mfbob ([info]mfbob) wrote in [info]wine,
@ 2008-02-03 03:49:00
Previous Entry  Add to memories!  Tell a Friend!  Next Entry
Current location:Marlborough Country
Current mood: yeah
Current music:Soma FM

New Zealand whites
2005 Nobilo Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

While I've only sampled maybe a dozen or so NZ wines, I've always been impressed with them. Most of them have been moderately priced (under $20), so I admit my experience is limited. Still, this is one tasty wine. Smooth from lip to gullet. Very crisp, with an apple/pear flavor. Just enough sweetness without being cloying. Dry, but not arid. Very full flavor, especially in the back of the mouth. Great with roast chicken and Jarlsburg cheese (not necessarily together, but, hey, whatever). I've found it locally for $18/bottle at a grocery store, none-the-less. Good value, imo.

This wine also helps facilitate a nice, relaxing, tasty trip to that special wine frame-of-mind we all know and love. :-D

Enjoy the rest of your weekend. :-)

*hic*


(Post a new comment)


[info]autumnsunn
2008-02-03 03:41 pm UTC (link)
I love Nobilo! I always have a glass or two at our favorite Wine Bistro. The funny thing is I almost bought a bottle last night! I decided to try something new though. Dancing Bull Sauvignon Blanc. It was very good!

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]mfbob
2008-02-05 08:12 am UTC (link)
I've seen the Dancing Bull around. I'll give it a shot. Thanks!

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]stemware
2008-02-03 05:01 pm UTC (link)
Just about any Marlborough SVB should be an equally good value. They have all been pretty well rated the past three years.

I'm surprised you're still seeing the 2005 in the store, though. It must have hung around a while, because they pick the grapes in March or April (remember, it's the other side of the world), and then by the end of the calendar year it's on the shelves here. SVB from New Zealand isn't an aging wine so it's really something that should be nearly gone by the time the next year is released.

(Reply to this)(Thread)

[info]izcariot
2008-02-05 03:03 am UTC (link)
Depends on whom the maker is - like all wines, I guess. NZ SavB has, in the past few years, undergone a bit of a transformation in that the sharp cut-grass style is being moderated by greater fruit balance and softer overall acid [this is especially noticeable in the Malborough vintages]; a concomitant lengthening in potential aging is also now evident - sure, it might only be out to 3-5 years in exceptional cases, but it is noticeable.

On a sadder note: Unison Vinyard has been sold and Anna-Barbara and Bruce Helliwell are moving on to fresh fields and pastures new: Bugger :(

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

[info]stemware
2008-02-05 03:18 am UTC (link)
When I was in New Zealand, I noticed that there is a pretty large disparity between what you get on the shelves in New Zealand and what we get on the shelves in the U.S. We haven't seen the same changes with SVB that have been evident in the domestic market, but we've certainly seen a lot more good Pinots from New Zealand, particularly Central Otago. Sadly, I was only able to find the Mt. Difficulty I liked so much when I was there once here in the U.S., and I live in one of the best cities for imported wine in the country.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]stemware
2008-02-05 03:20 am UTC (link)
Oh, and here's some "reader reviews" on the SVB he mentions:

http://www.cellartracker.com/list.asp?Table=Notes&szSearch=2005+Nobilo+Marlborough+Sauvignon+Blanc&Page=0

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]mfbob
2008-02-05 08:27 am UTC (link)
...undergone a bit of a transformation in that the sharp cut-grass style is being moderated by greater fruit balance and softer overall acid...

Why is this? I'm honestly curious because I'm becoming quite found of NZ wines. I'm not very familiar with NZ wine culture or history, though. Regardless, I'm always happy to see vintners producing a better quality product.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

[info]izcariot
2008-02-05 08:50 am UTC (link)
My guess - because I don't proclaim to be an expert - is two things:

[1] The cut grass/ herbaceous thing had gone too far in one direction [kinda like Chardonnay did in the late 80's early 90's where it was massively oaked and malo-ed...huge gold-coloured things: incredibly buttery and heavy - then, in the early 00's it went back the other way and Chardonnays became hideously austere examples of 'winemaking' in the purest sense.

[2] The other thing I would surmise would be public taste began to move away from it and as a demand for something a bit more rounded grew, the wines produced had to follow - it is, after all, market driven, unless a certain status has been established.

As a side note: IN the early part of this decade it got to the point where the chardonnays were tasting like SVB and the SVB were starting to taste like refined chardonnay with nice fruit characteristics. I'm exqaggerating a fair bit, but you get the idea...

Again, I stress this is simply my opinion as a wine lover...I'm no expert.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

[info]mfbob
2008-02-07 10:00 am UTC (link)
Interesting. I've only been getting involved in wine the past 5-6 years, so most of this is new to me. Reading opinions of how vintners change their ways over the years is nice. Thanks.

(Reply to this)(Parent)

[info]mfbob
2008-02-05 08:17 am UTC (link)
Last time I bought a Nobilo there, a couple months ago, it was a 2006. I guess they found an extra box of the 2005 hidden in the warehouse. I'm not complaining.

The only other NZ SVB I've had recently was the Dyed-in-the-Wool. it was good, but not quite as smooth as the Nobilo. They also make a decent Pinot Noir.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

[info]stemware
2008-02-05 02:45 pm UTC (link)
If you see a Central Otago Pinot Noir (any will do for the most part), see how it compares to the Dyed-in-the-Wool. I've had the Dyed-in-the-Wool and it's ok for the price. Same with their SVB. Babich and a few others make better SVB than the Nobilo or the Dyed-in-the-Wool I believe.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

[info]mfbob
2008-02-07 10:05 am UTC (link)
I will look for NZ Otago and Babich wines. Always happy to explore a wine recommendation. Thanks.

(Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

[info]stemware
2008-02-07 01:46 pm UTC (link)
Have you seen Matua Valley SVB on the shelves? I

(Reply to this)(Parent)

Create an Account
Forgot your login?
Login w/ OpenID
English • Español • Deutsch • Русский…