Grant Taylor, one of my favourite winemakers has turned his hand to crafting this bracing, tangy, citrus and spice-fuelled blend of pinot gris, riesling and gewurztraminer – and it’s just sensational. From one of the harshest winegrowing regions in NZ comes this dynamite, zesty, threesome, boasting a chalky-dry texture and a green apple finish. It’s … Read More
Current Columns
Moutere Hills Nelson ‘Chendoza’ Chenin Blanc 2015 $34
While it says ‘chenin blanc’ on the front label, this is actually a curious blend of chenin blanc and Mendoza-clone chardonnay, grown on the Moutere clay gravels of Rusty Rayne and Lisa Goodson’s Nelson vineyard. Toasty, apple-pie aromas merge with roast peach, almond meal and rich, grilled-grapefruit characters come from 11 months maturation in French … Read More
Rock Ferry Orchard Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Gris Pinot Blanc 2016
Rock Ferry Orchard Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Gris Pinot Blanc 2016 $39 Here’s a certified organic blend of 75% pinot gris from Rock Ferry’s Winery Block & 25% pinot blanc from their Plum Tree Block, co-fermented on their skins with indigenous yeasts. After 30 days on skins, the wine was drained and pressed to 1 oak … Read More
Yvonne Lorkin canvas column for July 7th 2018
Blended Families Pure breeds? Yeah nah. Sometimes a bit of mongrel is exactly what we need in a wine… Rockferry Orchard Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Gris Pinot Blanc 2016 $39 Here’s a certified organic blend of 75% pinot gris from Rockferry’s Winery Block & 25% pinot blanc from their Plum Tree Block, co-fermented on their skins … Read More
Urlar ‘The Mediator’ Gladstone Pinot Noir 2016 $32.50 (4 stars)
I love that the back label of this wine says to ‘put away until the cosmos tells you to enjoy it’ although I think it’s one to definitely be enjoyed now. Produced organically and biodynamically by Angus Thomson and their talented team, this is a bright-as-a-button pinot noir, bursting with cherry, raspberry and rosehip tea … Read More
Escarpment ‘Noir’ Martinborough Pinot Noir 2017 $30 (3 stars)
This is Larry McKenna’s (or Larry McPinot as he’s affectionately known) first foray into organic, minimal intervention, ‘natural’ winemaking and its, it’s ok. Unfined, unfiltered and minus any additions like sulphur (to prevent premature oxidation), this wine was fermented in a clay amphorae and left on its skins for around 9 months before being pressed … Read More
Brodie Estate Martinborough Pinot Noir 2011 $27.50 (4 stars)
Seven years on from vintage and this wine is at peak. The great thing is that it’s beautifully made and at under $30 is a bargain. Seriously juicy and woven through with wild strawberry, cherry and hints of pepper, it’s also got black tea and cranberry characters which lead to a long, tangy, spicy finish. … Read More
Urbn Vino Central Otago Pinot Noir 2016 $40 (4 stars)
While the fruit might originate from the barren, schisty landscapes of Bendigo and Bannockburn, the resulting wine actually has ‘city kid’ written all over it. Crafted by Brendan Seal in Dunedin’s central city, ‘urban’ winery, it has soft cherry and berry characters, earthy layers, a slippery, silky texture in the mouth and a decently dusty, … Read More
Kuen Hof Kaiton Südtirol Eisacktaler Riesling 2016 $47 (4 stars)
If you’re a fan of the aromatic, white-wine spectrum, then get your laughing gear around this ravishingly good riesling from the Pligers family at Kuen Hof estate. They’ve been producing wine since the 12th century in Eisacktal in Südtirol, Italy’s northernmost wine region. Kaiton is a celtic word for the area surrounding the estate, which … Read More
Yvonne Lorkin wine column for week beginning Sat June 30 2018
Urbn Sprawl Brendan Seal first heard of urban wineries whilst working as a winemaker in the USA and he immediately thought Dunedin would be a cracker of a location to do it himself. Making wine from Central Otago fruit, cellaring it and selling it all in the central city might seem like a logistical nightmare … Read More