Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot 2017
Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot 2017 $24 Bold, juicy and ready for action, this velvety-smooth red has cocoa, dark cherry, plum and peppery warmth on the palate. It’s fleshy, beautifully textured and fabulous with moussaka. www.millsreef.co.nz
Hunter’s Marlborough Chardonnay 2017
Hunter’s Marlborough Chardonnay 2017 $24 Holy peach pit Batman! This is like a tropical, toasty roundhouse kick to the face by a cheeky chardonnay often discounted down to the $18.99 mark. Absolutely heaving with gorgeous roast stonefruit, grilled grapefruit, toasted cashew, and incredibly zesty acidity makes this a wow moment for me as chardonnay lover […]
Richmond Plains Organic Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Richmond Plains Organic Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2017 $22 Grown in the gloriously weedy, certified organic vineyard owned and lovingly tended by Lars and Sam Jensen, the Richmond Plains sauvignon is nothing short of a Nelson icon. Aromatically it sings with lemon blossom, red capsicum, sugar snap pea and lime notes. Racy acidity, boatloads of florals […]
Ash Ridge Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Ash Ridge Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2017 $21 Lemon, lime notes on the nose and palate, they’re edged with seashell minerality and expect some marzipan and toasty notes from the 85% barrel fermentation as well. It could do with more generosity and freshness in the mid palate however. www.ashridgewines.co.nz
Ashwell Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Ashwell Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017 $20 Bright and bursting with citrus and nectarine notes in every sip. Add to that elderflower, lemon blossom and a lick of lemongrass and you get extra deliciousness on the nose and palate. This little bit of Martinborough magic is intensely fresh on the palate, with zesty acidity, good astringency, […]
Melton Estate Canterbury Pinot Gris
Melton Estate Canterbury Pinot Gris 2015 $20 Located in the leafy climes of West Melton, 20 mins or so drive west of Christchurch city, this pinot gris has a hint of botrytis character happening, honeyed notes, beeswax and some roast stonefruit showing through. Doesn’t really show the classic nashi, pear, quince and apple characters that […]
Hunter’s Kāho Roa Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017 $23.90 (4.5 stars)
Hunter’s Kāho Roa Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017 $23.90 Sourced from the clay-rich soils of their Omaka vineyard, the fruit for this sauvignon was crushed and the cloudy, high-solids juice poured directly into old French oak puncheons for a wild yeast (spontaneous) fermentation. The wine was then aged on its lees for 6 months before bottling, […]
The Lazy Dog Queensberry Central Otago ‘Shady Lady’ Rosé 2018
The Lazy Dog Queensberry Central Otago ‘Shady Lady’ Rosé 2018 $23 While I’m not a fan of the cartoony labels on the Lazy Dog wines, the actual wines inside the bottle are pretty darn stylish. This rosé is shiny new and showing hints of creaming soda, raspberry, a nudge of nougat and some dried herbs […]
The Lazy Dog Queensberry Central Otago Chenin Blanc 2017
The Lazy Dog Queensberry Central Otago Chenin Blanc 2017 $23 Crafted by winemaker Jeff Sinnott from Diana and Dean Harker from chenin blanc vines they’ve been growing since 2008. This is a dry, elegant style, packed to the eyeballs with lime and green apple, a hint (just a skerrick) of honeysuckle and loads and loads […]
Matahiwi Estate Wairarapa Pinot Gris 2018 $22.90 (4.5 stars)
I am head over heels with this wine. Not because I naturally have the hand-eye coordination of a one legged pirate with glaucoma and a bad case of OOS, but because the exotic, pear strudel and apple pie richness of this gris has seriously got me in its grip. White peach, soft spices and a […]
