Yvonne Lorkin: Same name, but vive la difference

The harvest, the weather and even winemakers effect the taste of a wine.

Everything is better in twos. I know this because by some mysterious quirk of the universe, our washing machine appears to be the time-space portal where sock-couples of the world come to divorce. The feeling of unparalleled joy and jubilation that erupts within me if I ever manage to get a pair back together is proof enough that there is a God and he likes twosomes.

And so it is with wine tasting. Sure, we might taste a bunch of different types of wine over the course of an evening out which is nice, but you hardly ever remember your favourites in the morning. And how often do we put wine from one year next to its sibling from another year and taste the differences between them? Hardly ever. Why? Because most of us don't expect there to be differences.

Most of us decide we like a wine (for whatever reasons) and then assume that we'll be able to buy it year after year and each bottle will taste identical.

However, when you start getting higher-quality wines, the differences that each annual growing season and individual harvest conditions have on the final wine become blatantly apparent.

Especially when its finally in the bottle and had a chance to get to know itself.

So take two wines of the same brand and style, with one year between them, pop them on the table, grab the "good" glasses and get to know them.

The weather patterns are different each year, the level of ripeness the fruit gets to before its harvested can be different, the way the winemaker chooses to handle the fruit and make the wine can change - and it's fascinating to look at these wines as individuals.

I did this little experiment recently with three wines that I'd consider a treat because they're quite pricey, but they've been made on a small scale with real care and attention - so I figured they'd each have a good story to tell.

They're also wines designed to develop over time and so I apologise to the purists out there who'll think I'm committing some heinous crime by opening them now.

Craggy Range Sophia 2010 $79

Crafted from a blend of 63 per cent merlot, 27 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 8 per cent cabernet franc and 2 per cent petit verdot harvested in a cooler vintage, this wine has scents of dried lavender, rosemary and thyme combined with plum, blackcurrant, menthol and cedary oak. In the mouth it has precise lines, elegance and poise, with ultra-smooth, soft tannins and a long finish of soy and black olive savouriness.

Craggy Range Sophia 2011 $79

Sixty per cent merlot, 24 per cent cabernet sauvignon, 14 per cent cabernet franc and 2 per cent petit verdot have been blended here from a warmer vintage in the Gimblett Gravels to create a rich, savoury wine with aromas of opulent dark fruit, spices and roasting pan juices, while in the mouth the palate is plush and velvety with unexpectedly soft, gentle tannins.

Dry River Lovat Syrah 2010 $66

Martinborough has its own unique style of syrah, elegant, restrained and oozing sophistication. From a cooler vintage, this wine smells of seasoned leather, white pepper, blackcurrant leaf and beefy notes, while on the palate it's soft and shows subtle berry, tobacco and dried herb flavours and a pillowy, gentle finish.

Dry River Lovat Syrah 2011 $66

From a warmer growing season, the differences in this wine to its older brother are quite apparent. Though it's more subtle on the nose than its older brother with gentle pepper and bouquet garni notes, it's more opulent and richly spiced in the mouth. The acidity is refined, the tannins elastic, yet there's underlying power and personality here that'll keep it buoyant for years.

Escarpment Kupe Pinot Noir 2011 $85, by Larry McKenna, is the result of a lovely dry summer and autumn in Martinborough, which shows in the lush aromas of sandalwood, clove, sweet berry and cherry complexity and gentle, plush fruit and spice notes in the mouth. The tannins are cushioning yet present and add to its fantastic persistence of flavour.

Escarpment Kupe Pinot Noir 2012 $85, however, was crafted in a much cooler year and smells like cherries soaking in cold, black tea. The mouthfeel is leaner, with flavours along the red currant, cranberry and pomegranate spectrum, which lead to a silky-soft finish.

So there you go, three pairs of the same wine, one vintage apart - yet so, so different to drink.

Do it next time you're having friends over for dinner. See if you can't co-ordinate a pair-up of wines, get two different vintages of each, pour - and prepare to be amazed.