Kate Radburnd Vine Velvet Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2009

20 July 2011By Yvonne

Kate Radburnd Vine Velvet Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2009 $19  Ultra-fruity aromas of raspberry, cherry and liquorice while on the palate it is lush and beautifully ripe; the finish is warm, smooth and super-satisfying.  Fantastic value for money and an absolute winner with roast lamb studded with garlic and rosemary.  www.kateradburnd.co.nz

Yealands Full Circle Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2008

20 July 2011By Yvonne

Yealands Full Circle Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2008 $17  “What goes around comes around” states the label on this plastic bottle.  Produced by carbon-zero certified Yealands Estate this 100% recyclable is highly fruity on the nose and in the mouth it’s harmless, easy to drink but just a smidge boring if I’m being totally honest.  www.yealands.com

Yealand’s Full Circle Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010

20 July 2011By Yvonne

Yealands Full Circle Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010 $17  It’s a bonus this sauvignon comes in a lightweight plastic bottle because I suspect I’ll be throwing a few into my recycling bin especially come summer.  Tomato stalk, fresh herbs, luscious lawn-clippings on the nose combine with ripe passionfruit, citrus and eye-watering acidity on the palate.  Good … Read More

Te Mania Reserve Nelson Pinot Noir 2009

20 July 2011By Yvonne

Te Mania Reserve Nelson Pinot Noir 2009 $35  Classic Burgundian colour and heady, intoxicating, cherry, chocolate and hedgerow aromas.  In the mouth it has upfront savoury spices, flavoursome rhubarb and plum flavours which pave the way for silky, textural length of flavour that lasts and lasts.  Lovely stuff.  www.temaniawines.co.nz

Babich Headwaters Organic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010

20 July 2011By Yvonne

Babich ‘Headwaters’ Organic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2010 $25  Aromatically it’s definitely on the herbaceous, slightly vegetal end of the spectrum and in the mouth it has a sharp, gooseberry and greengage flavour, however it’s a little disjointed on the finish.

Godelia Bierzo Godello 2009

15 July 2011By Yvonne

Godelia Bierzo Godello 2009 $25  Scenic Cellars in Taupo have just taken possession of an exciting new wine made by Godelia from little-known variety Godello located in Spain’s newest wine region Bierzo.  Bierzo is a Spanish DO (DenominaciÓn de Origen) for wines located in the northwest of the province of LeÓn.  The DO covers 23 … Read More

Godelia Bierzo Mencia 2008

15 July 2011By Yvonne

Godelia Bierzo Mencia 2008 $28  This is the first time I’ve tried a wine made from the Mencia grape and I was quite taken with it.  Grown in Spain’s newest wine region Bierzo is a Spanish DO (DenominaciÓn de Origen) for wines located in the northwest of the province of LeÓn. Scarlet-black, this Mencia  has … Read More

Alluviale Gimblett Road Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

15 July 2011By Yvonne

ALLUVIALE GIMBLETT ROAD MERLOT CABERNET FRANC, CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009 $30  A cracker of a red created by sickeningly handsome winemaking couple, Kate Galloway and David Ramonteau – this wine has beautifully fragrant rosemary, roast beef, dark chocolate, espresso, plum, berry and molasses characters.  I love the texture of this wine in the mouth with finely-grained … Read More

Seifried Nelson Gewurztraminer 2011

15 July 2011By Yvonne

SEIFRIED NELSON GEWURZTRAMINER 2011 $12 – $17  Tried this for the first time yesterday and thought it was pretty darn nice.  All those classic aromas of Turkish delight, spicy ginger and peach lead to a juicy, fresh finish.  Not overly sweet, but just enough to make an impression.  Seifried are legends at making gewürztraminer, and … Read More

Radio NZ National Wine Recommendations 4th November 2011

15 July 2011By Yvonne

Spent a superb couple of days in Marlborough last weekend at the bi-annual Marlborough Wine Weekend celebrations where wine fans like me got the chance to immerse ourselves in very focused, specialised tastings of different styles and wines from various sub-regions in some absolutely spectacular locations.  It’s a great way to see how diverse our … Read More