Paritua 21.12 Awarded 97 Points by Gourmet Traveller Wine
January 07 2010
 The inaugural release of Paritua Vineyard’s flagship wine, Paritua ‘21.12’ (vintage 2007), has been awarded an outstanding score of 97/100 points by Gourmet Traveller Wine magazine.
In its October 2009 issue, Gourmet Traveller Wine published the results of a tasting conducted to select “New Zealand’s Top 12 Bordeaux-Style Reds” of the year. The 12 wines selected include some of New Zealand’s most well-known and prestigious red wines. Bob Campbell was chairman of the tasting panel and is one of only 279 people worldwide who currently hold the ‘Master of Wine’ (MW) qualification (for more information go to http://www.mastersofwine.org).
Paritua 21.12 scored 97 points and 5 stars in the Gourmet Traveller Wine tasting. The wine is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot made from hand-harvested grapes grown at the Paritua site. The address of Paritua Vineyards is 2112 Maraekakaho Road in Hawkes Bay and was the inspiration for the name of the company’s flagship wine. According to Bob Campbell, Paritua 21.12 is a “Very attractive red that gives a first impression of great subtlety and restraint but delivers extraordinary power as demonstrated by its linear flavour profile and incredible length. Sweet fruit and ultra-fine tannins are interwoven to good effect. The texture is ethereal and the finish bone-dry.”
Paritua 21.12 has also been given an exceptional score from influential American publication The Wine Advocate. Neil Martin, travelling wine writer for The Wine Advocate and Robert Parker, rated Paritua 21.12 as “outstanding” with a 93 point score in his September 2009 report on New Zealand wine. (The ratings for 21.12 and other Paritua wines can also be found at http://www.erobertparker.com) Martin reports, “The 2007 21.12 has simply a gorgeous nose: pure blackberry, cassis and crushed violets with superb definition and lift. This is one very classy bouquet. The palate is beautifully balanced with immense purity and poise….Impressive? Very impressive, but give it time.”
Paritua Vineyards also produces another red blend simply named Paritua ‘Red’. The 2007 vintage of Paritua Red was also included in the Gourmet Traveller Wine tasting and given a 96 point/5 star rating. The blend includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot grapes hand-harvested at Paritua Vineyards in Hawkes Bay along with a small volume of Malbec, also from the Paritua site. Bob Campbell describes Paritua Red as follows: “Roasted coffee-ish nose with an intriguing lifted, smoky character. Dense red with sweet ripe berryish fruit flavours that linger tantalisingly on the finish. Very serious red with obvious cellaring potential but still quite accessible now.”
Both wines are available in New Zealand, the United States, the United Kingdom, Denmark and by special order in Canada, the Netherlands, France and Hong Kong. For trade or consumer enquiries please contact the winery directly at +64 (0)6.874.9180 and ask for Mandy Carter or James Kennish.
Paritua_2112_2007_bottleshot.jpg
< back to Home
|
|
