Babich Black Label and Winemakers’ Reserve 2015 Whites and 2014 Reds

FEATURED WINES IN THIS REVIEW

• Babich ‘Black Label’ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015
  Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand - Marlborough

  Review Date : 27-Dec-2015

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Bright, pale straw-yellow colour with lemon hues, very light on the rim. This is well-bound, but intensely packed on the nose with aromas of gooseberries and passionfruit at the heart, along with white stonefruit, floral and mouthwatering mineral notes. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate features elegant and finely concentrated flavours of gooseberries entwined with passionfruit, along with stonefruit and minerally detail. The fruit has sweetness, unfolding capsicum, nettle and cut grass elements. The wine flows smoothly with fine textures, drive and linearity which carries the flavours to a long, slender and slippery finish. This is a finely concentrated, driven and slippery Sauvignon Blanc with gooseberry, passionfruit and cut grass flavours. Match with seafood and Pacific Rim fare over the next 2 years. Marlborough fruit cool-fermented in stainless-steel with a small portion in old barriques to 13.0% alc. and 2.8 g/L RS. 18.0-/20 Dec 2015 RRP On-premise only
• Babich ‘Black Label’ Marlborough Pinot Gris 2015
  Pinot Gris from New Zealand - Marlborough

  Review Date : 27-Dec-2015

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Marlborough fruit, 80% tank-fermented at a range of temperatures, with 20% in seasoned French oak to 13.0% alc. and 2.4 g/L RS. Brilliant straw-yellow colour with light golden hues and a suggestion of blush, pale on rim. The nose is full with softly packed and intense aromas of aromatic pear fruit with yellow stonefruits, lifted floral notes and hints of fermentation esters. With aeration, honeysuckle, flint and nutty elements emerge. Dry to taste and medium-full bodied, the palate is open and accessible with aromatic white and yellow stonefruit flavours entwined with pear, honeysuckle and nutty hints. The fruit expression is stylishly restrained, lifted by florals and esters. The soft, rounded core is enlivened by integral acidity and there is underlying power providing drive. The wine flows smoothly with some richness and unctuousness, leading to an aromatic finish with florals, pears and honeysuckle. This is an accessible, smooth-flowing, dry Pinot Gris with stonefruit and pear flavours and some underlying drive. Serve with Asian and Middle Eastern fare over the next 3+ years. 18.0/20 Dec 2015 RRP On-premise only
• Babich ‘Black Label’ Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014
  Pinot Noir from New Zealand - Marlborough

  Review Date : 27-Dec-2015

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Bright ruby-red colour with some depth, lighter on the edge. The nose is elegantly full with gentle, lifted aromatics of red florals and red cherry and berry fruit, unfolding violet fragrances entwined with savoury herbs and pepper. This builds in volume, unveiling hints of cedary and toasty oak. Medium-bodied, the fruit is bright, sweet and aromatic with ripe flavours of dark red cherry and berry fruit and lifted floral elements. The palate features a fine core with very fine-grained tannin extract and integrated acidity which enlivens the fruit sweetness. As the wine flows, cedary and toasty oak nuances unfold and combine with the fragrant fruit leading to a long, dry finish. This is an elegantly structured, fine-textured, aromatic Pinot Noir with cherryish fruit and cedary oak suggestions. Match with grilled and roasted duck or pork, and with Asian fare over the next 4 years. Fruit from 80% ‘Cowslip Valley’, Waihopi and 20% ‘Headwaters’, near Renwick, given a cold soak and fermented to 13.5% alc, the wine aged 10 months in barriques. 18.0-/20 Dec 2015 RRP On-premise only
• Babich ‘Winemakers’ Reserve’ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015
  Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand - Marlborough

  Review Date : 04-Jan-2016

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Estate fruit from the Waihopai Valley, fully oak-fermented, approx. 15% being new to 13.0% alc., the wine given batonnage with around 40% undergoing MLF. Brilliant, light straw-yellow colour with light lemon-green hues, pale edged. The nose is slender in proportion with well-concentrated aromas of green stonefruits, greengages and nectarines, tightly bound with grassy and tropical fruit notes, along with subtle nutty oak and flinty lees suggestions. This is taut and promises to blossom with some time in bottle. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate is well packed and softly concentrated with lively and luscious flavours of spicy green stonefruits, cut grass and lantana, detailed with very subtle and integrated lees and oak inputs. The mouthfeel balances a smooth, near creamy barrel-ferment textures with lively acidity. This has a positive core and line, with the flavours receding as the wine leads to a fine, smooth-textured, lingering finish. This is a finely concentrated, luscious and subtly complex oak-influenced Sauvignon Blanc still to unfold. Match with herb-marinated seafood and poultry dishes over the next 3 years. 17.5+/20 Dec 2015 RRP $30.00
• Babich ‘Winemakers’ Reserve’ Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014
  Syrah from New Zealand - Hawke's Bay

  Review Date : 27-Dec-2015

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Very full, black-hued ruby-red colour with slight purple hues, youthful in appearance. This has a soft, full and beautifully harmonious and integrated nose of ripe blackberry fruit melded with dark plums, black pepper, minerals and Asian spices. The aromatics have a gentle lift and are softly concentrated with depth that grows in the glass. Medium-full bodied, the fruit is bright and aromatic, sweet and juicy, rich and luscious with flavours of ripe black and dark red berryfruit entwined with plums, black pepper, violet florals and Asian spices. The mouthfeel is smooth and harmonious with the fruit richness balanced and supported by supple tannins and framework. The palate has depth and density, and a softly driven core with some underlying power carrying the wine to a soft and well-sustained finish of black fruits, florals, pepper and spices. This is a smooth and harmonious Syrah with rich fruit, supple and balanced structure and lovely palate flow. Match with Asian and middle Eastern fare over the next 4-5 years. Fruit from the ‘St John’ vineyard, Bridge Pa, fermented to 13.0% alc., the wine aged in 35% new French oak. 18.0+/20 Dec 2015 RRP $40.00