After returning from a hectic visit to several French wine regions, my first foray back to the tasting bench, with Mr Collins ably assisting me, had me expecting some rapier-like cut and thrust, as a group of sauvignon blancs had the welcome mat out for me.
Tasted blind, wine after wine showed the more textural side of the variety, showing a delicious interplay between the typical grassy, gooseberry elements we have all come to know well and a creamy, textural richness. A neat each-way bet here — aperitif, or with food.
Price: $21
Rating: Very good to excellent
Gunflint, baked bread and gum drops at first, with cut grass and capsicum surging into the picture. Richly textural fruit in the tropical spectrum with feijoa and guava leading the way: apple, grass, capsicumand bramble bringing up the rear. Dry, weighty and mouth-filling with a delicious juiciness.
This grows & grows in the glass.
Price: $20
Rating: Very good
Bramble, gooseberry and fruit pastilles with hints of cooked pea & asparagus. Quite linear in the mouth with a grapefruity, cut grass tartness providing a counterpoint to some noticeable sweetness.
Feels a little pared back at first but picks up weight with aeration, remaining brightly cool in style.
Price: $23
Rating: Excellent
Subtly attractive nose with apple, citrus, kiwifruit and smokiness that reminds me of Semillon. That citrus and smoke leads the way with apple and cracked pepper before the more typical gooseberry, cut grass and asparagus notes hold sway. This develops a refreshingly lip- smacking quality on the long finish. Lovely complexity.
Price: $22.90
Rating: Very good to excellent
Subtle nose of wildflowers, lemon pepper and a lime-tinged note. The palate adds gooseberry and smoke with a pepper and spice character: initially supple and vinous before the green herb zestiness and crisp acid zing floods in to take charge.
This grows into something rather lovely with persistence, grip and zing.
Price: $22
Rating: Very good to excellent
Gunflint, white flowers, red delicious apple and spice lead the way. Delightfully rich texture in the mouth, silky and velvety, creating a delicious interplay against the underlying zesty, brightness.
They’ve got the balance just right here and the wine flows on to a long, appealing finish.
www.palliser.co.nz/our-wine/pencarrow
Price: $28
Rating: Very good to excellent
Subtle yet attractive nose with hints of smoke and lime zest at first, evolving into more classic cut grass and green herbs as it opens up. The palate offers fresh green herb, apple and capsicum with a fruit sweet backdrop, framed by some nice chalky grip.
Rather stylish, with complexity and textural appeal adding to its charms.
