Highly scented and precise on the nose, fresh-cut pear, poached quince and powdery, talc-like characters leap from the glass. It’s also a very full, generous gris, soaking the palate with pipfruit, honeysuckle and spice. Don’t chill this down too much or you’ll stifle all those fruit layers. Sip with bacon-wrapped dates as a nibbly treat. … Read More
2016 Archived Columns
Peregrine Central Otago Pinot Noir Rose 2016 $27 (4 stars)
100% organic pinot noir in all its glory is exactly what you get with this southern stunner. Such a pretty, ballet-shoe pink colour, aromas of just-ripe raspberry, watermelon and fleshed out with soft, creamy, roast stonefruit notes to round out the finish. Great length of flavour too. www.peregrinewines.co.nz
Mon Cheval Waipara Valley Riesling 2014 $25 4 stars
Whoever said owning racehorses was a great way to lose money, clearly weren’t fortunate enough to own ‘Under Cover Lover’, the champion racehorse who made her owners enough cash to start their dream of developing their dream of creating a tiny vineyard in Waipara’s Weka Pass. Tiny amounts of riesling are grown and this vintage, … Read More
Alpha Domus Cumulus Blanc de Blanc 2012 $34 (4.5 stars)
Crafted from 100% Bridge Pa Triangle chardonnay, this fantastic local fizz is heaving with clean, pillowy, almond, Huntly & Palmers cream crackers and brioche notes on the nose and layers of lemon shortbread and rising dough notes on the palate. With its fine bead, delicate, yet persistent mousse and biscuity length of flavour – it’s … Read More
Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Te Kahu Merlot Blend 2014 $27 (4.5 stars)
If red meat is on the menu this Christmas, then tell your guests to grab a goblet of this and giddy up! The rich, velvety blackfruited texture of this merlot-dominant wine wraps itself around the palate in a spicy, cocoa-driven cloak (or ‘te kahu’ in Maori) and leaves glorious, festively furry tannins on the finish. … Read More
Clos Marguerite Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015
This tiny, tinsel-tastic little vineyard in Marlborough’s Awatere Valley is one of the regions’ best kept secrets. Marguerite and her husband, winemaker Jean Charles van Hove, have quietly been crafting exceptional sauvignon blanc on their tiny 8ha vineyard since arriving from France in 1996. You’ll be forgiven for not having heard of them, they fly … Read More
No.1 Family Estate Assemblé Methode Marlborough NV
Well jingle my jandals if this isn’t the very first bubbles released as ‘Methode Marlborough’. A 60:40 blend of pinot noir and chardonnay crafted by Daniel Le Brun, a Champagne-born champion of delicate, creamy, chalky citrus-laced loveliness. There’s a soft, almost cashew-like character in the mid-palate in this finely-tuned fizz and it’s seamlessly elegant. It’s … Read More
Wine column for week beginning Sat 10 Dec, 2016
Wine Matching for Christmas Feasting I’m a big believer in wine being a superb digestive aide; therefore it’s inconceivable that I’d be without a glass of something at dinner time whether I’m having fish and chips or feta-filled figs. Christmas is no exception. Problem is, there are so many different dishes and flavours going on, … Read More
Domaine Testut Rive Droit Chablis 2015 (4 stars)
The winery is pronounced ‘Test-Too’ and in ancient times the vineyard was tended by Cistercian monks. These days the 13ha site is run by the young and very dapper Cyril Testut (who calls their kid Cyril these days?). The instant hit of white nectarine and lemon on the nose alongside a sexy whiff of sea … Read More
Domaine Paul Buisse Touraine Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $29 (4 stars)
Grown in the heart of France’s Loire region, this is a typically soft, fleshy sauvignon that’s stitched together with basil, hints of baked green capsicum and lime. Naturally concentrated and juicy, with tongue-prickling textural loveliness and a long, freshly floral finish. It’s so unlike what we in New Zealand are used to with sauvignon blanc … Read More