Valentines Day cometh, so get your skates on and woo up a storm with these three love potions…
Brookfields Indulgence Hawke’s Bay Botrytis Viognier 2016 $25 (5 star)
Viognier (vee-yon-yay) made into a dessert wine is rare occurrence, yet Peter Robertson at Brookfields is the master and commander of the style. Scented with jasmine and citrus oils, followed by toffee and marmalade intensity on the nose and palate, caramelized mixed peel flavours and the most luxuriously sweet, tangy finish, I give it 6 stars out of 5 for f**king awesome.
Sip with: creamy blue cheese on slices of gingerbread.
www.brookfieldsvineyards.co.nz
Corofin Settlement Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 $49.90 (5 star)
With its ever-so-pale pink label of this Omaka Valley-grown pinot, you’d imagine it might be a lightweight, yet it’s as deeply complex and beguiling as a forbidden love. Un-fined and un-filtered, it boasts soft cherry and hedgerow fruits and smells like you’ve walked into a Chinese apothecary. Exotic, earthy and incredibly succulent to sip.
Sip with: Duck liver parfait.
www.greatlittlevineyards.com
Veuve Clicquot Champagne Rosé NV $74.99 (4 stars)
This is the 200th year since Madame Clicquot became the first to create a blended rosé from her finest Bouzy reds and her classic champagne. If the aromas of cranberry bagel, rising dough and cashew don’t woo you, then the long, generously-tempered mouthfeel, pinprick effervescence, creamy mousse and subtle raspberry notes on the finish will have your jaw on the floor for sure.
Sip with: classic prawn cocktail.
www.thegoodwineco.co.nz
