It has been a while since I left the shores of New Zealand for a lengthy trip overseas, but I spent six weeks away in Europe recently – returning home to a treat of a box of mixed wines to try from Laithwaites. I’m splitting the ‘Return to NZ’ wines into two articles for ease of digestion – not that you’ll have any trouble with sipping your way through this collection if you follow my review and dive into this broad selection yourself.
Travelling through foreign lands gives you the opportunity to try new food sensations. Although I’m not sure that Mrs WB shares my enthusiasm for the tripe and calf’s head concoctions that I had on my plate in France and Tuscany. The Laithwaites money-back guarantee is in place if you don’t find my tastes match yours – flavour is a very personal thing! And you don’t have to leave your own armchair to give this medley from across the globe a test run.
Sendero de Campos Albariño 2021
Albariño’s star continues to rise. Finding its home on the Iberian peninsula, the creator of this wine, Juan Antonio Leza, has taken grapes from both northern Spain and Portugal to craft this wine. A very pale lemon-green colour, with signature zesty intensity to the perfume that is so characteristic of the varietal. Something like crushed shell shows in a minerality through the palate, bolstered by that backbone of crisp citrus. The finish is a little broader, with nectarine and herbal notes widening the range and rounding out the length. 90pts
Marauding Vintners Miss Grigio Pinot Grigio 2023
Packed with crisp, bountiful flavours of pear, brioche, ginger, lychee, grapefruit and honeysuckle. I’d served this well chilled as an aperitif. The palate has great flow from the bright acidity, and there is a flow from that steely green entry, into warmer, baking spice and breadcrumb notes as the wine evolves. I also liked the way that the texture gradually encircled all the fruit, giving a smooth, elegant finish. A great food wine – at any time of year. 88pts
Spier Cabernet Sauvignon/Shiraz 2021
Spier Estate is South Africa’s oldest wine estate – founded in 1692. It is a property I visited over twenty years ago, tasting their wines amongst the farm’s heritage Cape Dutch buildings. A dense ruby-black colour in the glass, with scents of plush bramble, dark cherry, blackcurrant and boysenberry fruit. A little mocha and toasted spice on the nose too. Very smooth and ripe into the palate – this cries out for a thick steak off the BBQ. The texture is velvet, with supple tannin adding grip and structure to the mouthfeel. A long, sweetening finish. 90pts
Lobo e Falcao 2023
Quinto do Casal Branco produces Lobo e Falcao (it translates as Wolf and Falcon) from a historical property that sits just north of Lisbon in Portugal. A brooding and inky dark colour in the glass. The perfume shows blueberry, plum, liquorice, crushed green herbs, raspberry and a smoky tar note. Less weight than the colour and scent suggests with a medium-bodied palate. Tannin leads the way, with a supple, chalky core. The herbal element develops more, heading to a prickle of medicinal, eucalypt notes. A lingering persistence and ripeness to the finish. 89pts
Vinha do Fava Touriga Nacional 2022
Portugal is regarded as hot property for winemaking right now, and this bold wine is showcasing the favourite red varietal of the country. Touriga Nacional grapes are also being looked at as options down in our part of the world. The perfume here has a wonderful smoky quality, as well as bags of spice to sit alongside some dark red berry flavours showing ample ripeness. A touch of sweetness is normal for the region, and may at first seem unusual to NZ tastebuds, but suits the style. As there is a dusting of tannin to offset the lush fruit, I’d be having this with some tapas, antipasto and charcuterie at the start of the evening. 89pts
Oxenberry Pedler Creek McLaren Vale Shiraz
South Australia is regarded as being the birthplace of wine in Australia. The vineyards at Oxenberry are in the heart of McLaren Vale on the site of the region’s first settlers from 1839. Effusive blackberry, plum, redcurrant, liquorice, chocolate and cherry jam aromas rise from the glass, increasing with aeration. Robustly full-bodied, there is an attention-grabbing frame of spicy, toasted oak to the fleshy fruit. Tannin is soft and well aligned with the acidity, juice and oak spice. Well-composed and offering a classic example of this big South Aussie style. 90pts
Boscwood Petit Verdot/Shiraz 2022
It isn’t often that you’ll stumble across a blend that is Petit Verdot-dominant. A late-ripening varietal that adds tannin and depth of colour to many Bordeaux blends; this South Australian wine has the signature density of near-black purple colour in the glass. Boysenberry, damson, bay leaf, cacao, cherry and mint on the nose. A balance of silky texture and ripe fruit, with a vibrancy and energy giving direction and length to the palate. Dark in appearance, but with a lightness of touch and plenty of juicy appeal. 92pts
