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For Your Pleasure
"For your pleasure
In our present state
Part false part true
Like anything
We present ourselvesThe words we use tumble
All over your shoulder
Gravel hard and looseThere all night lying
With your dark horse hiding
Abhorring such extremes" - Bryan FerryCategories
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Category Archives: Central Otago
2012 Toi Toi Clutha Pinot Noir
Not much to say about this one except it’s best avoided. People will probably buy it because it’s from Central Otago, under $20 and has an authentic kind of name. Authenticity – so easily manufactured. From the website: “Here at … Continue reading
2012 Le Chat Noir Aude Valley Rosé
A smart Rosé made entirely from Syrah grapes. Has texture care of lees and malolactic fermentation. Not shy on flavour either. Pale in the glass. Strawberries dusted lightly with icing sugar, a little earth and some spice. Soft in the … Continue reading
2011 Shaky Bridge Pioneer Series Pinot Gris
No mistaking this as anything but a Pinot Gris. It’s varietally emphatic but perhaps just a bit too ‘colour by numbers’. Poached pear, lemon sherbet and stonefruits with a shake of spice. There’s a fair amount of body, not much detail, friendly … Continue reading
2011 Shaky Bridge Pioneer Series Gewürztraminer
A New Zealand producer I’m unfamiliar with. I’ve got Central Otago Pinot Noirs and a Gris still to taste but this Gewürztraminer is a positive introduction. Varietal and textural with very well pitched residual sugar. Not too sweet, just noticeable. … Continue reading
2010 Mt. Difficulty Pinot Noir
Grapes were sourced from the Bannockburn subregion of Central Otago. And make no mistake, it’s Central Otago to its core. A relatively warm year has produced a wine of great typicité; rich fruits, dramatic wild herb aromas and some flesh … Continue reading
2010 Waipara Hills Central Otago Pinot Noir
Solid, regional fare from the Waipara Hills winery here. It’s not particularly exciting but you’d be hard pressed to pick it as anything other than Central Otago Pinot. Decent commercially styled quaffing from the Bendigo subregion. Plums and black cherries, spice and … Continue reading
2010 Mudhouse Pinot Noir
The standard Pinot Noir from Mudhouse offers greater simplicity and approachability when compared to its single vineyard sibling. It’s a nice wine nonetheless and I suspect its appeal will be wide-ranging. The focus is on clean, sweet fruit. Juicy cherry cola dominates … Continue reading
2010 Mudhouse Golden Terraces Vineyard Pinot Noir
Up until I now I’ve tended to think of Mudhouse as a producer of solid commercial wines in the premium price bracket. This Central Otago Pinot, though, is of far more interest and value. There’s plenty of savoury and spicy nuance … Continue reading
2009 Waipara Hills Central Otago Pinot Noir
New Zealand, Central Otago 14.0% Screwcap $29.90 Central Otago Pinot can be on the expensive side and, to be honest, I’m more of a Martinborough man myself but this offering from Waipara Hills is worth a look. It’s glossy but quite regional. … Continue reading