6/20/2023 - rossandersonnz wrote:

pickerings

4/18/2016 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

ripe, and very appealing, aromas of passionfruit, lemon and blackcurrant. yet the result is restrained and classy. beautifully balanced structure with fine acidity, yet relatively soft, rich mouthfeel, and a long, not too-dry finish. quite new world in style.

4/3/2016 - rossandersonnz wrote:

early season blackberry, liquorice and cherry flavours, as well as a faint chemical smell. initially, heaps of unripe berry acidity, but this seemed to soften considerably with aeration. lots of fruit tannins. odd wine, best served with food.

4/2/2016 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

rich, dark wine with dark berry and plum, chocolate and oak notes, quite full bodied, soft acidity, long finish. a full-on pinot, and whilst enjoyable, quality plonk, it's not particularly varietal.

3/11/2016 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

Very forward aromas of ripe dark fruits, liquorice and spice, and tasted fantastic with blue cheese, however the fruit flavours did not stand up against a steak and it tasted rather woody which was disappointing. Rich, silky texture. First vintage of this wine. 61% CF, 23% Me, 15% Ma.

3/1/2016 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

good effort by te mata in a poor vintage, but still not a great result. rather oaky wine, with muted floral and fruit aromas, and beetroot. the wine's texture and tannins will soften over the next year or two but i'm not sure the overall taste will improve at all.

2/21/2016 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

dry, smart, pinot rose, with aromas of strawberry and cherry, with assertive acidity and long finish.

2/21/2016 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

fantastic wine with floral, cherry and plum aromas, all gently and elegantly done, silky smooth finish with great structure and balanced acidity, and a little spice on the finish. the tannins are smooth and mushroom/undergrowth complexity beginning to emerge. really enjoyable now but with great potential to improve further over the next 5-10 years.

2/16/2016 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

pale wine with lime cordial and some grapefruit aromas. dry and quite austere, i think it will become more interesting with extra bottle age.

2/9/2016 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

very similar to the clearview reserve sauvignon in style, shyer on the nose. tomato leaf, lemon, gooseberry, asparagus, blackcurrant. mildly oaky. very dry.

2/4/2016 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

rather oaky, but with nice blackcurrant and liquorice aromas. drying tannins but softening into a truly beautiful texture when consumed with food. should improve with time, perhaps reaching peak in a year or two.

2/4/2016 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

strong cherry and savoury flavours. good acidity and puckering tannins - should be a pleasant drink in 2018.

2/1/2016 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

not much to add to my previous note. cherry and plum fruit flavours, but not dominating, with balanced oak and forest floor components. medium bodied, medium finish, medium acidity, smooth tannins. not worth cellaring any longer.

1/30/2016 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

cherry, liquorice and fresh, minty herbs absorbing the oak. smooth tannins and long, fresh finish. very nice.

1/27/2016 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

oak-heavy, with juicy, spicy red and dark berry fruit flavours, smooth tannins, drinking well now.

1/23/2016 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

lime and green apple flavours with incredible acidity. Long, fresh finish which tastes drier than the 30g/L RS suggests.

1/20/2016 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

nice ripe aromas of passionfruit, blackcurrant and lime, medium-bodied and spritzy acidity, but a touch of RS smooths out the long finish.

1/16/2016 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

Smart, confident chardonnay with balanced oak, peach and nutty aromas, firm acidity, elegant texture and long finish.

1/9/2016 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

Blackberry, baking spices and liquorice. Rustic, full bodied wine with medium finish. Smoothish tannins. Lacks acidity and seems a bit over-ripe, lacking florality.

1/8/2016 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

inviting, promising nose with vanilla and passionfruit, but the palate not as enjoyable - gooseberry, asparagus and blackcurrent notes, but too dry and thin in the mouth. the nose suggests that it will be creamy, but this is not the case. the finish, however, is actually very long. i like this wine but i definitely feel that i scored it too highly previously.

12/31/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

Very rich wine with heaps of apricot. Subtle acidity balances the massive RS but not the freshest of finishes. Should drink well for over a decade.

12/10/2015 - rossandersonnz Does not like this wine:

woody, spicy, jammy. nah.

12/9/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

petrol, lime and stoney. bone dry. a food wine. nice.

12/4/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

blackcurrant, black plum and dark cherry, with sawdusty cedar notes (but fermented and aged in concrete). intensely fruity on initial pouring, but developed more savoury notes with aeration, including a hint of pepper, and stalky, whole bunch notes, and eventually quite a 'pinot-y' (on steroids) feel. good with food. many $35 nz syrahs are more interesting.

11/30/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

gentle wine with apple and citrus aromas, high acid and just off-dry, lingering finish.

11/29/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

very peppery on opening, but after aeration, more floral and dark fruit emerged. good concentration of flavour. firm oak influence but not dominating. some minty and stalky notes also. great length and nice lively acidity. considering the poor vintage, te mata have done very well here. easily has another 3 years in it.

11/27/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

Easy drinking wine, mildly sweet with typical low acidity, with a nice fresh, long finish. Lychee, ginger, Turkish Delight. Not great like previous vintages.

11/22/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

Lemon and nectarine aromas with subtle oak. Rich wine, but acid seemed quite high on days 1 and 2, softening on day 3. Matched fantastically on day 3 with a rich, creamed corn polenta and chicken. Tasted best on day 3. Score likely to improve with a further couple of years in bottle. Leave remaining bottle until 2017+

11/15/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

sweet, low alcohol wine, with floral and peach aromas. excellent balance of acidity leaving a clean finish.

11/12/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

rich lemon, nut and restrained oak flavours with a creamy, silky texture with a beautifully balanced acid backbone. actually tasted quite steely when matched with a rich, buttery sauce. long finish. beautiful, perfectly proportioned wine. very classy.

11/12/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

rich, spicy wine, that will reward cellaring for 5-10 years

11/12/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

amazing aroma of toasty oak, red berry fruit and plum, florals, and menthol. the latter became dominant with time in glass, and was tastier on topping up.

11/12/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

the best showing of this wine so far (3rd bottle in 2 years). toasty oak and savoury red fruit, great acidity, and long finish. should continue to improve, i will aim to drink final bottle in 2017.

11/12/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

nice pn, but not standout. red liquorice, plum, sawdust. great balance. improved with time in glass.

11/12/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

sulfur smell took a good 30 mins to clear, leaving a fantastic wine, with some residual funky notes, but also rich spicy plum and sawdust, with a long, rounded finish. improved constantly in the glass.

11/10/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

very complex SB with 30% sem, the latter barrel fermented in old french, all lees aged. sweet fruit on the nose, but tasting dry with strong acidity on the palate. passionfruit, grapefruit, blackcurrant, mineral, capsicum. all in nice balance, the acidity perhaps a tad too strong for my taste, but seems to be the house style. enjoyable wine nonetheless, with or without food.

11/8/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

Rustic hawkes bay blend with blackberry and baking spices. A food wine to drink up over the next year or so.
The next day seemed overall softer and juicier to me, with cedary oak and liquorice. However Amy thought the fruit was more muted and preferred on day 1.

11/6/2015 - rossandersonnz wrote:

sulfur nose immediately on pouring which blew off after about 30 minutes in the glass. quite a rustic pinot with smoky, toasty oak and earthy characters predominating the nose, with less intense cherry, plum and mineral aromas. also spice (clove, cinnamon) and liquorice. moderate acidity balances somewhat the grainy tannins. i sense that this is past it's best.

10/27/2015 - rossandersonnz wrote:

odd wine, not had this label before. very mixed reviews on cellartracker, including a number of 50s. bob campbell 93, raymond chan 19.5 (!). i feel that this shows too much winemaking influence, the acid too high, and the fruit is too weak. whether this is the house style, too old (i doubt it) or a dodgy batch (nb cork closure) i'm not sure. would be very interested to taste another bottle and definitely other vintages. not typical of any style of much loved nz chardonnay.

10/26/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

blue- and raspberries, chocolate, spice and liquorice. softly textured but leaves a slightly bitter finish.

10/17/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

glengarry pinot tasting; 10/16/2015-10/18/2015 (glengarry thorndon): sweet fruit with tertiary flavours, great texture

10/17/2015 - rossandersonnz wrote:

glengarry pinot tasting; 10/16/2015-10/18/2015 (glengarry thorndon): sweet oak, less well balanced than the taylor

10/17/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

glengarry pinot tasting; 10/16/2015-10/18/2015 (glengarry thorndon): very ripe fruit

10/17/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

glengarry pinot tasting; 10/16/2015-10/18/2015 (glengarry thorndon): intense nose with bright red fruit, more delicate on the palate

10/17/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

glengarry pinot tasting; 10/16/2015-10/18/2015 (glengarry thorndon): concentrated, fruity wine, drink now

10/17/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

glengarry pinot tasting; 10/16/2015-10/18/2015 (glengarry thorndon): less oaky than the regular label, pretty wine

10/17/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

glengarry pinot tasting; 10/16/2015-10/18/2015 (glengarry thorndon): forward fruit in great balance, long

10/17/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

glengarry pinot tasting; 10/16/2015-10/18/2015 (glengarry thorndon): incredibly fresh and juicy, drinking well now

10/17/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

glengarry pinot tasting; 10/16/2015-10/18/2015 (glengarry thorndon): cherry, fresh, drinking well now

10/17/2015 - rossandersonnz Likes this wine:

glengarry pinot tasting; 10/16/2015-10/18/2015 (glengarry thorndon): rich wine with dark fruits, quite soft in the mouth however ends chewy tannins, should develop into a nice wine