Temperatures plummeted, waves submerged coastal roads and winds thrashed against the plane flown by battle weary pilots who braved it through dense grey clouds hanging over the capital in Wellington city this week. It was the tip of a chilly start to the month of May, which sent most New Zealanders running for the cover of their homes, even if some were advised to relocate from their coastal homes in the capital for the night. I often miss the coast but was thankful to be in Martinborough during this week's storm in New Zealand. And now that the storm is over, I've been reflecting on the best wines to touch the sides of my tasting glass this week, which has been wide ranging in origin from the north of Spain to northern France and the deep south of New Zealand. It's been a birthday week for yours truly, so there's been champagne and there have been outstanding méthode traditionelle - which is code for sparkling wines made exactly the same way as champagne but from other parts of the world.
Here's the best of what's been in my glass this past week. All highly recommended.
Two wines that represent two sides of the world's southernmost wine region, beautiful Central Otago.
Quartz Reef makes an astonishing amount of high quality sparkling wine, which has grown to approximately 50% of production - a rise from 40%
What I've been drinking this week...
Wines of the week
19/20
2019 Quartz Reef Méthode Traditionnelle Blanc de Blancs RRP $85
This biodynamic sparkling wine is the jewel in the Quartz Reef sparkling winemaking crown and is ironically made entirely from Chardonnay - from a winery that is predominantly all about Pinot Noir. Delicate and silky in texture, this wine is youthful now and has bold fresh acidity which brings freshness to the palate and will preserve this wine for long term ageing. It's an outstanding wine now after five years on lees in the Quartz Reef wine cellar in Cromwell and has at least another nine to 10 years of ageing, over which time it will develop further complexity and unfold into a nutty, aged expression of Central Otago Chardonnay at its best. Bravo Rudi Bauer and the talented team at Quartz Reef.
19/20
Mora Rosé Brut NV Central Otago RRP $45
Mora Rosé gains its fresh bright pink hue from Pinot Noir but is predominantly made from Chardonnay. All grapes were hand picked and fermented in a combination of 30% French oak and stainless steel as base wines. The finish wine went through its second fermentation in bottle and was aged for 18 months on tirage (on lees in the bottle, following second fermentation) and has fresh red berry, bakery and rhubarb aromas. Full bodied, vibrant and exceptionally fresh in flavour with a lingering finish to every sip. An outstanding expression of Central Otago sparkling wine.
19/20
2024 O Luar Do Sil Godello Valdeorras RRP $47 to $48
This is a great white from Galicia in the north west of Spain. It is made from the Godello grape - pronounced god-day-o - and is an outstanding example of a flavoursome, fleshy and complex white wine with a full bodied creamy style but altogether different flavour spectrum to Chardonnay. Aromas of macadamias, almonds and ripe yellow fruit combine in complex layers on the palate and a long finish. Wine importer Sophie Cotter of St Vincent's Cave brings this outstanding dry, fleshy Spanish white into New Zealand.
