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First New Zealand wines hit La Place, as releases slows down

20 September 2023 By Arabella Mileham

Releases on La Place de Bordeaux slowed this week, as the first wines from New Zealand, Craggy Range and Aroha Pinot Noir, were launched in the ‘hors Bordeaux’ campaign, along with a 100-point scoring Viñedo Chadwick.

Monday saw the release of Craggy Range’s Le Sol Syrah 2021 and Aroha Pinot Noir 2021, the first brands from New Zealand to trade via the historic French distribution network, in a move intended to expand the reach of the wines, as well as boosting the image for the brand. Both have been release through La Place de Bordeaux at €59 per bottle ex-négociant, or offered to the international trade for £768 per case of 12.

db’s Colin Hay described Le Sol, which he awarded 95 points as “very fine, almost delicate and brilliantly understated”, while Jane Anson thought it needed “a little bottle age to really make the most of [its] complexity” Meanwhile, the “impressive” Aroha was “fresh and with plenty of sapidity, accentuated by the slightly ferrous and distinctly saline minerality”, according to Hay, while Anson noted it was “crunchy and vibrant, with raspberry, soft floral aromatics and fresh acidity, deepened by waves of blueberry and morello cherry through the mid palate.”

Another wine from down under has also been released, it has announced – Australian ‘First Growth’ Wynns John Riddoch Cabernet Sauvignon, described by senior winemaker Sue Hodder as “our piece de resistance reserve Cabernet”.

db’s Colin Hay agreed it was “a vin de garde of considerable potential and with quite a volume of tannin still to resolve”, awarding it 95 points.

Also released in the last week was Viñedo Chadwick 2021, at €252 per bottle ex-négociant, up 12% on last year’s opening price, according to Liv-ex, available to the international trade at £3,102 per case. This wine scored 100 points by The Wine Advocate’s Luis Gutiérrez, who called it “the finest vintage for Chadwick; the wine made my heart beat faster”.

However, according to Liv-ex, the 2021 is the most expensive (albeit highest-scoring) vintage, and there is greater value among its back vintages, notably the 97-point 2020 and 2019 vintages,