The release for May 2nd has three features. One can choose to peruse through some wines from New Zealand, a small allotment yes, but there are some tasty Sauv Blancs. Fans of Germanic wines can sample some of Germany’s next generation’s style of wine. Or, to make us really believe that summer is just around the corner, there are several Rosé wines to chill down and assist with some long awaited patio sipping. (Click images to enlarge.)

NEW ZEALAND

095679 SAINT CLAIR PIONEER BLOCK 2 SWAMP BLOCK SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013 Dillons Point, Marlborough, South Island, New Zealand $24.95
Far from the typical in your face Sauvignon Blanc here. This has aromas of earth, apple orchard, tangerine, tomato leaf and citrus. The palate is rich with concentrated tropical fruit, kiwi, Meyer lemons, papaya and baked apple. I really like this style of sauvignon Blanc. Find this wine

063941 MAHI SAUVIGNON BLANC 2013 Marlborough, South Island $19.95
Very brazen, showing grassy, gooseberry, thyme and cumquat aromas; palate offers great acidity, lots of candied citrus notes and a herbaceous character that runs well into the finish. Find this wine

411603 TE WHARE RA SAUVIGNON BLANC 2014 Marlborough, South Island $24.95
Stony mineral, candied lime and gooseberry, quite grassy. Fresh squeezed grapefruit is the featured flavour on the palate, acidity is crisp, with hints of melon and papaya on the finish. Find this wine

408625 OPAWA PINOT GRIS 2014 Marlborough, South Island$16.95
Floral, stone fruit, toffee and apple candy aromas; nicely set palate, well balanced with apple and nectarine flavours, a rich chewy texture and caramel note on the finish. Find this wine

408682 WAIMEA PINOT GRIS 2014 Nelson, South Island $18.95
Dull and stingy at first, but with coaxing it shows some light aromas of baked apple, fresh cut flowers and milk fudge. Its palate is lacking fruit, there is some sweetness, but little excites and the finish is tame. Find this wine

411777 ROCKY POINT PINOT NOIR 2013 Central Otago, South Island $39.95
Power packed Pinot, filled with plum, blackberry, cherry, caramel and mineral aromas. Very good concentration of dark fruit, sweet cherry and plum, very tightly wound; tannins are dusty, but have power, so best leave alone for a while. Find this wine

309583 ELEPHANT HILL PINOT NOIR 2013 Central Otago, South Island $22.95
A most pleasing mix of dark cherry, plum, blackberry, clove, forest floor and lavender. Some tasty flavours of cherry and plum spiced with anise; very well balanced, with gentle tannins. Extremely tasty right now. Find this wine

408633 ELEPHANT HILL RED LABEL SYRAH 2013 Hawke’s Bay, North Island $22.95
A strong and forceful note of lead pencil backed up nicely by charcoal ash, black pepper and smoky notes. Then dark fruit, prune and blackberry aromas take their place and intensify. Some mineral and juicy acidity on the mid palate, but it carries a cloying note on the finish. Find this wine

WINES FROM GERMANY’S NEW GENERATION OF WINE MAKERS

409748 KLUMPP RIESLING 2013 Qualitätswein, Baden $19.95
The nose is full of kiwi, lime leaves, apple and fruit blossom. Surprisingly dry palate, some tartness, with pleasing flavours of under ripe peach, apple and mineral. Find this wine

409698 MARKUS MOLITOR HAUS KLOSTERBERG RIESLING 2013 Qualitätswein, Mosel $20.95
Green apple, nectarine, jelly beans and peach, super mineral and slate aromas; very dry palate, solid peach flavours, some dried herb and lower than expected acidity. Find this wine

320473 RUPPERTSBERGER LINSENBUSCH GEWÜRZTRAMINER SPÄTLESE 2014 Prädikatswein, Pfalz $17.95
This, given the price, is the deal of the release, one to search out and buy lots of. It is brimming with aromas of honeycomb, white treacle, apricots, lychee, candied ginger and mandarin. It is sweet, but balanced by just enough acidity, and features flavours of preserved lemon, mandarin, tangerine and marmalade. Truly a super value for a classic Old World Gewurztraminer. Find this wine

409912 SALWEY PINOT GRIS 2013 Qualitätswein, Baden
Pleasing aromas of honey, pressed flowers, mineral and wet stone, all leading to a palate of nicely concentrated apple, honeydew melon and pear flavours; some residual sugar, but enough acids to balance. Find this wine

411249 FRIEDRICH-WILHELM-GYMNASIUM GRAACHER HIMMELREICH RIESLING KABINETT 2012 Prädikatswein, Mosel $22.95
Aromas of spiced apple sauce with lime, mineral and floral notes. Good flavours of green apple, sweet Meyer lemon, melon, mineral and the right amount of sweetness on the finish. Find this wine

LA VIE EN ROSE

284943 FRANCIS COPPOLA SOFIA ROSÉ 2014 Monterey County, California $19.95
Bright rose coloured wine, showing rose petal, sugar candy and bubble-gum aromas; sweet and syrupy red fruit, sweet cherry and raspberry on palate, quite cloying on the finish. Find this wine

225003 E. GUIGAL CÔTES DU RHÔNE ROSÉ 2014 Rhône, France $17.95
Good fruit, cherry, raspberry, apple skin and mineral aromas mix well, with nice crispness on the palate that combines with red fruit flavours. Refreshing and tasty. Find this wine

950576 MAS DES BRESSADES CUVÉE TRADITION ROSÉ 2014 Costières de Nîmes, Rhône, France $15.95
A blend of Grenache, Syrah and Cinsault that emits stony and mineral aromas, but gutsy fruit, sweet cherry and strawberry soon surface. Good balance, good structure, lovely flavours. Find this wine

325076 CAVES D’ESCLANS WHISPERING ANGEL ROSÉ 2014 Côtes de Provence, France $25.95
Not your average summer quaffer, but for a pre-dinner patio wine, this salmon coloured rose is bloody tasty. Showing lot of appealing aromas of clay, earth, red sweet apple and jasmine; robust flavours of raspberry and strawberry are backed by minerality and perfect acidity. Find this wine

654970 BROTTE LES EGLANTIERS TAVEL 2014 Rhône, France $19.95
Lovely red fruit, some chalk, bubble-gum, rose petal, peach skin and apple aromas. Pure strawberry flavours, rhubarb, mineral, stone and great acidity. Nice dryness on the finish. Find this wine

233437 TORRES SANGRE DE TORO ROSÉ 2014 Catalunya, Spain $13.95
Surprisingly dense, featuring the expected strawberry, raspberry and cherry aromas that run through to the palate; some cleansing acidity, but a touch cloying on the finish. Find this wine

410142 REAL AGRADO ROSÉ 2014 Rioja, Spain $12.95
Another well priced and tasty wine carrying red fruit aromas, but a nice layer of stony mineral adds something to the nose. Sweet at first, maraschino cherry comes to mind, but acidity kicks in pulling forward a cranberry note. Find this wine

A FEW OTHER WINES FROM THE RELEASE

147454 PAHLMEYER CHARDONNAY 2013 Napa Valley $116.95
Purity at its most finest, this Chardonnay emits tantalizing aromas of tangerine, cider apple, butterscotch, and the right amount of sweet oak backed up with lime leaf, vanilla, clove and nutmeg. A seamless palate; it’s buttery, with flavours of caramel apple, pineapple, mango and lemon. Fabulous texture and great length to the perfectly balanced finish. Find this wine

409151 JOSEPH CARR CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2012 Napa County $29.95
Saddle leather, clay, mushroom, wet soil and mineral support the solid fruit aromas of Ribena, plum and black cherry. Tasty, fruit and earthy notes meld well, with gentle tannins and good length to the finish. Sadly this wine is way cheaper south of the border, but nonetheless, I will bite the bullet and pick up a couple as it is really quite tasty. Find this wine

967679 KENDALL-JACKSON VINTNER’S RESERVE ZINFANDEL 2013 Mendocino County $21.95
Mendocino fruit shows well, with alluring aromas of sweet raspberry, sweet red licorice, tar and butterscotch; quite sweet and cloying on palate, but black fruit acidity does help tame. Find this wine

287979 SMALL GULLY MR. BLACK’S LITTLE BOOK SHIRAZ 2013 Barossa Valley, South Australia $18.95
Prune and coffee grounds, Dutch licorice, salty olives, nice blackberry and floral aromas; quite tasty, albeit a touch sweet, with lots of black fruit and sweet oak on the finish. Find this wine

024034 WIRRA WIRRA CHURCH BLOCK CABERNET/SHIRAZ/MERLOT 2012
McLaren Vale, South Australia $19.95Black fruit and currant with a little star anise and other Asian spice. Great structure on the palate; fruit is forward, but cedar and spice sit well in the background. Find this wine

413237 GÉRARD BERTRAND LANGUEDOC SYRAH/GRENACHE 2011 $17.00
Lovely black fruit and mineral aromas are reinforced with tar, coffee bean, pipe tobacco and dark wet soil aromas. Lovely flavours of dark cherry, black raspberry and blackcurrant, plum and sweet spice on finish. Find this wine

175216 CHÂTEAU DE SÉRAME RÉSERVE DU CHÂTEAU CORBIÈRES 2010 $16.95
Plenty of oomph and bang for the buck, showing black cherry, blueberry, blackcurrant, tree bark and mint. Very good structure, with a fruit focused palate, but black tea and dark chocolate flavours make their presence known. There is tannin, but nothing to stop the potential drinking pleasure to be gotten right now. Find this wine

164871 CHÂTEAU DE VAUDIEU CHÂTEAUNEUF-DU-PAPE 2012, Rhone, France $59.95
Sweet ripe blackcurrant, blackberry, black olive, Kirsch, anise, cinnamon and mineral. Nice cherry and black fruit flavours, with a strange note of iron and some hefty tannins that increase their potency on the finish, suggesting this wine needs much time to come around and show its full potential. Find this wine

276162 CASTAÑO SOLANERA VIÑAS VIEJAS 2012 Yecla, Spain $16.95
A fabulous blend of red and dark fruit, clay, mocha, Moroccan spice, mineral and tar. Lovely palate of blueberry, cassis; very punchy and chewy, lots of mineral, fun wine. Find this wine

357335 HACIENDA LOPEZ DE HARO RESERVA 2005 Rioja, Spain $18.95
This blend of 90% Tempranillo, 5% Graciano and 5% Garnacha presents a perfectly aged wine boasting aromas of plum, coffee grounds, thyme, leather, coconut shell and fresh cut flowers. Maturing plum and currant fruit, fully integrated tannins, lovely soft and round texture. Not the longest finish, but here is a great value wine that offers one the chance to sample a ten year old wine close to full maturity. Find this wine

943845 DEL MAGUEY CHICHICAPA MEZCAL Single Village, Chichicapa, Mexico $119.95
A first for me, this is powerful. It has heady aromas of beach stones, smoked bacon, pine needles; the palate has powerful heat, smoky, where bacon fat flavours surface, and dried mint hits the finish. This is the type of beverage that can creep up behind you and kick your legs from under you. Find this wine

408484 DEL MAGUEY VIDA MEZCAL Single Village, San Luis Del Rio, Mexico $79.95
Cardboard egg carton, very heady, soap stone, chalk, grain, mushrooms and guava. Again some smoke on the palate, some spicy nasturtium flavours, plenty of powerful heat and sour spice on finish. Find this wine

Cheers
CZ

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