If you only had just seven rows of ungrafted, old vine riesling struggling away on steep, hand-cut, schist terraces in the desert-like conditions of Bannockburn – it hardly seems worth the dollars and effort of trying to coax anything into a bottle. Yet winemaker Jodi Pagey and viticulturist Len Ibbotsen are diehard fans of the … Read More
Author: Yvonne
Vasse Felix Filius Margaret River Cabernet Merlot 2014 $28 ★★★★
Vasse Felix was actually the very first vineyard and winery to be established in the Margaret River wine region of Western Australia, having been founded in 1967 by Dr Thomas Cullity. It’s a gorgeous Bordeaux blend where eucalypt and bay leaf notes cloak the dark berry intensity, cocoa, tar and tobacco aromas. The oak is … Read More
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 $22 ★★★★
Made by Frenchman Guillaume Thomas from his tiny vineyard on the Waimarama Road, this cabernet sauvignon has classic aromas of espresso residue (‘sprudge’ is the technical term – true fact) alongside exotic vanilla, pepper, mint and a lick of saddle leather. Fresh dark cherry and boysenberry provide the fruit concentration for this elegantly structured, inky-dark … Read More
Wine column week commencing July 23rd, 2016
For a good few years there, back in the 80’s and early 90’s, it felt like finding great cabernet sauvignon here in New Zealand was a bit like trying to find a decent pair of pantyhose. You know. Ones that didn’t roll down and pinch around your hips and bunch below the crutch when you … Read More
Hopes Grove Hawke’s Bay Silver Lining Syrah 2010 ★★★★
Deeply saturated, glossy and dark, here’s an intensely spicy syrah showing hints of smoke and leather. Six years in the bottle has borne violets, fresh pepper and gamey characters on the palate and a finish loaded with bay leaf, black tea and earthy cocoa characters. Grown in the limestone loveliness of Hawke’s Bay’s lesser-known sub-region … Read More
Bret Brothers Mâcon Uchizy Grand Vin de Bourgogne 2014 $43 ★★★★★
Some chardonnays erupt with x-factor for me and this is definitely one of them. I love the aromas of buttery, toasted crumpets, grilled grapefruit and spiced stonefruit alongside citrus concentration at its core which balances beautifully with subtle oak and luscious acidity. Crafted by the supremely talented Jean-Guillaume and Jean-Phillippe Bret from a tiny plot … Read More
Bald Hills Central Otago Riesling 2015 $28 ★★★★
Pete Bartle is the winemaker responsible for this bottle of tangy apple, lime and lemon verbena-laden lusciousness. There’s also a layer of crushed herbs and punchy tropical character which makes this a darn delicious wine to enjoy over a selection of spicy tapas or a feed of good, old-fashioned, lemony, salty fish and chips. Crisp, … Read More
Church Road TOM Chardonnay 2013 $150 ★★★★★
100% grown in their Tuki Tuki vineyard which “used to be a complete fruit salad” according to winemaker Chris Scott. “But we’ve ripped out everything that’s not a top chardonnay clone and every single barrel selected for this wine is a separate hand pick and press”. Bursting with citrus complexity, seductive, smoky oak, juicy, elegantly … Read More
Church Road TOM Syrah 2013 $200 ★★★★★
For this, the first ever release of a TOM syrah, 100% of the fruit was sourced from the Redstone vineyard inside the Bridge Pa Triangle Wine District, New Zealand’s newest ‘official’ wine region. A couple of swirls in the glass reveals elegant white pepper, fresh blackberry, violet and vanilla alongside exceptionally buoyant layers of concentrated … Read More
Wine column week commencing July 30th, 2016
Who would have known that a touch of scandal was the catalyst for the inception of one of New Zealand’s oldest and best loved brands? According to Church Road’s winemaker Chris Scott, up until the mid 1890’s, company founder, Bartholemew Steinmetz used to be a priest. However a dalliance with a Taradale-based temptress led to … Read More