Black Estate Netherwood North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2017 $75 When I say this pinot noir brings the funk, I don’t mean the kind of funk occurring in the ‘used mats’ bin down the local Bikram studio, I mean freshly-turned-earth funky, old, seasoned leather funky, wild cherries and spiced rhubarb funky. Unfined and unfiltered, it’s cloudiness … Read More
waipara
Pegasus Bay Waipara Valley Chardonnay 2018
Pegasus Bay Waipara Valley Chardonnay 2018 $44 The vines that pump out the fruit from which this chardonnay is crafted are over 30 years old. Now that might not seem that old, but if you think about New Zealand’s modern wine industry really only kicking off in the late 1980’s, and even then, the nation … Read More
Black Estate Damsteep North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2017
Black Estate Damsteep North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2017 $45 Get ready to get swept into a vortex of Chinese herbal tea, hedgerow fruits, seasoned leather and wild cherry characters on the nose and in this very nicely structured, organically grown pinot noir, there is an exotic intensity that rolls through to the palate. It literally … Read More
Pegasus Bay Aged Release Waipara Valley Pinot Noir 2009
Pegasus Bay Aged Release Waipara Valley Pinot Noir 2009 $40 The clever kids at Pegasus Bay had the foresight to squirrel away a stash of their sought-after pinot noir a decade ago in order to show us what its really capable of. I love the juicy cherry and redcurrant characters, the evolvement of the spices, … Read More
Black Estate Dam Steep North Canterbury Riesling 2018
Black Estate Dam Steep North Canterbury Riesling 2018 $30 Deep clay and limestone soils are responsible for turning out certified organic riesling that’s both clean yet rich and creamy to consume. Golden in the glass and perfumed with baked apple, manuka honey and citrus notes, it’s a beautifully balanced, fresh and crunchy, characterful riesling that … Read More
Pegasus Bay Waipara Valley Gewürztraminer 2017
Pegasus Bay Waipara Valley Gewürztraminer 2017 ($30) Ginger Pork and Peanut Stir Fry – paired in CANVAS Nov 16 2019 I’m a sucker for bold, ballsy, aromatic white wines with any dishes where fresh ginger is the hero, which is why the shiny, new Pegasus Bay Waipara Valley Gewürztraminer 2017 ($30) perfectly shivers my timbers … Read More
Black Estate Home North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2017 $45 Mushroom Paté – matched in dish magazine Summer 2020 You don’t have to say mushroom paté twice to get me opening a bottle of the Black Estate Home North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2017 ($45). With 75% whole berries in the 100% wild ferment (kickstarted in the … Read More
Mount Brown North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2017
Mount Brown North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2017 $21.99 I first tasted this wine in April 2018 and upon recently re-tasting it, I had to adjust my notes because it’s maturing into something rather sensational. Bright crimson in the glass and bursting with redcurrant, wild strawberry, raspberry and cherry notes on the nose and palate, … Read More
Pegasus Bay Prima Donna Waipara Pinot Noir 2015
Pegasus Bay Prima Donna Waipara Pinot Noir 2015 $95 From the second the first whiff of cocoa-covered cherries, black tea, wild berries, truffle and spice assail your nostrils, you know there’s no escape from its clutches. It’s a dense, deliciously structured, statuesque example of what Waipara is capable of. So lush, plush and poised, it’s … Read More
Mischief Waipara Pinot Noir 2017
Lamb and Chorizo Sausage Plait (dish Aug Sept 2019) A fruit-forward, soft, plush pinot noir is exactly what this spicy, family-sized sausage roll. The Mischief Waipara Pinot Noir 2017 ($28) ticks all those boxes and more. Ripe cherry, raspberry and even a tiny squeak of beetroot all erupt from the glass and the flavours are … Read More