Monkey Bay winery, a label of Nobilo Vintners, specializes in bargain-priced easy-drinking wines. Jumping on the Pinot Grigio bandwagon, Monkey Bay have produced a wine in the 2011 vintage that is more like a Pinot Gris from Alsace than the light Pinot Grigios of northern Italy. Coppery-straw in colour with a rich peachy, floral nose, it’s a mouth-filling wine with well-extracted peach-flavoured fruit and citrus acidity.
Fresh aromas spring from the glass: herbs, honey melon, passion fruit and a hint of gooseberry. Juicy flavours of green apple, pear and lemon tart please the palate. Well balanced from start to finish. A very appetizing and good-value aperitif wine.
Wild thyme and black cherry aromas include nuances of earthy mushroom and captivating truffle. Savouriness continues on both the palate and finish, accompanied by wild berry flavours and lithe tannins. The finish lingers with spicy dried herbs. An ideal find for duck.
Pungent aromas and intense flavours of gooseberry, tropical fruit and herbaceous notes signal a classic Marlborough Sauv Blanc. Rather round on the palate, with good fruit density, and a lingering, refreshing finish. A fine match for moules frites.
This wine is red Burgundy on steroids. Light purple in colour with a nose of raspberries, tomato leaf and rust; the wine is medium-bodied, elegant and dry with dense flavours of raspberry and dark chocolate with a long, lingering finish. Match it with duck breast or grilled Portobello mushrooms.
Straw yellow with green reflections. The nose is slightly herbaceous, oak is present but not obtrusive. Vivid acidity, medium richness and concentration of flavours. It will need some time to integrate the oak and bring out its full potential, so give it 3 to 4 years.
Sourced from a Rocky Knoll Vineyard block in Cromwell sub-region. Complex aromas of dried herbs and savoury meats. Mix of ripe red/black fruit flavours on creamy-textured palate, supported by well-integrated tannins. Finishes with chocolate and spice notes. Ready for venison.