late night cocoa can do you no harm
Apologies for the break in transmission. Surprisingly this was not through a dwindling interest in writing but more that I have had to divert considerable time to other pursuits. It was an equation that sooner or later had to be reconciled: when you have so much to do with so little spare time, some routines must sooner or later be put to the side. This is not to say that I did not think about my mistress nth.
Catch-up posts are forthcoming.
In the mean time, a superb wine was imbibed this evening and another was put away in the darkest, coolest cubby in my rented home without a cellar.
The sauvignon blanc that is still dancing around on my tongue was a 2004 Dog Point from, you guessed it, Marlborough NZ. Am I allowed to argue, retrospectively, having just read the their website, that I knew - from taste - that this wine came from Ivan Sutherland and James Healy of Cloudy Bay fame? Maybe not, but it's the truth. Well, that is to say, I knew that they had moved on and started a winery, but I didn't remember the name of it when I took my first sip from the Riedel this evening.
Heritage aside - and if you don't know Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc, who the hell are you and what the fig are you doing reading this post? - this is damn fine sauvignon blanc. Herbaceous, yes. Minerally, yes. Therein you've got your archetype, but this gem has also got some very notable fruit in the form of pleasantly edible citrus. I'd go so far as to say a pinch of julienned lime leaves.
I thoroughly enjoy sauvignon blanc and moreover I love the diversity of the winemaking and results both here and over there in NZ. From the Simpson-esque dryness of a Shaw and Smith herb garden to this little darling which has elegance and youth at once, we're spoilt for wonderful choices.
The other bottle mentioned, now waiting for at least a couple of birthdays to pass, is a 2001 Wedgetail pinot noir. I've had a couple of shots at this wine in the last couple of months and I think it has to be one of the better value pinots doing the rounds at the moment. I had a 2001 this past week which, I have to say, popped my cork over the pricier Tom Boy Hill taken in at the same session, and a 2000 about 6 odd weeks ago.
The 2000 was just delectable, and the reason why I have this bottle sitting away for another time. This wine, obviously still an infant, albeit after a full night's sleep, had smooth as silk, complex fruit delivery, just a hit of astringency in the mid-palate, which is exactly where I would like to be and a finish even the Chinese dive coaches would be proud of. Altogether a very elegant pinot noir that puts to shame some charging a great deal more. Needless to say, I can't wait to see how it tastes in another couple. The only problem I face is not being able to wait.
Catch-up posts are forthcoming.
In the mean time, a superb wine was imbibed this evening and another was put away in the darkest, coolest cubby in my rented home without a cellar.
The sauvignon blanc that is still dancing around on my tongue was a 2004 Dog Point from, you guessed it, Marlborough NZ. Am I allowed to argue, retrospectively, having just read the their website, that I knew - from taste - that this wine came from Ivan Sutherland and James Healy of Cloudy Bay fame? Maybe not, but it's the truth. Well, that is to say, I knew that they had moved on and started a winery, but I didn't remember the name of it when I took my first sip from the Riedel this evening.
Heritage aside - and if you don't know Cloudy Bay sauvignon blanc, who the hell are you and what the fig are you doing reading this post? - this is damn fine sauvignon blanc. Herbaceous, yes. Minerally, yes. Therein you've got your archetype, but this gem has also got some very notable fruit in the form of pleasantly edible citrus. I'd go so far as to say a pinch of julienned lime leaves.
I thoroughly enjoy sauvignon blanc and moreover I love the diversity of the winemaking and results both here and over there in NZ. From the Simpson-esque dryness of a Shaw and Smith herb garden to this little darling which has elegance and youth at once, we're spoilt for wonderful choices.
The other bottle mentioned, now waiting for at least a couple of birthdays to pass, is a 2001 Wedgetail pinot noir. I've had a couple of shots at this wine in the last couple of months and I think it has to be one of the better value pinots doing the rounds at the moment. I had a 2001 this past week which, I have to say, popped my cork over the pricier Tom Boy Hill taken in at the same session, and a 2000 about 6 odd weeks ago.
The 2000 was just delectable, and the reason why I have this bottle sitting away for another time. This wine, obviously still an infant, albeit after a full night's sleep, had smooth as silk, complex fruit delivery, just a hit of astringency in the mid-palate, which is exactly where I would like to be and a finish even the Chinese dive coaches would be proud of. Altogether a very elegant pinot noir that puts to shame some charging a great deal more. Needless to say, I can't wait to see how it tastes in another couple. The only problem I face is not being able to wait.
posted by W at 1:08 am
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home