Reviews for latest vintage wines...

Sileni Cellar Selection Sparkling Brut NV

Light and lively style, made from Hawke's Bay chardonnay.  Fresh lemon/apple flavours, crisp and refreshing, with a touch of nutty, yeasty complexity.

 

Sileni Cellar Selection Sparkling Sauvignon Blanc

 

Sileni Cellar Selection Sparkling Rose

 

Punchy and crisp, medium-bodied style with fresh, strong passionfruit and lime flavours and a smooth, finely balanced finish.  Lots of drink-young appeal.

Sileni Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2009
The best vintage yet of this label.  Highly aromatic, it is a medium-bodied style with fresh tropical-fruit and herbaceous flavours, finely balanced and deliciously vibrant and assertive.

The perfumed aromas are quickly replaced by passionfruit and gooseberry flavours that have real elegance and are beautifully integrated with the spritzy acidity.  Good fruit weight and persistence.

Light and tangy, on the tart side, but polished and refined, offering Asian pear, grapefruit and lime peel flavours that don't quite on the finish.  Drink now.

 

Fresh and nicely perfumed on the nose displaying passionfruit, feijoa and lime zest characters.  The palate is juicy and well fruited with a rounded mouthfeel and a pleasant crisp dry finish.  An appealing Sauvignon with a friendly mouthfeel.

 

Tasty, zesty, nervy, good food finish.

 

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is all the rage these days and this bottle from Sileni is a prime example as to why.  Clear and crisp, light and tart are all words to describe this refresher from kiwi.  On the nose, expect tropical fruit notes and some citrus.  On the mouth, it is a rather tart wine with notes of grapefruit, pears, and lemon-lime which linger, and linger, and linger on the finish.  A nice sipper on its own or with some grilled scallops on the barbeque.

 

   

... a softer style.  It's off-dry, with a nose of blossoms and citrus, limey flavours and mild acidity.  It's also easy, forward balanced drinking.

 

Bright white gold colour with intense citrus, granny smith apple and honeysuckle aromas.  It has spritzy grapefruit and lime sorbet-like flavours.  Definitely a new favourite for me, and if I were a plate of spicy squid I'd be afraid.

 

...a delicate wine with hints of lime and lemon and that intriguing suggestion of petrol, a suggestion of sweetness, but a bright, crisp, dry finish.  A good wine with food.

Charmian Smith, Otago Daily Times, 18 July 2007

 

Medium-bodied, with fresh, pear and spice aromas and flavours and a dryish finish.  Attractive young, with good varietal character and harmony.

 

Fragrances of spice and orange peel and a big spicy/sweet palate with some slatey nuances.

 

Wine of the Week, Viini-lehti Magazine, Finland, April, 2010

 

Wine of the week is a tasty, fruity white wine from New Zealand.  In the nose you can find ripe, almost exotic fruitiness.  Also, floral notes can be found.  The palate is almost dry and very fruity, with notes of peach and apricot.  Soft taste is balanced with good acidity with notes of citrus.  Very balanced aftertaste with good, slightly baked fruitiness.  The wine of the week is a very good match with different kind of food.  It is perfect with fish and shellfish, and also with white meat dishes.

 

Sileni Cellar Selection Chardonnay 2009
A luscious but light Chardonnay is the perfect partner for tarragon-infused chicken and the Sileni Cellar Selection Chardonnay 2009 is clean, zesty and loaded with nectarine and grapefruit character, with excellent length of flavour.

 

A simple but attractive wine hinting of lemon, peach and pineapple, nicely textured with a crisp finish.

Sileni Cellar Selection Chardonnay 2008
The nose is subtle displaying citrus, apple and a touch of peach characters.  It's refreshing and fruity on the palate with smooth mouthfeel and a pleasant fruity finish.

 

If you’re looking for whites, it’s hard to beat the cool and crisp 08 Sileni Cellar Selection Chardonnay from Hawkes Bay, New Zealand, a very tidy and restrained wine for $14.95.

 

Bright and zippy, with lime and star fruit flavors that keep welling up as the finish lingers.  Drink now through 2012.

Sileni Cellar Selection Cabernet Franc Rose 2009
Dryish, pink / pale red wine with strawberryish, spicy aromas.  Fresh and lively, with good body and roundness, and greater character and depth than many roses.

Sileni Cellar Selection Cabernet Franc Rose 2008

This wine is perfect for summer – serve it chilled, but not too cold so you can savour the luscious summery flavour. This is one of the best roses we’ve tried – a wine made from quality fruit, not simply pressings.

Deborah Walton & Peter Morice, Timaru Herald, 27 January 2009

 

Cabernet Franc-based, this bright pink/red wine is slightly sweet and smooth, with good depth of fresh, vibrant berryish flavours.

 

...I've chosen Sileni 2008 Cabernet Franc Rose, an off-dry wine with pure raspberry, cherry and wild herb flavours.  It captures the warm, heady scents of summer and will brighten even the gloomiest day.  It's a delicate, pretty wine with an ethereal texture that makes me think of angels.

Bob Campbell, Air New Zealand Magazine, 2009

Crushed berry and wild herb flavours - a total charmer.

Silver Medal, Bob Campbell, Taste NZ, 31 January 2009

Buoyantly fruity, drink-young charmer. Ruby hued, with ripe, cherryish, strawberryish flavours, and gentle acidity and tannins giving a soft, easy finish.

 

Sileni Cellar Selection Pinot Noir 2009

Brightly fruited and fragrant, the youthful nose shows raspberry, red cherry and floral characters.  It's fruity, smooth and softly textured on the palate with balanced acidity and supple tannins.  An approachable and light-bodied Pinot for easy drinking.

...the fresh and fruity young 2009 Sileni Cellar Selection Pinot Noir from Hawke's Bay is good value at $22...

 

Just pops out of the glass saying "Try me, common', give it a go!"  Lovely, vibrant aromas of fresh field strawberries and cherries.  Big wow and mouth-watering acidity on the palate.  Love it!

90 Points, Natalie MacLean Wine Reviews, Canada, February, 2010

 

 

A bright, lively wine with a peppery edge, attractive berry fruit and tautly balanced finish.  Easy to drink.

 

Sweet, ripe berry aromas abound on the nose and are nicely carried through to the palate where the cherry characteristics come to the fore.  The acidity and tannins are as yet a little too pronounced but this will soften in time leaving a high class wine.

 

This wine has medium body appearance; open earthy cherry and berry aromas and flavours.  The red fruit flavours are emphasised on the palate and linger on.

  

Sileni Cellar Selection Merlot 2009
Already drinking well, this full-coloured, mouthfilling red offers very satisfying depth of ripe, plummy, spicy flavour, with some savoury complexity and gentle tannins.

 

Sileni Cellar Selection Merlot 2008
This slips down very easily. Full-coloured and mouthfilling, it offers very satisfying depth of ripe, plumy, spicy flavour, gently seasoned with oak, and a well-rounded finish.

Let's not have any "I don't like merlot any more" nonsense.  Wines such as this are just the ticket if you're looking for a flavoursome, easy-drinking red that will go with anything, from a pasta to roast lamb at Christmas.  Berries and trademark plum.  Pleasant.

 

Fruity, berryish and slightly spicy, with a hint of greenness, gentle tannins and satisfying depth.

 

This may be a lightish wine, but ripe fruit hinting of chocolate and spice with hints of toasty oak make it attractive.

 

It boasts instantly appealing blackberry and plum aromas with a suggestion of the variety's typical leather character at the back.  The flavour is smooth, nicely fruited and moderately mouth-filling.  At under $20, it's good buying.

Vic Williams, Aucklander , 3 June, 2010

 

There is good medium colour with fresh aromas and flavours of dark plums.  The tannins are soft and there is a lingering plum flavour and aftertaste.

Floral, easy-drinking style, French and American oak-aged.  Full-coloured, with black pepper and slight herb flavours, a touch of savoury complexity and gentle tannins.

 

A lightish wine with a peppery hint, pleasant juicy fruit and background oak.  Simple, decent and very drinkable with much of the character, if not the concentration, you expect from Hawke's Bay Syrah.

 

A beautiful ruby in colour; moderate depth.  I like the nose, which is rich and fragrant.  You can pick it is syrah but you also get a sense that this is the fruit of a vine with interesting, sweet leaf-mould and wood undertones.  Very drinkable, supple, with moderate weight and a long-lasting finish.

Roland Harrison, The Independent, 24 June, 2010

 

 

High quality Syrah at an excellent price.  It has bold, spicy aromas with lovely ripe fruit, great balance and excellent length.  Warm and intense and perfect for winter.

 

This has dark inviting colour but the nose is a little closed still.  the flavours are of white pepper and dark berry fruit.  It has approachable fine tannin and will be good company with winter food flavours.

 

Sileni Estate Selection 'The Straits' Sauvignon Blanc 2009
... has a huge burst of asparagus aromas and flavours of passionfruit and asparagus. It's rich and lingers. Peter Shaw, Waikato Times, 17 February, 2010 A nicely lifted nose displaying lime zest, stonefruit and a touch of blackcurrant characters. The palate is succulent and generous with a refreshing mouthfeel and a lengthy finish. it's classically flavoured and very tasty.

 

Classic herbaceous, passionfruit and lime flavours lead the way for a lovely, full-bodied juicy sauvignon.  It has lush, sorbet-like texture and hints of fennel and perspiration flesh out the finish.  Superb with steamed mussels.

 

Sileni Estate Selection 'The Straits' Sauvignon Blanc 2008
A nicely lifted nose displaying lime zest, stonefruit and a touch of blackcurrant characters.  The palate is succulent and generous with a refreshing mouthfeel and a lengthy finish.  It's classically flavoured and very tasty. 

 

...has a huge burst of asparagus aromas and flavours of passionfruit and asparagus.  It's rich and lingers.

 

Sileni's top sauvignon is pungent and green with classic aromas of pea pod, passionfruit, capsicum and just the right amount of sweaty armpit to make this a snappy summertime sip.

 

...Is fresh and flavoursome, passionfruit and gooseberry, with a bit of sweetness on the finish.

 

Restrained, as far as Sauvignon Blanc goes anyway, with floral hints and suggestions of gooseberry and tropical fruit, and a harmonious finish.

 

Vinforum har smagt The Straits og Cellar Selection Sauvignon Blanc og herunder kan i se det handgribelige resultat af prisfaldet pa Sileni's vine.  Some de to enesete i testen lober vi og Sileni med de 5 - og bemaerk, anmeldt til normalpriser!!!

5 Stars, Viniforum, Denmark, 2009

Sileni Estate Selection Benchmark Block Two 'Omaka Slopes' Sauvignon Blanc 2008
A new label for Sileni made from two vineyards in the Omaka Valley.  Delicate fruit flavours with nice purity, the wine has a good balance of acidity although is slightly astringent on the finish.  Quite a pretty wine and not a bad example from a challenging vintage.

 

Omaka Valley wine with a clearly herbaceous bouquet, good body and depth and a crisp, slightly minerally finish.

 

...is an interesting drop with aromas of peppery green capsicum and celery, then wild beech nectar and a spicy nasturtium flower flavour.  Frisky.

Claudine Earley, Capital Times, 3 June 2009

 

...has a nose that is closed up and subdued.  The palate has flavours of green stonefruit and citrus.  It's mouthfilling and green and clean to finish.

 

Grapes were sourced from the Blind River district in the Awatere Valley.  The nose is beautifully ripe and inviting, displaying passionfruit, feijoa and subtle herbaceous characters.  It's intensely flavoured on the palate showing lovely clarity, well harmonised acidity and a lengthy crisp finish.

 

Attractive wine with delicately lifted aromatics and good weight.  The flavours are on the grassier side of the ripeness equation with a Sancerre-like character.  Balanced and bone-dry with a long finish.

 

Classic grass clippings, pineapple and lime aromas lead to a wine that's juicy, ripe and super refreshing to drink.  Just perfect with tomato sandwiches smothered in salt and pepper on freshly-made brown bread.

 

Single-vineyard, Awatere Valley wine, grown at Blind River.  Medium-bodied, with tight melon, lime and green capsicum flavours, showing fresh acidity and very good depth.

 

...has a restrained nose with hints of sweetish fruit.  The flavours on the palate are rich passionfruit and they linger after the swallow.

 

Harvested from first-crop vines on Benmorven Station, this wine has a pungent, lifted, ripely herbaceous bouquet.  Mouthfilling, very fresh and vibrant, with pure passionfruit and lime flavours, rich and rounded.

 

From the Ben Morven district in the southern Wairau Valley, this attractive Sauvignon displays passionfruit, peach and subtle blackcurrant characters on the nose.  The palate is deliciously ripe and full, showing a lovely weighted mid palate, rich fruity texture and a very long finish.  It's absolutely gorgeous.

 

Sileni Estate Selection 'The Cape' Sauvignon Blanc 2009

...is mouthfilling, with strong tropical-fruit flavours, hints of pears and spices, lively acidity, and good freshness and length.  It's a top example of the regional style, for drinking now to 2011.

 

...has soft fruity aromas of peaches and sweet, ripe stonefruit flavours with firm astringency on the side of the tongue that linger on.

 

Plump, round and passionfruity, its tropical, lemony flavours represent a total taste sensation and a great example of the Hawke's Bay style.  Those who don't like the squinty acidity of the Marlborough styles will enjoy this I'm sure - and it's amazing with paua fritters!

 

Fragrant with hints of lime and stonefruit, this is a lighter style of sauvignon, but fuller in the mouth and a softer acidity than many of the Marlborough wines.

  

 

...is youthful and tightly structured, with concentrated, grapefruit-like flavours, finely poised and lingering.  It's already approachable, but offers best drinking 2011+.

 

This is a true aromatic with appealing orage blossom aromas and a palate that is crisp and sharp.  The flavours are of mandarin and lime with a soft finish.

Peter Shaw, Waikato Times, 27 February, 2010

 

A beautifully ripe and fragrant nose displaying lemon, rockmelon and floral characters.  It's tightly structured on the palate showing good concentration, crisp acidity and a fine long finish.  An intensely flavoured and appealing dry style (6.3g/l) that will please most consumers.

 

Hawke's Bay rieslings are not common, but they can be good, and often are a bit more weighty than southern versions, as this is.  It hints of lime and citrus with undertones of honeysuckle and herbs, and is taut as a violin string, but with deeper, mouthfilling undertones and a crisp, dry finish.  Good with food.

4.5 Stars, Charmian Smith, Otago Daily Times, 28 April, 2010

Sileni Estate Selection 'The Lodge' Chardonnay 2008
This is my style of Chardonnay.  From the moment it is poured the aromas leap out of the glass.  There is oak and creamy stonefruit.  The palate is complex with flavours of nuts and toast and creamy peaches and citrus.  I like the balance and clean finish.

Peter Shaw, Waikato Times, 17 February, 2010

 

Has ripe stonefruit and toasted oak aromas with concentrated nectarine/peach and citrus flavours on the palate.  A subtle background of almonds and toast make up a wine which is sophisticated, rich and mouthfilling and will cellar for up to 6 years.

 

A nicely fruited nose displaying peach, apple, mixed nut and a touch of beeswax characters.  It's medium-full on the palate showing a juicy mouthfeel and a pleasantly lingering finish.  An appealing style showing good balance.

 

Brilliant yellow-gold in the glass, this fantastic chardonnay explodes with grapefruit, nectarine and golden queen peach aromas.  It's punchy and has beautiful fruit purity and ultra-concentrated citrus, creamy complexity, gripping acidity and intensely fresh length of flavour.  I couldn't think of a food match, mainly because with wine like this, who needs food?

 

A rich, golden wine, mellow and mouthfilling with hints of toffee, golden syrup and tropical and citrus fruit, with buttery, nutty background notes and a crisp citrus bite on the finish.  At two years old this is drinking well now.

 

Creamy-textured, mouthfilling wine, fully barrel-fermented, with ripe stone-fruit and toast flavours, showing excellent complexity and depth.  Fleshy and rounded, with good presence.

 

This wine has been a consistent performer over many vintages and this latest relase is no exception.  Ripe grapefruit, creamy toasty oak with hints of butterscotch on the finish, a real crowd pleaser.

Glenda Neil, Vinote, New Releases April 2010, 6 May, 2010

 

Sileni Estate Selection Late Harvest Semillon 2009
Top vintage.  Full-bodied, with concentrated, ripe citrus fruit, pear and spice flavours, gently sweet and rich.  Not oak-aged but well worth cellaring.

 

An intensely fragrant nose displaying lemon zest, marmalade and honey characters.  It's lusciously sweet on the palate (96g/l) with bright acidity providing a lovely refreshing mouthfeel.  The wine shows brilliant clarity and gorgeous seet flavours.

 

Not many dessert wines are made from semillon but this is a pleasant change.  Sileni Estates brings sweetness and bright acidity with flavours of ripe citrus, dried apricots and pineapple.  Nice finish.

 

A pungent dessert wine with hints of toasted cashews, dried apricots and honey, and a rich, oily texture and clean finish.

 

If you like a sweet wine with cheese or as a dessert wine you'll like this one.  It has sweet honey and apricot on the nose.  The flavours are of honey, peaches and pineapple and while the sweetness lasts the finish is clean.

Sileni Estate Selection 'The Plateau' Pinot Noir 2008
The nose is fresh and fragrant displaying red cherry, plum, dried herb and subtle spice characters.  It's well fruited and finely textured on the palate with crisp acidity and firm tannins.  The wine is sturdy and structured with a lingering dry finish.

 

This wine is from the Plateau Vineyard that qualifies as sustainable.  It has aromas in the floral and berry spectrum.  The flavours are of spicy red berries.  It has a soft finish but the berry flavours linger on the side of the tongue.

3 Stars, Winestate Magazine, May-June, 2010

 

Ripe dark-red plum flavours with spices and licorice abound on a supple, but well-extracted palate, making it quite complete and harmonious.  It has the structure to live 6-8 years or more.  The 2008 must be the best release of 'The Triangle' to date.

 

A gorgeously ripe, plums and berries Hawke's Bay Merlot with enough smooth tannins to ensure further development and good drinking for several years.

Warren Barton, Southland Times, 24 April, 2010

Sileni Estate Selection 'The Plains' Merlot Cabernet Franc 2008

Generous, single-vineyard blend of merlot (72%) and cabernet franc (28%), grown in The Triangle and matured in French and American oak barriques.  Full-coloured, with concentrated, plummy, spicy flavours and ripe, supple tannins.

 

Grapes for this very satisfying Bordeaux blend (as well as The Pacemaker Cabernet Franc) were sourced from Don and Jean Brown's vineyard in the Triangle district.  Bright medium red/purple in colour, the complex nose displays blackberry, dark plum, cedar and a hint of dried herb characters.  It's succulent on the palate with well weighted mid palate and fine chalky tannins.  A superbly balanced and structured red with much appeal.

 

Dark ruby red in colour with youthful purple hues, this has a tight and dense, brooding nose, the dark berry fruit perfumes still reticent and somewhat locked up.  Breathing reveals concentrated violet perfumes and aniseed-like complexities to the aromas, which are echoed on the palate.  It is a wine of structure, texture and mouthfeel; it has a penetrating intensity and fine-grained concentration that will show fully over the next 8-10 years.

 

Dark in colour, this wine has a beautifully floral aroma.  This elegance continues in the palate with rich, ripe blackberry fruit added to mocha and cinnamon.  Tannins are rounded and well integrated and there is a persistent, velvety finish.

 

Sileni Estate Selection 'The Pacemaker' Cabernet Franc 2008

Vibrantly fruity, smooth-flowing red, grown in The Triangle and matured in French and American oak barriques.  Blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, with gentle tannins giving an easy-drinking appeal.

Bright medium red/purple in colour.  A youthful and vibrant nose displaying dark cherry, dried herb and game characters.  The palate is succulent and full-flavoured showing good mid palate weight, smooth texture and pleasantly drying tannins.  The wine shows plenty of ripe fruit flavours with an appealing perfumed bouquet.  It's very good drinking already but should be even more delicious in a couple of years

 

Dark purple-hued ruby red with excellent depth of colour, this has the most wondrous purity of crushed dark raspberries on the nose.  The beauty of the bouquet is startling and leads to a palate of exceptional line and length of black cherries in its fruit expression.  This is an exceptional expression of Cabernet Franc and should keep well over the next 7-9 years.  It reinforces the appropriateness of 'The Pacemaker' as a title, as this wine is arguably one of the best releases of this varietal in New Zealand to date, and it leads the development of this grape from the front.

 

One of the better examples of this variety so far produced in this country.  Black cherries, berries will give way to gamier, spicy influences over next six or seven years.  But still good drinking now.

 

...Is this the finest Cabernet Franc so far made in New Zealand?  I think so, for the winemaker has respected the fruit by not swamping it with oak, as most producers have done previously... The quality of red fruits is superb, the oak subtle and potentially cedary, the wine truly an interim New Zealand benchmark for caberent franc, subtle and fine rather than big and clumsy / oaky.  It is not a big wine, more on the scale of the Cheval Blanc... This wine is a revelation. 

 

An expensive cut of beef deserves respect when it comes to selecting a wine to accompany the meal.  The herbs, the sauce and the mushrooms must also be taken into account.  Sileni Estates 2008 The Pacemaker Cabernet Franc has all the credentials to provide a perfect fit.

Warren Barton, The Dominion Post Weekend, 5 June, 2010

 

 

From a classic variety of Bordeaux and the Loire Valley, this easy-drinking red is deeply coloured, with fresh, strong blackcurrant, plum, herb and spice flavours, and velvety tannins giving a seductively smooth finish.

 

Definitely a fine wine and indeed one judge was infatuated with it!  Blackcurrants abound on the nose and, if anything, increase in power and richness through the palate to give a sweet, soft wine.  Much admired in the consumer tasting too!

 

Sileni Estate Selection 'The Peak' Syrah 2007
Single-vineyard red, grown in the Triangle.  Full, bright colour, with a moderately fragrant bouquet.  Fresh, ripe, plummy and supple, with gentle blackpepper notes and good fruit sweetness, complexity and depth.  Already drinking well.

3 1/2 Stars, Michael Cooper, Winestate, December 2008

Full but not dense in colour, in a middleweight style with good depth of plum, spice and green pepper flavours, a touch of savoury complexity and gentle tannins.

 

A simple, straightforward, easy drinking Syrah.  It is made in a lighter style than some yet still with ripe fruit, soft tannins and undertones of spice and pepper.

 

...predictably rich and concentrated with lots of sweet stone and citrus fruit subtly massaged by classy oak.

Powerful style with bold, grapefruit-like flavours strongly seasoned with biscuity-oak.

Sileni Exceptional Vintage Pinot Noir 2005
Well structured and textural, with savoury, tarry complexities already developing and plenty of cherry fruit and spice, and a long, satisfying aftertaste.  A wine with all the bells and whistles.

Charmian Smith, Otago Daily Times, 27 July 2006

 

...a gutsy blackfruited wine that demonstrates there are sites in Hawke's Bay where this variety will do very well.

 

...classic savoury, tealeaf, cranberry and cherry aromas with a hint of shitake mushroom.  This wine really opened up after about an hour.  There's dark chocolate and baked strawberry on the palate with tannins that are solid and gripping.  Put it somewhere cool and dark for five years or more then invent an excuse for opening it - just call me when you do.

Yvonne-Marie Lorkin, HB Today, 15 July 2006  

 

Deep youthful pink/purple.  Quite an appealing aroma; lifted plum and cassis with also a touch of violet.  Sweetly fruited with a nice silky texture.  Quite noticeable tannins and also oak but the long lingering finish indicates that with time in bottle the palate will become harmonious. 

 

...a rich, concentrated red with black cherry characters on the nose and palate.  The wine is classic in style, with fine grained tannins and immaculate balance.

 

...was tougher and tighter with a real core of concentration and grip.  Dark cherry and berry fruits showed underneath the tannins.

18/20, Raymond Chan, Premium New Zealand 2005 Pinot Noir Tasting, September 2008

 Sileni Exceptional Vintage Merlot 2000

...Warm and rich, it's a sweet fruited wine with deep plum, blackcurrant and coffee flavours, braced by supple yet firm tannins.  Already dangerously drinkable...

 

…particularly impressive are some of the wines made in the Hawke’s Bay…look for wines from Sileni…complex, dense and long…

 

…an excellent wine from that year…this is a very robust wine with deep colour, firm tannins and long flavour finish. Deeply red in colour… substantial in bouquet, with a richness that comes only from low-yielding fruit in a warm year.

 

...the loveliest wine I have tried in a while.

...pure blackberry characteristics, framed against mint, chocolate and sweet plum.  Medium-full bodied, it has supple tannins and a long silky finish...

Sileni Exceptional Vintage Pourriture Noble 2009
Sauternes-style wine, full-bodied and honeyed, made from Hawke's Bay semillon grapes.  Rich and finely balanced, with ripe stone-fruit, spice and slight honey flavours, sweet and concentrated.

 

The bouquet is gloriously rich and complex, displaying honey, marmalade and nutty characters.  It's striking and luxuriously sweet on the palate (105g/l) showing silky texture, weighted mid palate and perfectly pitched acidity.  The sweetness and acid balance is impeccable making the wine absolutely delicious and refreshing.

 

Sileni Exceptional Vintage Pourriture Noble 2008
Made by this Hawke's Bay winemaker only in exceptional vintages, this one from Marlborough Riesling.  Almost worth the money just to enjoy the marmalade, lemon and honey bouquet.  And irresistible with smelly, ripe blue cheese.  Be a devil.

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