Te Aro Wine Co Toil and Trouble Hawke’s Bay Pét Nat 2018 $27.50 Created by Jules Van Costello (owner of Cult Wines and Te Aro Wines) from sauvignon blanc sourced from the Bridge Pa sub-region (with a teensy splash of Marlborough sauvignon blanc to kickstart the ferment, this is a hyper fizzy, crown-sealed firecracker to … Read More
Author: Yvonne
Silver Wing Preservative Free Waipara Sauvignon Semillon 2018
Silver Wing Preservative Free Waipara Sauvignon Semillon 2018 $30 Crafted from a blend of 90% sauvignon blanc and 10% semillon from winemaker Andrew Fox’s Stephenson’s Block that’d been soaked overnight on its skins, this wine was fermented in a 675 litre ceramic egg and matured for 4 months on its yeast lees without batonnage (stirring … Read More
Karikari Estate Toa Iti Merlot Cabernet Franc Tannat 2016/2017
Karikari Estate Toa Iti Merlot Cabernet Franc Tannat 2016/2017 $30 I had high expectations. Sadly the first sip sent me into some sort of cell of self pity. This blend is rough, thin, weedy, prematurely brown in the glass and all kinds of wrong. I keep an open mind about multi-vintage blending because sometimes it … Read More
Karikari Estate Hell Hole Merlot Cabernet Franc 2016
Karikari Estate Hell Hole Merlot Cabernet Franc 2016 $27 While the label excited me and had me running for the good glasses, sadly when I poured this wine, the disappointment was a major. I’m a fan of Karikari’s wines, however this blend is ageing WAY too fast. Brown, oxidised, watery and lacking personality and ‘merlotness’ … Read More
The Writer’s Block Waitaki Valley Riesling 2018
The Writer’s Block Waitaki Valley Riesling 2018 $29 Produced by Brendan Seal at his Urbn Winery in central Dunedin from fruit sourced from stunning vineyards in the Waitaki Valley in North Otago. The climate there is so extreme that grapes struggle along, pouring all their energy into tiny, flavour-packed nuggets of niceness. The result is a … Read More
Cypress Terraces Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014
Cypress Terraces Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 $42 Mel and Gus Lawson knew their terraced hillside vineyard would produce some of the most sensational syrah in the region, I’d say they could feel it in their waters, but truth be told, water is not something they see much of and the vines border on dehydration and … Read More
Mt Rosa Reserve Central Otago Pinot Noir 2016
Mt Rosa Reserve Central Otago Pinot Noir 2016 $75 This is a sexy melange of wild cherry, rhubarb, rosehip tea and allspice. Soft, sultry and ever-so-smoky, it’s a style that’s deeply concentrated, gamy and incredibly succulent. Mouthwatering even. It’s a delicious style that has incredible length of flavour and an elegant presence. Love it! Pricey, … Read More
Mt Rosa Central Otago Pinot Noir 2016
Mt Rosa Central Otago Pinot Noir 2016 $35 Incredibly aromatic, this Gibbston-grown pinot erupts with dusty cherry and berry and cocoa characters, plus theres a whiff of rosehip tea and sackloads of spice. Mouthfeel-wise, where do I start? Red fruits, currant and cranberry with hints of strawberry and rhubarb and a hint of black tea … Read More
Waiana Estate Indian Summer Private Blend Hawke’s Bay Rosé
Waiana Estate Indian Summer Private Blend Hawke’s Bay Rosé $35 This is the flagship rosé from the Plowman family and their Waiana Estate winemaking team. A step beyond their Indian Summer and Summer Sault rosés, this classically dry, Provençale style is crafted from a blend of Tukituki Valley-grown merlot and cinsault which has been left, post-ferment … Read More
Waiana Estate Summer Sault Hawke’s Bay Rosé
Waiana Estate Summer Sault Hawke’s Bay Rosé $26.99 Named in homage to Cinsault, the principal grape used in a style that absolutely screams “South of France”, this rosé carries a serious caboose of character around with it. Weightier and showing more generosity than its little sister, the Indian Summer, this Tukituki Valley-grown groover heaves with … Read More