Tony Bish Fat & Sassy Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 $20 ★★★★½ When Tony promises more fat and more sass than the last release, he’s not wrong. Ultra-vibrant aromas of tangy pineapple and grapefruit, toasty roast pineapple, spicy biscuit characters and buckets of stonefruit. It’s a bold, biscuity and nicely balanced chardonnay that has a long, … Read More
Author: Yvonne
Natural Wine Co. Organic Gisborne Rosé 2015
Natural Wine Co. Organic Gisborne Rosé 2015 $19.99 ★★★½ Geoff Wright is the craftsman behind this wine which is grown and made according to organic and biodynamic principles. Super-herbal and spicy on the nose, with smoky, earthy characters and resinous complexity happening, yet in the mouth there are clean berry, melon and blackboy peach flavours. … Read More
New taste for the sav gurus
Published NZME Regional Newspapers Tue 29 December 2015 Sauvignon Blanc. It’s the fuel that drives the engine room of our wine industry. So it stands to reason that the home of the world’s first International Sauvignon Blanc Celebration should be Marlborough, New Zealand’s largest wine region. That’s right, between Feb 1-3 2016, the movers … Read More
Wild South Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014
Wild South Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 $18 ★★★ This super-soft, lightly structured pinot has berries-and-cream characters on the nose alongside a sniff of smoke, sweet cherry and a hint of plum. If you’re looking for a beginners guide to pinot noir (or even to red wine) then this could be just the thing to swing … Read More
Rod McDonald ‘One Off’ Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2014
Rod McDonald ‘One Off’ Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2014 $31 ★★★★ If you’re someone who gets weak at the knees when they see a beautiful colour, then strap yourself into your support-hose because this wine has the most gorgeous garnet, ruby hue. It also boasts tobacco leaf, dried herbs, cocoa, blueberry and a gentle meaty character … Read More
Brightwater Vineyards Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Brightwater Vineyards Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $20 ★★★½ Gary and Valley Neale know a thing or three about growing tasty, aromatic white wines in sunny Nelson. This sauvignon is saturated with ripe limes, passionfruit, peach and tangy red capsicum flavours and a (classic for Nelson) round, fleshy, ultra-easy mouthfeel. It’s ultra-friendly, approachable and darn easy … Read More
Quartz Reef Central Otago Methode Traditionnelle 2010
Quartz Reef Central Otago Methode Traditionnelle 2010 $40 ★★★★ Produced organically and biodynamically by Rudi Bauer down in Bendigo, this southern star has soft, smoky, flinty aromas and a rich, nutty, marshmallow-like texture in the mid palate. Very precise and cleansing it is too. www.vinofino.co.nz
Bladen Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2015
Bladen Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2015 $25 ★★★★ Brand new and bursting with all manner of spicy ginger and lychee-laden loveliness, this great little gewürztraminer is definitely on my ‘new favourites’ list. It’s quite high in alcohol (14.5%) so expect a touch of warmth in the mid-palate, but it works with the crisp, mineral notes, tangy peach … Read More
Ti Point ‘Tess’ White Merlot 2015
Ti Point ‘Tess’ White Merlot 2015 $15-$20 ★★★★ If you keep a couple of bottles of this in the fridge over your average spring weekend, you’ll find there’ll be no shortage of people knocking on your door armed with cheese and crackers and wanting desperately to be your friend. Crafted from merlot grown in Matakana … Read More
Natural Wine Co. Organic Gisborne Pinot Gris 2015
Natural Wine Co. Organic Gisborne Pinot Gris 2015 $19.99 ★★★★½ Crafted by Geoff Wright using organic, biodynamic methods or “chaos” as he calls it, this is about as “hands off” as you can get before basically expecting the grapes to turn themselves into wine. This straw-gold pinot gris shows a lifted, chalky, nutty aroma and a … Read More