Carrick Josephine Organic Central Otago Riesling 2023

October 21, 2023By Yvonne

Carrick Josephine Organic Central Otago Riesling 2023 $29-$42 The famous knot design on the Carrick label is also known as the Josephine knot, the carrick bend, the sailor’s knot, the Chinese knot, and the Celtic knot. It’s a useful and elegant plait with origins have been traced back to the 700s AD. Yet while the … Read More

Carrick Organic Central Otago Rosé 2023

October 14, 2023By Yvonne

Carrick Organic Central Otago Rosé 2023 $36 Zesty-dry and roaring with peppered redcurrant, soft raspberry and apple muffin aromatics, this weighty, willful rosé has extra complexity from barrel fermentation and has more depth and cling in terms of its textures than other recent vintages. Refreshing, taut and showing great mineral-laced tension, it’s a spice-driven style … Read More

Carrick Organic Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc 2022

October 14, 2023By Yvonne

Carrick Organic Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc 2022 $28 I’d expect nothing less than a fun and funky sauvignon from winemaker Rosie Menzies and that’s exactly what she’s delivered in this handpicked, wild-fermented, barrel-and-tank-matured vintage. It has rich lemongrass, dried herb, preserved lemon layers, a burst of bruised basil, and some stylish gooseberry and green apple … Read More

Tarras Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020

October 8, 2023By Yvonne

Tarras Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020 $40 – $50 With beautifully lifted aromatics of rosehip tea and a buoyantly fresh, textural mouthfeel, this is already a very satisfying wine despite its youth. Grown on their home (Canyon) vineyard high on the Bendigo terraces, it’s a finely tuned example. Warming, smooth and cherry-driven with bold-yet-supple tannins … Read More

Kuru Kuru Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019

October 8, 2023By Yvonne

Kuru Kuru Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019 $45 Named in honour of winemaker Hayden Johnston’s Māori grandmother* (Ngai Tahu), this pinot noir is deliciously complex, freshly spiced, vibrant and layered with dark cherry, black tea, hints of rhubarb and raspberry and has a core of softly gripping tannins. Very nicely balanced, plump, juicy and very … Read More

Tarras Central Otago Pinot Gris 2022

October 8, 2023By Yvonne

Tarras Central Otago Pinot Gris 2022 $32 Erupting with spiced nashi notes on the nose and palate, this Central Otago stunner is super-fresh, super-rich and is a greatest hits album of flavour. So it’s basically Taylor Swift in a bottle. Made from fruit grown in the Alexandra sub-region and bursting with apple, pear and peachy … Read More

Tarras The Canyon Single Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019

October 4, 2023By Yvonne

Tarras The Canyon Single Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019 $80 Winemaker Hayden Johnston* is the talent behind Tarras Vineyards, a site located near the Central Otago town of Tarras. He utilises fruit grown in his organically-managed, home vineyard called The Canyon, located high on the Bendigo goldfield terraces. Deeply lush, moody, brooding aromas of … Read More

Lowburn Ferry Home Block Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021

September 24, 2023By Yvonne

Lowburn Ferry Home Block Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021 $115 Presented in a gift box inscribed with ‘150’ as a nod to 150 years of continual human interaction with the land which is now home to a biodynamically-farmed vineyard where regenerative farming is now the norm. A 1ha parcel from the original 23yo vines in … Read More

Rockburn Twelve Barrels Gibbston Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022

September 8, 2023By Yvonne

Rockburn Twelve Barrels Gibbston Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 $99 Wow. This is one of those wines that cause you to stop, stare into the distance and contemplate the beauty in nature, the mastery of man and the meaning of life. It also makes you wonder if winemaker Malcolm Rees-Francis isn’t some sort of warlock of … Read More

Valli Bendigo Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021

September 7, 2023By Yvonne

Valli Bendigo Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021 $65-$75 A powerfully structured pinot noir comprised of a mix of Abel, 115, UCD 5, 667 and  777 clone fruit grown in the Chinaman’s Terrace where 65% of it was fermented hot (30°C) in 31% new French oak barrels, where it spent a quiet, sleepy 11.5 months maturing … Read More