WAIPARA SPRINGS PREMO PINOT NOIR 2008

 Yes I know, another Pinot Noir but when we decided to do New Zealand this week I couldn't resist. Pinot Noir is the no. 1 red grape variety in New Zealand but it is also such a difficult grape  to master that one of  Californian's most influential winemakers, André Tchelistcheff was noted to have said " God made Cabernet Sauvignon  whereas the devil made Pinot Noir" so it is pretty impressive that in just 30 years of growing this grape that they are able to produce wines that can rival many burgundian wines.


From a place called Waipara Valley, a tiny region with just 30 vineyards just north of Christchurch on the South Island. This vineyard is tucked into the middle of this valley which has it's own microclimate making it quite similar to Burgundy and we all know about the Pinots from Burgundy.

  It's a partnership between two farming families, the Moores and the Grants, who back in the early 1980s saw the potential of their land and despite their neighbours believing they had lost their minds, they were the first to plant vines in this region.  Waipara springs actually started out life as an asparagus farm and part of the farm still continues with this tradition.  The food at Waipara Springs Cafe(pictured right) is out of this world and people travel for miles to taste new vintages of asparagus.


The winemaker is a guy called Frank Manifold who was chief winemaker at Cloudy Bay vineyards. He gave up this big brand life for in comparison a small boutique winery. However, here he gets to make a wine he adores by putting his heart and soul into it by shaping each vintage to get the best from the year and this is what his Premo Pinot Noir is all about. Handpicked and handsorted grapes coming from different picks in the vineyard to give just the right amount of ripeness, spiciness and flavour .

With Pinot don't expect wines that are inky deep and dense in colour and this one is no exception. They say if you can't see a ring on your finger through the back of the glass that it isn't Pinot. The nose has plenty of brambly red fruit aromas especially cranberries but there is some earthiness to it also. On the palate it is more savoury with firm tannins. Serve this with roast salmon or mushroom risotto is gorgeous with the earthiness of the Pinot. Priced at €23.99, not for the everyday drinker amongst us but maybe Sunday best...



BE ADVISED - the one drawback to these Pinots is just how easy they are to drink and how deceptively light they feel especially for the lighter drinkers amongst us. Nothing attractive about leaving a dinner party on all fours and with this one coming in at 13.5% ABV and sliding down your throat with serious ease as it seems to do so well  it would not take that many glasses... believe me I've see it !!

Till Next Time
Clare