Wither Hills Early Light Marlborough Pinot Gris 2019

5 January 2021By Yvonne

Wither Hills Early Light Marlborough Pinot Gris 2019 $17.99 Harvested earlier than their other Pinot Gris lines, the Early Light takes advantage of grapes bursting with bright apple and pear flavours, but with lower levels of natural sugar, so they’re able to create lower alcohol levels and still maintain good varietal character. It’s a teensy … Read More

Wither Hills Marlborough Pinot Noir Rosé 2019

5 January 2021By Yvonne

Wither Hills Marlborough Pinot Noir Rosé 2019 $17.50 Crafted by winemaker Matt Large and his team of rosé fans, this is a definite box-ticker for anyone angling for rosé with elegant fruity characters and balanced, dry-styled, crisp textures in the mouth. Cleansing, crunchy and easy on the palate and the wallet – it’s an uncomplicated, … Read More

Villa Maria Single Vineyard Seddon Marlborough Pinot Gris 2019

5 January 2021By Yvonne

Villa Maria Single Vineyard Seddon Marlborough Pinot Gris 2019 $29 So beautifully balanced it’s like a ballerina tiptoeing in pointe shoes across your tongue on a tightrope. Aromatically it delivers fresh nashi and yellow plum perfume in spades, while the cleansing, juicy, white nectarine notes wash soothingly over the palate and leave a lengthy, textural … Read More

Wither Hills Single Vineyard Taylor River Marlborough Pinot Noir 2017

4 January 2021By Yvonne

Wither Hills Single Vineyard Taylor River Marlborough Pinot Noir 2017 $25.99 Here’s the thing. I tasted this wine and immediately wrote ‘Black Doris Plum’ – then it wouldn’t let me go. It’s the perfect season for them and I had to have one. I got in my car and raced to every supermarket and roadside … Read More

Wither Hills Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018

4 January 2021By Yvonne

Wither Hills Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018 $21.99 Lightly styled and boasting red berries stitched together with classic tamarillo on toast characters, it’s a fresh, nicely spiced example that’s easy to navigate and appreciate. Widely available and a total crowd-pleaser without being a trauma for your wallet. http://www.witherhills.co.nz

Abbey Estate Bridge Pa Temptation Malbec 2019

31 December 2020By Yvonne

Abbey Estate Bridge Pa Temptation Malbec 2019 $25 Inky magenta in the glass and grizzling around the gills with earthy spices and gamey, wild and woolly notes. Malbec as a single varietal in Hawke’s Bay is not a common thing, particularly in the Bridge Pa area. so when someone decides to bottle it solo, my … Read More

Villa Maria Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019

31 December 2020By Yvonne

Villa Maria Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019 $49.99 The excellent thing about Villa Maria having multiple sites in Marlborough from which to source pinot noir from, is that when it comes to crafting the ‘Reserve’, those soils really are their oyster. The best rows from the best blocks are chosen and made as individual wines … Read More

Taylors Estate Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2018

31 December 2020By Yvonne

Taylors Estate Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir 2018 $19.95 For aeons I’ve been a huge fan of Pinot Noir from the cool, inland Adelaide Hills region. It’s second-only to Tasmania for those soft, cherry-soaked. spice-sprinkled styles. And while this example from Taylors may not knock the socks off Pinot Noir connoisseurs, it’ll sure as heck appeal … Read More

Yealands Single Vineyard Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2020

31 December 2020By Yvonne

Yealands Single Vineyard Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2020 $24.95 Grown in their Seaview Vineyard on the wild and windy coastline south of Blenheim and just over the Wither Hills, the grapes here throw all their energy into creating tiny, flavour-packed berries which have a unique floral and apple-like character that’s quite different to sauvignon grown … Read More

Taylors Clare Valley Merlot 2018

28 December 2020By Yvonne

Taylors Clare Valley Merlot 2018 $19.99 Smooth, plum-saturated and crammed with cherry and soft pepper and cocoa characters on the nose and palate, this is a warm, juicy, easy-like-sunday-morning red wine that will wow the crowds. South Australian merlot isn’t something we see a huge amount of here in NZ, which is a shame because … Read More