Fancrest Estate Reserve Organic North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2019

December 20, 2023By Yvonne

Fancrest Estate Reserve Organic North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2019 $65 Crafted without fining or filtration, this organic pinot noir grown high up on the deep, limestone soils of the North Canterbury hills, has a slight cloudiness, but a very bright, spicy aromatic spectrum. Stacked with smoky, mushroom and soft pepper notes on the nose, the … Read More

Maison Noire Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2022

November 25, 2023By Yvonne

Maison Noire Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2022 $35 Glossy-dark and inky in the glass, this new syrah from winemaker Guillaume Thomas has a distinct, pepper-soaked sarsparilla note on the nose, with black guava, tea leaf and tamarillo characters sashaying their way nostrilward also. To taste, it’s incredibly fresh and youthful, stitched together with peppercorn and … Read More

Clearview Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2021

May 10, 2023By Yvonne

Clearview Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2021 $45 The colour of this wine is what will wow you first. Pour it on a sunny day and marvel at its ruby, crimson, glossy gorgeousness. On the nose and palate, it’s a lightly-styled, soothing, gently-peppered example, showing lifted florals and a long, smooth finish. Crafted using fruit sourced … Read More

Yealands Reserve Marlborough Pinot Gris 2021

February 13, 2023By Yvonne

Yealands Reserve Marlborough Pinot Gris 2021 $19.95 Stacked with Summer flowers, anise, nashi and ginger-laced, soothing spices on the nose, it has a rich, creamy, leesy, feel to it and roars with red pear notes on the finish. Stylish and showing superb fruit purity, it’s refreshing yet richly structured and a satisfying sip that’ll wow … Read More

Wairau River Reserve Grüner Veltliner 2021

January 20, 2023By Yvonne

Wairau River Reserve Marlborough Grüner Veltliner 2021 $29 How’s them apples! This little bit of Austria here in Aotearoa gives an immediate hit of freshly cut apples, lemon pith, yellow plums and wildflowers on the nose and palate making this grüner groovy in all the right places. With a squeak of tarragon and soft, peachy … Read More

Leveret Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet 2020

January 16, 2023By Yvonne

Leveret Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet 2020 $25.99 Paired with: The Ultimate Beef Burgers by Annabel Langbein in the NZ Herald Jan 28 2023 Eating burgers isn’t something you can do sexily. Unless you’re Anya Taylor-Joy of course. Her character Margot gets to masticate Chef Slowik’s meaty offering in that mind-bending movie The Menu. … Read More

Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2022

December 15, 2022By Yvonne

Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2022 $22 Super-attractive nose showing pear strudel spices and creamy quince and apple notes, soft peach and nutmeggy magic which all flows through onto the palate in a wave of soothing, refreshing, cleansing crispness. It’s a lovely, beautifully balanced style showing layers of stylish complexity and a long … Read More

Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Merlot Malbec 2021

December 1, 2022By Yvonne

Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Merlot Malbec 2021 $25 One thing will become super-obvious when inhaling the scent of this Bordeaux blend from Hawke’s Bay’s famous Gimblett Gravels region. Meatiness. It’s rich, savoury and roaring with roasting pan juices on the nose. Combine that with dark blueberry, plum, pepper and bay leaf layers, black olive … Read More

Yealands Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022

November 11, 2022By Yvonne

Yealands Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022 $16 Bright and bouncing with snowpea, watercress, lemongrass and basil notes on the nose, this sauvignon surges with classic citrus and passionfruit power in the mid-palate. It’s upfront, with all guns blazing in terms of mouthfeel and texture, and it’s not subtle in any way. Yealands Estate

Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Merlot 2020

September 28, 2022By Yvonne

Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Merlot 2020 $22 If there’s a range of wines that consistently, crowd-wowingly over-delivers for the money, it’s the Mills Reef Reserves. 2020 is fast being written into the stone tablets of wine bibles as being an exceptional year for Hawke’s Bay reds and this plump, plush, mouthcoatingly rich and cocoa-crammed … Read More