Review - Goldwater Goldie

We have renamed our flagship Goldwater Waiheke Island Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot wine "Goldwater Goldie" as from the 2002 vintage - a tribute to the unwavering skill and care of Kim and Jeanette Goldwater.

"This altogether brilliant wine is the total equal of a First Growth Bordeaux and for the Southern Hemisphere, now challenges Australia's Grange Hermitage for top honours!"
Peter Morrell, Morrell & Company, New York

"An extremely distinguished red from Goldwater Estate, acknowledged by Bob Campbell M.W. as a New Zealand classic, and it is not hard to see why."
James Halliday, Wine Companion, Australia, 1999 Edition

"All I can say after tasting Kim Goldwater's wines is Wow! I was greatly impressed..."
Michael Vaughan, Vintage Assessments,Toronto, Canada

"...I recently had several vintages of the Goldwaters Bordeaux inspired red that I enjoyed... It made me rethink my position concerning the potential for classy red wines from New Zealand."
Robert Parker, The Wine Advocate

"...very good wine that has a solid backbone of ripe tannins and good length of flavour. A testimony to good viticulture and sensitive winemaking."
Bob Campbell, MW, Cuisine, New Zealand

"...is firmly established as one of the county's most prestigious reds. An aristocratic wine with masses of blackcurrent spice and oak flavour and a strong tannin grip, it has the proven ability to flourish in the bottle for many years."
Rating: Super Classic...Michael Cooper, Classic Wines of New Zealand

"Goldwater's wines are a remarkable testimony to a district that is with some justification hailed as New Zealand's best area for Bordeaux style reds. They are also a testimony to the vision, care and hard work of proprietors Kim and Jeanette Goldwater."
Bob Campbell, MW, Cuisine, New Zealand

"Goldwater Estate are justly renouned for their intense and complex Cabernet blend - one of the country's most sought-after wines."
Robin Bradley, Australian and New Zealand Wine Vintages

2000 vintage 

"Ruby. A beautifully fragrant and aromatic bouquet showing potentially cedary oak interwoven with fine brambly cassis. The whole bouquet is reminiscent of a Pauillac such as Grande Puy Lacoste in a reasonably good year, such as 1998. Palate is deceptive, richer than the relatively light colour would suggest, but still not a big wine, with cigarbox and cassis fruit which is enchanting, attractive acid balance, more complex and complete than the 2000 Esslin Merlot, the cedary oak fragrant throughout. One could drink a lot of this stylish wine. Cellar 5-15."
Geoff Kelly 18/20 July 2003 Regional Wines Wine Reviews

"Vintage 2000 was excellent. It was a cool summer followed by a warm and reliable autumn. Goldwater Cabernet Merlot 2000 is softly tannic with the subtle, cedary scent of new oak barrels. It has the bouquet and flavours of plum with a twist of liquorice, and is warm and mouth-filling. It is fine, well structured and distinctive."
Tim Harris 14 December 2002 NZ Herald .

1999 vintage 

"Goldwater is by general acclamation one of New Zealand's very finest red wine producers. To my mind it is New Zealand's First Growth. Its 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot is a dream wine: full, long and lush without being heavy, and so soft and succulent that I won't be able to keep my hands off it when it arrives, yet it has the ripe tannin structure to age gracefully"
Tom Stevenson, UK, December 2001.

1994 vintage 

"A powerhouse built for the cellar, with strong fruit and exceptional flavour impact to balance abundant oak and loads of fine tannin."
Michael Franz, The Washingto Post

1993 vintage

"Seven years old and it is just reaching its peak. Popping the cork released rich roasted coffee, dark chocolate, char, black olives, cigar-box aromas. A magnificent wine."
Paul White, 9 February 2000, NZ Herald

"An imperial of Goldwater 1990 Cabernet/Merlot/Franc recently fetched $8470 (including the buyer's premium) at a New York auction. A recent vertical tasting of Goldwater reds in Cuisine Magazine rated this as the top wine (97/100), describing it as "powerful wine with lovely sweet fruit, plums, spice, liquorice, game, briar and dark chocolate flavours." Value rating: Good."
Bob Campbell, MW, 17 June 1998, NZ Herald