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Pegasus Bay 1998 Maestro Cabernet Sauvignon-Merlot (Waipara)
- Cellar Selection
- $52
This blend of 50% Merlot, 45% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Cabernet Franc is ambitiously priced, but the quality is in the bottle. Next time you need a ringer for a right-bank Bordeaux tasting, here’s a perfect candidate. Dried spices and a smooth, rich texture are the only hallmarks left from two years of barrel aging—the mocha and black cherry fruit is rich and…
— J.C.
(8/1/2002)
Mountford 2007 Estate Chardonnay (Waipara)
- Editors' Choice
- $29
This has really evolved over the past 10 months since I tasted it at the winery, going from crisp and pineapple-y then to more honeyed and tropical now, with opulent layers of peach and mango that coat the mouth on the long finish. Drink now.
— J.C.
(4/1/2011)
Mountford 2007 Estate Pinot Noir (Waipara)
- Editors' Choice
- $40
A terrific example of Waipara Pinot Noir, Mountford’s 2007 Estate bottling combines savory, herbal notes with black cherry and plum fruit into a wine of great complexity and nuance. The tannins are supple, lending a silky tinge to the long, meaty finish. Drink now–2015, although that may prove conservative. Just 50 cases imported.
— J.C.
(9/1/2011)
Daniel Schuster 2006 Riesling (Waipara)
- Editors' Choice
- $17
Winemaker Dani Schuster is making his Riesling in a spätlese style, keeping some residual sugar for balance, with only 10.5% alcohol. Aromas and flavors of honey, bergamot and pineapple glide across the palate in a richly textured, creamy way, finishing with hints of dried spices. Delicious now, but should also age well for 5–10 years.
— J.C.
(5/1/2008)
Pegasus Bay 2001 Pinot Noir (Waipara)
- $48
A perennial favorite, this year’s Pegasus Bay is no disappointment. Wisps of dried herbs add complexity to the black cherry aromas, with barrel-imparted hints of vanilla and dried spices buttressing the richly fruity flavors. Add a full, supple mouthfeel and a long, mouthwatering finish, and you’ve got all the ingredients for world-class Pinot Noir.
— J.C.
(9/1/2003)
Pegasus Bay 2000 Chardonnay (Waipara)
- $30
Full of butter notes, along with toasted oatmeal and Brazil nuts, this rich, oily Chard is all about New World power, yet allied to an Old World sense of balance. Honey and tropical-fruit flavors play out on the palate; toast and tangerines extend through the finish.
— J.C.
(7/1/2002)
Pegasus Bay 1999 Pinot Noir (Waipara)
- $39
Intense and extracted, this wine has strong cola, chocolate, black-cherry, cinnamon and peppermint aromas that border on eccentric and over-the-top, yet somehow stay in balance. Good acidity provides a foil against which the rich flavors play, and persists well through the long, softly tannic finish. Drink now and over the next few years; there’s no telling how it…
— J.C.
(5/1/2001)
Mountford 2008 Estate Pinot Gris (Waipara)
- Editors' Choice
- $24
The only trouble with this bargain-priced version of a vendange tardive Pinot Gris will be finding some, as only 40 cases were imported. At only 11.6% alcohol, there’s plenty of sugar left in the wine (67 g/l), concentrated and enriched by the inclusion of 50% botrytis-affected fruit. The impressions are of honeyed pineapple, ripe melon and peach preserves…
— J.C.
(6/1/2011)
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