Methode Traditionnelle

Chardonnay

Sauvignon Blanc

Aromatic

Dessert Wine

Rose

Red Wine
 

Monowai 2008 Hawkes Bay Pinot Noir

As winter draws in, red wines become a better choice as they do not need chilling, and accompany some of the foods we eat in winter better than white wines. The red I have chosen for review this week is Monowai’s Hawkes Bay Pinot Noir of 2008.

Pinot Noir was originally from Burgundy in France, but has shown that it is also at home growing in New Zealand. It is a grape that needs to struggle to produce quality fruit, but when it does it picks up a wonderful array of flavours reflecting the location where the fruit was grown.

Even though Monowai is in Hawkes Bay, its location on the banks of the Ngaruroro River in Crownthorp make it suited to grow cooler climate wines, and Pinot Noir is one red that is also suited to cooler climates. I would expect the palate to be different from those in Central Otago and Canterbury though.

I found the resulting deep burgundy coloured 2008 Monowai Pinot Noir to have a wonderful bouquet of ripe fruit aromas and spice with underlying notes of leather and tobacco. On the palate, I found this wine to exhibit flavours of cherry, strawberry and spice with underlying savoury notes. It has a long, lingering finish and I would recommend trying it with a nice winter beef stew. You could also try it with game.

This wine is drinking well now but will develop further over the next five years with careful cellaring.

Reviewed by Stephen Clark (25/6/2010)
 

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