Clos Henri Solange Marlborough Blanc de Noirs Methode Traditionnelle 2020 $45 ‘Sainte Solange’ is the tiny rimu chapel relocated in 2003 to the Clos Henri vineyard to serve as their tasting room. Named in memory of Solange Bourgeois, the late wife of Clos Henri’s founder Henri Bourgeois, ‘Solange’ also means ‘dignified’ in French so it … Read More
Author: Yvonne
Carrick Bannockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020
Carrick Bannockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020 $44-$51 Now in its 26th vintage, this is one of New Zealand’s most respected pinot noirs. The 2020 erupts with classic Central Otago dark fruits and dried thyme aromatics, then follows through with attractively layered spice and charred oak notes. There’s some tannic cling and grip and it’s … Read More
Loveblock Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021
Loveblock Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021 $33-$37 Paired with Lamb Meatballs in the NZ Herald CANVAS magazine Sat 8th April 2023 To me, it doesn’t matter if you get all Bubba from Forrest Gump on it (lamb roast, lamb chops, lamb racks, lamb burgers, lamb and rosemary sausages, lamb casserole, lamb rissoles, lamb steaks, lamb … Read More
Carrick The Magnetic Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2020
Carrick The Magnetic Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2020 $65 Intensely juicy, gamey, spice-saturated and lifted, this buoyant beauty is crammed with cocoa notes blueberry, red cherry and rhubarb flavours in every cranny. With gently lithe, lovely tannins, if you’re looking for purity and a ‘sense of place’ in one sip, you’ve got it right here. According … Read More
Grove Mill Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Grove Mill Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022 $15-$18 Loaded with lemongrass, bruised basil and crammed with classic cut-grass, passionfruit and buckets of energetic, bracing acidity. It’s a deliciously dry style, not flabby and overly tropical, instead it’s refined, sweaty, spicy complexity and all-round sippability makes it a crowd pleaser for sure. Grove Mill
Two Rivers The Spring Marlborough Chardonnay 2020
Two Rivers The Spring Marlborough Chardonnay 2020 $55 Crafted from 30yo Mendoza clone vines, this wine is one of the most hands-off styles that winemaker Dave Clouston and his team create. A teensy bit cloudy due to it not being fined or filtered (another excellent thing), this chardonnay erupts with grilled stonefruit intensity, scorched oak … Read More
Te Kano Estate Central Otago Blanc de Noir 2022
Te Kano Estate Central Otago Blanc de Noir 2022 $30 Te Kano’ is Māori for ‘seed,’ and their winemaking team have definitely planted something pretty thrilling onto my tastebuds. Crafted from 100% pinot noir from their two certified organic vineyards, (clay-based Eliza and sandy-soiled Jerome) carefully, gently, whole-bunch pressed to avoid too much of their … Read More
Zephyr MK1 Organic Marlborough Rosé 2022
Zephyr MK1 Organic Marlborough Rosé 2022 $28 Ben Glover from Zephyr Wines is like the Gandalf of great Marlborough rosé and he’s waved his winemaking wand across this new vintage to conjure up all manner of mouthwatering magic to treat your maw with. Maw means jaws, mouth or throat. You’re welcome. Ultra-dry and drenched with … Read More
Black Quail Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020
Black Quail Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020 $55 Made by the scarily talented Jen Parr from an 8-ha block of fruit grown by the Keillor family in Bannockburn, this new release pinot bursts with whipcrack freshness and personality. Crammed with black cherry, blueberry, rhubarb and rooibos tea leaf tones, it’s a lush, deliciously structured thing … Read More
The Landing Bay of Islands Chardonnay 2021
The Landing Bay of Islands Chardonnay 2021 $44 If there’s a postcode for Happy Place then this bottle has my digits on it. Crafted by Ben Byrne and Warren Gibson, this rich, incredibly expressive hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed, French oak-fermented example showcases deliciously structured citrus and stonefruit through grapefruit and nectarine nuances, a core of caramelised, … Read More