Wines of Saint Clair, Marlborough

These tasting notes accompany our feature on Marlborough as part of our New Zealand 2020 series


White

(2020) Pale, cool, orchard fruit notes, subtle, clean. The palate has lightness and clarity to spare, a tinge of green to the fruit and great freshness. Not in UK retail at time of review.
(2020) A very pretty Riesling with 16g/l residual sugar. Fine green-flecked aromas again, plenty of apple and citrus punch, orange and lime, a lovely sours character, fabulously fresh and dry in the finish despite the sugar.
(2020) Pretty pungent, thiols, elderflower and gooseberry, turns into juicy peach and nectarine on the palate, hinting at mango, a touch of orange to the acidity. Nice. Price and stockist for the previous vintage at time of review.
(2020) Peachy, passion fruit and a hint of saltiness, with only 12.5% alcohol this has a decisiveness on the palate, the intensity of the flavour runs into a touch of lime zest and saline in the finish.
(2020) Beautiful oak component, creamy, nutty, a touch of Jack Daniels aroma, and combines so nicely with the fruit. Palate has sweet, ripe fruit, verging into mango and pineapple, the fatness of the acid helps give an impression of generosity.
(2020) Wild fermented in all American oak, 50% new barrels. This has toast, smokiness, tobacco and spice, with a bit of reductive flintiness, melon and pear fruit, touching on the tropical. The creamy, buttery oak reasserts in the finish. Excellent acidity to cut through all of that.
(2020) Much less pronounced toast, and sweet spices dialled back a little compared to the Omaka reserve, the fruit seems more composed and less influenced by the oak. The acidity is excellent. Lots of fat lemon and lime and very good length.

Red Wines

(2020) Lovely pale, pure colour, clove, cinnamon and firmer cherry fragrance, a touch of red liquorice, tiny florals nuances. Quite delicate, racy, a lovely tension and gravelly core to it, with a bolstering taut tannin and acid core running through it.
(2020) Matured in French oak barrels, 33% new. Very creamy and fragrant - as fragrant as you like, with florals and sandalwood, lots of chocolaty depth and Parma violet lift. The palate is soft and elegant, a real creamy ripeness. Luscious red berries, terrific spicy, fine finish. A lovely Merlot. Price and stockist for a previous vintage at time of review.
(2020) Only 12.5% alcohol here, pale crimson in colour, pepper and roses, violet, creamy red plum and cherry - very cool climate in style. Creamy tannins and lightness to the whole picture, balanced by an edge of fine acidity. No UK retail stockist listed at time of review.

Back to Saint Clair profile in our feature on Marlborough

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