Line-Up at Albergo Prentice

Our visits to the ever-hospitable A-Prentices frequently involve many bottles being opened.  Not that we drink a lot, but more due to the number of people also in attendance.  Excessive consumption is never tolerated, and everyone joins in the spirit of a little taste of each wine.  There is usually a personal comment on each wine, sometimes surprise is expressed, and we all agree to disagree.  The number of bottles may appear frightening, and it has become a tradition to present them in a line-up which gets photographed to show how the evening was spent.  On this occasion we had plenty to ‘toast’.

A pretty rosé to start the proceedings, as the sun was shining.  The 2012 Bridge Pa ‘Drama Queen’, undisclosed to variety on the label, with sweetness and peaches and cream and an underlay of raspberries.  One for the masses, and with plenty of up-front appeal. 

The aromatics were quite a delight.  The gentle sweetness and subtle flavours of the 2012 Coopers Creek ‘SV – Bell Ringer’ Gisborne Albarino show there is potential for the variety in New Zealand.  A step up in richness, but still retaining a stylish restraint was the 2011 Greystone Waipara Pinot Gris.  Then a wild card in the form of a 2012 Alta Vista ‘Premium’ Torrontes, the most complete bottling of this Argentinian variety I’ve seen for some time.  Quite fine in aromatic penetration, and with a hint of unctuousness.  It looked very smart indeed.  Also a surprise was a 2010 Gustave Lorentz Alsace Muscat d’Alsace, again with intensity, depth and penetration, almost with a spritz, and clear-cut grapey varietal flavours and a smooth flow of flavours. 

Two older wines were possibly the surprise of the night, a deliciously honied and rounded 1989 Montana Marlborough Riesling.  Toast and kero hardly perceptible, so young still for a two decade plus wine.  The 1990 Montana Marlborough Riesling not quite as rich and weighty, a little drier, and more kero and toast development.  The 1989 made the 1990 look ordinary, but the latter had done well to last this long.

Only two Chardonnays!  Firstly a 2011 Montechez Chardonnay from Argentina.  From a family vineyard brought along by a family member.  Refreshing and clean with apple and citrus, the oaking very much a minor component.  In a magnum was a 2006 Te Mata ‘Elston’ Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay.  The magnum size obviously a factor in enhancing longevity.  Drinking beautifully with waves of grapefruit, oatmeal, nuts and oak.  Lovely barrel-ferment textures of creaminess.  No hurry, especially if you have it in magnum format.

The evening was approaching.  Pinot Noir next, before the transition to heavier and sweeter things.  A bracket of new wines.  The 2011 Akarua Central Otago Pinot Noir.  Good dark and ripe-enough fruit, but with grainy texture that was prominent over the fruit.  Much sweeter and balanced, with bold ripe flavours of black cherries and plums, a classical 2011 Felton Road Bannockburn Pinot Noir.  This was a crowd favourite.  Great to compare these with a 2011 Ata Rangi ‘Crimson’ Martinborough Pinot Noir.  Lighter in colour, but just as big in flavour, though with a different fruit and sweetness profile.  A little more complex with savoury, brown herb and game hints over the juicy, or fruit-powered Central Otago numbers.  This ‘Crimson’ grew to be a great all-round Pinot Noir to drink.  Coming in a 1.5 Litre magnum format was a bonus.

Older Pinot Noirs next.  The 2009 Judge Rock Central Otago Pinot Noir, right down the middle of the line in style, and beginning to soften and plump out.  Good drinking now.  Then a concentrated, medium-bodied 2008 Ata Rangi Pinot Noir, decidedly delicious and with excellent fruit richness and nuance that unfolded in the glass, with growing structure.  2004s for Pinot Noir around the world seem to be weaker, less ripe and forward.  Such was the 2004 Epis Macedon Pinot Noir.  Yest this Aussie example exuded Pinot Noir class and true form, that would not be disgraced by many a 2004 red burgundy.  The least Pinot Noir wine was the 2002 Daniel Le Brun Marlborough Pinot Noir.  An amorphous wine without the structure or fruit to make it of interest.  Some undergrowth notes, and while not grubby, it wasn’t squeaky clean.

Non classical reds, well, that’s non-classical to the Bordeaux-lover.  A just released 2011 Ata Rangi ‘Celebre’, a blend of Merlot, Syrah and Cabernet Sauvignon.  Youthfully dark, plenty of Syrah spices and black pepper, and youthful structure filling the mouth.  Not insubstantial, and plenty to see it grow well.  Then a hedonistic 2010 Alta Vista ‘Premium’ Malbec from Argentina.  Masses of black fruits with juiciness and plumminess.  The 15.0% alc. well-absorbed by the decadent fruit.  A crowd favourite.  Continuing the Spanish theme, a 2010 Protocolo VdT Castilla Tempranillo, a modern take of this Spanish red varietal for the world to accept.  It could be readily slurped by anyone, anywhere, and it still spoke, gently, of Tempranillo with ir sweet and savoury red fruits.  Expecting something stern, I was pleasantly surprised by the 2008 Ch. Laffitte Teston ‘Joru Laffitte’ Madiran.  Not the tannic monster that Tannat can be, with a modicum of elegance, but still that firm black-earth core underneath.  

Is Cabernet Franc a classical Bordeaux red.  It sure is, as could be seen in the 2007 Finca La Celia ‘Heritage’ Cabernet Franc.  Another Argentine beauty.   Firm, dense, packed with dark berry fruits and graphite with minerals and black earth, this is a long-term ager, just a claret from a good year should be.  Oaking very discreet.   Two older Kiwi clarets brought up the rear-guard.  The 1986 Babich Hawke’s Bay Cabernet/Merlot quite a mouthful, formerly robust, but now showing its bones a little.  Green and acidic too, showing how far viticultural advances have made a difference.  I’m not sure if the 1986 Corbans ‘Private Bin’ Cabernet/Merlot was any better.  I liked it more as it wasn’t green and herbaceous.  It was just devoid of fruit.  But the new oak the wine was aged in (for around 450 days), was still there.  Nice oak it was too.

Late at night now, and sticky treats to wrap up the night.  Afterall, we were all working the next day!  A stunner came in the form of the 2011 Seifried ‘Sweet Agnes’ Riesling.  Sensationally clear Riesling fruit with searing acid cut for the super-sticky sugar, all coming together with style.  A striking wine that works superbly for all its strong components.  The Chambers Rutherglen Muscat, much browner in colour, though with red hues to the colour, the flavour of nuts and raisins, in a soft, slightly textural, drying framework.  Still a wine with decadence but not quite voluptuousness.  Not really old with age interest, but also not fresh and lively.  A man (or is that muscat?) in the middle.  The finale was a Gonzales Byass ‘Nectar’ Pedro Ximinez.  Dense, sticky sultanas.  Truly nectar with a green tinge.  Rancio notes underneath.  Quite complex if one looked.  Silky smooth and lush.  Very good, rather than great if one was super-critical, but at that time of night it was perfect to end the line-up.