Weekly Tasting Report (July 27-Aug 2): A Perfect New Zealand Chardonnay, Unique Sonoma Coast Pinot Noirs, and Germany’s Inspired 2020

We are not going to be shy about it. We just gave a perfect score to a New Zealand chardonnay – Kumeu River Chardonnay Kumeu Mate's Vineyard 2020. Both Contributing Editor Nick Stock and I have been saying for years that chardonnay from New Zealand is amazing, and the perfect wine has finally arrived. It’s only the second time ever that JamesSuckling.com has awarded a New Zealand wine 100 points, and it came during our biggest tasting week ever – nearly 800 wines.

“They have set the standard for New Zealand chardonnay,” said Nick, who raved about all the 2020 Kumeu River Chardonnays he rated last week. “We are looking at the best set of releases ever from this winery. The Brajkovich family makes the wines and Michael Brajkovich is the winemaker, and he is relentless in finding quality.”

Nick has visited the Brajkovich family often and knows all about their attention to detail. I have known Michael since the 1980s when he was in London, and I have admired his wines ever since. I visited him in 2012 at the winery and he said at the time that he was inspired by Burgundy.

AN UNEXPECTED JOURNEY: James' talked with Michael Brajkovich of Kumeu River Wines during his 2012 New Zealand visit.

“But there are differences [between our wines and theirs],” he said in a video interview during that trip. “We have a brightness, almost a sharpness in our fruit, which may have to do with the extra ultraviolet light that we have in our environment. It’s slightly different fruit characters and in tastings they can be a bit softer. All of our soils are clay and it can be a bit different to the limestone-influenced soils that you can find in Burgundy.”

Check out the video from 2012, above, for an in-depth interview with Michael about his wines and winemaking.

I had a New World moment myself this morning during a Zoom call with Jasmine Hirsch of Hirsch Vineyards in California’s Sonoma Coast. She makes unique pinot noirs from her slightly more than 70 acres of vineyards, which were established in 1980. The 2019 is her first vintage as a full-time winemaker following her father’s hard work, and she has made some fantastic wines.

Each and every wine is different and full of quality, particularly her single-vineyard parcels, such as Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma County Sonoma Coast West Ridge 2019 and Hirsch Vineyards Pinot Noir Sonoma County Sonoma Coast Block 8 2019.

“There is a real awareness of the Sonoma Coast and the true Sonoma Coast,” said Hirsch, who pointed out her region has applied for a new AVA – West Sonoma Coast – and that it is expected “to be approved any day now.”

The Sonoma Coast makes very unique wines, particularly pinot noir, and I think that the best will be seen in the same vein as Burgundy, Adelaide Hills, Central Otago and other great regions outside of the United States. Stay tuned for more tastings from the region.

“There are so many great New World pinot noir regions and the quality to value is there for us,” she added.

Senior Editor Stuart Pigott continued his findings of immaculate-quality wines from Germany, with Gunther Steinmetz, Carl Loewen and Fritz Haag coming in with amazing wines that are both dry and have higher sweetness levels. The 2020 vintage is turning out to be an outstanding year for Germany, which is making rieslings very close in quality to the modern legend of 2019.

Stuart reported that he just returned from a second trip to the Mosel to taste the recently bottled 2020 wines, and that he had a more complete picture of the new vintage.

“Several 2020 dry Rieslings from the Mosel with very high ratings, particularly those from Carl Loewen and Gunther Steinmetz, prove that although the new vintage is more erratic than 2019, in the hands of producers with excellent vineyard management and top-class winemaking, 2020 was capable of greatness,” Staurt said in an email.

Despite the fact that 2020 was another drought year for Germany, the 2020 dry rieslings from the Mosel are “sleek and vibrant with tremendous energy,” Stuart said, with bright aromas, racy acidity and great balance.

“Much the same can be said of the new vintage right across Germany. Really top-quality sweet Auslese, BA and TBA are rare everywhere in Germany, but I found a few Mosel masterpieces,” he added

I think the same could be said for 2007 vintage versus the 2008 in Champagne. Everyone knows that 2008 is one of the greatest Champagne years ever along with 2002 and 1996. But the slightly leaner and more driven Champagnes of 2007 are fantastic. The just-released Bollinger Champagne R.D. Extra-Brut 2007 is sophistication in the bottle and proves my point.

CLASSIC BORDEAUX:  The owner of Chateaux Croix de Labrie, Pierre Courdurie, on the 2019 vintage.

HIRSCH VINEYARDS: Jasmine Hirsch and Michael Cruse discuss the 2019 vintage with James.

HEDONISTIC PLEASURE

I think that Nick’s tasting note of the recently released Morris Muscat Rutherglen Old Premium Rare Liqueur also proves a point. But it’s not about sophistication, it’s about pure hedonistic pleasure. These rare blends of ancient, fortified wines are really something special and they are made through long aging and evaporation in the hot, arid climate of Rutherglen, in southeastern Australia. I suggest drinking this thick and sweet wine by the teaspoon instead of by the glass!

Don’t miss out on buying some Quinta Do Vale Meão Douro 2018 from Portugal’s Douro region. It may be the greatest modern table wine ever made there. It is the birthplace of the legendary red called Barca Velha, which is now made from a blend of wines from other vineyards. But the greatest of the Quinta Do Vale Meão vineyards continue today, especially with the 2018 vintage.

Another wine to think about in this report is the Chateau Croix de Labrie St.-Emilion 2019. It is another example of the fantastic 2019 vintage for Bordeaux, which may be the greatest vintage for the region since 2010 or 2009. I have only tasted a few of the bottled 2019s and they continue to impress with their wonderful aromatic quality and incredible structure and length. The quality of their tannins is something to marvel at.

There are plenty of marvelous wines here to contemplate. Take your time and check them out.

– James Suckling, Chairman/Editor

The list of wines below is comprised of bottles tasted and rated during the previous week by James and other tasters at JamesSuckling.com. They include many latest releases not yet available on the market, but which will be available soon. Some will be included in upcoming tasting reports. 

Note: You can sort the wines below by country, vintage, score and alphabetically by winery name. You can also search for specific wines in the search bar.