An advocate for the region's wines(2)
Saint Clair Family Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2011 ($21.50)
Powerful varietal characters leap from the glass. The classic grass and gooseberry notes team up with some pungent savoury, sweaty notes, while soft, tropical fruitiness takes away some of the initial prickliness.
Surprisingly soft on the palate, it has a smooth blend of gooseberry, lemon and soda.
Sweet fruitiness mid-palate makes for an easy drinking wine that, although not particularly complex, is very easy to enjoy.
Nautilus Marlborough Chardonnay 2010 ($35)
The full, ripe and rounded aroma is finely detailed. Marmalade and toast, bran, biscuit and apricot mingle with some sweet floral notes.
The palate is warming, with tingling, crisp acidity, while rich, ripe and appealing flavours of cashew, marmalade, spice and apple roll across the palate.
This lively wine is youthful yet complex, with superb depth of flavour, while some lovely creamy characters are beginning to get into their stride. The finish and aftertaste are textured, rewarding and persistent.There is much to enjoy in this wine, and for those who can wait, cellaring will deliver ample rewards. Highly recommended.
Go to the cellar door or nautilusestate.com to buy.
Tohu Rore Reserve Pinot Noir 2010 ($38.95)
Deep garnet red and slightly opaque this pinot noir has an aroma that is soft and perfumed, with cherry, plum, smoky oak and blackberry pie aromas, complemented by a subtle earthiness.
The palate is silky and bursting with sweet, ripe fruitiness. Spicy with firm tannins, the taste of ripe mixed berries and marzipan is concentrated and attractive.
Some leafy forest floor notes and delicate smoky oak round out the wine, and there's a fresh and rewardingly fruity aftertaste.
It is a big, yet beautifully proportioned wine from start to finish.
