SPANISH DRINKSQUISITION… There’s not much we don’t grow in New Zealand, except maybe pineapples, proper bananas and predators that will poison or maim you in seconds flat. Yet we have managed to grow into a lovely cultural crockpot, and in the last 20 years in particular, our vineyards have been helping foreigners put their roots … Read More
Author: Yvonne
Parusso Ornati Barbera D’Alba 2014 Piedmont Italy $31 ★★★★
Bright, ruby-coloured and packed with earthy spices, bright, cheery fruit and layers of soft, smoky, woolly dried strawberry notes. Grown in the Ornati area of Monteforte d’alba, it’s a deliciously approachable barbera that’s really hitting its straps now, oozing red fruit and soft, liquorice characters and lovely dried herbs on the finish. www.pointwines.co.nz
Zabu Il Passo Nerello Mascalese Nero d’Avola 2014 $32 ★★★★★
I absolutely LOVE this wine! With intense blackcurrant, cherry and sweet, concentrated plum flavours, it’s a total Sicilan fruit fest. Yet these fresh, juicy berry layers are cloaked in dark chocolate, bouquet-garni herbs, cedar and seasoned leather, juniper and hints of espresso. Velvety, plush and practically unputdownable. www.firstglass.co.nz
Fontanafredda Barolo 2011 $69 ★★★★½
100% nebbiolo grapes have been used to create a seriously earthy, lush, leathery red wine with sweet, tobacco and cedar notes on the nose and palate. Cherry, white pepper and dried herb characters surround grippy elastic tannins and leave a warming, slippery finish. www.glengarrywines.co.nz
Chapel Hill McLaren Vale Bush Vine Grenache 2014 $30 ★★★★½
From the very first sniff, I fell in love with the intense florals, sweet pomegranate and hints of spicy, medicinal cough drop characters. In the mouth there’s a burst of plush, zesty berry, rosehip and cherry flavours alongside fine, sandy tannins. There’s also a lovely whiff of pot pourri on the finish. Sorry about the … Read More
Chapel Hill ‘The Parson’ Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2015 $19.99 ★★★½
This is a 64:30:6 blend boasting violets, pepper, dried bouquet-garni herbs, blackcurrant, soft spices and a red-fruited core. The tannins are deliciously dusty and this is a superb style of red for anyone wanting a stepping stone from pinot noir to something stronger. www.glengarrywines.co.nz
Wine Column for week beginning August 20th, 2016
I love a good international day of something, especially when it’s wine-related. So you can imagine my joy and jubilation upon hearing that The 7th Annual International Grenache Day is occurring on Friday September 16th. A day-long celebration of everything Grenache, one of the most widely planted yet least-known red grapes in the world. Grenache (or … Read More
Paper Road Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2014 $21 ★★★½
Grown and made in Opaki, just north of Masterton, this gently fruited velvety-plush pinot boasts a hit of sweet rosehip tea, ripe cherry and smooth, slippery raspberry notes on the finish. For lovers of sweet fruit and soft spices, this will absolutely hit the mark with a spicy warm lamb salad. www.paperroad.co.nz
De Morgenzon DMZ Chenin Blanc 2015 $25 ★★★★½
This is the first time I’ve ever tried South African Chenin and if this is the standard, I’m a total convert. Grown in the upper reaches of the Stellenboschkloof Valley in the Stellenbosch region, the vines which – no joke- they play baroque music to 24/7, have produced a creamy apple, crème caramel and nashi-scented … Read More
Stoneleigh Wild Valley Marlborough Chardonnay2015 $ ★★★★
Here’s a saucy chardonnay bursting with smoked pineapple, roast peach, caramelised characters, anise and white pepper. Using only ‘wild’ or indigenous yeasts in the ferment, can give a white wine more funk factor and greater complexity. So in the mid-palate of this wine there’s added layers of fresh, juicy acidity, hint’s of smoke and spice … Read More