The third of Ngeringa's current release "J.E." wines tasted here at Full Pour (Chardonnay and Shiraz previously, and positively, reviewed). This wine is made of grapes grown using biodynamic techniques. There's a lot of hype around biodynamic producers lately, and I don't hold an opinion as to the inherent superiority (or otherwise) of this approach. For me, it's all about what's in the bottle.
A lovely bright colour, garnet, not terribly dense. Clean yet funky (if that makes sense) aromas of cherry, rhubarb/beetroot and deep spice. Perhaps a little reduction too, but this blows off quickly. Expressive and reasonably complex, it's a nose that shows some bright character but suggests deeper layers of fruit as well. A lovely entry that balances silkiness with fine, firm acidity. It flows with focused line through to the mid-palate. Medium bodied, this wine shows sour red fruit and veg with good depth, plus a firm structure that keeps the wine shapely and alive. Tannins are especially notable for their ripe deliciousness. Slight falloff through the after-palate, but a sappy note persists well on the finish.
A really nice Pinot. The fruit is generous, but it's far from a fruit bomb, with the sort of sophisticated structure that rewards sipping, not gulping. I think balance is a key word here; for me, all the elements cohere and complement well. Super value.
Ngeringa
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: April 2008
A lovely bright colour, garnet, not terribly dense. Clean yet funky (if that makes sense) aromas of cherry, rhubarb/beetroot and deep spice. Perhaps a little reduction too, but this blows off quickly. Expressive and reasonably complex, it's a nose that shows some bright character but suggests deeper layers of fruit as well. A lovely entry that balances silkiness with fine, firm acidity. It flows with focused line through to the mid-palate. Medium bodied, this wine shows sour red fruit and veg with good depth, plus a firm structure that keeps the wine shapely and alive. Tannins are especially notable for their ripe deliciousness. Slight falloff through the after-palate, but a sappy note persists well on the finish.
A really nice Pinot. The fruit is generous, but it's far from a fruit bomb, with the sort of sophisticated structure that rewards sipping, not gulping. I think balance is a key word here; for me, all the elements cohere and complement well. Super value.
Ngeringa
Price: $A25
Closure: Stelvin
Date tasted: April 2008
Just tasting this again tonight. We're definitely a long way from Central Otago Pinot here, the emphasis being on fragrant elegance rather than outright power. It's so lightfooted I'm tempted to consider it insubstantial --but its intensity and complexity defies such judgement. Lovely wine.