- Location
- Marlborough
Good to see the Sacred Hill Rifleman's top your HB tasting Tom. It has probably been rated NZ's top chard for many years by a lot of people but doesn't get much mention these days.
Yes, quite surprising so few top NZ wines ever get to the UK. I suppose it is assumed the UK market is so European focused they just aren't open to premium wines from elsewhere.Cheers Kevin. Yes, it's a class act for me, among a dozen extrememly good wines in this selection. It had the combination of fruit weight and density, but fabulous raciness and zest, with enough gravel and flint character for me too. Really some terrific wines in the line-up:
Hawke’s Bay: 12 top 2019 Chardonnays | wine-pages
What a shame that so relatively few of them are availble in the UK.
Yes, quite surprising so few top NZ wines ever get to the UK. I suppose it is assumed the UK market is so European focused they just aren't open to premium wines from elsewhere.
It is a shame,Cheers Kevin. Yes, it's a class act for me, among a dozen extrememly good wines in this selection. It had the combination of fruit weight and density, but fabulous raciness and zest, with enough gravel and flint character for me too. Really some terrific wines in the line-up:
Hawke’s Bay: 12 top 2019 Chardonnays | wine-pages
What a shame that so relatively few of them are availble in the UK.
Not even the Villa Maria, even though they're better known at the bulk supermarket end of the market? You'd have thought they'd 'sneak' through a cases of their premium wines now and again.It is a shame,
I tried but could not find a single one I could buy in the UK
It's a problem in this market that we have so much wine, from so many different places
I agree with your analysis completely, Tom, but I smiled when I read this line. My parents live in NZ and drink a lot of very good NZ and Australian wine. In fact, they drink wine from almost nowhere else - and not because they are unadventurous. The range of wine available to them from Europe, the Americas or South Africa is limited, and they pay through the nose for it. The 'problem' we have in the UK is not such a bad one to have!
The Australians shot themselves in the foot by training the UK consumer to buy only when there was a 3 for £10 or whatever years ago. They implemented their 20/20 plan the wrong way round by achieving production targets long before sales targets. It's hardly surprising that so few people seem to care about Aussie wine these days. They were late to regionality and many important figures ridiculed terroir and they found themselves a long way behind the curve. Looking at where I work, it is interesting to compare the success of South Africa with the problems of Australia.I've been told by Australian producers in the past that the UK is just not an important market for them in terms of volume or value, and some are still willing to deal with us purely from a reputational point of view.
Considering it sells for $70 in NZ that is very good value. I haven't tried that particular vintage, but given the wine's track record, the quality of the vintage and Tom's review I would say it would be a great buy. And slightly better value than an equivalent Meursault.I see that the Sacred Hill Rifleman's 2019 so positively reviewed by Tom has just popped up at the Wine Society at what seems to be a very reasonable £32 a bottle. This has also been noted on the WS Community forum so don't expect it to be there for all that long!
By an equivalent Meursault I meant Rifleman's is pretty much NZ's top Chard, so whatever is France's top Chard would be an equivalent.Still available this morning so I bought a half case. Kumeu River wines have been long-time Kiwi favourites, so am looking forward to trying this.
Not sure what an equivalent Meursault would be - the cheapest village wine thrown up by Wine-Searcher is around £40 so there is really no price equivalent unless you can find a basic Bourgogne. I am currently drinking Coche-Bizouard Ormeau 2014 which cost about £28 in the opening offer though later vintages likely to be a lot more today.
And 95 from Tom, so easy enough to see who has the most influence.I see HRH gives a respectable but not gushing review (17)
Coche-Dury Corton Charlemagne, I suppose, a wine whose magnificence is only matched by its expense.By an equivalent Meursault I meant Rifleman's is pretty much NZ's top Chard, so whatever is France's top Chard would be an equivalent.
Over 80 x 6 available yesterday. 1 x 6 remaining. Good work everyone.
I am no doubt being thick, but how does one see from the site how much is in stock / due to arrive?Over 80 x 6 available yesterday. 1 x 6 remaining. Good work everyone.
Well, that worked, but I was rather nervous that a slip of the mouse might result in a dramatic reorientation of my assets towards NZ chardonnay futures.Try ordering 100 cases, Geoff.
I note that TC has given scores of 95 to two Kumeu River wines from different vintages, the Mate's Vineyard and the Hunting Hill.
His only 95 pointer white Burgundy was a 2008 Montrachet Marquis de Laguiche from Joseph Drouhin which currently retails for about £600 per bottle in the UK.