Chardonnay, Central Otago Pinot Noir and Australia Shiraz
(Jan 2005 - Simon Zhou)

Villa Maria Cellar Selection Marlborough Chardonnay 2002
The wine is yellow gold in colour with oily and oaky nose. I picked up a hint of VA. It is showing its age and seems a bit flat. Over all an uninteresting wine, should have been consumed 2 years ago. $NZD19.95 (1.5)

White Rock Wild Ferment Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2004
White Rock is Craggy Range's second label. This wine is a new release from them. The nose is shy with only a hint of nectarine and white peach. The palate is soft with some good acidity to finish. It is pleasant with some charm. $NZD19.95 (2)

Kumeu River Pinot Gris 2004
Refreshing fruit salad on the nose with firm mouth watering acidity. Rich palate with a touch of RS (7.5G/L). It seems to have an extra layer of flavour with relatively full body. Quite a nice summer wine with white peach finish. $NZD27.95 (2.5)

Chanson Meursault 2001
Chanson is a fine, rather old-fashioned negociant in Beaune. It was brought by Bollinger in 1990, the quality has improved since. This wine is golden in colour with manuka honey and biscuit on the nose. It is rather oxidative in style. Very different from all of the NZ chardonnay, it is rich with mineral and toast. The palate is very dry with generous amount of fruit. Hazel nut finish with some good intensity. The honey on the nose leads to no sweetness on the palate but a rather long and rich finish. Good to drink now and will hold for a couple of years. $NZD57.95 (4)

Jim Barry the Lodge Hill Clare Valley Riesling 2003
The nose screamed at me with the hallmarks of Australian Riesling. Karo, lime, lemmon and a touch of honey. The wine is bone dry with no lacking of fruit, very true to the Clare Valley style. $NZD19.95 (3)

Chard Farm Finla Mor Central Otago Pinot Noir 2002
The nose is typical pinot with cherry and red current. The nose also reveal some smart use of oak. The palate however lacks a bit of depth with good, savoury ripe fruit. Good acidity and slightly tough tannin on the finish. $NZD36 (3)

Olssens Slapjack Creek Central Otago Pinot Noir 2002
Much darker in colour compare to the Chard Farm, ripe, dense fruit with vanilla oak. The wine tasted very ripe with chocolate-coated cherry fruit and mouth coating soft tannin. Lush and full on the finish with hints of mushroom and earth. $NZD58.95 (3.5+)

Beresford Highwood Shiraz 2002
Very dark in colour with purple rim, the wine is ripe with masses of dark berry fruit, I detect some over ripe fruit with hot finish. Good amount of tannin and heavy use of oak. $NZD16.95 (2)

Fox Creek Shadow's Run Shiraz/Cabernet 2002
This is a big, bold wine with lots of everything. Huge amount of sweet fruit on the entry with chocolate plum and black current jam. Toasty oak with high ALC. Hot on the finish with thick mouth coating tannin. $NZD18.95 (2.5)

Peter Lehmann Mentor 2000
The Mentor is Peter Lehmann's top Cabernet sauvignon based wine. The 2000 version contains 80% Cabernet and 20% Malbec/Merlot. On the Nose, it is distinctively Australian Cabernet with ripe capsicum and hints of mint. After a few minutes in the glass, it reveals some smart oak and aniseed. It is extremely sweet and concentrated on the palate with ripe jammy fruit. At this stage this is a massive wine with huge tannin structure and fruit, well-made but not really my style. $NZD52.95 (3+)

Willows Barossa Shiraz 2002
Almost black in colour, the nose is shy and the palate is sweet. Again a big wine with loads of fruit, tannin and Alc. It is super charged without the intergration of components. $NZD31.95 (3)

Tim Gramp Shiraz 2002
This one is from McLaren Vale, it was the Champion wine of the show - Australian Small Winemaker's Award. Very south Australian in style with masses amount fruit and Alc. Although jammy, it is a bit more balanced. Rich and I picked up mint chocolate and espresso. Firm acidity keeps the wine fresh. $NZD34.95 (3.5+)