You’ve been a good human all week. Sit back, relax and reward your tonsils with something ludicrously tasty…
Giesen The Fuder Clayvin Marlborough Chardonnay 2014 $55.99
If there’s such a thing as a taste orgasm then this incredible wine delivers them relentlessly. In multiples. Sipping it rendered me incapable of commanding the English language save for mumbling the occasional “oh wow” and “more please”. Sourced from Clayvin, one of the nation’s most famous vineyards, it bursts with grapefruit, ripe nectarine and beautiful butterscotch and cinnamon-dusted crumpet characters. Hints of struck match, roast cashew and caramelized spice on the finish make this something every chardonnay fan should try before they die.
Sip with: someone great.
www.caros.co.nz
Ash Ridge Premium Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Merlot 2016 $31
From what’s fast becoming known as a very elegant vintage in Hawke’s Bay, comes a cabernet-dominant blend that reflects the iron-rich red gravels of the Bridge Pa Triangle. Shepherded into the bottle by winemaker Lauren Swift, this brisk, racy red wine benefits from a big, swirlable glass to allow the plum and pepper aromas to twerk it. The tannins are elastic and have good chew-factor.
Sip with: spicy, peppery, steak tartare.
www.ashridgewines.co.nz
Babich Irongate Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot Franc 2014 $37.99
So when toothpaste commercials come on the tv announcing they’ll rid you of that “furry feeling”, you can throw the remote at the screen and shout “bring it on!” The Irongate has masses of blackberry, tobacco, vanilla and meaty layers, piles of pepper and cocoa and warming, fuzzy, furry, leathery tannins that gently exfoliate the tongue on the way down. Impressively structured and seriously saucy.
Sip with: beef cheek pie.
www.firstglass.co.nz
