Wine List
At LOUNGE we stock only wines from our area, Carterton and Masterton, we are proud to support local endeavours and to highlight the superb wines from the Wairarapa.
"LOUNGE" thanks Michael Cooper for permission to use extracts from his book and encourages viewers to source this book if exploring New Zealand wines. Available from all good booksellers.
White Wines
RIESLING |
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Gladstone Riesling 2004 |
Tasting notes This wine is a light straw colour, with a good acid balance and harmonious flavours. With a classic Riesling nose, this wine has fresh aromas of citrus and limes. Grapefruit and citrusy on the palate, it has a full mouthfeel with hints of honeyed apples and a fresh acid finish. A dry wine, it is a wine which will age well over the next 1 to 3 years. Technical information The wine was made from grapes from the estate owned Gladstone Vineyards. The grapes were harvested between the 25th April and the 3rd May. The wine was fermented in separate batches at cool temperatures, and aged in stainless steel tanks, for 3 months prior to blending, fining, filtering and bottling. pH 3.24; TA 9.1g/l; Alc/Vol 12.5%; rs 5.6g/l |
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Loopline Riesling 2005 |
Grown at Opaki the 2004 vintage is a slightly honeyed wine with a splash of sweetness (13 grams/litre residual sugar). It's crisp lemony and flavoursome with hints of passionfruit and good intensity. Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
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Fairmont Riesling 2002 |
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Waipipi Riesling 2005 |
Flavours of Lemon and Lime with good mid palate. It has a long lingering finish |
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Solstone Autumn Riesling 2005 |
Grown in Masterton this is a late harvest style Tangy and light (11% alcohol) it is citrusy and slightly honeyed on the nose, with strong, lemony flavours, a touch of honey, plentiful sweetness and good acid spine. Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
CHARDONNAY |
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Fairmont Block 1 Chardonnay 2004 |
A big ripe rich and intense style, concentrated and full of exotic pear, fig, melon and toasty oak flavours. Fermented and matured in a selection of fine French oak for one year. Expect this wine to build in character and complexity for at least five years. |
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Borthwicks Chardonnay 2004 |
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Mebus Estate Chardonnay 2002 |
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Loopline Estate Chardonnay 2004 |
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SAUVIGNON BLANC |
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Solstone Sauvignon Blanc 05 |
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Gladstone Sauvignon Blanc 05 |
Tasting notes The 2005 Sauvignon Blanc has a classical herbaceous aroma, with good balance between a fresh minerally zest and mouth filling tropical fruit flavours. These characteristics have made this wine a Gladstone Classic over the years. A “zingy” wine, it has lasting flavours of gooseberries and lime with a lingering finish and good acid balance. Technical information The grapes were hand harvested in batches from our home block, and our new block at Dakins Road between 8th and 15th April. The fruit was in good condition, with sugar levels between 22.1 and 23.2 brix. The new young vines, (including clones 316 and 317) gave juice with intense minerally characteristics, while the older vines from the home block supplied opulent gooseberry and tropical stone fruit flavours. The juice was cold settled and then tank fermented in separate batches. Both aromatic and neutral yeasts were used on the different batches. Fermentation was cool and steady. Following fermentation, the wine sat on yeast lees for about 3 months, prior to blending, fining, filtering and bottling. pH 3.3; TA 6.80g/l; rs 4.5g/l; Alc 13.5% |
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Mebus Estate Sauvignon Blanc 04 |
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Matahiwi Estate Sauvignon Blanc 04 |
The debut 2004 vintage was mostly (86%) estate grown at Opaki north of Masterton. Grassy aromas lead into a fresh, smooth palate with a good body and strongly herbaceous flavours smooth and lively. Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
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Fairmont Estate Sauvignon Blanc 06 |
Big wine, lovely ripe passionfruit/goosberry and tropical aromas. Stylish Sauvigon that captures the the very essence of the style. It neatly balances fruit sweetness against crisp acidity with the potential for further development. Delicious |
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Waipipi Estate Sauvignon Blanc 04 |
This wine shows hints of goosberry, Lychee and citrus fruit. it has a dry crisp finish |
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Johner Estate Sauvignon Blanc 06 |
2006 Sauvignon Blanc made entirely from grapes from the Johner vineyard at Gladstone cool fermented in stainless steel tanks with lees contact. Pale light green tint. Light gooseberry and elderberry with a hint of lime flavours combined with vibrant acidity, complex body which shows its lively character. Lingering with a hint of tropical fruit. |
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Loopline estate Sauvignon Blanc 04 |
Grown on the Opaki plains just north of Masterton the 2004 vintage has fresh nettley aromas and flavours, woven with a crisp acidity. It shows good vigour and depth with a dry finish. Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
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Borthwicks Sav Blanc 04 |
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Pinot Gris |
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Loopline Pinot Gris 2004 |
Pale straw, the 2004 vintage has a restrained slightly spicy bouquet. Full bodied it is slightly honeyed, cheesy and buttery, with an oily texture and some concentration of citrus and stone-fruit flavours Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
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Mebus Pinot Gris 2004 |
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Bijou Estate Pinot Gris 2004 |
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Bubbles |
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WaipipiBubbly |
Disgorged from its yeast lees in early 2004, the 2001 vintage was made from Chenin Blanc grapes grown in Wairarapa. Light yellow/green, with a floral, slightly honeyed bouquet, it's a characterful, moderately complex, dryish wine with crisp, honeyed flavours, gently yeasty and lively. Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
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Lindauer “Baby” (200ml) |
It is blended from Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Chenin Blanc grapes and matured for an average of 15 months on it's yeast lees. Slightly sweet (12 grams/litre of sugar) it generally shows good vigour and flavour depth in a refined style, crisp and finely balanced. Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
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Lindauer Special Reserve |
Based on Chardonnay and disgorged after 2 years on its yeast lee. It is a deliciously well-balanced wine lemony and nutty, with gentle yeast autolysis characters and a crisp slightly creamy finish. Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
Dessert |
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Solstone Estate Noble Rise |
Light gold with a honeyed bouquet, the 2003 vintage was picked at 41 brix, and stop fermented with 11% alcohol and 190 grams per litre of residual sugar. It shows excellent intensity, with crisp citrusy, strongly honeyed flavours, a powerful botrytis influence, plentiful sweetness and tense acidity keeping things lively. Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
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Opaki Lodge late Harvest |
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Johner Pinot Sticky |
The 2005 vintage was grown at Gladstone. It's a golden forward wine, with rich citrus-fruit, apricot and honey flavours, sweet (over 100 grams/litre of residual sugar), strongly botrysed and crisp. Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
Red Wines
ROSE |
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Gladstone Rose 04 |
Tasting notes The summer rosé is a recent addition to the line up of wines in the Gladstone label. It is a pretty wine, with rhubarb pink and raspberry colours. It has lifted strawberry and caramelised confectionary characteristics. With fresh fruity flavours and a long finish, it is a well balanced wine, perfect to enjoy slightly chilled on a summer’s day. Technical information This wine was made from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes from our home blocks. The grapes were crushed and pressend and then the rosé juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks. Fermentation was cool and steady, giving good fruity flavours in the wine. The wine was fined and filtered and blended with a small quantity of Pinot Noir wine (5%), to enhance the colour and flavour prior to bottling. 400 cases of the wine have been produced. pH 3.65; TA 6.6g/l; rs 3.2g/l; Alc 12.5% |
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Matahiwi Rose 04 |
The delicious 2004 vintage is a blend of Pinot Noir (82%) and Merlot (18%) Harvested at an average of 23.4 brix it is bright pink/red, full-bodied, fresh, vibrant and smooth, with loads of plumby berryish, dryish (7 grams of residual sugar) flavour. Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
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Solstone Estate Rose 04 |
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Fairmont estate Rose 04 |
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PINOT NOIR |
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Fairmont 2004 Block 1 Pinot |
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Fairmont 2004 Gold Medal |
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Gladstone Estate Pinot 2004 |
Grown at East Taratahi , French oak aged for nine months it is light in colour, with a spicy, slightly herbal bouquet. It's a middleweight style, spicy, savoury and cherryish, with smooth tannins and some complexity. Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
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loopline Pinot Noir 2004 |
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Borthwicks Estate Pinot Noir 2001 |
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Mebus Estate Pinot 2004 |
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Johner Pinot Noir 2004 |
This has been French Oak-aged for a year. Deep ruby it shows ripe fruit characters in a forward generous style with plenty of plumby, slightly herbal and spicy flavour, a silky texture a good drink young appeal. Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
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Waipipi Reserve Pinot |
Grown at Opaki and French oak aged it is a berryish, plumy wine, still youthful in colour with a fresh acidity and a Beaujolais-like simplicity. Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
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Waipipi Henry Pinot |
Grown at Opaki and French oak-aged, is ruby hued, crisp, raspberryish and simple. Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
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Matahiwi Wairarapa Pinot 2004 |
A debut
2004 vintage was hand picked from first-crop vines and partly barrel-aged for
four months. Light Ruby with Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
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Matahiwi Holly Pinot 2004 |
Matured for nine months in French oak barriques (35% new) the 2004 vintage is spicy and nutty, with ripe fruit characters, plenty of flavours and some complexity. Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
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Johner Cuvee Des Amis 2004 |
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MERLOT |
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Loopline Merlot 2003 |
Matured for ten months French oak casks (mostly one year old) is fresh with good depth of plumb, berry and herb flavours and a slightly high-acid finish. Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
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Solstone Estate Merlot 2002 |
Ruby hued it is a medium-bodied style with fresh plummy, spicy flavours and a crisp finish Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
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Trilith 2004 |
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CABERNET SAUVIGNON |
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Solstone Cab Sav 2002 |
A decent but green edged blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (85%), merlot (9%) and Cabernet Franc (6%) matured for 20 months in French (80%) and American oak casks (half new) it shows good body and flavour depth Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
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Opaki estate Cab Sav |
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VARIATALS |
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Gladstone Old Aliance 04 |
Merlot 86%, Cabernet Franc 14% Tasting notes The “Auld Alliance” is the premier Bordeaux style wine from Gladstone Vineyard, made by a Scottish woman winemaker with French grape varieties. Scotland’s most famous connection with Europe was the Auld Alliance with France. First agreed in 1295/96 it was built on Scotland and France’s shared need to curtail English expansion. Not simply a military alliance, it was based on a long-established friendship founded on the Scots’ love of French wines. This stylish wine has great Merlot characteristics, with soft integrated fruit and oak tannins. It has soft flavours of fruit cake and ripe plum with underlying spicy berry characteristics. The soft tannins and alcohol in the wine will give it good ageing potential. This is a well balanced wine which will partner food well. Technical information This Gladstone 2004 “Auld Alliance” is a blend from our finest barrels of wine, with 86% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc. All the fruit was grown on our own estate Vineyards, and was hand harvested. The grapes were fermented in small batches with varying yeasts in open vats. All the batches were inoculated for malolactic fermentation just after the alcoholic fermentation started. The batches were pressed, free run wine was kept separate from pressings, and the malolactic fermentation was completed in barrels. The wine was aged in mixed age oak barrels for 12 - 18 months. At blending, all barrels of wine were tasted and assessed to achieve this premium blend. pH 3.6; TA 5.8; Alc/Vol 13% |
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Waipipi Cabernet 2002 |
A classic Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (60%) Cabernet Franc (30%) and merlot (10%). It is dark ruby red colour with a nose of oak and cherries. The wine displays flavours of cherries and blackcurrants and has a long dry finish. |
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Mebus Cab Merlot Malbec |
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2002 Solstone Cab Merlot |
Full and moderately youthful in colour, with a herbaceous bouquet it's a medium-bodied red with plumy, spicy, leafy flavours. Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |
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2002 Solstone Cab Franc |
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Borthwicks estate Cabernet Merlot |
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Loopline Cabernet 2003 |
77%
cabernet Sauvignon 14% Cabernet franc and 9% Malbec Review. Michael Coopers Buyers Guide to NZ Wines 2006 |