When I worked in the wine industry I was much more up to date with all things wine espeacially styles. vintage status, brands and competitor products.
Now being long out of the industry I'm a bit out of touch with the wines in the market and, when purchasing from wineshops, supermarkets or on-line, refer more than ever before to wine writer endorsements when confronted by an unknown wine. Generally I stick to my favourites but now and then purchase new wines. When seen on-shelf the only thing to differentiate from a host of similar wines tends to be the 'gold' stickers on a bottle. When these are not entirely bogus like a gold sticker saying something meaningless like "We are known for our quality" or "Our winery dog's name is Ruffles" the stickers can be wine show accolades or, increasingly, wine writer reviews.
The problem with wine show accolades is in the quality of the wine show in question. Sadly there are several of these that come nowhere near the reliability of the old Air NZ National Wine Shows of years gone by. They are a watered down variant with suppliers not really seeing them as being the 'make it or break' it opportunity and wines are just shovelled along as part of the yearly marketing programme.
The problem also with wine writer reviews is that may of them are commercial enterprises where money has to be paid for a review. To me this is not entirely trustworthy no matter how much the wine writer or reviewer says that all wines are carefully evaluated on a 100-point scale.
I still trust some of the old favourites like Bob Campbell and Michael Cooper but I never see 'gold' stickers on bottles with their accolades.
Recently I purchased a NZ rose I haven't had before - Black Cottage 2023 from Marlborough. I admit that my purchase decision was influenced by the band of five 'gold medals" at the top of the label (sticker on the bottle).
While I was unfamiliar with this particular wine I do know of Black Cottage and acknowledge that the winery has a good reputation.
The 'gold medals' turned out to be:
- Gold Medal from New Word Wine Awards (New World supermarket run competition).
- 5-stars and 93 points from Sam Kim (wine reviewer).
- 5-stars and 93 points from Raymond Chan Wine Reviews.
- 5-stars and 93 points from Candice Wine Chat.
- 'Premium' and 92 points from Cameron Douglas (wine reviewer).
Candice has always been a fan of Raymond Chan Wine Reviews; she learnt that Raymond passed away in February 2019, it was a massive loss to the industry, she thought to herself, ” I wish someone would pick up the website and keep writing the same way that Raymond did.”. In December 2019, while Candice visited Martinborough, she happened to bring this up in a conversation with friends of Raymond. “Why don’t you do it?” they said. Then with some encouragement and an introduction to Sue Davies, things came together. Raymond’s legacy lives on, along with over 10,000 wine reviews Raymond accumulated, available to you, free to access.
Well, sorry Candice, this doesn't cut it with me. The sticker you use clearly states "Raymond Chan Wine Reviews" alongside your own and I guess identical review with your sticker "Candice Wine Chat".
I'm neither impressed nor motivated to follow your lead when it comes to other bottles of wine.
I looked up the reviews that these wine reviewers posted on Black Cottage Rose 2023 and found the following:
Tasting Notes
Sam Kim, Wine Orbit writes "Pristine and bright, it's elegantly lifted on the nose with nectarine, raspberry, Gala apple and jasmine nuances, leading to a finely flowing palate that's ripe and fleshy. Light and delicate, yet persistent and delectable."
Cameron Douglas MS writes "Salmon, apricot and pink hues lead to a bouquet of peach and red apple, some whispers of red berry and cherry then a lick of saffron. Aromatic with light floral notes then mineral. On the palate crisp and new, vibrant and fruity. Flavours mirror the bouquet and are accentuated by acidity and youthful fruit power."
Candice Chow, Raymond Chan Wine Reviews writes "Bright, even, pale blush pink. The nose is gentle with some richness, enveloping red berries, watermelon, herbs and floral aromas. Medium-light bodied, red berries and watermelon aromas entwined with citrus zest, fresh herbs and floral elements. The wine is crisp with thirst-quenching acidity; floral and herb details add interest."
And, the winery writes "This wine has a beautiful salmon colour. The aroma is a lovely combination of rose petals, red liquorice, fennel, and sea breeze. The palate has a delicate balance of red berries, watermelon, spice, and Provence herb flavours. The taste is refreshing and juicy, with a subtle savoury undertone and a perfectly balanced light acidity to finish."
