07-Sep-2017
I’ve had the opportunity of reviewing many wines from the challenging 2017 vintage already. I have found most of the wines to be of good quality, maybe a little lighter and without the usual ripeness. The main problem I sense is that winemakers are trying hard to get good flavour, and the balance of the phenolics can be out of kilter. I’ve also noticed that producers who own their own vineyards have had the ability to control canopy management and crop loading, as well as preventing disease pressure resulting in better wines. My recent review of the Mission ‘Estate’ Sauvignon Blanc 2017 is an example of this (click here to see my review). My task of reviewing 2017 vintage wines continues, and here I assess the Mission 2017 ‘Estate’ Rosé, made from contract fruit where Mission has a hand in the viticulture, and the ‘Vineyard Selection’ Sauvignon Blanc, from the company’s ‘Blind River’ vineyard in Marlborough. www.missionestate.co.nz
