LA-based wine expert Taylor Parsons has tried a range of beverages associated with A-list celebrities, and has named Sam Neill’s Central Otago wine as a top pick.
"Even the packaging of this wine sets it apart from the rest: it looks like quality wine, neither too generic nor too over-the-top," said Parsons of Neill’s Two Paddocks 2016 Pinot Noir. "And indeed, this is a real-deal... farmed organically, harvested by hand from estate-grown fruit and made with restraint. These are all very good decisions, and the wine is all the better for them.
"It's beautiful in the glass, a clear, bright ruby red, and the aromatics hit all the right notes for a high-quality New Zealand pinot: fresh red and black fruits with some warm spice and woodsy herbal tones underneath. It's very elegant in the mouth, fresh and not too broad but very friendly and drinkable. Absolutely on the level. I'm impressed."
Parsons sampled Jay-Z's Armand de Brignac Brut Rosé Ace of Spades, which he said was better than 50 Cent's Champagne Castelnau, Brut Rosé Le Chemin du Roi. Drew Barrymore’s East Bend was rated higher than the Game of Thrones chardonnay.
The Jurassic Park actor branched out into winemaking in the early 2000s and has steadily increased his alcohol empire in that time. Two Paddocks has also received numerous accolades for its Central Otago wines.
