The posh winery Cloudy Bay in Marlborough
The wine tour I had yesterday was probably the best of my life, surely the biggest, as I never tasted 46 different wines in a day like a did with Na Clachan (where else clach can go?) wine tours in Marlborough region. Hellen is a good host, knowledgable, friendly and discrete. And if she happen to reading this article I am happy to accept any devolution on my credit card from the 95NZ$ (expensive for my budget, but well worth!) I paid for the tour.
From 10 am to 5 pm on a beautiful Sunny Sunday in Blenheim, we visited 8 wineries, tasted 46 different wines and 3 olives oil. Marlborough region is known for Sauvignon Blanc (68% of the wine produced here is from this grape) but in all wineries we went I found Chardonnay being much better.
Here is the list in chronological order of all the wines I tried, with my vote (scale 0 to 10, being 6 “sufficient”), some notes and prices of the bottle in the winery, when available.. Surely my judgement has been influenced by the tasting order: the more I was going on, the harder become to enjoy. I remind the reader I have a very refined taste, being italian and having been an apprentice of Sir Charles Sheenan, the wine guy.
1 Hunter’s – the starter of Sauvignon movement in Marlborough
1 Miru Miru Non vintage champagne 24,9$ 8 I usually find champagne disgusting, but this was good
2 Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (18.9$) 7 great smell, but taste not so rich
3 Chardonnay 2012 (22.5$) 8,5
4 Riesling 2013 (18.9$) 5,5
5 Pinot Gris 2013 (22.5$) 7,5
6 Rose 2013 (15.9$) 6
7 Stoneburn Pinot Noir (13.9$) 8
8 Merlot 2008 (22.9$) 6,5
olive oil very light
2 Cloudy Bay classy, owned by Louis Vuitton
9 Pelorus Nv sparkling 6
10 Cloudy Bay Pinot Gris 2012 5,5 very anonymous
11 Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2011 5
12 Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2013 7 very citrus smell & taste
13 Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 2011 8
Tasting Georges Michel wines, from La Reunion to New Zealand
3 Georges Michel from La Reunion
14 Sauvignon Blanc 2012 Golden Mile 6 Anonymous
15 Sauvignon Blanc 2011 La Reserve
16 Swan’s Flight Semillon 2013 6,5 original light
17 Chardonnay Golden Mile 2012 7 Nice after taste
18 Viognier La Reserve 2010 7,5 Sherry flavour
19 Pinot Noir Rosè Summer folly 2013 6
20 Syrah La Reserve 2011 6 very spanish
4 Alan Scott
21 Sauvignon 2013 6
22 Chardonnay 2013 7,5
23 Riesling 2013 5
Lunch: Marlborough seafood Chowder 19.5$
Twelve trees classic, Creamy Chardonnay Veloutè with salmon, Mussel & Fish, Baguette
24 Rosè 4
5 Spy Valley
25 2013 Sauvignon 6
26 2013 Pinot Gris 6,5
27 2013 Pinot Noir Rosè 6
28 2011 Pinot Noir 7
29 2012 Iced Sauvignon 7,5
Tasting wine in Spy valley, the Echelon of New Zealand
6 Forrest: owned by doctors, they like to experiment
30 Forrest Sauvignon Blanc 2013 (22$) 6
31 Forrest Chardonnay 2011 (25$) 6,5
32 Forrest Library Release Gewürztraminer 2007 (25$) 7
33 Newton Forrest Stony Corner 2010 Red (28$) 7,5
34 Forrest botrytised Riesling 2011 desert (35$) 8
(I am not sure if we went first to Spy Valley or Forrest to be 100% honest with you, reader)
7 Seresin estate, only organic wines
35 Riesling 2011 6,5
36 Sauvignon 2011 7
37 Chardonnay 2011 7,5
38 Pinot Noir 2010 6,
2 olive oils (very light, too light)
Framingham
39 Sauvignon 2013 (19.95$) 6
40 Classic Riesling 2011 (23.75$) 6,5
41 Pinot Gris 2011 (23.75$) 7,5
42 Pinot Noir 2012 (28.5$) 6
43 Montepulciano (!) (28.5$) 6,5
Huia
44 2013 Sauvignon Blanc (22$)
45 2009 Gewürztraminer (26$) 6,5
46 2009 Pinot Noir (38$) 6,5
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