Rapaura Springs Limestone Terrace Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020 $45 Grown in the seriously southern, ruggedly coastal district of Ward, these individually-numbered bottles of pinot noir all hold an exotic tension in terms of texture, they’re scented with that unmistakeable ‘fallen logs in the forest’ note, moss-covered, leaf litter, wild cherries, black tea, raspberry and a … Read More
Author: Yvonne
Rapaura Springs Rohe Dillons Point Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Rapaura Springs Rohe Dillons Point Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022 $26 Erupting with classic bruised basil, lemongrass and passionfruity, limey layers, this is a sauvignon which will tick all the boxes for solid taste sensations Rohe means ‘territory’ in Maori, so it fits with Rapaura Springs’s philosophy of highlighting Marlbor0ugh’s sub-regions to uncover the diversity of … Read More
Melton Estate Canterbury Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Melton Estate Canterbury Sauvignon Blanc 2021 $22 If, like me, you love the smell of freshly-cut lawns and flame-scorched jalapenos, then this crunchy-fresh Cantabrian sauvignon has your name on it! Herbaceous, heaving with tomato stalk and smoked passionfruit characters, it’s a complex, mineral-laced example that’s got sea breeze style to it. It wil also help … Read More
Brown Brothers Origins Series Heathcote Shiraz 2018
Brown Brothers Origins Series Heathcote Shiraz 2018 $14 I’m loving the label of this wine for starters, it’s very evocative of the land and farming and the classic Aussie heat and dust. I’ve gotta say, this is a delicious and very affordable shiraz that bursts with classic blackcurrant, white pepper, liquorice, plums and spice-laced chocolate. … Read More
Bay Buzz Magazine Profile – Maison Noire
A Little Maison Noire Magic – Meeting the couple behind one of Hawke’s Bay’s most exciting wine brands… Christmas Issue By Yvonne Lorkin “My perfect Christmas present? asks artist Esther Smith. “Easy. A trailer load of mulch”. Not exactly what I was expecting when asking Esther and her husband, winemaker Guillaume Thomas of Maison Noire … Read More
Low Sulphur and Preservative Free Wines from Stone Pony & Fourth Wave
Low Sulphur and Preservative Free Wines from Stone Pony & Fourth Wave There’s an increasing volume of quality, affordable, ‘minimal intervention’ wines appearing on our shop shelves, opening up the options for consumers who are conscious of what they’d rather their wines ‘didn’t’ contain. Seeing wines labelled Low or No-Added Sulphites, Zero Preservative and Unfined … Read More
Two Rivers Saint Maur Southern Valleys Sauvignon Blanc 2020
Two Rivers Saint Maur Southern Valleys Sauvignon Blanc 2020 $39.99 This single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc is from Two Rivers’ Saint Maur Vineyard located in the silty clay and gravel soils of Marlborough’s Southern Valleys. It was wild/naturally fermented and then aged for 14 months on yeast lees in a combo of concrete eggs tank and … Read More
Yealands Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Yealands Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022 $16 Bright and bouncing with snowpea, watercress, lemongrass and basil notes on the nose, this sauvignon surges with classic citrus and passionfruit power in the mid-palate. It’s upfront, with all guns blazing in terms of mouthfeel and texture, and it’s not subtle in any way. Yealands Estate
Zero to Hero – Zero Alcohol Wines by Stone Pony & Fourth Wave
The great thing about reviewing zero alcohol wines is I don’t have to spit them out – yay!! It’s also handy to remember that de-alcoholised wines can be very floral and fruity and enjoyable, they will have a taste and texture that’s slightly different to full-strength wines. Yet the quality of zero-alc wines is improving … Read More
Rapaura Springs Bouldevines Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay 2020
Rapaura Springs Bouldevines Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay 2020 $36 There are some golden-zones for chardonnay in Marlborough, and the Omaka Valley is right at the top of that list. Its soils can turn out intensely concentrated examples and this is no exception. Surging with roast nectarine, pineapple and melon-mashed magic, fresh, beautifully caramelised oak, creamy complexity … Read More