Vinoculation

I liken Tim to a rockstar. He has that air of cool about him, dressing chic with funky glasses and a styled hairdo. I half-expect a throng of gushing chardonnay groupies to be shadowing his every stride. But enough about the man – the Clearview Estate wines of Tim Turvey are what I’m really about.

I first met Tim and tasted his wines in 2005. At the time, I was a bigoted, one-eyed Aussie when it came to red wine (some would argue that nothing’s changed) and it was his range of crotch-bolstering, hairs-on-your-chest reds from Hawkes Bay that opened my eyes. Ever since, I’ve kept a watchful gaze over Clearview Estate and Tim’s continuing innovations. Special select-barrel wines, old cabernet francs from the cellar, and now a very unique pinot noir. 

The 2006 Clearview Estate “Des Trois” Pinot Noir is a blend of fruit sourced from vineyards in Central Otago, Waipara and Martinborough; none other than Peregrine, Pegasus Bay and Escarpment. This style of regional blend is a relatively new approach for a premium pinot noir in New Zealand, yet the benefits of sourcing fruit from many regions to build complexity and character has long been exploited by quality-driven producers; Penfolds Grange is an iconic example. 

Today I had the opportunity to taste this pinot noir, alongside the 2006 Clearview Estate Beachhead Chardonnay and Sea Red (a fortified dessert wine). The chard represents excellent value for money, the pinot is a wine unashamedly crafted by brutish, masculine hands and the sea red performed well above (already high) expectation. 

2006 Clearview Estate Beachhead Chardonnay
Juicy stonefruit abounds on the nose, with nutty, varnished oak, bacon fat and subtle perfume. With plenty of flavour, this tastes fresh (as it ought to) and fruity. Good palate coverage and an appropriate amount of body and weight for the style; not too heavy, not too light. Fruit tingle acid zings pleasingly on the finish and whilst the length is a little abrupt, a $50 chard this ‘aint. 90 

2006 Clearview Estate “Des Trois” Pinot Noir
This is fruit war. Macerated cherries, juicy blackberries, pulverized raspberries; a bramble patch massacre. Violets, anise and a lick of vanilla too. Smells bloody yummy, albeit a little wayward from varietal typicity. The acid stands out like dog’s balls initially, but a wave of fruit comes crashing over the palate to mask its harshness. There is a degree of warmth, though it’s not unpleasant. The palate coverage is broad, with everything a bit hodgepodge at this young, primary stage. The fine, slightly pervasive tannins reinforce the structure and bode well for the wine’s longevity. I feel that the warmth may become more overt as the primary fruit drops away, recommending that this be drunk in 2-3 years with food, when it should be superb. 90 

2006 Clearview Estate Sea Red
Driven by lots of briary, stalky spice and surrounded by fruitcake, plum and mocha. The spice is particularly intriguing, leaning towards the vegetal spectrum. Sweet, liqueured fruit envelopes the palate. Textural, sticky, unctuous and rich, the fruit generosity and weight is surprising and masked well by the bouquet. Never hot or alcoholic, not even for a second. Finishes with subtle, dry tannins that counterpoint the initial fruit sweetness. Delicious. Really good. Grab some. Now. 93