Walnut Block . . . my favourite label design so far this
year.
It's been a long lay-off; too long. but needless to say
it hasn't been wasted, much research having been, reluctantly I
might add, undertaken in the interim.
I can barely think back to January and the consumption it
demanded, though I do have faint recollections of its
winter-like presence demanding soup and red wine.
Thank heavens, then, for February and a bit of summer and a
thirst for some chilled whites.
Foremost among these have been a number of sauvignons which,
in my opinion, come into their own when the sun come out and
you can sit on the deck in a t-shirt, or on the grass in the
backyard without getting a wet bum.
The list, by no means exhaustive, begins during the
pre-Christmas bonanza during which retailers were falling
over themselves to give away sauvignon blanc.
One of the best deals to be had then was Montana Sauvignon
Blanc 2009 at $8.99 at Countdown - an absolute steal,
incidentally almost matched only last week by New World, at
$9.99.
This is the bog-standard savvy, not the reserve, and normally
retails for a good few dollars more, perhaps round the
$14-$17 mark.
A wine to drink now, this one is a cracker and gives nothing
away to wines at three times the price; you don't have to
believe the pundits at a well-known NZ foodie magazine to
appreciate you are quaffing a five-star wine: just screw the
top off and get a whiff of those fresh, pungent limey,
gooseberryish, greenish aromas.
And it doesn't disappoint in the mouth either.
OK, it doesn't have a lot of depth, but who wants War and
Peace at every sitting - especially when the sun is out.
Wild South has been on the drinks list too, and its 2009
sauvignon blanc cuts quite a dash, losing little in
comparison to the Montana.
It'll cost a bit more (RRP $18.50) but elegant and fresh is
unlikely to disappoint.
Likewise the Spy Valley 2009 Sauvignon Blanc - whatever you
might feel about the Waihopai court case being heard in
Wellington, this one is also a pleasant drop.
Given the standard fermentation in stainless steel tanks, it
is left to rest on yeast lees for several months before
bottling; this helps to give it a softer, slightly more
restrained and possibly a little additional complexity
without losing much of the traditional Marlborough savvy
ebullience and clean acidic finish.
Good value at $16.99 online (www.spyvalleywine.co.nz).
Going up a little in price and definitely possessing my
favourite label design so far this year are a couple wines
from the Walnut Block range: Walnut Block Single Vineyard
Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (RRP $22); and Walnut Block
"Collectables" Sauvignon Blanc 2009 (RRP $18).
These are "handcrafted" wines, and according to the blurb,
100% handpicked, whole-bunch pressed, 25% wild fermented with
four months on lees.
Again there's the fresh gooseberryish, melony-limey flavour,
hints of minerality and a soupcon of creamy softness from the
lees.
Worth looking out for, and if you happen to be a stamp
collector, you should try the "collectables" on the strength
of nostalgia hit in the label alone.
On reflection, that may be a bit of a backhanded compliment:
the wine certainly hold its own against the others mentioned
here, and according to subjective taste, may prove to one of
the season's hits (www.walnutblock.co.nz).
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