Alana Estate Freedom Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 $18 Intensely pungent aromas of bruised basil, sweet pea, passionfruit and lime leaf layers merge with seductively squint-inducing textures, and deep citrus and lemongrass notes which stitch together to create a crunchy-crisp, flavour bomb of a sauvignon. The Alana Estate whanau are hellbent on fighting against modern slavery … Read More
Author: Yvonne
Carrick Billet-Doux Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2023
Carrick Billet-Doux Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2023 $39 This no-sulphur, now-iconic style from Rosie Menzies and her team at Carrick has a new poem on the back label from front-label artist Leon Ofsky, and it speaks of new dawns, welcoming a new baby and new stories. Very appropriate. The wine is an unfussy, earth-laced style that’s … Read More
Carrick Unravelled Organic Central Otago Pinot Noir 2022
Carrick Unravelled Organic Central Otago Pinot Noir 2022 $32 (released August 2024) Playing on their knotty branding, this pinot by winemaker Rosie Menzies is a different take on the classic Carrick style. It’s lighter, looser, a little more wild and a little more easygoing. Freshly turned earth, tea leaf, baked cherry and stewed rhubarb all … Read More
Wairiki Wines Grace Hawke’s Bay White Pinot 2023
Wairiki Wines Grace Hawke’s Bay White Pinot 2023 $28 It’s spring all year round when you sip this stunning new release from Brent Linn and his team at Wairiki. Crafted from 100% handpicked, Maraekakaho-grown pinot noir that’s pressed immediately to avoid any colour uptake from the skins, this wine erupts with green apple, white peach … Read More
Carrick Organic Bannockburn Pinot Blanc 2023
Carrick Organic Bannockburn Pinot Blanc 2023 $42 Just the 4th time a pinot blanc has made it into the bottle from the kids at Carrick, yet it tastes like they’ve been doing it for decades. Scented with clean apple and white peach punchiness yet showing pip-fruit fullness in the mouth from its wild fermentation and … Read More
The Supernatural Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2022
The Supernatural Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2022 $35 A sauvignon that’s very much in its own situation with classic Hawke’s Bay generosity and softness. Yet the addition of six hours on skins, wild fermentation, lees stirring and only a teensy dose of sulphur at bottling has given it a creamy complexity that leads from apple … Read More
Alana Estate Freedom Nelson Pinot Gris 2020
Alana Estate Freedom Nelson Pinot Gris 2020 $22 If you like your pinot gris on the crisp, crunchy-fresh side, then this will tickle your pinks. Hints of fig, nashi pear and scorched stonefruit merge with white pepper and clean mineral-laced textures on the palate. Dry, focused and fresh. The Alana Estate whanau are hellbent on … Read More
Carrick Bannockburn Billet-Doux Pinot Noir 2022
Carrick Bannockburn Billet-Doux Pinot Noir 2022 $35-$39 Pronounced “Be-yay-doo” which translates to ‘love-note’ in French, this wine is the result of a collaboration between winemaker Rosie Menzies, creative director Leon Ofsky and artist Elana Marie Szezepanski and comes from fruit carefully hand-picked from Carrick’s certified organic Arthur’s Vineyard. A mixture of Pommard clones from three … Read More
Vilaura Hawke’s Bay Methode Traditionelle Extra Brut Blanc de Blanc 2019
Vilaura Hawke’s Bay Methode Traditionelle Extra Brut Blanc de Blanc 2019 $65 Impeccably stylish. It’s crafted from 100% clone 95 chardonnay grapes by sparkling wine specialists Jascha Oldham-Selak and his partner Sanne Witteveen and it’s immensely tasty. Lifted and citrus scented, it’s accentuated with clean apple, lemon shortbread characters, creamy cashew notes and boasts generosity, … Read More
Aces and Arrows Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2021
Aces and Arrows Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2021 $27 Stu Marfel is the group winemaker for Pernod-Ricard New Zealand and he’s opted to give his regional winemaking team a bit of freedom to get creative with the fruit they know best. Craig from Hawke’s Bay has opted to use his favourite grapes sourced from the Bridge … Read More