Forrest Estate Marlborough Chardonnay 2008 $22 Gorgeous ripe grapefruit and mandarin aromas combine with solid toasty oak notes and a rich, attractive bacon-like character really rounds out the complexity of this wine. Lovely fresh acidity and juicy length of flavour makes it a superb match with classic roast chicken or seared scallops wrapped in bacon. … Read More
Author: Yvonne
27th August 2011 Is colour all it’s cracked up to be?
Is Colour all it’s cracked up to be? One of the unique aspects of this job is that over the course of a year you get to try an immense array of wines from week to week and your tastebuds are constantly tested because they’re never allowed a dull moment. Many of the wines I … Read More
NZ International Wine Show 2011
Righto…8.44am and I’m about to head into the second day of judging at the NZIWS at North Harbour Stadium. 80 Pinot Noir and 60 Shiraz await my team – Jane Skilton MW, Michael Ivecevich and Damian Fisher. Sorry teeth, but it’s gonna be a big one.
Ti Point Merlot Cabernet Franc 2010
Ti Point Two Merlot Cabernet Franc 2010 $22 Matakana winemaker Tracy Haslam has created a really tasty wine with bright berryfruit, smoke and pepper notes on the nose followed by lovely plush, fruit-forward tannins and a ripe, robust finish. A definite crowd-pleaser and absolutely lovely with steak and kidney pie. www.tipoint.co.nz
Brown Brothers Shiraz 2009
Brown Brothers Shiraz 2009 $18 A classic, super-drinkable shiraz from Australia’s oldest family-owned winery. Stewed plum, pepper and roast beef aromas lead to a ripe, spicy mouthfeel which makes it very easy to drink. Regularly discounted to $13 – $15 in supermarkets, it represents fantastic value for money and definitely won’t disappoint. Widely available www.brownbrothers.com.au
Sacred Hill Deerstalkers Syrah 2009
Sacred Hill Deerstalkers Syrah 2009 $55 This is fast becoming a bit of a superstar where Gimblett Gravels syrah is concerned, winemaker Tony Bish and his team have well and truly got world-class syrah in their sights and they’ve got the skills to achieve it. Beautiful magenta-black colour and oozing deliciously peppery, violet, plum and … Read More
Tupari Awatere Dry Riesling 2010
Tupari Awatere Dry Riesling 2010 $26 Delicious aromas of dandelion, talc, waxy appleskin, chalk and clean limey notes. Already a Pure Gold Medal winner at the 2010 Air NZ Wine Awards, this Marlborough example is a crisp, linear wine with good character and enduring length of flavour. Buy from www.glengarry.co.nz
Gibbston Valley Wines Pinot Noir 2009
Gibbston Valley Wines Pinot Noir 2009 $42 Densely coloured and powerfully scented with dried herbs, forest-floor notes, black tea and bitter cherry. In the mouth the tannins are fresh, spicy and showing some richness and grip on the long, lingering finish. It’s an incredibly floral, lush pinot which has a good backbone for cellaring yet … Read More
Mills Reef Reserve Merlot Malbec 2009
Mills Reef Reserve Merlot Malbec 2009 $24 A Gimblett Gravels wine already with a gold medal from the San Francisco Wine Show under its belt, it’s a lovely wine which will definitely appeal to anyone who loves ripe, sweetly exotic black fruits, anise, mace and soft peppery perfume in their reds. This wine got the … Read More
Nga Waka Martinborough Chardonnay 2009
Nga Waka Martinborough Chardonnay 2009 $24 Classic, old-school in style with classy citrus pith and toasty oak fleshed out with creamy, brulee and bran-muffin characters along with a sneaky sliver of peach and nectarine running through it. Excellent length of flavour just makes it all the more stunning. Buy from select liquor stores or online … Read More