Wednesday night Steve and I met with an elite group of NYC bloggers to taste through the delicious offerings of Brancott Estate and hear about the brands ins and outs first-hand from Global Brand Ambassador, Jim Robertson.
The weather was one that New York City does not often have - perfect. Not too hot, not too cold and the warm breeze circling the space was just what we needed. The event was held on the XVI Rooftop bar on 48th street and 8th overlooking midtown Manhattan and a fantastic sunset that is what summertime in the city is all about.
Jim brought us through the line-up of Brancott Estate's classic range: Pinot Grigio, Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc. Although we did not have the opportunity to taste, there is also a Pinot Noir and a Sauvignon Blanc available in limited quantities from the letter series which is a higher end product produced by the estate. All of Brancott's wines are appellation Marlborough, NZ.
We began with the 2010 Pinot Grigio - a wine that many exclaimed, "restored their faith in Pinot Grigio." This wine is in the style that to that of one will likely consider closer that of a Pinot Gris - big fruit, lots of a flavor a delightful bit of acid that would allow the wine to stand up to food.
Next we tasted the Pinot Noir. Why the Pinot Noir and not the Sauvignon Blanc? Well, for one, it was a special request by one of the attendees and, second of all, this order as decided to demonstrate the intense flavors and high acid of the Sauvignon Blanc that could actually follow a red wine and still come through showing beautifully.
The Pinot Noir was fruity and fresh, decent amount of a spice and far surpassed expectations for a wine at this price point. This was a wine easily sippable in the sun as it would be on a chilly fall day - with or without food. Here's a fun fact about Pinot Noir from New Zealand that Jim taught us: 52% of all Pinot Noir grown in NZ is grown in Marlborough with only a small proportion coming from Central Otago despite its popularity in recent years.
Finally we rounded up the bunch with a taste of the Sauvignon Blanc. This is easily the most widely recognized wine from Brancott Estate and most widely available - we instantly saw why. This wine is a delightfully easy-drinking white, with distinctly intense flavors of gooseberries and citrus that can really only come from NZ. Despite the fact it came after the Pinot Noir, as I mentioned, the wine was full and vibrant and instantly took over.
It was a fantastic mid-summer event in an excellent location with great company and delicious wines. Special thanks to all to attended!
Cheers!
-CC
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