Charles Wiffen Marlborough 2017 Pinot Rosé and 2012 Gewurztraminer

26-Jul-2018

The Wiffen family have farmed in Marlborough since 1907, and were pioneers in grapegrowing, planting their vineyard in the Lower Wairau and Southern Valleys in 1980. Their fruit remains an important source for a number of successful labels, but the Wiffen family have enjoyed much success under their own label launched in 1997, ‘Charles Wiffen’, which is based on estate fruit, with a little sourced from contracted vineyards. Charles and Sandi Wiffen have a broad range of wines, made at West Brook winery by James Rowan, with some of the wines made by their daughter Rebecca, who is a winemaker at Lawson’s Dry Hills. Here, I review the latest release Pinot Rosé from the 2017 vintage, and a Gewurztraminer from the 2012 vintage, that is fully mature. www.charleswiffenwines.co.nz

FEATURED WINES IN THIS REVIEW

Charles Wiffen Marlborough Pinot Rosé 2017
Rose from New Zealand - Marlborough
Review Date : 26-Jul-2018
☆☆☆☆☆
Moderately deep, light cerise-pink colour, paler on edge with some purple tints. The nose is elegantly proportioned with a fresh, firm core of mouthwatering strawberry and raspberry fruit, along with pomegranate and quince notes unfolding nuances of herbs and a suggestion of minerals. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate has a firm and taut heart with fresh flavours of raspberries and cream along with notes of pomegranate and quince, unfolding some herbal nuances. The mouthfeel is brisk with thirst-quenching acidity, and the wine flows along a fine-textured, mouthwatering line, leading to a fresh, brisk finish of red berry fruits. This is a taut and refreshingly firm, dry rosé with clean strawberry and raspberry flavours with herb notes on a mouthwatering palate. Serve as an aperitif and with antipasto over the next 2 years. 100% Pinot Noir fruit from the ‘Lawson’s Dry Hills’ vineyards, given 8 hours on skins and cool-fermented in stainless-steel to 12.0% alc. and 4.5 g/L RS. 17.0/20 Jul 2018 RRP $21.35 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Charles Wiffen Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2012
Gewurztraminer from New Zealand - Marlborough
Review Date : 26-Jul-2018
☆☆☆☆☆
Full straw-yellow colour with light green-gold hues, lighter on the rim. The bouquet is softly full and broad with harmoniously presented aromas of savoury tropical fruits with notes of root-ginger, and nuances of exotic florals unfolding some earthy secondary development complexities. Medium-dry to taste and medium-full bodied, the palate has rich flavours of savoury tropical and exotic fruits along with Turkish Delight and root-ginger, entwined with savoury earthy and nutty complexing detail. The flavours form a rounded, near-unctuous core with moderate concentration, underlined by some alcoholic power. The wine carries with light phenolic-textures to a lingering finish of savoury tropical fruits. This is a mature medium-dry Gewurztraminer with a near-unctuous palate of savoury tropical fruit flavours on a palate with alcohol drive. Match with Asian and Middle Eastern fare over the next 2+ years. Fruit predominantly from the ‘Rose’ vineyard with ‘Wiffen’ estate fruit, fermented in stainless-steel with 9% in seasoned barrels to 13.2% alc. and 15 g/L RS, the wine aged on lees. 17.5/20 Jul 2018 RRP $24.00 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates

Charles Wiffen Marlborough 2017 Pinot Rosé and 2012 Gewurztraminer

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