Alot can change in a year, apparently...

From the US magazine Business Week, February 12 2007;

"The cool-climate wines of New Zealand have long been popular with wine critics. But to me, the pinot noirs are often too vegetal and green, the sauvignon blancs reminiscent of cat pee, and the chardonnays grotesquely over-oaked. This is a country of young wine producers where everything remains a work in progress, but for now the prices of these wines do not translate to quality in the bottle."

To today's press release regarding the new (7th) edition of his influential Wine Buyers Guide where 5 NZ wineries have achieved a 5 star rating with a further 21 rated 4 stars and another 80 rated as 'good'. That's practically 20% of all NZ wineries. Parker's team of writers does not grade individual wines but on the wineries overall ability to deliver consistent excellence, bucking vintage ups and downs, delivering regardless of circumstance. The previous editions of the guide granted NZ only the smallest of mentions.

What a difference a year makes.