New Zealand Wines
at Vintages

Michael Vaughan
Friday, May 23, 2008

Welcome to Friday First
Tomorrow’s May 24th Vintages release is available today (Friday, May 23) in most LCBO outlets. To make sure, I suggest call the store first and check out what you want to buy. This release has a New Zealand thematic featuring 21 items plus another 7 In-Store Discoveries. There is also a focus on Rosé featuring 14 selections. The 124-items includes 15 In-Store Discoveries, which are coded as ISD (Vintages does not permit wine writers to taste the ISD releases). Most of the wines have now been tasted for a second time. The NZ ISDs were tasted at a special media-only preview New Zealand event.

New Zealand’s Top Vintages Whites

Recommended - Best Buy
**+ (out of three stars)
Sacred Hill 2006 Barrel Fermented Chardonnay
(60095) - $20.95
Hawkes Bay, North Island
(299 Cases) (14%) [Est Win]
Bright light straw colour. Intense, very attractive, ripe lemon-melon-lime nose with some cedary and warm buttery brioche notes. Dry, well-balanced, medium bodied, slightly spicy, honeyed ripe lemon-melon-pear flavours with a long, lingering, buttery brioche finish. Barrel fermented on its lees for 12 months in French oak. At peak. Screwcap closure. Drinkability: { N S SM m }

Recommended
*+/** (out of three stars)
Lawson’s Dry Hills 2006 Gewürztraminer 2006
(60129) - $18.95
Marlborough, South Island
(199 Cases) (14.5%) [Cas Win]
Bright light yellow colour. Complex, intense, slightly spicy, honeyed, intense lychee nose with some refined candied lemon notes. Just off dry, harmonious, very spicy, medium bodied, mouthfilling, ripe lemon-melon-lychee flavours with a lingering, very spicy finish. Try with a hot spicy bowl of moules (aka mussels). Screwcap closure. Drinkability: { N S SM }

Recommended
*+/** (out of three stars)
Sileni 2007 Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc
(662882 ) - $15.95
Marlborough, South Island
(1199 Cases) (12.5%) [Max Can]
Pale straw colour. Very attractive, slightly spicy, ripe lemon nose with grassy, fresh rhubarb notes. Tangy, dry, medium to medium-light bodied, slightly spicy, gently grassy, ripe grapefruit flavours with a rhubarb-tinged finish. Screwcap closure. { N S SM }

Recommended - Best Buy
*+/** (out of three stars)
Oyster Bay 2007 Sauvignon Blanc
(VEC 316570) - $18.95
Marlborough, South Island
(13.5%) [Max Can]
Very bright light straw colour. Slightly honeyed, spicy, ripe lemon melon nose with some grassy notes. Dry, fairly rounded, bright, slightly spicy, ripe lemon-melon flavours with a long lingering finish. Screwcap closure. Drinkability:
{ N S SM }

Recommended
*+/** (out of three stars)
Kim Crawford 2007 Sauvignon Blanc
(VEC 35386) - $19.95
Marlborough, South Island
(13%) [Vin Int]
Very pale straw colour. Fairly intense, slightly spicy, attractive, honeyed ripe lemon-melon aromas with hints of rhubarb and grassiness. Dry, crisp, bright, medium to medium-light bodied, harmonious, tangy, ripe lemon-apricot-tangerine citrus flavours, faint rhubarb flavours with a lingering finish. Screwcap closure. Drinkability: { N S SM }

Michael Vaughan Insider’s Best Buy White

Think Riesling As you all know, I love the vivaciousness of a chilled glass of Riesling. It’s a classic palate-pick-me-up and goes well with ham and almost any appetizer. One of the tastiest values at the LCBO is a great New Zealand Riesling - the delicious Matua 2005 Marlborough Riesling (G27078) for $15.85 on the general list. Sadly, this extremely tasty, gently honeyed but dry, harmonious, grapefruit-melon-lime flavoured Riesling complete with mineral-tinged notes has been delisted due to not making its LCBO minimum sales quota. The price is now only $10.95 a bottle.

New Zealand’s Top Vintages Reds

Recommended
** (out of three stars)
Coopers Creek 2004 Gravels And Metals Merlot/Cabernet Franc
(56465) - $22.95
Hawkes Bay, North Island
(299 Cases of 6) (13.5%) [Nob Est]
Deep purple red colour. Dried ripe plums with some cedar-mocha notes. Firm, dry, gently extracty, medium to medium-full bodied, slightly dusty, dried plum and mocha flavours on the lingering, ripe finish. Needs times. Screwcap closure. Drinkability: { s SM M ML l }

Recommended - Best Buy
*+/** (out of three stars)
Waimea Estates 2006 Spinyback Pinot Noir
(60079) - $18.95
Nelson, South Island
(349 Cases) (13.5%) [Dio Win]
Medium deep red colour. Very spicy, juicy raspberry-cherry-plum nose. Dry, crisp, medium to medium-light bodied, very juicy, attractive, black cherry flavours with a long, tangy finish. At peak. Screwcap closure. Drinkability: { N S SM }

Recommended - Best Buy
**/**+ (out of three stars)
Nobilo 2006 Icon Pinot Noir
(66803) - $25.95
Central Otago
(249 Cases) (14%) [Chu Cel]
Fairly deep intense purple colour. Spicy, rose hip and black cherry nose with some dusty notes. Solid, dry, medium to medium-full bodied, harmonious, fairly extracty, very slightly peppery, plummy, dried red cherry flavours with a long, lingering finish. Odd shaped bottle (Bowling pin) with a very small cork closure. Drinkability: { N S SM m ml }

Recommended - Best Buy
**+ (out of three stars)
Goldridge Estate 2005 Premium Reserve Syrah
(60053) - $19.95
Matakana, North Island
(196 Cases) (13.5%) [Pre Mat]
Deep intense purple red colour. Spicy, cedary, plummy, very faintly smoky, ripe black cherry nose with just a hint of garrigue. Dry, solid, medium-full bodied, harmonious, rich and spicy with plummy, red cherry flavours and a long lingering finish. Very tasty and probably at peak. Screwcap closure. Drinkability: { N S SM m }

From Ontario

Recommended
** (out of three stars)
Cave Spring 2006 Estate Gewürztraminer
(302059) - $19.95
VQA Beamsville Bench Lively Lychees **
(83 Cases) (13%) [Cav Spr]
Light yellow colour. Fairly intense, complex, baked ripe lemon, melon and spicy lychees on the nose. Off dry, medium bodied, zesty, well structured, spicy, lychees and candied lemon peel on the palate with a lingering finish. Try with spicy Thai dishes. Drinkability:
{ N S SM m }

Coming Up

Saturday, May 31st Archibald's Fruit Wine & Food Festival
Ontario's fruit wineries will be presenting their award-winning wines with local cuisine. Participating wineries include Applewood, County Cider, Kawartha County, Moon Shadows, Muskoka Lakes, Ocala, Southbrook, Sunnybrook & Archibalds. Held at the Archibald Orchard - 6275 Liberty Street North, Bowmanville. For more information click here. Tickets are $10 in advance or $12 at the door. Call 905-263-2396 for information and tickets.

Check out the May 10th issue of Vintage Assessments and get the complete list of exactly what’s worth buying click here.

If you wish to receive the May 24th Edition of Vintage Assessments and get the complete list of exactly what’s worth buying (and avoiding) become an FBTI Supporter today and have our May 24th issue and my personal Shopping List sent to you TODAY click here