Mahi Pinot Noir, 2008

You have to admire the Kiwis.  They took on the French at Sauvignon Blanc and won.  Then they turned their attention to the battle of the Pinot Noir.  This most fickle of grapes, like Brigitte Bardot, promises so much yet regularly delivers no more than a handkerchief full of jizz.

Realising that Burgundy Pinots have almost impenetrable reputations, New Zealand winemakers took a radical stance.  Screwcap closures combined with young drinkable zingy wines were palatable in both flavour and fashion.  This meant prices vied with Ugg Boots for the captain of the Fashion Victim Rest of the World XI, whilst production and maturation costs were relatively low.  Still innovation pays, or ought to.

The label on this wine explains that it was bottled “unfiltered”.  A better description might be “cloudy” and not in the “bay” sense.

Maybe this is just a faulty bottle.  It didn’t taste awful, but then again it fell way short of remarkable and certainly not worth the £18 The Wine Society sent a congratulatory letter of thanks to my bank manager for.

I have another bottle somewhere – I will try that and report back.

6 Responses to “Mahi Pinot Noir, 2008”

  1. Peter May Says:

    “minimal fining and no filtration”

    was the wine rested upright for a day before pouring (with care)?

    If you are are unhappy you should call TWS — they give 1st rate service and they’ll refund you, no quibble.

    By co-incidence I’ve just had the second of two Mahi SBs from a TWS mixed NZ SB case and really enjoyed it

  2. Creative Juices Says:

    Thanks for the post, too bad you weren’t impressed. Looking forward to the follow up writeup.
    Cheers!

    Zak and Olena

  3. Alastair Bathgate Says:

    I’ve tried the Sauvignon Blanc too – review to follow….

  4. Confessions of a Wino » Blog Archive » Mahi 2009 Sauvignon Blanc Says:

    […] could consider wines to be micro brands and I was not that impressed by the product quality of a 2008 Mahi Pinot Noir.  Will the Sauvignon Blanc resole my trust, or leave me with a hole in my […]

  5. Confessions of a Wino » Blog Archive » Mahi Pinot Noir Reflections Says:

    […] I wrote recently about Mahi Pinot Noir 2008 and provoked a bit of a reaction.  “Unfiltered” is obviously some kind of USP.  I rudely described it as “Cloudy” and not in the “Bay” sense. […]

  6. Mark Doyle Says:

    Great post! I really enjoyed it!

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