Maison Noire Ngatarawa Road Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021 $28 Just 120 cases were made of this refreshing, roast peach and citrus-laced chardonnay sourced from a vineyard in the iron-rich soils of Bridge Pa on Ngatarawa Road. Caramelised toasty oak, balanced acidity, cashew characters, orange zest, it’s all here. French winemaker Guillaume Thomas has crafted a … Read More
Author: Yvonne
Rusty Bell Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Rusty Bell Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2021 $25 (cleanskin sample). Subtle lemongrass and lime leaf layers on the nose and palate, soft and herbaceous, with cushion-like texture on the palate. It’s showing a subtle green apple and lemon zest note on the finish, creating a gentle style that’s very food-friendly. Rusty Bell
Rabbit Ranch Central Otago Sur Lie Chardonnay 2020
Rabbit Ranch Central Otago Sur Lie Chardonnay 2020 $22 Central Otago is like the masked singer when it comes to chardonnay – everyone wants to know who’s bringing the good stuff and yet it’s usually kept a precious secret by those in the chardonknow. The words ‘sur lie’ relate to the wine spending extra time … Read More
Te Mania Nelson Pinot Gris 2021
Te Mania Nelson Pinot Gris 2021 $22 If you dust some ripe pears in nutmeg and poach them in citrus and inhale the result then you’ll have something resembling this frisky-fresh pinot gris. Punchy, nashi and white peach flavours in the mid-palate – bright, energetic, with great tension and verve. Excellent length of flavour and … Read More
Te Mania Nelson Riesling 2021
Te Mania Nelson Riesling 2021 $22 Wow – hows the grapefruity intensity of this wine?? It’s so chock full of citrus, there’s a lime and mandarin overload, stacks of acidity and gum tingling length of flavour. Good value for money. Te Mania
Astrolabe Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018
Astrolabe Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018 $25 Astrolabe’s owner and winemaker Simon Waghorn once had the ambition to be a seaweed scientist. I know. Just think, if he’d pursued a life aquatic, we’d never have pinot noir like this. It’s ok, I’ll give you a second to compose yourself. This 2018 vintage shows exotic aromatics, ripe … Read More
Astrolabe Wairau Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2016
Astrolabe Wairau Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2016 $22 Six years on from harvest this pinot is moving into the baked berry spectrum, dried tamarillo, redcurrant and rooibos tea on the nose and palate combine with layers of spice and smoked cherry characters on the palate. The tannins are softly chewy and prickle nicely under the … Read More
Astrolabe Wrekin Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019
Astrolabe Wrekin Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019 $65 Aromatically this dark, glossy, pinot noir has a huge lift of red apple and cherry blossom right up front while on the palate it roars with fresh tamarillo, rhubarb and layers of earthy, black tea and soft, savoury meaty notes on the palate. It shows really prominent tannins … Read More
Crab Farm Hawke’s Bay Pinotage 2019
Crab Farm Hawke’s Bay Pinotage 2019 $35 Pinotage is a really rare red style in New Zealand and over the years they’ve been a bit of a mixed bag – but strap yourself in because Crab Farm has crafted a very juicy, very drinkable and totally delightful example. Buckets of vanilla and spice on the … Read More
Zephyr MKIII Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2020
Zephyr MKIII Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2020 $32 Wow! Forget what you thought you knew about sauvignon blanc because winemaking wunderkind Ben Glover has somehow smashed together soft, creamy passionfruit curd, lemonade, fennel and feijoa to create a gently smoky, plush, tropically tasty thing that’s incredibly food-friendly. It’s a juicy, citrus-soaked and herb-edged sauvignon that’s fattened … Read More