Better than the altdorf

Neudorf 2007 Riesling Brightwater (Nelson) – Slightly reduced but still accessible. Mineral-dominated (gravel and sand). Dried Granny Smith apple. High-quality. (3/09)

Moutere, I'm in love

Neudorf 2003 Pinot Noir (Moutere) – Reductive and tight, with leafy earth tones and waves of beautiful graphite. Very structured and narrow up front, but it grows on the palate, showing strawberries inside a smooth velvet interior. The finish is even more expressive, bringing spiced grapes and spicier black cherries in an ever-expanding blend. Beautifully balanced and ageable…in fact, it needs age. (3/05)

Drink Like a Pirate Day: Noirrrrr!

Neudorf 2003 Pinot Noir (Nelson) – Made from younger vines. Mineral-infused (mostly graphite), with strawberry, raspberry, and nicely crisped apple. Excellent balance. For fun, good quality drinking over the near term, this satisfies. (3/05)

Brightwater investigation

Neudorf 2004 Riesling (Brightwater) – “How many grams of residual sugar here?” “No grams.” Clever answer. There’s ripe lemongrass, but mostly there’s a slate-dominated minerality, plus a long, clean finish. Nicely done. (3/05)

You've tried that, now trytis

Neudorf 2003 “Botrytis Selection” Riesling (Nelson) – 100 grams of residual sugar. Wet and shy, with lime, grapefruit, and light minerality. And then, it builds. It’s OK now, but the length and subtle concentration of the finish suggest an improved future. (3/05)

Mercaptan, my captain

Neudorf 2003 Chardonnay (Nelson) – Mercaptans and butter, followed by much more appealing orange and tangerine, with a bright and balanced finish. This isn’t doing all that well at the moment, but a little time might help. (3/05)

Kina speaker

Neudorf 2004 Merlot Rosé “Kina” (Nelson) – Medium-weight blueberry and raspberry. Fruity, soft, and fluffy. Not at all serious, and it occurs to me that I’ve never had a rosé of merlot that I’ve much liked. (3/05)

Out with the old...

Neudorf 2004 Sauvignon Blanc (Nelson) – Green peas and other Kermit-tinged vegetables, spicy gooseberry, and white plum. More crisp than rich, but not in an entirely appealing way. A misstep. (3/05)