Important Update From the Founder

Trip to Hawkes Bay

Tasted May 24, 2008 - May 25, 2008 by Barbara B with 721 views

Introduction

J&M and I travelled from Wellington to Hawkes Bay. We stayed in a cute cottage in Havelock North. In 1.5 days we visited ten wineries.

Flight 1 - First stop, Clearview (8 notes)

Really enjoyable tasting and discussion. Bought Old Olive Block because I always do, and a Sauvignon Blanc.

White

2007 Clearview Estate Chardonnay Unwooded New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

86 points

Very fruity, a little stalky, sweet tart candy.

Comment

White

2007 Clearview Estate Chardonnay Beachhead New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

88 points

Rich and savoury, oak, tastes like 2-3 g/L RS, slight bitter finish (a good thing).

Comment

White

2007 Clearview Estate Chardonnay Reserve New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

87 points

Nice NW Chardonnay. Sweet sensation, lowish acidity, savoury, salty.

Comment

White

2007 Clearview Estate Sauvignon Blanc Reserve New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

91 points

Vibrant fruit, excellent varietal character without grassiness. Bought one (NZD22).

Comment

Red

2006 Clearview Estate Pinot Noir Reserve Des Trois New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Nice, sweetish fruit, earth.

Comment

Red

2006 Clearview Estate Old Olive Block New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

91 points

41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 37% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Franc, 9% Malbec. Nice nose, spicy, fruity, earthy. Smooth, really good. Bought one (NZD30).

Comment

Red

2005 Clearview Estate Enigma New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

86 points

64% Merlot, 14% Malbec, 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc. Fruit, earth, minerals. Astringent. Needs bottle age.

Comment

White - Sweet/Dessert

2006 Clearview Estate Noble Harvest New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Luscious and lovely. A little simple.

Comment

Flight 2 - Black Barn (5 notes)

Back across the Tukituki River; stopped to take pictures of the rainbow.

White

2007 Black Barn Sauvignon Blanc New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Not as much varietal character as expected. Nice minerality though.

Comment

White

2007 Black Barn Pinot Gris Single Vineyard New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Intensely fruity, a little RS.

Comment

Red

2005 Black Barn Malbec New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Dark, dense. Tangy acidity, interesting.

Comment

Red

2005 Black Barn Merlot New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Transparent. Nice minerality and earthiness. Grippy tannins that do not seem like grape tannins, good acidity. Pleasant enough.

Comment

Red

2005 Black Barn Cabernet Franc New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Good fruit and earth; nicely balanced; reasonable length and complexity. Better than the Merlot.

Comment

Flight 3 - Craggy Range (6 notes)

Not a great tasting. The pours were miniscule and yet they charged for the tasting (the only one of ten to do so). When some of the wines seemed clearly out of condition (no fruit, slightly oxidized, no resemblance to the tasting notes on display or the description being given by the attendent), I asked when they'd been opened. She said the day earlier so I insisted that she open a fresh bottle. She did, but reluctantly.

White

2007 Craggy Range Sauvignon Blanc Ara Vineyard New Zealand, South Island, Marlborough

Nice fruit, crisp acidity, perfectly clean but ordinary.

Comment

White

2007 Craggy Range Chardonnay Single Vineyard Kidnappers Vineyard New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Crisp acidity, nice clean fruit. Nothing special.

Comment

White

2007 Craggy Range Chardonnay Single Vineyard Gimblett Gravels Vineyard New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay, Gimblett Gravels

Heavy oak, lowish acidity, no fruit, full MLF.

Comment

Red

2006 Craggy Range Pinot Noir Single Vineyard Te Muna Road Vineyard New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa, Martinborough

Good varietal character, nice earthiness and savouriness. Not much fruit.

Comment

Red

2006 Craggy Range Merlot Single Vineyard Gimblett Gravels Vineyard New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay, Gimblett Gravels

Good acidity, savoury flavours, weak in body.

Comment

Red

2006 Craggy Range Syrah Gimblett Gravels Vineyard Block 14 New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay, Gimblett Gravels

Not very Rhone-like. Lightish in body, insubstantial in every way.

Comment

Flight 4 - Te Mata (3 notes)

Tasted a few more than noted. Did not taste, but bought, a Coleraine, just because I always do.

White

2008 Te Mata Estate Sauvignon Blanc Woodthorpe New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Greenish tinge. Slightly unripe fruit and grassiness.

Comment

Red

2006 Te Mata Estate Cabernet / Merlot Awatea New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Dark, dense. Prunes and berries, earth and minerality, cedar and laurel.

Comment

Red

2006 Te Mata Estate Cabernet / Merlot Woodthorpe New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Deep, dark. Pepper, spices, earth, minerality and fruit.

Comment

Flight 5 - Trinity Hill (6 notes)

This was the best tasting by far. The guy running the tasting room was fully knowledgable about the wines (he may have been one of the winemakers). The Riesling was my favourite of the trip.

White

2007 Trinity Hill Arneis Gimblett Gravels New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay, Gimblett Gravels

Water white. Nicely acidity, touch of sweetness along with salty minerality. Quite okay.

Comment

White

2007 Trinity Hill Viognier Gimblett Gravels New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay, Gimblett Gravels

Not as sweet as 2006. A little rough.

Comment

White

2006 Trinity Hill Viognier Gimblett Gravels New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay, Gimblett Gravels

Sweet, slightly bitter finish, lowish acidity.

Comment

White

2004 Trinity Hill Riesling New Zealand, North Island, Wairarapa

92 points

Bright yellow gold. Big nose of limes, ripe melons, and just coming into kerosene/petrol (yum!). Palate off dry, crisp acidity, lovely fruit and minerals. Complex and long, with true varietal character. Really great Riesling. Bought two (NZD 19)

Comment

Red

2007 Trinity Hill Tempranillo Gimblett Gravels New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay, Gimblett Gravels

Raspberry, wild fruits, smoky, minerally, earthy. Very nice.

Comment

Red

2002 Trinity Hill Cabernet Sauvignon Gimblett Road New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay, Gimblett Gravels

Smoky, earthy, minerally, with a green streak running through. Rich, full bodied. I like it.

Comment

Flight 6 - Alpha Domus (5 notes)

White

2007 Alpha Domus Viognier New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Luscious with touch of sweetness (~6g/L RS), nicely acidic. Not really varietally typical, but a nice wine.

Comment

Red

2006 Alpha Domus Syrah New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Fruity with some earth and minerality. Opulent, rich, early drink.

Comment

Red

2004 Alpha Domus The Navigator New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Garnet. Fruit, earth, oak, some sweetness. Okay.

Comment

Red - Fortified

2004 Alpha Domus Cabernet Sauvignon Anthonius New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Dried/cooked/stewed fruit; 18% abv. Not for me.

Comment

White - Sweet/Dessert

2007 Alpha Domus Sémillon Leonarda Late Harvest Semillon New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Luscious, honeyed, clean, 13% abv.

Comment

Flight 7 - Unison (4 notes)

Red

2006 Unison Vineyard Merlot Marie's Vineyard New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Pepper, spicy, earthy, minerally. Very tannic.

Comment

Red

2006 Unison Vineyard Unison New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. Savoury, minerally, salty.

Comment

Red

2005 Unison Vineyard Selection New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon. Needs years. Hard to judge. Tartaric acid crystals in glass.

Comment

Red

2006 Unison Vineyard Syrah Gimblett Gravels New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay, Gimblett Gravels

Northern Rhonish, dense, not complex.

Comment

Flight 8 - Matariki (7 notes)

White

2007 Matariki Sauvignon Blanc Hawke's Bay New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Somewhat dilute. Savoury and sweet-tarty.

Comment

White

2005 Matariki Chardonnay Gimblett Road New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay, Gimblett Gravels

Very oaky, vanilla, richly minerally, nicely acidic.

Comment

Red

2005 Matariki Sangiovese New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

75% Sangiovese, 25% Cabernet Sauvignon. Great fruit, big minerality, nice acidity.

Comment

Red

2005 Matariki Syrah Reserve New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Nose of fruit, funny MLF smell along with odd acidity. Big tannins, slightly bitter finish.

Comment

Red

2001 Matariki Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Clear, not so full-bodied, sharply acidic, lowish level of smooth tannins.

Comment

Red

2002 Matariki Quintology New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Under-ripe berry fruit, licorice, anise, minerality, nicely acidic with nice tannic bite.

Comment

White - Off-dry

2006 Matariki Late Harvest Riesling New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Honey, apricot jam, luscious. Acidic enough but it's disjointed (as if acidified).

Comment

Flight 9 - Church Road (4 notes)

White

2006 Church Road Sauvignon Blanc Hawke's Bay New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

11 months in old French oak, on lees; still has luscious fruit; nice minerality.

Comment

White

2006 Church Road Viognier Reserve Hawke's Bay New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Green/gold, low acidity, tastes like it has ~5 or so g/L RS. Interesting, not great.

Comment

Red

2003 Church Road Cabernet Merlot Reserve Hawke's Bay New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

No fruit, old oak, Old World. Or maybe the bottle had been open for too long.

Comment

Red

2004 Church Road Cabernet Sauvignon Cuve Series Hawke's Bay New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Ruby. No fruit coming through, some rosemary and spices, tannic bite, very acidic.

Comment

Flight 10 - Mission (6 notes)

Love the tasting room and the grounds, but really do not like the wines.

White

2007 Mission Estate Winery Gewürztraminer New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Not much fruit, fully dry tasting, biting acidity. Lacks intensity and varietal character.

Comment

White

2007 Mission Estate Winery Sauvignon Blanc Reserve New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Fruit on nose, not on palate. Salty, minerally.

Comment

White

2006 Mission Estate Winery Chardonnay Reserve New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Slight effervescence, sharp acidity, lightish in body.

Comment

Red

2006 Mission Estate Winery Pinot Noir Reserve New Zealand, South Island, Otago, Central Otago

Earth, minerals and stalkiness. Very savoury and fairly tannic for a PN.

Comment

Red

2006 Mission Estate Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve Hawke's Bay New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Earthy, minerally, with a green streak running through it. Tannic, austere.

Comment

White - Sweet/Dessert

2007 Mission Estate Winery Ice Wine New Zealand, North Island, Hawke's Bay

Clean, crisp, simple and pure.

Comment

Closing

With so many wines and discussions about the wines, my tasting notes are skimpy and inconsistent. Ah, well... Cool and rainy on trip back to Wellington. We stopped for lunch at a funky old restaurant on the highway in Pukehou -- Paper Mulberry Cafe. The food was excellent! J&M each had BLTs on freshly baked bread. I had tomato soup made from fresh ripe tomatoes. The dressings on the table were also great (can't remember what they were though). In spite of the weather, it was a very good trip.

Trip to Hawkes Bay

Introduction

Flight 1 - First stop, Clearview (8 notes)

Flight 2 - Black Barn (5 notes)

Flight 3 - Craggy Range (6 notes)

Flight 4 - Te Mata (3 notes)

Flight 5 - Trinity Hill (6 notes)

Flight 6 - Alpha Domus (5 notes)

Flight 7 - Unison (4 notes)

Flight 8 - Matariki (7 notes)

Flight 9 - Church Road (4 notes)

Flight 10 - Mission (6 notes)

Closing

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