If you’ve ever read my blog before you may have noticed that
I’m a big fan of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc; however they do produce some
fantastic wines from a lot more than just Sauvignon Blanc. Its cooler climate
helps it grow some of the harder varietals, the ‘terrible enfant’, Pinot Noir,
and with some great success.
A family member had
made a business trip to New Zealand and bought back some wine they tasted on a
wine tour, very graciously they gave me a bottle of Chard Farm, Finla Mor Pinot
Noir 2008. It had been stuck at the bottom of my wine rack gathering dust for
some time when we decided to open it the other night.
Chard Farm was established in 1987 by Rob and Greg Hay, Rob
had spent three years in Germany learning wine making, before heading back to
New Zealand to look for land that emulated the great ‘terriors’ of Europe;
Burgundy and Alsace. They found this in Central Otago, at the southern end of
the south island, making it the most southerly, wine producing region. The
climate is that of cold winters, and hot, dry summers, perfect for Pinot Noir,
Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Pinot Gris.
This Pinot Noir had a pale ruby colour, with great fruit
aromas of red cherries and raspberries, with a hint a sweet spice, Vanilla and
Cinnamon coming through from the back ground. That’s exactly what you got in
your mouth when you tasted it, first the fruit, then from the background you
got the sweet spice which just combined beautifully. With a reasonable amount
of acidity, that cut through the fruit perfectly, making your mouth water and
helping to let the flavours linger for that little bit longer. With barely any
tannin left, this was again absolutely perfect; I have to admit I was stunned
by just how enjoyable this was to drink.
If you hadn’t of guessed, yes this is a wine that I’d
definitely recommend, it's available in the UK from Must Wines Ltd and New Generation Wines Ltd, but that doesn’t stop you from looking out for other
Central Otago Pinot Noir’s, hopefully they’ll be as enjoyable as this one.
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