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New Zealand Reds
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Bob Campbell has just scored the 2009 a 95/100 in the Gourmet Traveller Magazine, and Gold at the prestigous Decanter World Wine Awards. Bob writes "A taut and elegant Pinot Noir with dark cherry, mineral, licorice and wild herb flavours. It seems tighter and more focused than the previous vintages with a seamless and lingering finish. Classy wine that gives a strong sense of place." New packaging, new owners and a new winemaker ( Nick Brown who is the hot young gun in Waipara and has done many vintages around the globe ) but from the same 19 year old Waipara pinot vines. A heroic pinot noir.
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Its not often we find $20 NZ red we can hang our hat on but this is an incredibly good value merlot. This vineyard is surrounded by such stella vineyards as Craggy Range and Stonecroft. Close planted, leaf plucked, hand plunged and oak aging. Incredible merlot value for this intense hands on wine. "Intense aromas of plum, forrest berries and cedar. On the palate dark chocolate, fruit cake and leather with strong silky tannins lingering and lasting."
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One of Metro Magazine's 100 Wines for Summer. " The 2009 just scored a massive 93+/100 from Parkers Wine Advocate. We have had customers now drinking their 2004 vintage and raving about the quality. "A blend of 63% Merlot, 23% Cabernet Franc and 14% Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 Merlot, Cabernet Franc, and Cabernet Sauvignon was aged for 16 months in French oak, 40% new. Deep garnet-purple in color, it gives moderate to intense aromas of ripe plums and mulberries, dark chocolate, spice cake and licorice, with hints of dried leaves and menthol. Medium to full bodied, it has a good backbone of high acid and firm, fine-grained tannins fleshed out by mouth-filling rich fruit. The finish is long and spicy. Approachable now, it should drink best 2012 to 2021+." 93+/100.
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This meticulous winemaker has produced a superb, ready to drink pinot at great $$$. 5 Stars in Winestate Magazine "Rich, sweet fruited red, deeply coloured with substantial body and concentrarted, well-rounded flavours. Intensely perfumed and elegant, with supple tannins." Geoff Kelly also comments "Wines like this still win gold medals in New Zealand pinot judging, so it is well worth trying."
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Normally $26. This just scored a massive 93/100 from Bob Campbell ( the same score as wines such as Sacred Hill Deerstalker at $57, Bridge Pa Louis at $55, Man O'War Dreadnought at $46 etc ) The 2008 won the Trophy at the Air NZ Wine Awards for 'Best Syrah' and also scored a 95/100 from Bob - a fantastic consistency for a syrah at this price "Co-fermented with Viognier. Strong, sweet and impressively dense wine with cassis, plum and dark berry flavours. More intense than most from this moderately light vintage. The wine has an impressive texture with an almost chewy density. Great value at this price." Bob Campbell and listed at $28 by him.
This wine is from their Chalk Ridge block, just to the south of Havelock North. It is a steep, north facing amphitheatre that is strewn with fossilised limestone. They only use the ripest fruit from the top of the hill to craft this SV Syrah. A steal
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From a highly dedicated tiny producer who each year puts out extremely good value Gimblett Gravel reds. Situated on the free draining Gimblett Gravels of Mere Rd, surrounded by such Stella vineyard as Mills Reef, Stonecroft and Craggy Range the s vineyard is set up with close spaced vines and yields are kept to a minimum. "A match made in heaven with the dominant Cabernet giving strong aromas of blackberries and brambles, following through to the palate with mint and vanilla. This is balanced beautifully with the Merlot giving dark plum and the Malbec a meaty savoury intensity and deep colour.The fine tannins and texture of the malbec give this wine great weight and length."
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93/100 from Bob Campbell and listed at $39 on his web site. Also 5 Stars by Michael Cooper and listed at $38 with a V+ rating ( meaning above average value at $38!! ) .This is Mt Dottrel's top wine ( or reserve ) and we scored the major, major coup of being able to offer it at just $2 more than the normal Mt Dottrel. This was our biggest selling Pinot Noir last year because of its extraordinary 'bang for your buck" made by the 'Queen of Pinot Noir' Carol Bunn. Your mad if you don't buy a case of this. "First division Pinot Noir with impressive concentration, complexity and texture. Intense wine with plump, ripe plum, dark cherry and berry flavours. Long with sweet fruit beautifully balanced by fine, ripe tannins. 93/100 Bob Campbell.
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Normally $38- deep cut discount on a full throttle serious pinot. A whopping 94/100 from Bob Campbell and described by M.Cooper as the 'Best Yet..with the power and structure to age for several year." Bob Campbell writes "Rich, intensely fruity wine with strong plum, dark berry, plum jam, licorice and spice flavours. Great weight and mouthfeel. Small vintage that was quite warm. Very accessible and quite complex wine with a lingering finish.
If you enjoyed the Muddy Water Pinot Noir this will blow you away. Top, top shelf pinot noir at a ridiculous price.
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90+/100 from Parkers Wine Advocate which writes "Ruby colored, the 2009 Earnscleugh Vineyard Pinot Noir reveals slightly closed raspberry and red cherry notes over aromas of damp earth, dried leaves and cinnamon stick. Elegantly fruited in the mouth with a medium body, it has medium level velvety tannins, refreshing acidity and plenty of red berry fruit lingering long into the finish. Drink it now to 2016."
Alos reviewed by Geoff Kelly ( one of NZ's most higly rated wine critics ) scoring 18/20 which was higher than Peregrine, Felton Rd and Ata Rangi!- that shows you the calibre of this Carol Bunn made wine. Gold Medals have been awarded to the last three vintages, including 2009. This is consistently one of NZ's best value premium Pinots. Geoff writes "Pinot noir ruby. Bouquet is red cherry fragrant, clearly varietal, in a much more Cote de Beaune than Cote de Nuits styling, appealing. Palate follows exactly, not dark Otago pinot noir at all, but still attractive crunchy burgundian cherry fruit, freshened by a trace of coolness as seen in the Cornish Point wine. Cellar 3 – 8 years. This is gorgeous ! VALUE." Also rated top Alexandra Pinot Noir from 2009 by Gourmet Traveller Magazine. Grasshopper Rock only produces pinot from their specialized vineyard in Alexandra. An extraordinary pinot noir value.
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