New Zealand Wine Rocks!
Another hot day on the sunny SE side of Washington state is wearing. The forecast is continued triple digit temperatures. With weather like this my favorite go to wine is Sauvignon Blanc. New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Today, I recommend you seek refuge from the heat from a selection of refreshing New Zealand white wines: Kim Crawford Pinot Gris, Unoaked Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc. In my part of the world Kim Crawford has become synonymous with quality New Zealand wine. After enjoying these three wines I can confirm it is a well deserved reputation.
*Note: Regular readers know that in 2011 I started a New Zealand wine blog with my friend Juli Crompe, www.kiwidaydreaming.com, because of a mutual fixation with wines of New Zealand. Sadly, our New Zealand blog has lost steam, so I will post my New Zealand wine reviews to this blog. Juli is well and keeping busy. I had a pleasant visit with her earlier this year in Seattle at the Washington State Wine Awards. A visit to New Zealand is still on my list and long overdue. I'm still Kiwi Daydreaming! Mauriora! (Good Health/Cheers!)
Kim Crawford Wines
Station Road
Huapai, Auckland, New Zealand
www.kimcrawfordwines.co.nz
Tasting Notes
1. Kim Crawford 2014 Pinot Gris, Marlborough, New Zealand
Color: Pale gold.
Nose: Toast, nuts, marigold, apple, petrol.
Palate: Creamy, honey, stone fruit, edgy tingle across tongue, nutty apple on fluid finish.
At 15 minutes: Floral nose, rose and peach petals, orange blossoms, mineral note, focused. Medium body, textured, mandarin orange, super fine tannin, tingle tip of tongue, acid roof of mouth, focused to front, ripe, juicy pear, fresh finish.
At one hour: Mineral wow, floral, powdery, vanilla, pear, quite feminine. Textured, focused mid-palate, nutty, crisp, pear/apricot, tingle back-palate, with toast, honey, pear, hazelnut on finish.
Day two: Yum! Integrated, creamy, delicious, honey-pear, viscous, wonderful slide down the palate, my speed.
Thoughts: Fragrant, floral wine. Pair with salads, cheese fondue and good friends. Recommended.
Closure: Screw Cap
ABV: 13.5%
RS: 5.0g/L
SRP: $16.99
Sample provided by winery
Winemaker, Anthony Walkenhorst
2. 2014 Unoaked Chardonnay, East Coast, New Zealand
Color: Straw.
Nose: Fragrant, funk, mineral, almond shell, pear, focused.
Palate: Tasty, almost creamy, silky, nuttiness, pear, apple, textured, pie spice, medium body, fresh into the fluid medium finish. Very good.
After 15 minutes: Lovely nose, Brioche, pear, mineral, nutty, funk, hint of lemon. Appealing. Cream, pear, vanilla, hint of Meyer lemon, smooth medium body, fresh edged, focused to front, almost herbal note on medium finish. Like.
At one hour: Nutty nose, mineral, mandarin, pear. Juicy, cinnamon, pear, crisp and almost tart, action mid-palate, a lot of flavor, light nuttiness with spicy pear/apple on medium-long finish. Like.
Day two: Appealing nose, nutty, chamomile, apple skin, drink me I am Chardonnay. Rounded palate, apple, pear, mango, action back to middle of palate, fresh on edges and back of tongue, hint of lime and pineapple with light herbal touch into finish. Lovely and glass emptied quickly. Big like.
Thoughts: Character driven wine. Seafood, Lobster, crab, trout, appetizers and pork. Recommended.
Closure: Screw Cap
ABV: 13%
RS: 3.0g/L
SRP: $16.99
Sample provided by winery
Winemaker, Anthony Walkenhorst
3. 2014 Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand
Color: Shiny Straw, some effervescence.
Nose: Tropical party, papaya, mango, lime, dry grassy notes, herbal component.
Palate: Crisp, fresh, focused mid-palate, ZING, tropical, lime zest, mango, grassy note into flavorful medium-long finish. Think fish tacos and Ceviche.
After 15 minutes: Broader nose, toasted tropical, lime, mineral oil, grass. Dry on the gums, crisp on the tongue, grass, lime, hit of lemon, focused mid-palate, tingle on gums, pineapple on the medium finish.
At one hour: Appealing nose, lime, kiwi, light toast. Tropical, lime zest, bright, papaya, mid-palate focused, kiwi and lime zest into crisp finish. Like.
Day two: Tropical party on the nose, papaya, mango with hint of guava and white pepper. Wowzer, party in the mouth! Flavor everywhere, lime dominant, tropical notes, slightly grassy, sour into crisp, dry finish. Bang! Big wine.
Thoughts: Classic tropical expression of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Big hang time on the finish. Pair with foods benefiting from lime, but not spicy foods. Strongly Recommended.
Closure: Screw Cap
ABV: 12.5%
RS: 5.5g/L
SRP: $17.99
Sample provided by winery
Winemaker, Anthony Walkenhorst
Summary
Kim Crawford Wines was established in 1996 by Kim and Erica Crawford. By 2003 their Sauvignon Blanc was recognized with tremendous acclaim. Today they have become the number one New Zealand wine in the United States. In 2005 Anthony Walkenhorst joined the Kim Crawford team. It is his talent which guides the production of Kim Crawford wines. Well done Mr. Walkenhorst! Lovely wines and especially enjoyable this summer.
There's a reason I have become such a fan of New Zealand wines. Because they are so good. Kim Crawford white wines should be at everyone's table. Enjoy alone or with food, create new memories featuring a taste of New Zealand with these wines and good friends. Thank me later.
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| Vineyards in Marlborough, New Zealand. |
About New Zealand
New Zealand is divided into two main islands, North Island and South Island. New Zealand has a long 15,000-kilometre coastline which has its own unique diversity. The West Coast is rugged and untamed while the coastal highlights of the East Coast are its gentle sandy beaches and harbors dotted with islands. Straddling two tectonic plates and sitting on the Pacific Rim of Fire has resulted in geothermal areas and volcanoes, some of which are still active.
- As of 2011 there are 698 New Zealand wineries, with 33,600 hectares in wine grapes, the largest being the Marlborough region with 19,024 hectares.
- Sauvignon Blanc is the largest varietal produced, making up 50% of total production, with 16,758 hectares, followed by Pinot Noir at 14%, with 4,803 hectares planted.
- Exports by country are lead by Australia 31%, the UK 27% and the USA 21%.
- There are 8 main New Zealand wine regions: Auckland, Gisborne, Hawkes Bay, Wairarapa, Marlborough, Nelson, Canterbury, Central Otago.
- Source: New Zealand Winegrowers
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| Location of Marlborough, New Zealand. |
New Zealand Wine Resources:
- http://www.winesofnz.com/
- http://lovemarlborough.co.nz/
- http://www.wine-marlborough.co.nz/index.htm
- http://www.nzwine.com/
Mauriora! (Good Health/Cheers!)