Nga Waka ‘Lease Block’ Martinborough Pinot Noir 2014 $50 ★★★★½ I fell in love with the concentration and intensity of this wine from the very first sip. With so much lush, ripe red fruit and vibrant spices on the nose, you think it’s going to taste over the top and flouncy. However the cocoa, cherry … Read More
2014
Stanley Estate’s Noble Harvest Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014
Stanley Estate’s Noble Harvest Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014 375ml $27 ★★★★ This is another rather rare style of dessert wine because you don’t often see sauvignon blanc, Marlborough’s signature grape, offered up in such a sweet, silky, luxurious manner. Steve Pellet and Bridget Ennals named their wines after their beloved Landrover ‘Stanley’, who safely carried them … Read More
Pegasus Bay Aria Late Picked Riesling 2014
Pegasus Bay Aria Late Picked Riesling 2014 750ml $30 ★★★★★ Wow. If you’ve ever seen a bunch of botrytis-infected grapes, you’ll know that they’re one of the ugliest sights in all of winemaking. However the golden, liquid loveliness living inside that grey, mouldy grape is capable of absolute magic flavour-wise, and we have a superb … Read More
Pegasus Bay Waipara Gewürztraminer 2014
Pegasus Bay Waipara Gewürztraminer 2014 $30 ★★★★★ Wow! The glittering yellow diamond colour of this wine is quite mesmerizing. It smells like the most delicious combo of lemon Turkish delight, ginger, rose water, Christmas lilies, toffee, runny honey and spice. Rich, unctuous, generously fruity and tangy it is too, making this an irresistibly un-put-downable example.
Main Divide Waipara Merlot Cabernet 2014
Main Divide Waipara Merlot Cabernet 2014 $20 ★★★½ If you thought only the North Island could create good Bordeaux-style reds then best you wrap your gums around this southern sip pronto. Highly fruity on the nose and all manner of raspberry, boysenberry and spicy, cocoa-like characters crash across the palate. Yet the mouthfeel and finish … Read More
Parusso Dolcetto D’Alba Piani Noce DOC 2013
Parusso Dolcetto D’Alba Piani Noce DOC 2013 $32 ★★★★ Spice, spice and more spice is what you’ll get in every mouthful of this tasty Italian stallion. The Parusso estate is located right at the border between the Castiglion Falletto and Monforte d’Alba appellation of Barolo and Armando Parusso’s son and daughter, Marco and Tiziana Parusso … Read More
Cantina Gallura Piras Vermentino DOCG 2014
Cantina Gallura Piras Vermentino DOCG 2014 $22 ★★★½ Crafted from vermentino grapes grown in the granite soils of coastal Sardinia, this bone dry but beautifully structured wine has a huge lift of lemon and white peach on the nose followed by a slice of samurai-sword like acidity across the tongue with every sip. We don’t … Read More
McManis Family Vineyards Petite Sirah 2014
McManis Family Vineyards Petite Sirah 2014 $24 ★★★★ If two of your favourite scents are berries and vanilla then you’ll probably be tempted to dab this behind your ears before you even sip it. Vibrant, exciting and despite being soft and silky on the palate, it’s absolutely loaded with flavour. Petite Sirah is known as … Read More
Amisfield Central Otago Dry Riesling 2014
Amisfield Central Otago Dry Riesling 2014 $25 ★★★★½ Winemaker Dr Stephanie Lambert and her team have absolutely cracked it with this ultra-clean, dry riesling that bursts with crunchy granny smith apple, juicy lime and flinty, wet stone minerality. It’s intensely vibrant, mouthwatering even, and I love the gum-tingling texture on the finish. www.amisfield.co.nz
Cristina Ascheri Gavi de Gavi DOCG 2014
Cristina Ascheri Gavi de Gavi DOCG 2014 $29 ★★★★★ Straight off the bat, I LOVE this wine! Crafted from Cortese grapes (how cool is that for a grape name), this is a supremely classy, dry white wine with alluring aromas of crunchy green apple, freshly bruised basil, white pepper and wet stones. It’s generously proportioned in … Read More