For fans of a leaner, cleaner, more Chablis-style chardonnay then this’ll be right up your cul-de-sac I reckon. Lemon and grapefruit goodness unveil on the nose, while spicy, citrus-soaked layers last long in the background. Plus there’s a ribbon of creamy almond laced with soft smokiness on the finish to keep you going back for … Read More
Author: Yvonne
Askerne Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2016 $31.90 (5 stars)
The perfume of this wine is so delicious it’s difficult to yank the glass away from your nose for long enough to actually sip it. A hint of butterscotch merges with fresh nectarine, grapefruit and pineapple plushness on the nose and palate, while a zesty vein of spice and toasted crumpet joins them on the … Read More
Petane Station Esk Valley Chardonnay 2016 $30 (5 stars)
Philip Barber is a serious winemaking talent to watch if you’re a chardonnay fan. With the ability to source fruit grown in the seashell-strewn soils of Esk Valley, thrust upwards after the 1931 Napier earthquake, his wines show incredibly complex minerality, texture and even a hint of delicious salinity. I love the aromas of grilled … Read More
Lime Rock White Knuckle Hill Central Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2013 $60 (5 stars)
The White Knuckle is a vertigo-inducingly steep vineyard where large life insurance policies are necessary for the mug that loses the toss to tackle it with the tractor. It’s worth the pain and fear because the ripe cherry and spice-saturated flavours are sensational. Only made in years when the fruit is exceptional, it smells like … Read More
Yvonne Lorkin Canvas Column for Sat 27 Jan 2018
On this day in 1984 Michael Jackson’s hair caught fire during filming for a Pepsi commercial. Quench that memory with these smooth sips… Colombo Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017 $24 Winemakers Baptist Sieber and Carolyn Irwin have created one of the tastiest darn sauvignon’s I’ve seen in AGES. Sourced from their Te Muna Road and Martinborough … Read More
Colombo Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017 $24
Winemakers Baptist Sieber and Carolyn Irwin have created one of the tastiest darn sauvignon’s I’ve seen in AGES. Sourced from their Te Muna Road and Martinborough Terrace vineyards, it’s round, ripe and bursting with peach, passionfruit and lemony lusciousness, it’s zingy, crunchy, fulsome and seriously sexy. Martinborough sauvignon blanc has a reputation for terrific texture … Read More
Bannock Brae Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 $52
Heaving with black tea, soused cherries, tamarillo and truffle, this is a flavour-laden, silky-textured and seductive southern star. Beautifully juicy and edged with allspice, it’s a generously proportioned yet totally sophisticated performer; Adele in a bottle if you will. Sip with: pork and plum casserole. www.bannockbrae.co.nz
Charles Smith Boom Boom Washington State Syrah 2015 $23.74
Made in mighty Mattawa city, Washington, this is a syrah that’ll definitely appeal to those who love a hefty lick of liquorice in their reds. Loaded with buckets of spice which cuddles up to dark berries and soft cocoa notes. Explosive? I’d say it’s more touchy-feely, but darn tasty nonetheless. Sip with: Allyson Gofton’s Winemakers … Read More
Yvonne Lorkin Wine Column for week beginning Sat 27 Jan 2018
I’ve made a horrifying discovery in recent months. Actually it’s more like I’m making a horrifying admission. To set the scene I’ll admit that I’m still old-school in that I write most of my wine tasting notes by hand, in a notebook. Then I type them up and post them on my website or pop … Read More
Matahiwi Estate Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2017 $22 (3.5 stars)
Using a parcel of fruit they’ve sourced from Hawke’s Bay, these skilled, Wairarapa-based producers have created a wine bursting with classic grilled grapefruit and lemony, smoked pineapple flavours. It’s toasty and roasty and yet really fresh, plus it has a solid citrus backbone and a nutty core. I think it’s a winner with chicken schnitzel … Read More