Hanging Out with The Happy Hipsters

Moving into a new home and new ‘hood' for the Happy Hipsters was not been an easy decision.  There are always pros and cons, but move they did, and it came time for a housewarming.  It was a cool affair on a cool evening, but the atmosphere was warm, and with happiness the Hipsters had overflowed to all the partygoers.  Some nice, gentle music and an eclectic mix of wines from those of the hosts, to some BYO bottles, added to the hang-out time being a cruisy affair.

Our contributions were a couple of ten year old Hawke’s Bay reds.  SWMBO had inherited a 2002 C.J. Pask ‘Declaration’ Cab/Malbec/Merlot and this was an ideal time to broach it, so it seemed.  Well, it could have been left another decade easily, as it had dark colour, masses of dark berry and plum fruits along powerful spices and oak.  And lively as a new release wine with its acidity and energy.  The Italians would probably call this a meditation wine rather than a food wine. 

Following its success, out came the cork on the 2002 Craggy Range ‘Le Sol’ Syrah, a bottle I put my hand up for as a rare, exciting new style.  The 2002 was the second release of this label, and again, like the Pask ‘Declaration’, still amazingly youthful.  Even more so, with its very dark, saturated colour, refined, but lush black fruits, black pepper and Asian spices.  Tightly held together, and smooth as velvet, this seemed quite primary, and again, with a decade ahead of it.  My recollection of it in youth was that it was a statement wine, and a decade later, it had the sheen of such a style, but had settled with class.

We were very pleased to see the Real Mr Parker, for his warm smile and a long overdue catch-up.  His wine generosity hasn’t faltered one bit.  His lead-in wine was a 1988 Olivier Leflaive Meursault 1er ‘Genevrieres’.  The Meursault smoothness and richness was evident immediately.  Nutty for sure, and a lovely creamy texture from bottle-age and barrel-ferment, and the faintest notes of oxidation.  Do negociant wines suffer in comparison with domaine wines?  That was my nagging doubt over its elegance.  I suppose there could have been more intensity and layers.  But a moot point, as it went down a treat.

Mr Parker, both ‘The Real’ one we know, and the widely published one love Chapoutier wines.  The 2001 Chapoutier ‘Croix de Bois’ Chateauneuf-du-Pape was a treat.  Very Grenache with dark raspberry fruit with complexing layers of savoury and herb nuance.  Rich and sweet, but not overly so.  Softened tannins, but with good linear grip and a long, long finish. And a great delight to see no brettanomyces.  The 2001s were good, much better than the forward 2002s, and the cellaring for a decade plus has confirmed it.

A couple of older wines were good to calibrate the senses.  A 1994 Infernetto Barolo, bricked colour, fading to a leanness, faint dried roses, no tar, but earth and leather.  Heading towards dried out, but drinkable and with interest, as any Barolo deserves.  More alive and archetype was the 1998 Penfolds ‘Bin 138’ Barossa Old Vine SGM.  Secondary and even tertiary hints, but very Barossa Valley with liquorice and plums, sweetness and warmth, now allowing the structure to show.  Great to compare with the Chapoutier, and both wines showing their provenance and ‘terroir’.

Back to the Kiwi wines to finish.  From the Happy Hipsters cellar was a 2007 Craggy Range ‘Block 14’ Syrah, again a wonderful echo of the ‘Le Sol’ tasted earlier.  Indeed, it was an echo, being lighter and less rich.  Still very varietal in every way, but with the sense it was beginning to show some maturity characters.  And this being five years younger than the ‘Le Sol’. 

However, the grand finale, the 2003 Ata Rangi Martinborough Pinot Noir was still a wine with a future.  A tiny crop year, and with the ripeness that has seen it carry on better than the 2005s, which are now showing secondary dried herbs.  Power, structure and fruit all here, with the Pinot Noir magical elegance.  Fragrance with subtle savoury complexities.  This has 7-10 years ahead. 

With the taste of this making us warm and mellow people with big smiles on our faces, we departed The Happy Hipsters new house and headed off home after several hours of hanging out.