It has been a couple of months since my last ‘wine adventure in a box’ from laithwaites.co.nz arrived – and it is funny how you can just drop back into your comfort zone and drink what you always drink – when, in fact, there’s a whole world of discovery to be had out in the world of wines. I do get sent quite a bit of wine – and in the last month I’ve hosted another ‘Top 10 Tasting’ benchmarking New Zealand Syrahs; tasted through lots of new releases from wineries; and the fantastic Hawke’s Bay Annual Chardonnay Collection… but even so, I’m as guilty as anyone of falling back into a rut.
One thing that these taster boxes from Laithwaites do – and it will be the same for you as it is for me – is that they can take you out of that zone where you know what you’re getting – and you can enjoy it – but you’re not finding anything new. The first wine is a great example – would I normally reach for a Verdelho? Probably not – but you should. It is a great wine – and this Aussie version is as good as the crisp whites from the north of Spain and Portugal. Laithwaites are the longest-running wine subscription service for a reason – and in NZ they offer a money-back guarantee. Here’s what I thought of the wines…
Lake Alex Verdelho The varietal of Verdelho originates in Portugal, but was amongst the first white grapes to be planted in Langhorne Creek and still growing to this day. Naturally fertile floodplain soils and the moderating, cooling evening breezes off nearby Lake Alexandria and the Southern Ocean in summer, give great conditions for a zesty varietal like Verdelho. Very pale green-gold in the glass, with steely aromatics of grapefruit, green melon, cucumber, lemon and spice that leans toward white pepper and jalapeno. The palate is firm, precise but filled with ripe flavours. A focused core with a splash of granny smith apple, lime zest and pithy citrus. Briney acidity carries to a long dry finish. 91pts
Howard Vineyard Adelaide Hills Sparkling Pinot Noir/Chardonnay A single-vineyard wine, hailing from the ‘Beautiful Valley’ vineyard in a small town called Charleston in the Adelaide Hills. A pale straw colour with a hint of strawberry pink to the edges. Perfumed with pear, lemon curd, buttered toast, raspberry, green apple and a floral lift of rose petals. A fine mousse of bubbles entices you into the dry, vibrant palate where some crushed-shell minerality underpins the clean juiciness. The back of the palate is quite plush, with a yoghurt-like creaminess, leading to a long, zesty finish. An uncomplicated, seamless and refreshing sparkler. 88pts
Catch 22 Vineyards Barossa Valley Semillon Sauvignon Blanc A classic white blend you’ll find in Europe, and of course around the world now. The citrus and floral aromatics of the Semillon pair well with the more tropical notes of passionfruit, blackcurrant and grassy green herbals of the Sauvignon Blanc. Grapefruit, lime, ginger and some savoury sliced fennel and green olive flavours into the palate. A saline minerality and acidity gives lots of bounce and lift, before a texture that is plush and generous fills in the back of the palate. By no means just a simple dry white, this has enough layers and complexity to keep your interest right to the last drop. 91pts
Black Pig Ltd Edition Barossa Valley Grenache Rosé Rosé is one of those wines that tends to be bought on colour – this pale salmon pink example is right on trend for increasingly light-toned coppery hues in rosé. Elegant and dry, with redcurrant, rosehip and raspberry flavours – bigger than the colour might suggest, and with a pulse of refreshing acidity keeping those juices flowing. Fleshy and succulent but deftly dry and with a tart nip of fruit tannin – like the skin of a red apple. Dry rosés can make excellent food-matching wines, and I’d see this brightening a lunchtime table this winter. 88pts
RedHeads 1888 Barossa Valley Shiraz There’s a reason that Barossa is regarded as the epicentre of Shiraz – wines from here have that trick of delivering just what you expect – and often with a little more (as is the case here!) Dark and intense in the glass and on the nose. Blackberry, mint, plum, green capsicum, mulberry and liquorice aromas lead to a spicy palate where cedary oak and grippy tannin gives a spine to the juicy fruits. Look for layers of dark cacao, black pepper, vanilla and cinnamon as you go. A plush, velvet texture and a balanced finish with decent length – a cracking winter warmer. 90pts
Cabalie 2021 Increasingly today, Grenache based wines seem to be split into two camps. There are the lighter, crunchy, chillable versions; and then there are the big, rich ripe ones with more concentration and plushness. Both show the distinctive raspberry fruits – as does this wine from the picturesque landscape of the Languedoc region in the South of France. The Cabalie is a blend of Grenache, herby Syrah, and spicy Carignan grapes from old vines (most over 50 years old). Revelling in a succulent depth of dark cherry, toasted spices, liquorice and berry coulis; it is (for me) holding a touch too much sweetness – but I expect it to find plenty of fans of its smooth, jammy style. 86pts
Get online at www.laithwaites.co.nz – you’ll find pages where I recommend dozens of other wines from this great supplier.
