The new wine thread
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I bought a Tom a few years ago and enjoyed it - very Saint Julien-ish even though i think it’s mainly merlot. But, at that money (and given what I can get Bordeaux Grand Crus for here) it’s still a pretty hard road to be cost competitive internationally. It fills a great space in NZ though, and I’d buy it again if I were home or looking for a special gift for my wine snob friends.
I haven’t been able to get my hands on the others, but as I can get almost anything for reasonable money (bar premier grand cru class) it’s hard to pull the trigger anyway. As an example, I can get a first rate Super Tuscan for the same (or less money) plus almost any second through fifth class Bordeaux (some of which don’t deserve the ranking anymore, but some of which are still unbelievably good).
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@canefan said in The new wine thread:
@gt12 They do a very nice lunch at Amisfield near Arrowtown too. So many choices
Amisfield is a great spot. Lovely Pinot Noir - not cheap but really good as is the food. I don't care for their Pinot Gris, too sweet for my liking. Looked at buying a property a few years ago from Tom Tusher who owns Amisfield. Nice guy. also owns Blanket Bay Lodge which is fantastic down near Glenorchy. Was ex CEO of Levi jeans bought up large station and has been selling off sections of it. Gave heaps back as national park as well I think as part of the deal.
Back on topic -A couple of Saffa reds worth a mention that I haven't had for a while but worth getting your hands on, Meerlust rubicon and I think it was a Springfield that I had with @Billy-Webb about a decade ago but still remember it because it was really good.
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@gt12 I'm a big fan of Te Mata wines. I enjoy their more Old World style and have never been disappointed. They just do what they do incredibly well and don't compromise on quality.
Having said that I've never gone for the bigger bottles simply because they work out more expensive due to the bottle cost. Having said that I just looked and Glengarry have the Magnum on special now so it works out cheaper than 2 x 750 ml https://www.glengarrywines.co.nz/brands/te mata
You can get it even cheaper through the vineyard website but the 750 is only $115 at Moore Wilson -
With thanks to @dogmeat ive got two bottles on their way. Looking forward to it!
Had a crazy dinner (b-day) last week where they put on a wine tasting with the main course (5 full glasses of Barolo Oddero from 5 vineyards across Barolo, including a 2009 Brunate, and a 2010 Bussia riserva). They are proper money over there (by the looks), but very elegant. Amazing wine with Kagoshima wild duck. Half that price here (or less), but if you are looking to go large for Xmas I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.
2012 @ United Cellars
http://nz.unitedcellars.com/oddero-barolo-brunate-2012_2 -
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Yeah, it’s a bit sad, but the nature of the beast I guess. On the other hand, Premium NZ wines are more expensive than (some) of those bottles here in Japan, so it’s swings and roundabouts. I try to stick up on Chard farm when I’m home.
Wine really is a great hobby here, I priced all of those bottles today - all between ¥8000 and ¥14,000 - still more money than Europe, but pretty reasonable for what they are.
@Wally - that sounds awesome. I’ve been there three times (thanks work) but never during truffle season (fuck you work). We had one 2007 which was amazing.
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@tim said in The new wine thread:
Glad that this is one of the best wholesome threads on the forum.
Just goes to show, give the people what they want...
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@gt12 Coincidentally I had lunch at Church Road on Tuesday and had a bottle of Tom 2014 Syrah out on the lawn. I’m not usually a Syrah drinker in the summer but it was very good indeed. 200 notes I think.
Our local supermarket often has Coleraine.
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I’ve recently been going hard on Roero red wines, in a search for more value Nebbiolo wines. It’s amazing - I’m paying between 20-30 bucks for similar value quality from 40-50 dollar Barbarescos. Highly recommend trying it if you can find it.
I’ve also been trying out some Nerello Mascalese wines (Sicily) as these are starting to be released here as single vintages (often blended in many wines). It’s been pretty dependent on producer, but if you like big reds, it’s a fun addition to the rotation.
I also recently had an amazing orange wine from la Baronne (Languedoc) called La Grenache Gris de Jean - amazing with any kind of pork/fruit (apple, apricot) match. I’m not sure if you can get it in NZ though.