Main Divide North Canterbury Rosé 2020

17 February 2021By Yvonne

Main Divide North Canterbury Rosé 2020 $20.99 The label describes this wine as being crafted from the ‘free run juice from a unique assemblage of varieties’, which means that a little bit of the first juice to run out of the press (delicate, fruity, high quality) from different grapes when they’re harvested, have been used … Read More

Crab Farm Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019

17 February 2021By Yvonne

Crab Farm Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019 $23 Since 1987, the Jardine family have been growing grapes and making wine in their crab skeleton riddled site in Bay View in Napier. Those mineral rich soils are superb for chardonnay, and this new release carries buckets of ripe peach and honeydew melon skyward to the nose and … Read More

Crab Farm Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2018

16 February 2021By Yvonne

Crab Farm Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2018 $23 Seriously golden in the glass, this chardonnay oozes scorched peach, roasted almonds, vanilla high notes and a soft edge of pineapple on the finish. There’s a lick of butterscotch and spice, refreshing acidity and a creamy, textural backbone. A hint of popcorn, apricot, soft pepper and nougat notes. … Read More

Maison Noire Home Block Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc 2019

16 February 2021By Yvonne

Maison Noire Home Block Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc 2019 $28 Sourced from their tiny vineyard located high up on the Waimarama Road, this is a local take on a French favourite grape from the Loire Valley. This is Cabernet Franc crafted in a softer, more restrained style than most with fine-grained astringency in the mid-palate. … Read More

Maison Noire Single Vineyard Paki Paki Chardonnay 2020

16 February 2021By Yvonne

Maison Noire Single Vineyard Paki Paki Chardonnay 2020 $28 Just 75 cases were produced of this uber-refreshing chardonnay which is grown in the deep, limestone-laden soils of Hawke’s Bay’s Paki Paki sub-region, just south of Hastings. With its lifted almond, peach and lemon aromatics and creamy, softly oaky mid-palate and saturation of citrus on the … Read More

Maison Noire Home Block Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2020

16 February 2021By Yvonne

Maison Noire Home Block Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2020 $30 Crafted from fruit grown in a tiny coast-facing vineyard amongst the hills along the Waimarama Road, this chenin blanc has clean, creamy, almond and apple aromatics and a super-nice nougat and citrus custard character in the mid palate which I really really love. But the … Read More

Miraval Côtes De Provence Rosé AOP 2019

11 February 2021By Yvonne

Miraval Côtes De Provence Rosé AOP 2019 $40 Celebrity winegrowers aren’t new.  Sting, Madonna, Cliff Richard, Dan Akroyd, Fergie from the Black-Eyed Peas, Antonio Banderas, Gerard Depardieu, Richard Gere, John Malkovich, Cameron Diaz and Pink, are just a few famous faces putting their nose jobs on the line to create fine wine. Despite the divorce, … Read More

Tironui Above & Beyond Hawke’s Bay Malbec Merlot Cabernet 2019

10 February 2021By Yvonne

Tironui Above & Beyond Hawke’s Bay Malbec Merlot Cabernet 2019 $35 This absolute mouthquake of a blend is comprised of 78% Malbec, 14% merlot and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and I am absolutely in love with it! Scented with cedar, blueberry, black doris plum and smoky vanilla vavoom, the palate is saturated with boysenberry, licks of … Read More

Mahi Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019

10 February 2021By Yvonne

Mahi Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019 $34 Three vineyards provided the fruit for this lip smacking example, Fareham Road, Byrne and Ward which is located 45kms south of Blenheim. It’s a dark, glossy, spice-saturated style that’s laced with soft smoky tones from gentle hand-plunging and  13 months in French barriques, a core of black cherry, tamarillo … Read More

Mahi Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019

10 February 2021By Yvonne

Mahi Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019 $24 I love how the splashy-splash of semillon and the portions of barrel-fermented juice (20%) and wild-fermented juice ($39%) add enormous complexity to this excellent wine. Harvested from six different vineyards a whole 5 days earlier than any other Mahi harvest, the conditions were excellent, however the berries were much … Read More