Simply gorgeous blend and amazingly, it achieved this level of quality from the 2013 vintage, which wasn’t kind to big red varietals in general. The nose has a lot going for it — cherries, raspberries, bramble, currants, stewed herbs, violets, minerals and crunchy spice notes. It’s rich, complex, layered and textured with well-integrated fruit and spice that seems well balanced already.
Part of the Brewery Mix Pack Volume 7, Wellington’s Apricot IPA has an apricot nectar nose that is evident several feet from the glass. The fruit character persists all the way to the finish at which point the bitterness becomes more pronounced with a touch of cedar like wood character emerging. Practically the entire experience of eating an apricot, right down to scraping the pit.
This bubbly is non-vintage but it is primarily from the 2013 vintage. It spent 11 months on the lees and has a dosage from Steel Post Vineyard Riesling. It’s lovely on the nose with lime, mineral, apple and toasty-baked bread notes. It has a gentle mousse and a range of citrus, grapefruit and apple on the palate that’s bolstered by minerality and searing acidity.
Quite thick and viscous with a nose of apricot, mango, sweet pear and honey. Lovely texture shows off the ripe apricot, tropical fruits, compoted peach and pear with a creamy finish. An exotic expression of Vidal.
I love the thick, rich nose on this interesting Australian blend with notes of cherry, savoury blackberry-bramble, oak spice, raspberry and pepper. The robust red fruits on the palate have a savoury edge to go with pepper, tar, liquorice and firm tannins.
Smoky red fruits, all organic, on the nose to go with black pepper, liquorice and anise with just a pinch of mint. It’s soft and fruity on the palate with cherry-raspberry fruit, peppery notes and light spice. Great barbecue sipper, or serve with swordfish, tuna, cured hams or sausages.
Pale ruby in colour, the aromas are of raspberries, strawberries, cassis, herbs and cocoa while built on a medium-bodied frame. The acid is fresh, giving balance to the sweetness. Paired with chocolate fondue, this baby will pleasure the senses.