3 Cloudy Bays+1 Red...

[Skeeter]

Hey, long time, no post. I've been re-visiting some old friends, notably the '03 Cape Campbell SB and the '97 Peter Lehmann Noble Semmilon... plus a bottle of the father-in-laws home-made merlot. ("Jims' Merlot 2001"?) But here's a couple of notes from a Case Club tasting today.

Cloudy Bay 2002 Chardonnay: The first Cloudy Bay wine I've tried, as it tends to vanish into the carry-on luggage of American tourists pretty smartly these days. Fresh, fruit-driven, perfectly balanced and a joy to sample. Typical, distinctive chardonnay aromas, subtle oak, smooth buttery overtones and a long finish. I guess the reputation is well-deserved, then. NZ$38-ish. (Getting up there for my financial situation, but a pretty fair price, methinks.) Will probably cellar beautifully.

Cloudy Bay 1998 Chardonnay: Tasted from a magnum. Lots of tingly acidity means this sucker could probably go at least ten years. MUCH differnt nose than the '02, with one of the staff comparing it to "sherbert". I was a little undecided on this one, but would like to try it again in a few years... I think its true nature is still a year or two off. Then again, I wouldn't refuse a bottle if you offered it to me tomorrow, either. [img]http://wines.com/ubb2/smile.gif[/img]

Cloudy Bay 2002 Pinot Noir: Nice light cherry in the glass, smooth, elegant and balanced on the tongue. Soft tannins, very drinkable, but not as complex as the whites. My only reservation was the NZ$43 price-tag... I've tried reds just as good, if not better for ten dollars less. (I'm thinking there was five buckls for "Cloudy" and five for 'Bay" added in.) I'd enjoy it, but you'd have to buy it for me.

Benfiled & Delemare "A Song for Osiris": (Cab Sav/Merlot/Cab Franc) Produced at a tiny vineyard in Martinborough, the name alone almost sold me. Then I had a sniff and found the most intruiging nose in a red in a long while. (Believe it or not, my first thought was "manuka honey"!) Smooth, velvety and mouth-filling, I enjoyed this even more than the C.B pinot, so much so that I was practically reaching for my wallet before I'd swallowed the first sip. NZ$25 a bottle, which is well within my "value-for-money" scale.