It is also worth remembering that the RRP (recommended retail price) is a very fluid, moving target. Promotional cycles and volume discounts mean that retailers will, at times, have the opportunity to sell these wines for much sharper prices, which are certainly a win for the consumer.
Mr Mac and Sarge joined me to taste these blind on a miserable, rainy morning: the wines managed to put smiles back on our faces!
Price: $25
Rating: Very good
Nicely fragrant nose, juicy, spicy, cherry notes and some oak: clearly pinot noir.
The palate leads with plum and spice, a wild herb undercurrent; the acidity well balanced. Medium weight, drinking well, and not oversweet, leading on to a long, dry finish, which develops a fresh acid zip to it as the wine breathes.
Tasty.
Price: $30
Rating: Very good
Dark fruits here, slightly brooding, building in perfume as it breathes. Cranberry and cherry over a sweet fruit underlay: rather appealing. Crisp, crunchy acidity with a lip-smacking quality. With time, notes of coffee and char come up, though the acidity does become quite marked.
Youthful style that would pair well with food.
Price: $30
Rating: Very good to excellent
Sweet-fruited nose with raspberry, spice and a hint of vanilla: hard candy with aeration. Raspberry and plum on the powerful palate; quite a mouthfilling, fruit statement with tannins underpinning it all. Develops some confectionery and Fruit Jube with aeration.
Excellent intensity and very good length. Serious wine.
Price: $23 (on special)
Rating: Excellent to outstanding
Noticeably savoury on the nose: touches of Marmite, wild herb and a light whiff of funk. Savoury notes again on the palate with ripe cherry and raspberry fruit before some dried herb kicks in. Richly fruited with well-judged tannin/acid balance.
Delightfully long finish, lots going on here, remaining juicy and very moreish.
Price: $25-$29
Rating: Good to very good
Gunsmoke, flint and charry notes, for now obscuring the fruit. Quite intense palate with sour cherry and savoury elements and hints of wild thyme. The tannins don't quite feel integrated yet, remaining slightly grippy on the close.
A sweet and sour interplay that suggests it will be a good food choice.
Price: $20 (on special)
Rating: Very good
Very youthful nose, bright fruits, char and balsam. Hints of cough medicine (in a nice way) and raspberry with the oak prominent at first. Spices, cherry and coffee notes evolve with aeration. Bracing acidity at first, but this mellows and softens.
Perhaps a bit young and raw for now, but with lots of promise.
Price: $32
Rating: Excellent to outstanding
A hint of funk, pipe tobacco, sweet cherry and raspberry. Quite powerful entry showing savoury notes with a sweet fruit backdrop. Lots of nuances and interest on the palate; good structure here with zesty acidity giving lovely lift and freshness. A long, savoury, spicy finish.
Delightful drinking.
Price: $24
Rating: Very good
A little bit of an interloper here: a blend of Marlborough and Central Otago fruit. A subtle nose at first, cherry and raspberry fleshing out with time. Clean, fruit driven, with good intensity on the palate. Tannins and acidity creep up on you leaving a nice finish with a good carry of flavour.
Good value here.
