2009 in New Zealand looks set fair to be an outstanding wine vintage, helped by very dry conditions in the weeks leading up to the harvest. Winter rains had given the soil plenty of water reserves, and although February was generally cool, slightly delaying the ripening process, a warm and rain-free March and early April enabled the grapes to reach perfect maturity.
Quality seems even across most wine regions, with both Marlborough and Martinborough reporting wonderful aromatic purity, and fine, concentrated flavours.
In Hawkes Bay wine producers of Bordeaux-style wines benefitted from the late harvest to achieve an impressive level of tannin maturity in their reds.
2009 Coleraine from the wonderful Te Mata estate is rather restrained and slightly closed on the nose, but shows deep, rich notes of tar, damsons and just a touch of bramble, a little hint of oak but overall neat and well appointed. This order and structure is replicated on the palate where the fruit, which is extraordinarily pure, brings with it a warmth and luxury. The spice of the oak is well integrated and climbs hand in hand with the fine, almost feminine tannins which slowly close the palate. Beneath this there is a dark minerality adding another layer of complexity to this excellent wine.
This has all the attributes to mature very well over the coming ten years, but I believe this will be at its very best in six to eight years. Gary Owen, Fine Wine Sales Advisor
This has all the attributes to mature very well over the coming ten years, but I believe this will be at its very best in six to eight years.
Gary Owen, Fine Wine Sales Advisor