Te Mania and Richmond Plains 2015 and 2014 Releases

FEATURED WINES IN THIS REVIEW

• Te Mania Nelson Pinot Noir Rosé 2015
  Rose from New Zealand - Nelson

  Review Date : 08-Dec-2015

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Light strawberry pink colour with some depth and lighter peach notes on the edge. The nose is softly voluminous with fresh aromas of strawberries and raspberries and cream, along with subtle lifted red floral nuances and hints of confectionary. The aromatics show good depth. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the fruit is bright, fragrant and gently luscious, showing flavours of strawberries, raspberries and red florals that fill the palate, providing good body and presence, Soft phenolic textures and balanced, crisp acidity carry the wine to a refreshing finish with light confectionary notes. This is a sweet-fruited, dry rosé with strawberry and raspberry flavours and good body. Serve as an aperitif and with tapas over the next 2 years. Pinot Noir, 75% given overnight skin contact, 10% fermented on skins 10 days and 15% straight from the press, indigenous yeast fermented to 13.0% alc. and 4.38 g/L RS. In conversion to AsureQuality organic. 17.5+/20 Dec 2015 RRP $21.99
• Te Mania Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2015
  Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand - Nelson

  Review Date : 08-Dec-2015

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Bright, light, straw-yellow colour, paler on the rim. Fresh, intensely concentrated and tightly bound aromas of gooseberries, green capsicums, cut grass and piquant herbs feature on the nose. This has good depth, the aromatics showing some cooler spectrum elements. Dry to taste and medium-full bodied, the palate features a firm and concentrated core of gooseberries, capsicums, cut grass and some nettle notes. The palate has richness and a smooth-flowing core that follows a fine thread of phenolics, and is balanced by mouthwatering acidity. The linearity carries the wine to a long, richly concentrated finish of capsicums, nettles and herbs. This is a concentrated and rich Sauvignon Blanc with gooseberry and cooler spectrum flavours and a mouthwatering palate. Match with Mediterranean fare, salads and vegetables over the next 2 years. Stainless-steel fermented, partially with indigenous yeasts to 13.5% alc. and 3.7 g/L RS, the wine on lees 3 months with batonnnage.. Certified AsureQuality organic. 18.0/20 Dec 2015 RRP $19.99
• Te Mania Nelson Pinot Noir 2014
  Pinot Noir from New Zealand - Nelson

  Review Date : 08-Dec-2015

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Clones 115, 5, 667 and 777 from 3 sites on the Waimea gravels and Moutere clays, vines 15-24 y.o., fermented to 13.5% alc., partially with wild yeasts and some whole clusters, the wine spending 17-20 days on skins, 70% of the wine aged 10 months in seasoned French oak. Even ruby-red colour with some purple hues, lighter on the edge. This has a gentle, broad and voluminous nose of fragrant dark cherry and raspberry fruit aromas, lifted by violet florals, revealing a hint of liquorice. Ethereal waves of red florals emerge in the glass. Medium-full bodied, the palate features bright and up-front, juicy fruit flavours of dark red cherries and raspberries, along with red floral detail and notes of liquorice. This has an elegantly concentrated core with integrated acidity lending drive to the line and energy to the flow. The flavours lead to a fine-textured, lingering finish. This is a bright, juicy, up-front Pinot noir with raspberry and cherry flavours carried by a fine line. Match with poultry and pork over the next 4-5+ years. Certified AsureQuality organic. 17.5+/20 Dec 2015 RRP $24.99
• Richmond Plains Nelson Blanc de Noir 2015
  Rose from New Zealand - Nelson

  Review Date : 08-Dec-2015

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Very pale peach-pink colour with some depth, lighter on the rim. This has a fresh nose with full and deep aromas of ripe stonefruits along with red berry and red floral nuances, underlined by a steely, mineral-like freshness. Dryish to taste and medium-full bodied, the palate is rounded with soft flavours of strawberry and ripe yellow stonefruit, revealing red floral elements. The soft concentration is supported by some phenolic textures and grip which provide structure. The acidity is soft, lending roundness to the palate line as it leads to a dry, mouthwatering finish with red floral nuances. This is a fresh, but rounded Blanc de Noir wine with strawberry and stonefruit flavours. Serve as an aperitif, with canapes and dim sum over the next 2+ years. 100% Pinot Noir, gentle WBP and cool-fermented in tank to 13.6% alc. and 9.1 g/L RS, the wine aged 3 months on lees with batonnage. Certified AsureQuality organic. 17.5-/20 Dec 2015 RRP $21.99
• Richmond Plains Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2015
  Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand - Nelson

  Review Date : 08-Dec-2015

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Bright, light straw-yellow colour with some depth, lighter on edge. The nose is soft and delicately nuanced with fresh aromas of gooseberry fruit and thirst-quenching chalky minerals. The aromatics grow to form an elegant and refined core with nuances of cut grass and fresh herbs. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the mouthfeel is gentle and the flavours of gooseberries, green stonefruits, herbs, citrus fruits and capsicums subtly grow to fill the palate. This flows very evenly and harmoniously, with lovely acid poise. The wine leads to a delicately detailed finish with herb and floral elements. This is a fine and harmoniously detailed Sauvignon Blanc with finesse and poise. Match with Asian cuisine over the next 2 years. From the ‘Richmond Plains’ vineyard, fruit cool-fermented in stainless-steel to 13.5% alc. and 3.9 g/L RS, the wine aged 3 months on lees with batonnage. Certified AsureQuality organic. 18.0-/20 Dec 2015 RRP $21.99
• Richmond Plains ‘Blue Moon’ Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2014
  Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand - Nelson

  Review Date : 08-Dec-2015

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Hand-picked fruit from the ‘Richmond Plains’ vineyard, WBP, 60% old and 10% new barrel-fermented and 30% in stainless-steel, fermentation by vineyard yeast to 13.0% alc., the wine barrel-aged 10 months on lees with batonnage, and 30% undergoing MLF. Bright, light yellow colour with slight golden hues, pale edged. The bouquet is initially restrained in expression, showing a tightly concentrated heart of savoury gooseberry and green stonefruit aromas along with capsicums, cut grass and an array of herbs, unveiling nuances of spice and nutty oak. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate feature a rich and integrated core with layers of spicy green stonefruits, nectarines, herbs and nuts. The fruit and mouthfeel is bright and possesses vitality, and the wine flows along a soft-textured line with soft acidity. The core unfolds complexing detail of spice, nuts and oak as it carries to a long, well-packed finish with stonefruit flavours. This is a complex, concentrated oak influenced Sauvignon Blanc with subtle layers of complexity. Match with herb-marinated seafood and white meat dishes over the next 3+ years. Certified AsureQuality organic and Demeter biodynamic. 18.5/20 Dec 2015 RRP $24.99
• Richmond Plains Nelson Pinot Noir 2014
  Pinot Noir from New Zealand - Nelson

  Review Date : 08-Dec-2015

  ☆☆☆☆☆

  Bright, even, ruby-red colour with some depth, a little lighter on edge. This has an elegantly concentrated and tightly bound nose of dark red berry and black cherry fruit, along with violet florals, liquorice, dark herb and mineral elements. The intensity builds with aeration and reveals a little oak spice interest. Medium-full bodied, the flavours of dark red berry and cherry fruit show notes of red plums, with good sweetness and richness. The palate has a concentrated, plush-textured core with underlying fine-grained tannin extraction and structure. The fruit sweetness prevails and the wine flows with drive to a concentrated, lingering finish of plums, liquorice, herbs, dark florals and nuances of oak. This is a rich, plush, concentrated pinot Noir with ripe fruit and fine concentration and grip. Match with lamb, beef and venison over the next 5-6 years. Clones 115, 5, 667 and 777 from 3 sites on the Waimea gravels and Moutere clays, vines 15-24 y.o., indigenous yeast fermented with some whole clusters to 14.5% alc., the wine spending 14-20 days on skins and aged 10 months in 18% new French oak. Certified AsureQuality organic and Demeter biodynamic. 18.5/20 Dec 2015 RRP $27.99