When one thinks of wine from New Zealand, sauvignon blanc is typically the first wine that comes to mind.  I’ll raise my hand and say that I too am guilty of ignoring New Zealand wines, other than sauvignon blanc.  But there’s no reason for this.  They produce plenty of other great wines.  But I guess the sauvignon blanc is just so tasty that it overshadows the others.  Well, I have to tell you, if I keep tasting pinot noir like this out of New Zealand the sauvignon blanc will be the one in the shadows.

The Stoneleigh pinot noir comes from vineyards in the northern side of the Wairau valley in the Marlborough wine region of New Zealand.  The area where this wine is produced is covered with smooth stones, which the producers call “sunstones.”  These stones reflect the sun’s heat onto the grapes, which is said to help ripening.

The wine was matured in French barriques, which add a nice spicy characteristic to the wine.

I really dig this pinot noir.  The nose is beautiful, with a lot of spice which I would describe as a combination of nutmeg and rose petals.  It also has plenty of cherry and rasperry on the nose.  The palate is really nice too, with plenty of cherry and raspberry flavors, a bit of spice, good acidity and a nice mouth feel.  But best of all this wine has drikability, which is arguably the most important quality for a wine to have.

Wine: Stoneleigh
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 14%
Rating: 87
Price:  $15.00

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Want another opinion?  Here’s what some other folks thought of the 2009 Stoneleigh pinot noir:

• Beau’s Barrel Room
• Craig’s Grape Adventure
• The Wine Marquis
• UnScrewed

Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

I have to admit that while I’ve tasted a lot of pinot noir, I haven’t tasted much from New Zealand.  It’s not that I have anything against the region, I just haven’t come across a lot of NZ pinot noir at tastings I’ve attended.  And it’s unfortunate that I haven’t had much, as New Zealand is known to create some intriguing wines from this grape.

There are numerous variations in climate and soils throughout New Zealand, which result in varying characteristics in the pinot noir produced there.  Some of the most highly acclaimed come from the Martinborough region, where loam over gravel soils produce pinot noir with concentrated plum flavors.

But this Dashwood pinot noir comes from the Marlborough region, known for producing fruit-filled pinot noir with loads of cherry and plum flavors.  The cool conditions in this area are perfect for pinot noir.

This is a nice, light colored pinot noir with intense aromatics.  It’s a little bit spicy on the nose with plenty of cherry and raspberry aromas complementing that spice.  There’s a hint of grilled meat and leather on the nose too.  Soft cherry flavors make up the bulk of the palate, and while it’s relatively simple it’s also very enjoyable.  There is a spice note that hits the mid palate and adds some interest.  The acidity is nearly perfect.  The finish brings a cranberry flavor, which dissapates quickly making for a relatively short finish. Nonetheless, I’m not disappointed in this wine.  For the price, this is a very nice—and recommended—pinot noir.

Wine: Dashwood
Variety: Pinot Noir
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 86
Price: $13.99

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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

This is going to be a quick, to-the-point review.

It’s another Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand, and this is from the Dashwood brand. I know some folks in the wine world don’t like to use the word, “brand” but that’s what it is. Anyway, Dashwood is produced by Vavasour — which, as I mentioned in another recent review, is owned by Foley Family Wines from Sonoma.

While this is still characteristically proper for a sauvignon blanc, it’s not nearly as grassy or grapefruity as I’d expect from New Zealand. The nose has a fairly powerful mineral quality, as well as melon, citrus and nettle. The palate brings a lot more citrus than the aromas would lead you to believe. It has flavors of grapefruit, melon and green apple, with good concentration. The acidity is just right.

Although it’s a slightly different than I’d expect from New Zealand, it’s still a nice sauvignon blanc.

Wine: Dashwood
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 87
Price: $10.99

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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

Tonight we’re checking out another sauvignon blanc from New Zealand, and this one comes from a box.  Not a boxy box, but an octagon-shaped box from Octavin.  These boxes hold 3 liters of wine, which is the equivalent of four 750ML bottles.  For me, there are pros and cons of boxed wines.  The cons include the fact that you don’t get to go through the ritual of pulling a cork.  Enjoying wine can be experiential and pulling a cork is part of the experience.  But the pros for boxed wine include the fact that you don’t have to open bottles as often, after all there are four bottles worth in here.  And bag-in-box wine stays fresh much longer than wine in bottles.  You can work on one box for a month or longer and it will still be good, while wine in a bottle goes bad within a couple days of opening.

This Silver Birch sauvignon blanc is from Marlborough, which is located at the northern tip of the southern island of New Zealand.  This is the largest wine district in New Zealand and is well known for its sauvignon blanc.  In fact, New Zealand is known more for sauvignon blanc than any other type of wine, with more hectares of sauvignon blanc grapes planted than all other varieties combined.

The nose is a little bit tight on this sauvignon blanc — that is to say there’s not a lot of intensity to the aromas. Melon is the most prominent aroma, with green apple and and mango wafting underneath it.  In the mouth, the acidity gives it life and flavors of melon soaked in lime juice.  The finish is medium in length and tastes like green apples.  There’s not a lot of intensity or concentration to this wine, but it’s passable as a subtle sauvignon blanc.

Wine: Silver Birch
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2009
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 83
Price: $23.99 for 3 liters

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Here’s what others thought of the this wine:

• Denver Examiner
• Why Wine Blog
• Wine for Normal People

Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

If there’s one type of wine that New Zealand is best known for, it’s sauvignon blanc.  The reason for this is the intense tropical and citrus flavors typically found in their sauvignon blanc.  And this one from Goldwater is a beautiful example of what you can expect from this region.

Goldwater Estate was established in 1978 by Kim and Jeanette Goldwater and merged with Vavasour in 2006, under the ownership of the New Zealand Wine Fund.  Then, in 2009, the New Zealand Wine Fund was sold to Foley Family Wines from Sonoma.  It’s amazing when you dig into the mergers and acquisitions in the wine world, you’ll find that many wines you see on the shelves are related.

This particular wine is not only from the Marlborough region in New Zealand, but more specifically is 100% from Wairau Valley.

It doesn’t get anymore grapefruit-y than this sauvignon blanc.  On the nose, the aromas are grapefruit, papaya, a subtle cut grass and mineral.  The flavors explode with fresh, white grapefruit and a bit of melon.  Imagine peeling a fresh, ripe grapefruit and eating a piece of it and that’s the primary flavor.  The acidity is outstanding, making this crisp and refreshing.  The finish is incredibly long and shows grapefruit flavors at first, but evolves into tangerine.  If you enjoy sauvignon blanc with a strong grapefruit characteristic, this is a great choice.  This one gets a solid 90 points.

Wine: Goldwater
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 90
Price: $14.99

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Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

Although I often say that Chilean sauvignon blanc is my favorite, New Zealand is right up there too.  And, to cut to the chase, this Brancott sauvignon blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand totally kicks ass.

Those who know me, know that I’m always critical of myself.  I constantly question my performance at work, play, or whatever I do, which motivates me to study more, practice more and employ rigorous processes around everything that I do.  Some might consider this to be neurotic, but knowing about the Dunning-Kruger effect, I consider self doubt to be a good thing.

I mention all that to say that my self doubt also comes into play when I’m reviewing wines.  I spend a good 15-20 minutes per wine when I’m taking tasting notes to be sure that I’m doing justice to the wines.  And when I taste a really good or really bad one, I come back to try it again later to make sure that I wasn’t just having a fluke moment with my palate.  Yet, with all this self doubt I do have some validating moments that reassure me that I’m doing things right — or at least consistent with others — and reviewing this wine was one of those moments.

I first tasted this wine as a part of a blind tasting and it instantly stood out to me as an outstanding wine.  I ended up giving it 91 points. I shared it with some colleagues the next day, along with a few other wines, and I told them that this one was exceptional.  I didn’t even realize until a few moments ago, when I sat down to write up this post, that this wine was #28 on Wine Spectator’s top 100 list from last year.  They gave it a 92.  I’m glad to see that we’re aligned on this one and it does give me some validation to see that my rating is pretty consistent with one of the established “authorities” on wine.

The price of this wine might be toward the top end of the price range for bargain hunters, but it might be worth a few extra bucks if you’re into sauvignon blanc.

This wine screams “New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc” with intense grassy and tropical fruit aromas.  The acidity is outstanding, giving this wine a brightness on the tongue.  I know that may sound weird, but it’s the best way to describe it.  Pineapple, grapefruit, mango and melon flavors explode in your mouth and last for minutes on the finish.  The intensity and concentration from this wine is incredible.  This is an exceptional sauvignon blanc.

Wine: Brancott Reserve
Variety: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 13.5%
Rating: 91
Price: $19.00

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Here’s what others thought of the this wine:

• From the Gutt
• Canadian Wine Guy
• Gabe’s View

Disclosure: This wine was received as a sample.

Although New Zealand and Oyster Bay are both best known for Sauvignon Blanc, it’s the Oyster Bay Merlot that has captured my attention.  I first tasted this Merlot at the first ever North American Wine Blogger’s Conference last October.  At that conference there was an open tasting of 100 wines from New Zealand.  Most of the wines were Sauvignon Blanc, but there were a few red wines in the mix.  I tried this Merlot from Oyster Bay and it instantly had a “wow factor” for me.  I had been tasting grassy Sauvignon Blanc prior to this one, so I wasn’t sure if the wine truly was as good as I thought or if my senses had become tainted by all the other wines.  So… I took note of the wine and planned to pick some up to taste later.

When I returned from the conference I set out to find a bottle of this Oyster Bay Merlot and sure enough, I couldn’t find it anywhere.  Isn’t that always the case when you know of a specific wine and you set out to find it?  I stopped in several of my favorite wine shops and had no luck.  I had given up on finding this wine, when one day I was casually strolling through the wine section at a Kroger grocery store and bam! there it was.  Finally, I can check this thing out with a formal review.

The Oyster Bay brand was created by Delegat’s Wine Estate in 1990 and has gotten numerous accolades over the years.  They are best known for their white wines from Marlborough, but also have some vineyards in Hawkes Bay, where this Merlot is produced.  Hawkes Bay is the second largest wine growing region in NZ and the top producer of red wines in the country.

This is one of the most interesting Merlots I’ve tasted in some time.  There’s a lot going on in this wine.  The nose is filled with herbal, floral and fruit aromas.  Raspberry, violets, sage and spice blend together in a dirty perfume that will have you smelling the wine over and over because it’s just wonderful.  The palate is filled with ripe raspberry and cherry flavors along with a hint of licorice that leads into a relatively long finish.  The tannins are just right.  To me, this is a very good Merlot with a lot of character—but it may not be for everyone.  Some may find this too dirty for their tastes, but I’d suggest giving it a try to find out how you like it.

Wine: Oyster Bay
Variety: Merlot
Vintage: 2006
Alcohol: 13%
Rating: 89
Price: $14.99

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We head back to New Zealand today to try another Sauvignon Blanc.  As I’ve previously mentioned, New Zealand has a reputation for good Sauvignon Blanc and this one lives up to the reputation.

The seeds of Nobilo as a winery began when Nikola Nobilo immigrated from Croatia to New Zealand in 1937 in anticipation of World War II.  The Nobilo family had been producing wines in Croatia for some 300 years and Nikola continued the tradition in New Zealand.  The Nobilo winery was acquired by BRL Hardy in 2000, which was then acquired by the wine and spirits giant Constellation Brands in 2003.  Nikola Nobilo continued to produce wines for the company after the acquisition by Constellation, but he passed away in 2007 at the age of 94.

Nobilo produces wine from many regions in New Zealand, but this Sauvignon Blanc comes from  Marlborough—reputed as the most desirable region in New Zealand for Sauvignon Blanc.  After tasting this wine, I can understand why.

The intensity in the nose is good and it is a highly tropical Sauvignon Blanc.  Pineapple, honey, melon, pear and a hint of flint give this wine a wonderful bouquet. When I first opened the bottle, it didn’t have the vegetal characteristic that many SBs from New Zealand have, but after it opened up a distinct green pepper aroma came to the surface. The palate is flavorful, well balanced and just as exciting as the nose.  It has lemon, pear, melon, apple and mineral flavors.  The finish is fairly long and enjoyable.  All told, this is a great Sauvignon Blanc at a decent price.

Wine: Nobilo
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2008
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 90
Price: $11.99

Tonight we’re back to another Sauvignon Blanc, this one from the Marlborough region in New Zealand (as you might have guessed from the title.)  This bottle comes from Brancott, a producer with wines from all parts of New Zealand.  I’ve previously reviewed the Brancott Unoaked Chardonnay from the Gisborne region of New Zealand and I liked it quite a bit.

I simply couldn’t taste a series of Sauvignon Blancs without including at least one from New Zealand, after all the Marlborough wine region is really known for this variety more than any other.  About 65% of the grapes grown in Marlborough are Sauvignon Blanc.  The sunny and dry, yet relatively cool growing conditions and soils with low fertility have a reputation for producing Sauvignon Blanc with particularly unique and intense characteristics.

Sauvignon Blanc from this region is often known to have a grassy character and this is no exception to that rule.  The nose is primarily cut grass and mineral aromas, with some grapefruit and mango beneath it.  The palate has strong mineral characteristics, mango and high acidity.  The finish is medium in length and doesn’t bring any real additional complexity.  This is a decent Sauvignon Blanc, but doesn’t knock my socks off.

Wine: Brancott
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
Vintage: 2007
Alcohol: 12.5%
Rating: 86
Price: $11.99

Today marks Wine Blogging Wednesday #36, and the theme is Naked Chardonnay.  That’s defined as any chardonnay that has never touched oak.  These are also typically chardonnays that haven’t gone through malolactic fermentation.  Malolactic fermentation is a process that converts malic acid to lactic acid which will reduce the overall acidity and gives typical chardonnays their buttery characteristic.

Naked Chardonnays are more fruity and acidic than their oaked counterparts.  The ones I tried all presented a variety of fruit and crisp acidity.  I did keep all of my clothes on throughout tasting these, although I was tempted to strip — particularly after I’d had a few.

For my contribution, I tasted five different unoaked chardonnays from around the globe.  I had a difficult time finding unoaked chardonnay for under $10, but I was able to find three at $9.99 and bought two more at $11.99 & $12.99 for comparison.  And to make it even more interesting, the five I tasted are from around the globe.

Here are my selections:

The good news is that there were no total duds.  They were all enjoyable to some extent, but some were better than others.

For something new this month, I took all the bottles outside for a photo-shoot amongst my Chardonnel grape vines.  If you haven’t heard of Chardonnel, it’s a grape variety that was created by Michigan State University, Cornell University and Tabor Hill Winery in Buchanan, Michigan.  It is a hybrid between Chardonnay and Ceval Blanc.  I have some vines growning in my backyard but have yet to produce enough to make any wine… but I am feeding the birds with them. 

Now, let’s get on to the results!

Top Choice

This is actually a tough call with the numbers coming in so close.  I actually ended up with an 86, 87, 88 and an 89 and I wasn’t even comparing the numbers to rank them, it just came out that way.  There are some characteristics I like about a couple of these despite not getting the top numbers.  However, by the numbers the 2005 Monjardin “El Cerezo” from the Navarra region of Spain gets top honors with 89 points.

The Monjardin has a nice crisp acidity, but is still well balanced. The dominant flavors are pear, mineral and lime.  It has a medium long finish.  This is a very enjoyable chardonnay for $11.99.

Best Value Picks

I’m calling a tie on the best value pick.  Brampton from South Africa and Gisborne from New Zealand are both excellent choices and are both priced at $9.99.

Brampton Unoaked Chardonnay 2006 is produced by Rustenberg Wines in coastal South Africa.  It is nice and light with apple, peach, pear and mineral flavors – subtle, but a good bit of complexity.  I was particularly surprised by its exceptionally long finish.  This is a nice unoaked chardonnay, although it’s not terribly exciting.  It’s very refreshing and simple.  I gave it 88 points.

Brancott Gisborne Unoaked Chardonnay 2005 comes from Brancott Vineyards in New Zealand.  A tropical twist is what I really enjoyed about this wine.  It has a unique pineapple flavor, complimented by a touch of pear.  The acidity is crisp and it has a relatively long finish.  There is a slight bitterness to the finish, but it’s not bad.  I did a write up on this wine last week that included recipes from the awesome dinner I enjoyed with this wine:  Citrus Marinated Tilapia and Cauliflower Asparagus Salad. 

The numbers on the Gisborne added up to a rating of 87 points, but I still call it a tie with the Brampton because I enjoyed the pineapple characteristics so much.

Worth Mentioning

Razor’s Edge Unwooded Chardonnay 2006 is definitely a good chardonnay.  At $12.99 it was the most expensive one I purchased but it wasn’t my favorite.  It comes from South Australia via Joshua Tree Imports.  It has citrus, mineral and green apple flavors up front.  One thing I find really interesting in this chardonnay is that it has a touch of Golden Delicious apple that sneaks up on you late in the finish.  Just when you think it done, BAM! there’s a little Golden Delicious for you.  Other than that, it was a fairly simple chardonnay and not worth the extra couple dollars compared to the other options.  I gave it 87 points.

Three Thieves Unoaked Chardonnay 2005 is the only California chardonnay I tried for this event.  It was also the least expensive at $9.99 for a full liter.  Although it was the least expensive, I didn’t pick it as a best value because I felt the two I did pick were that much better. 

Three Thieves wines come in a fun little jug.  It looks similar to the jugs you might buy really cheap wine in, but smaller.  They’ve gotten some decent reviews on their other wines, but I haven’t seen any reviews of the chardonnay (until now).  I honestly didn’t expect much from this one but it was better than I expected.  The nose is not far from what you would expect in a chardonnay, but it is a little tart – as is the palate.  The only real dissernable fruit is apples, but they are green apples… a little too green.  Three thieves chardonnay is drinkable, but it will make you pucker.  84 points.