Wine Vineyard Visit : Ascension Estate (New Zealand)

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Managed to find sometime during my trip to NZ to visit another vineyard and had a relaxing lunch (grilled pork chop with herb butter) there accompanied by a nice glass of Gewurtraminer. The sweet potato chips are divine. The vineyard is tucked away on a cosy country road 3 min off the road from Warkworth in the North Island of NZ. It has a nice cellar door and an indoor as well as veranda sitting area for meals.

Ascension "flotsam & jetsam" East Coast Gewurztraminer - Description on the menu

The grapes for this wine comes from two tiny, impeccably cared for East Coast vineyards. We have brought this vinous Flotsam & Jetsam ashore at Matakana to create our Gewurztraminer, arguely the most distinct of all varieties

Structure - off dry soft medium bodied.

Flavours- turkish delight, rose petal, guava and lychee

Wine Entry : Chateau Des Roches Blanches 1995 (French)

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1995 and 1996s were notedly better years for bordeaux. This Saint Emilion Grad Cru did not disappoint nor did it stand out significantly. And first things first, I had to even dig out the disintegrated cork and filter the contents.

Smell : Licorice, cocoa, faint blackcurrent scents

Taste : Mild tannins and smooth, slightly over the hill with focus on dark chocloate and cocoa.

After-taste : Still fairly structured length left in the wine.