MUCH has been said recently about a “study” by Richard Wiseman, a psychologist at the University of Hertfordshire, in which he claims to have shown that most people could not tell the difference between a cheap wine and an expensive wine.
This “study” could charitably have been described as suffering from poor methodology and looks set to be revealed as a publicity stunt for a science fair, but it does raise some interesting questions. It can be tempting to dismiss expensive wines as not being worth the extra money, largely because they can be difficult to understand when young. I contend that they are
For the purpose of this argument, I’m not equating “cheap” with “nasty”, but rather fruit forward, uncomplicated and best drunk young. More expensive wines are generally designed to be enjoyed many years after release date. They will blossom into something exceptional given the right conditions and plenty of time and patience. Unless the expensive wine used in a study like this is at a similar point of its life cycle to the cheaper example, the comparison is pretty pointless.
Because these expensive wines can be difficult to understand when young, it can be tempting dismiss them as not being worth the extra money, but in many cases they are. I’ve been excited to see some new producers crafting unashamedly premium wines designed for the cellar, and one of the most exciting is Kidnapper Cliffs, a collaboration between Dry River in Martinborough and Te Awa in Hawkes Bay. With this kind of lineage I had high hopes for these wines, and was not at all disappointed. They are all young, though, and designed to age. A very smart pick if you’re looking at starting a cellar.
The Kidnapper Cliffs Chardonnay 09 has just the kind of kookiness I adore. It took me a bit of thinking to adore this wine, though, and that’s why I feel it should be either cellared or decanted before drinking. The notes of burnt hazelnut skins and lemon peel were within the spectrum I expect for Chardonnay, but the cinnamon and almost incense like spicy notes took a bit longer to get my head around. The relatively high acidity shows that the wine has years ahead of it, and there was a delightful finish of sunflower seeds and caramel. $45.00
I tasted two vintages of their Bordeaux style blend, called Ariki, and they were delightfully different. The Kidnapper Cliffs Ariki 07 was my personal preference. With a noticeable salty tang, plummy notes from the Merlot, and cinnamon and cardamon notes, this reminds me of Red Riding Hood’s wicker basket. The second day, this was absolutely delightful with my Moroccan lamb stew. $55.00
The Kidnapper Cliffs Ariki 08 is much more accessible, and I wouldn’t be surprised if many people unused to tasting young wines would prefer this. There’s a funky iodine and wet blanket character, which makes this feel quite “Old World”, and it’s more earthy than its older brother, though there are sweeter notes of chocolate, raisin and boysenberry ice cream, mixed with a bit of spice. The finish is of dry, bitter chocolate. If you can’t contain yourself and need to open a bottle, try this before the 07, as that’s more of a long-term relationship! $55.00