This is a super-approachable pinot noir that’s really starting to hit its straps with a couple of years aging on it. Bright, plush and cherry-driven, it’s bursting with cherries, berries and has a soft, gamey layer on the finish. Lovely, lengthy and darn drinkable. www.advintage.co.nz
Current Columns
Esk Valley Hawke’s Bay Verdelho 2017 $19 (5 star)
Verdelho the famous white grape grown on the Portuguese island of Madeira where for aeons it’s been used in the production of sherry. In 1998 the team at Esk Valley planted some in the rock star region of the Gimblett Gravels and in 2002 Gordon Russell produced the very first kiwi version. This shiny new … Read More
Matahiwi Estate Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2016 $28 (4 stars)
I LOVE this wine. From the powerfully smoky, spiced cherry lift on the nose to the intensely fruity core and the long, succulent finish – it’s an absolute star. Buoyant raspberry, rhubarb, pomegranate and pepper characters: they’re all there, too! Grown near Masterton (the place where pinot noir was first planted 130 years ago), it’s … Read More
Brookfields Sun Dried Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2016 $26.99 (4 stars)
Sun-dried wines have been made since the 5th century BC, and ‘Amarone’ wines from northern Italy are the most famous examples. But they should definitely be looking over their shoulders, because this Brookfields malbec is a cracker. Handpicked fruit is sun-dried in trays a few meters outside of the winery. Then, when the grapes start … Read More
Yvonne Lorkin Wine Column for Week beginning Sat Sept 30 2017
Like many industries, the wine fraternity faces the constant challenge of adapting to appeal to upcoming generations of wine fans, the consumers of the future in an age where the drinks industry is a scarily crowded and competitive market, the likes of which consumers have never seen before. However, wine has an advantage in that … Read More
Paddy Borthwick Martinborough Pinot Gris 2016 $24
Full, fat and generous with its time, this pinot gris from Paddy Borthwick washes clean nashi and white peach flavours across your tastebuds, leaving a creamy yet spritzy texture behind. 33% of the juice is run into older French oak barrels to ferment, which adds toasty, tangy, spicy apple strudel characters that line the oesophagus … Read More
Vista Nelson Pinot Noir 2015 $22
Greg Dryden is a winemaker on a mission to spread the Nelson pinot love, and if this example is anything to go by, he’s becoming quite the guru! Intensely spicy on the nose, and exhibiting all manner of forest floor, shitake mushroom, baked cherry and berry bodaciousness. Plus it has a juicy mouthfeel, clean, precise … Read More
Ceres Black Rabbit Riesling 2017 $27.99
Holy apple sorbet Batman! This is one heck of a magnificent riesling from a stunning Central Otago site. True to its namesake, boy does this riesling have bounce! Crunchy green apple, ripe, juicy lime and truckloads of tangy tropical tastiness all jostle for attention. Yes there’s a smash of natural sweetness present, but it’s balanced … Read More
Yvonne Lorkin Wine Column for Canvas Sat 30 Sept 2017
September 30th already? Sipping these will help me deal with that startling news… Ceres Black Rabbit Riesling 2017 $27.99 Holy apple sorbet Batman! This is one heck of a magnificent riesling from a stunning Central Otago site. True to its namesake, boy does this riesling have bounce! Crunchy green apple, ripe, juicy lime and truckloads … Read More
Black Stilt Waitaki Valley Riesling 2014 $25 (3.5 stars)
Waitaki sits on the border of North Otago and South Canterbury, and it’s one of the most remote and raw parts of the country. It has a kind of other-worldly feel to it, and the quality of the wines that come from the lime-laden soils of Richie McCaw country have power, purity and personality to … Read More