelled ‘Thomas and Sons’. Poached pear, lychee and white peaches on the nose. Thick and viscous. Honeyed and sweet-seeming. The age here added some development, complexity and interest.
White
2018 Batch Winery Pinot Gris Thomas Legacy
Bottle tasting, small pour. I much preferred the 2010. A fresher, more citric, ‘younger’ bouquet. A sweet entry to the palate. Direct, clean and a little linear and simple.
Red
2016 Batch Winery Syrah Thomas Legacy
Bottle tasting, small pour. A decent Waiheke Syrah in similar style to the Cedalion but less refined (a tad rustic) and without the complexity and tannic and acidic structure. Nice dark fruit, quite smooth. Drink from now.
Rosé
2019 Woodside Hill Rosé
Made at Obsidian. Merlot 100%. Pale watery red. A bouquet of slatey minerals, raspberries, strawberries and some cranberries. On palate, nice, crisp, refreshing acidity. Minerally, savoury and bone dry. One of my favourite Waiheke Rosés. A bottle consumed later.
Red
2015 Woodside Hill Merlot Emile
Merlot 90%, Cabernet Franc 8%, Petit Verdot 2%. Dark colour for a Merlot. Blackberry, spicy and toasty oak aromas. Lean on palate. I liked the racy acidity. Crunchy black berry fruit. Good precision and concentration for the second label. It hides its 14.5% ABV well. To drink from now.
Red
2015 Woodside Hill Reserve Merlot Cabernet Franc
Darker colour. A more serious bouquet – with more spicy oak – black cherries and blackcurrants with dark chocolate, dried herbs, tilled earth and minerals. Lighter bodied but more concentrated than the Emile. Fine grained tannins, quite silky. Very good!
Flight 13 - Visits to Goldie Estate and Jurassic Ridge again (12 notes)
Established in 1978, Goldie Estate is Waiheke Island’s oldest vineyard with 30 acres under vine.
White
2017 Goldie Estate Chardonnay
Goldie is known as one of the better Chardonnay producers on the Island and this wine – below the top Reserve level – was a good example. After some initial rubbery reduction, flinty minerals, lemon zest, pear and some yellow apple. In the mouth, good weight, volume and power, with decent acidity. Lemons, limes and chalky minerals.
Rosé
2017 Goldie Estate Rosé
100% Merlot. Pale watery red colour. Strawberries, raspberries and lemons on the nose. Nice and dry however pretty straightforward and generic. I preferred the previous day’s Woodside Hill Rosé.
Red
2018 Goldie Estate Merlot Cabernet Franc
A wine for early consumption. Alcohol 13% ABV and mostly old oak, I understand. A fruit forward wine of mainly blackberry fruit. No harsh acids or spiky tannins needing to integrate. Smooth, rounded and a little soft. A nice basic lunch wine.
Red
2014 Goldie Estate Reserve Cabernet Merlot Franc
92 points
A 50/40/10 blend. A more serious wine. Deep black-red colour. On the bouquet dark spices, blackberries, crème de cassis, espresso, earth and some blueberries. In the mouth, also dark fruited with blackberries, black currants and cassis. Suave, refined tannins. Serious body, structure and power. Good length. One of the better Cabernet Merlots of the visit.
White
2016 Jurassic Ridge Pinot Grigio Waiheke island
Just released. Pale gold. Honeyed, beeswax, mineral and chalky aromas. Racy, lemony acidity with slatey minerality. I enjoyed this wine.
White - Sparkling
2014 Jurassic Ridge Pinot Grigio Waiheke island
Frizzante version, just released. Similar, aromatic profile. Also, bone dry, quite mineral and citric. The little spritz seemed to enhance the freshness. Again, enjoyable.
White
2012 Jurassic Ridge Sauvignon Blanc Waihopai Valley
As Lance explained, quite a different wine to the 2011 I had on my last visit. Here capsicum and gooseberry on the nose and relatively grassy and herbaceous on the mouth. Looking back at my notes, I seem to have preferred the 2011.
Red
2011 Jurassic Ridge Cabernet Franc
Lance explained that the 2011 was the product of a wetter, cooler vintage than the 2010. He described the wine as having a “light Chinon style”. A bouquet of raspberries, blackberries, cherries, spices and dark florals. Elegant and lighter bodied on the palate. Leaner with some savoury complexity, which I liked.
Red
2010 Jurassic Ridge Cabernet Franc
The product of a warmer vintage – Lance’s best ever, from his point of view – a spicy, earthy, deeper bouquet of more rich dark fruit. More concentrated and structured on palate. Quite serious in its intent. Seemingly, tightening up in the glass … give it 3+ years … The second best wine of the tasting, after the 2010 Syrah.
Red
2013 Jurassic Ridge Montepulciano
Savoury, meaty and spicy – with a little earth and dry brushwood – presently drinking beautifully. Some grippy tannins on the finish. Not as fine or as refined as the 2010 Cabernet Franc or Syrah, but fun to drink. Flavoursome!
Red
2010 Jurassic Ridge Syrah
Spicy with mainly dark cherries and blackberries – some of them wild – minerals and some cloves. Elegant with cultured tannins. Not huge concentration but sufficient fruit volume. Precise acidity and spherical tannins. Satiny mouthfeel. Good length, dry finish. Wine of the tasting.
Red
2006 Jurassic Ridge Cabernet Franc Hangaura
A library bottle to taste. “Beyond its best”, said Lance. To me, totally dead and close to undrinkable. Made from vines that were only four years old at the time.
Flight 14 - Visit to Frenchman's Hill Estate then Lunch at Te Motu (6 notes)
Owner and winemaker Luc Desbonnets of the Frenchman's Hill Estate was trained in France before working in wine in Moldova, Hungary, Australia and Wairarapa, NZ, ultimately settling in Waiheke Island in 2000. His vineyard was planted in 2006. The wines are entirely Waiheke fruit.
I like the Frenchman's Hill Estate wines – and it’s a great setting, with panoramic views – the only drawback being the limited opening hours.
Our final lunch of the New Year’s visit was at the Te Motu vineyard restaurant. This was excellent, the best restaurant meal of my last three or four Waiheke Island visits.
Rosé
2016 Frenchmans Hill Estate Syrah Eastern Gums Rosé
Mainly Syrah grapes makes this an unusual Rosé. Light ruby colour with a little apricot. A fruity nose of strawberries, rhubarb and lemon citrus. On palate, refreshing, slightly tannic. Raspberries, red cherries and granite. Quite dry. An interesting Rosé.
White
2013 Frenchmans Hill Estate Expatrius Advenus
Another unusual wine I quite liked. A blend of local Sauvignon Blanc and Viognier. Barrel fermented 25%. Not herbaceous or grassy on the nose. Dried herbs, garrigue and straw with grapefruit and lemon. More Sauvignon on palate. Gooseberry, orange citrus and cut herbs with wet slate. Vibrant acidity and acceptable volume.
Red
2014 Frenchmans Hill Estate Syrah Rock Earth
91 points
A top Waiheke Syrah. Deep black red. A bouquet of blackcurrants, blackberrries, dark spices and a little black pepper. In the mouth, elegant but quite fleshy. Precise black berry fruit with some spices and warm earth. Good acidic and tannic structure and length.
Red
2013 Te Motu
93 points
With lunch at the Te Motu restaurant. One of the best of the much vaunted 2013s on the Island. Quite bright, dark ruby colour. A bouquet of dark spices, cedar, cigar box and dark fruit. Black currants, crème de cassis and dried herbs. Simultaneously earthy yet lifted and floral. Lovely mouthfeel. Blackcurrants and cassis. Harmony and balance. Ultra-fine grained tannins. Fairly approachable now but it will be much better in 3-5 years, I’m sure. Paired well with both the lamb rump and beef cheek dishes.
Red
2012 Te Motu
91 points
Colour moving garnet. A nose of more – fresh and dried – red, than black, fruit. Also, dried herbs, earth and tobacco leaf. On palate, noticeably much more advanced than the 2013, showing preserved fruit, tobacco and leather with dry earth. Leaner and more elegant – with less fruit volume, concentration and structure – than the 2013. Much more than the 2013, a wine to drink now or soon. Longer term, no doubt, the 2013 is the better wine.
Red
2014 Te Motu Kokoro
92 points
Merlot dominant. Hedonistic, a wine I love. A bouquet of red plums, red currants, milk chocolate and spices. On palate, richer, fuller, more rounded and welcoming than either of the Te Motus. Plummy with juicy red fruit, dark chocolate and some cassis. Oak present but not overdone. Drinking well now but I’m sure it will continue to develop over the next 10 years or so. Delicious! (92-93)