Arrivals from 2019 welcome

While release dates for individual wineries can vary (with a number of 2017s and 2018s still current), more and more of the 2019s are coming to market - no suffering there for me, as it is a vintage that many New Zealand regions are delighted with.

This selection of mostly Marlborough wines reinforces that view by providing an appealing depth and ripeness of fruit that offers real immediacy - yet there’s enough gas in the tank to see these travel along for a few years yet.

 

 

2019 Scout Southern Valleys Marlborough pinot noir

Price: $36
Rating: Very good

Smoke, oak char, raspberry,
florailty. A tightly coiled
palate that isn’t really
expressing itself today, the
complexity hidden.
Aeration allows this to
open up somewhat, the
sweet core of dried
strawberry-tinged fruit
met by leaf and
savoury nuances, while
there’s a chalky grip to
the texture. May just
need some time to
unfurl.

www.scoutwines.co.nz

2019 Saint Clair James Sinclair Marlborough pinot noir

Price: $28
Rating: Excellent

Darker, slightly brooding
aspect to this, bonfire
embers, dark cherry, sweet
fruit pastilles, fragrance.
There’s a suppleness and
depth to the fruit that fills
the mouth, balanced by
juicy vibrancy, energy
and freshness, a little
chewiness adding to the
textural impact, adding a
wisp of leaf. Nice
balance and integration
yet potential too. Leaves
you salivating.

www.saintclair.co.nz

2019 Churton Marlborough pinot noir

Price: $39
Rating: Excellent to outstanding

Subtly expressed nose,
savoury notes to the fore,
attractive purity, spices and
fruit blossom, hints of
raspberry cordial with time.
Silky and rich, flooding the
mouth with fruit, mixed red
& dark berries mingling
with spice and savoury
hints and black tea. Fine
tannic structure,
crispness and
crunchiness that leaves
you salivating for more.
Lovely completeness.

www.churtonwines.co.nz

2019 Scout Omihi Waipara pinot noir

Price: $36
Rating: Excellent to
outstanding

Expressive fruit, fragrance,
wild herbs, fruit jube, flitting
between strawberry &
raspberry, fleeting savoury
notes. Juiciness on entry,
the fruit dancing in the
mouth before the tannic
structure floods in,
lending a drying aspect
to balance. Raspberry
and savoury nuances
develop. A medium-
weight style with
excellent balance and
depth of flavour.

www.scoutwines.co.nz

2019 Giesen Uncharted Marlborough pinot noir

Price: $29.99
Rating: Excellent

An intriguing fragrance
builds, tilled earth, warm
leather, smoke, mixed berry
jus. Richly mouthfilling,
nice integration, intense
dark fruits, spice and
savoury notes with
vibrancy and crispness
to the palate. Sweet fruit
notes grow with
aeration with a
blueberry, spice and
savoury-accented finish
revealing some of its
youth. Drinkability and
potential too.

www.giesen.co.nz

2019 Mahi Marlborough pinot noir

Price: $34
Rating: Very good to excellent

A wild hint, dusty/stony
minerality, wild herbs,
forest floor, savoury
nuances and darker fruits. A
tangy crunchiness to the
palate, bright acidity and a
grainy edge to the tannins
with a lip-smacking,
crunchy finish. This
speaks of potential
rather than immediacy
with a youthful
brashness. I am
probably underscoring
this, and time will be a
friend.

www.mahiwine.co.nz

2019 Jules Taylor OTQ Single Vineyard Limited Release Marlborough pinot noir

Price: $44.99
Rating: Excellent

Savoury, umami notes,
liqueur fruits, tilled earth,
bonfire embers, tobacco.
Powerful fruit backed by
powerful tannins that
seem almost monolithic
at first, but opens up
markedly with aeration.
Definitely a real impact,
statement wine with the
"oomph" factor, yet
clearly Pinot too. Crying
out for some bottle age
or decant it if opening
now.

www.julestaylor.com

2019 Hunter’s Marlborough pinot noir

Price: $24.95
Rating: Very good

Fascinating nose, sweetly
floral, hinting at violets with
boot polish and darker fruits.
Richly mouthfilling, this is a
bit of a bruiser for now, with
sweet fruits, earthy touches
and dark chocolate notes
underpinned by quite
evident tannic structure.
Shows a tangy side as it
opens up with a little
youthful rawness. Will
appeal to fans of
"bigger" pinots.

www.hunters.co.nz

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