Pencarrow Martinborough Chardonnay 2019 $23 Palliser Estate’s Pencarrow wines are named in honour of the stories of the famous lighthouse at the entrance to Wellington harbour. This chardonnay acknowledges the heroic Mary Jane Bennet, who single-handedly raised 5 children and took on the vital role of Pencarrow Lighthouse keeper when her husband died in 1855. … Read More
Author: Yvonne
Moutere Hills Sarau Reserve Chardonnay 2018
Moutere Hills Sarau Reserve Chardonnay 2018 $55 Nelson chardonnay is oft overshadowed by the big names from the likes of Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne – but I tell you what, if more people get their chops around chardonnay like this, then Nelson will storm the stage. The Sarau Reserve is Moutere Hills flagship wine, made … Read More
Blackenbrook Nelson Pinot Gris 2020
Blackenbrook Nelson Pinot Gris 2020 $28 If you thought Pinot Gris was a snore-fest then prepare to have your brain blown up by this deliciously dry, mineral-saturated, nashi-induced bottle of niceness. Clean, lean, quartz and laced with lemon pith, nutmeg, apple and pear-packed – this is a gris that’ll gently exfoliate your palate in spectacular … Read More
Jules Taylor Marlborough Grüner Veltliner 2020
Jules Taylor Marlborough Grüner Veltliner 2020 $24.99 If your experiences with grüner veltliner have come tied to more than a decent splash of sweetness, then this little van-load of vavoom with it’s partial wild ferment will be a fabulous face slap of delicious dryness. With mountains of minerality, richness and generosity of texture, the soft … Read More
Coal Pit Tiwha Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019
Coal Pit Tiwha Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019 $57 With powerful pomegranate and tamarillo tsunami-ing across the nose and palate, this Anika Willner-crafted pinot noir has buckets of fresh energy, smoked raspberry notes, spiced red apple astringency and tonnes of black tea in the mid-palate. Vibrant yet slippery-textured and showing lovely elongation on the finish, … Read More
Abbey Estate Wild Fermented Bridge Pa Chardonnay 2019
Abbey Estate Wild Fermented Bridge Pa Chardonnay 2019 $30 Yum Yum Yumminny! This is a really interesting, multi-layered lovely from Dermot and his team at Abbey Estate in Hawke’s Bay’s Bridge Pa Triangle Wine District. Bursting with white nectarine, apricot, grapefruit pith, dried herb and nutty, toasty, caramelised characters in the mid-palate, it carries a … Read More
Pegasus Bay Waipara Valley Gewürztraminer 2019
Pegasus Bay Waipara Valley Gewürztraminer 2019 $30 Smell that beeswax character? That’s coming directly from the high proportion of botrytis-infected fruit (the ‘noble’ rot) which adds sweetness and texture to the already ripe, lychee and ginger-soaked sensations present in the gewürztraminer grapes. Slick, smooth, slippery acidity and luscious length of flavour make this a classic. … Read More
Eaton Thistle Hill Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Eaton Thistle Hill Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019 $48 Creamy marzipan and spiced passionfruit notes heave out of the glass in this highly aromatic style. It would seem from the dense aromatics that it could be a heavyweight wine, however it’s remarkably light on its feet and elegant. Edged with lime and lemongrass with a touch … Read More
Eaton Awatere Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Eaton Awatere Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019 $42 Don’t let the subtleness on the nose fool you into a false sense of sauvignon. This shiny new star comes from hand harvested fruit from Mike Eaton’s Breezemere and Thistle Hill vineyards in Marlboroughs Awatere Valley. That aromatic subtlety comes from a natural, wild ferment and the … Read More
Ash Ridge Ariel Blanc de Blanc 2018
Ash Ridge Ariel Blanc de Blanc 2018 $45 Named after the yacht that the founder of Ash Ridge used to sail in the Clipper Around the World Yacht Race, this wine has bought an elegant, international feel to the portfolio of Ash Ridge for sure. Ripe and fruity and so full of flavour – it’s … Read More