Sacred Hill Riflemans Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019

March 9, 2021By Yvonne

Sacred Hill Riflemans Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019 $69.99 Sure you could spend seventy dollars on groceries, school fees or a 30minute neck and shoulder shiatsu – but will they deliver the same unparalleled taste-joy as sipping the new Riflemans with a large bowl of bacon and prawn spaghetti? Fat chance. Grilled grapefruit, roast nectarine and … Read More

Sacred Hill Hawke’s Bay Brokenstone 2014

June 12, 2020By Yvonne

Sacred Hill Hawke’s Bay Brokenstone 2014 $45 (re-tasted June 2020) Merlot leads a cast of superstar varieties in this celebrity Gimblett Gravels gathering.  Malbec, syrah, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc combine to create a deeply aromatic red with warmth, woollyness and furry feelings in all the right places.  This vintage at 6 years on is … Read More

Sacred Hill Single Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2018

September 11, 2019By Yvonne

Sacred Hill Single Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2018 $25 Sourced from their ‘Riflemans’ vineyard (which is fast becoming known as a national treasure) this new chardonnay ticks all the boxes for fruit weight, bright acidity, caramelised, coconutty oak and citrus complexity in the mid-palate and finish.  It’s richly structured, toasty and shows a whisker of … Read More

Sacred Hill Single Vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2018

September 2, 2019By Yvonne

Sacred Hill Single Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018 $27.99 Brand new from one of New Zealand’s best-loved brands, is this ‘single vineyard’ range which includes chardonnay and syrah to join this little lovely.  This pinot noir is juicy juicy juicy.  And despite its relatively pale colour, it heaves with cherry, wild raspberry and red fruit … Read More

Sacred Hill Wine Thief Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2016

December 30, 2018By Yvonne

Sacred Hill Wine Thief Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2016 $29 I’m tasting this wine right as white flesh nectarines begin appearing in heaping quanitites on roadside fruit stalls around where I live, (Hastings, in case you were wondering) and this wine reminds me so much of their scent and the juicy intensity of biting into one.  … Read More

Sacred Hill Riflemans Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2016

December 28, 2018By Yvonne

Sacred Hill Riflemans Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2016 $65  Riflemans should be, in my opinion, given national treasure status for its services to chardonnay appreciation in this country.  Created in years when the fruit from this heritage-status vineyard in the upper reaches of the Dartmoor Valley, is deemed nothing less than exceptional, this wine is an exercise … Read More

Sacred Hill Helmsman Cabernet Merlot Franc 2015 $80 (5 stars)

March 21, 2018By Yvonne

My first taste of this wine was a few years before the millennium and back then I was told the name represented something that led the way that stood ahead of the pack and steered you in the right direction. This new vintage lives up to its reputation for focus and drive. A Helmsman is … Read More

Sacred Hill HALO Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet 2014 $28 (4.5 stars)

April 4, 2017By Yvonne

Holy hand harvest batman! What a wine!  It’s tricky to even start explaining how glorious this wine smells – but I’ll do my best for you.  Vanilla, soft boysenberry, cocoa, caramelised walnuts and smoked plums – how does that sound?  To drink, it’s fresh, vibrant, woven together with muscular tannins and extended with a marathon-like … Read More

Sacred Hill Marlborough Pinot Gris 2015

April 5, 2016By Yvonne

Sacred Hill Marlborough Pinot Gris 2015 $19 ★★★½ The aromas of this wine remind me of old school eskimo lollies from the pick’n’mix bins at the supermarket.  Soft cornflower florals, pear, hints of apple and sweet confection.  On the palate however it’s a different story, with the team at Sacred Hill producing a clean, tangy, … Read More

Sacred Hill Orange Label Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015

January 11, 2016By Yvonne

Sacred Hill Orange Label Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $19 ★★★★½ You can buy this wine pretty much everywhere, which is a good thing if you’ve a hankering for pungent, classic cut grass, lemony, limey notes, a twang of snappy acidity and a mid-palate rich in lemongrass, passionfruit, peach, pepper and a burst of basil.  It’s … Read More