Reviews
Reviews for latest vintage wines...
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.
4 Stars, Michael Cooper, Listener, 26 September 2009
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.
4 Stars and Consumer Choice Award, TizWine, 2009
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.
90 Points & Best Buy, Harvey Steiman, Wine Spectator, USA, 31 Dec - 28 Feb, 2010
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.
4 Stars, Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, 2010
Sileni Cellar Selection Riesling 2006
... 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.
Graeme Barrow, Northern Advocate, 16 June 2006
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.
Yvonne Lorkin, Manawatu Standard, 30 June 2007
...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
Lemon-scented, crisp and light, with youthful, citrusy, limey flavours and a slightly sweet finish. Very aromatic, vibrant, delicate and refined - one of the region's best Rieslings yet.
4 Stars, Winestate, October 2007
Sileni Cellar Selection Pinot Gris 2009
Fragrances of spice and orange peel and a big spicy/sweet palate with some slatey nuances.
Varietal Tasting, Winestate Special Edition, 2009
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.
3.5 Stars, Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, 2010
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.
3 Stars, Winestate Magazine, Sept-Oct 2009
...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
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.
3 Stars, Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, 2010
Sileni Cellar Selection Merlot 2008
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.
Warren Barton, The Dominion Post, 7 December 2009
Fruity, berryish and slightly spicy, with a hint of greenness, gentle tannins and satisfying depth.
3 Stars, Winestate Magazine, Sept-Oct 2009
Sileni Cellar Selection Syrah 2008
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.
3 Stars, Winestate Magazine, Sept-Oct 2009
Sileni Estate Selection 'The Straits' Sauvignon Blanc 2009
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.
4 Stars, Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, 2010
...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
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.
Manawatu Standard, 14 March 2009
...Is fresh and flavoursome, passionfruit and gooseberry, with a bit of sweetness on the finish.
Graeme Barrow, The Northern Advocate, 2 May 2009
Restrained, as far as Sauvignon Blanc goes anyway, with floral hints and suggestions of gooseberry and tropical fruit, and a harmonious finish.
3 Stars, Charmian Smith, Otago Daily Times, 6 May 2009
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.
3 Stars, Bob Campbell, BobsWineReviews.com, January 2009
Omaka Valley wine with a clearly herbaceous bouquet, good body and depth and a crisp, slightly minerally finish.
3 Stars, Winestate, March-April 2009
...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
Sileni Estate Selection Benchmark Block Three 'Thirteen Rows' Sauvignon Blanc 2008
A new single vineyard label. Attractive wine with delicately lifted aromatics and very good weight. The flavours are on the grassier side of the ripeness equation with a distinctly Sancerre-like character. Nicely balanced and bone-dry with a lingering finish. A class act.
4 Stars, Bob Campbell, BobsWineReviews.com, January 2009
3 Stars, Cuisine, November 2009
Sileni Estate Selection Benchmark Block 'Trinity Vines' Sauvignon Blanc 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.
Peter Shaw, Waikato Times, 17 February, 2010
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.
5 Stars, Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, 2010
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.
4 Stars, Bob Campbell, Gourmet Traveller Wine, April-May, 2009
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.
Yvonne-Marie Lorkin, Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 May, 2009
Sileni Estate Selection Benchmark Block 'Woolshed' Sauvignon Blanc 2009
...has a restrained nose with hints of sweetish fruit. The flavours on the palate are rich passionfruit and they linger after the swallow.
Peter Shaw, Waikato Times, 17 February, 2010
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.
5 Stars, Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, 2010
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.
4 Stars, Michael Cooper, Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide, 2010
...has soft fruity aromas of peaches and sweet, ripe stonefruit flavours with firm astringency on the side of the tongue that linger on.
Peter Shaw, Waikato Times, 17 February 2010
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!
4 Stars, Manawatu Standard, 27 February, 2010
Sileni Estate Selection 'The Don' Riesling 2009
...is youthful and tightly structured, with concentrated, grapefruit-like flavours, finely poised and lingering. It's already approachable, but offers best drinking 2011+.
4 Stars, Michael, Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide, 2010
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
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.
4 Stars & Consumer Choice Award, Tizwine.com, February 2010
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.
4 Stars, Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, 2010
Sileni Estate Selection Late Harvest Semillon 2008
Gently sweet style with strong, lemony, slightly limey flavours, fresh and crisp. No obvious botrytis influence, but an attractive, floral bouquet.
3 Stars, Winestate Magazine, Sept-Oct 2009
White-peach and lemon-zest aromas lead the way to a super-crisp, tangy sweetness on the palate and an almost spritzy finish. Great with chunks of aged cheddar topped with quince paste.
Manawatu Standard, 22 January 2009
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.
4 Stars, Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, 2010
Sileni Estate Selection 'The Triangle' Merlot 2008
3 Stars, Winestate Magazine, May-June, 2010
Sileni Estate Selection 'The Plains' Merlot Cabernet Franc 2008
4 Stars, Winestate Magazine, May-June, 2010
Sileni Estate Selection 'The Pacemaker' Cabernet Franc 2008
3 Stars, Winestate Magazine, May-June, 2010
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.
3 Stars, Winestate, Hawke's Bay Regional Tasting, Winestate Magazine, Sept-Oct 2009
Sileni Exceptional Vintage Chardonnay 2005
Stylish, silky-textured wine made only in exceptional vintages. There is a lot of oak, but it is backed by creamy fruit, complexities of nuts and butterscotch, and a firm, long aftertaste.
Charmian Smith, Otago Daily Times, 9 August 2006
...predictably rich and concentrated with lots of sweet stone and citrus fruit subtly massaged by classy oak.
Warren Barton, The Dominion Post, 8 July 2006
Powerful style with bold, grapefruit-like flavours strongly seasoned with biscuity-oak.
Cuisine, 30 September 2006
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.
Warren Barton, Southland Times, 8 July 2006
...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.
Wine NZ, July 2006
...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.
Allan Hamilton, Mirror, Central Otago, 19 July 2006
...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...
5 Stars, Michael Cooper, Buyers Guide to NZ Wines, 2002
…particularly impressive are some of the wines made in the Hawke’s Bay…look for wines from Sileni…complex, dense and long…
Anthony Dias Blue, eat.epicurious.com, February 2003
…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.
Malcolm Reeves, Evening Standard, 11 April 2002
...the loveliest wine I have tried in a while.
Pippa MacKay, NZ Herald, 28 February 2002
...pure blackberry characteristics, framed against mint, chocolate and sweet plum. Medium-full bodied, it has supple tannins and a long silky finish...
Jeff Yang, Weekend Today, Singapore, 5-6 April 2003
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.
Warren Barton, The Dominion Post, 7 December 2009
0 Items
