So when toothpaste commercials come on the tv announcing they’ll rid you of that “furry feeling”, you can throw the remote at the screen and shout “bring it on!” The Irongate has masses of blackberry, tobacco, vanilla and meaty layers, piles of pepper and cocoa and warming, fuzzy, furry, leathery tannins that gently exfoliate the … Read More
Current Columns
Ash Ridge Premium Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Merlot 2016 $31
From what’s fast becoming known as a very elegant vintage in Hawke’s Bay, comes a cabernet-dominant blend that reflects the iron-rich red gravels of the Bridge Pa Triangle. Shepherded into the bottle by winemaker Lauren Swift, this brisk, racy red wine benefits from a big, swirlable glass to allow the plum and pepper aromas to … Read More
Giesen The Fuder Clayvin Marlborough Chardonnay 2014 $55.99
If there’s such a thing as a taste orgasm then this incredible wine delivers them relentlessly. In multiples. Sipping it rendered me incapable of commanding the English language save for mumbling the occasional “oh wow” and “more please”. Sourced from Clayvin, one of the nation’s most famous vineyards, it bursts with grapefruit, ripe nectarine and … Read More
Yvonne Lorkin Canvas Column for Sat June 30 2018
You’ve been a good human all week. Sit back, relax and reward your tonsils with something ludicrously tasty… Giesen The Fuder Clayvin Marlborough Chardonnay 2014 $55.99 If there’s such a thing as a taste orgasm then this incredible wine delivers them relentlessly. In multiples. Sipping it rendered me incapable of commanding the English language save … Read More
Terras Gauda Rías Baixas O Rosal 2016 $34.95 (4.5 stars)
Made from a blend of albariño, caino and loureiro grapes, this kick-in-the-chops Spanish white made in the Rías Baixas (ree-ass bye-sass) tradition put me firmly in my happy place. I love the crash of lemon blossom, lime zest and white peach across the palate, the smash of rain-on-hot-rocks minerality and the gentle, tastebud exfoliating character … Read More
Yvonne Lorkin wine column for week beginning Sat 23 June 2018
Hand’s up if you’ve ever poured yourself a nice big goblet of cabernet sauvignon, taken a nice big sip and then thought to yourself “Hold the phone caller. This wine smells and tastes green and herby and not at all like I expected”. It happens on occasion with cabernet sauvignon, that deliciously dense, dark red … Read More
William Murdoch Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2010 $45 (4 stars)
Certified organic from WAY back, this 8 year old cabernet blend is heaving with deliciously dusty, leather and tobacco-rubbed robustness. Bay leaf, dark cocoa and the darkest of dark fruits, this Bordeaux-style blend from deep in the heart of the Gimblett Gravels has bold, muscular, sinewy tannins and cries out for a large piece of … Read More
Ostler Caroline’s Waitaki Pinot Noir 2016 $50 (5 stars)
Located on the cusp of South Canterbury and North Otago, Waitaki is an extreme place, like the last frontier for winegrowing, because it’s such a harsh environment. Jim Jerram however, is like the Gandalf of grape growing down there, and occasionally, when the weather gods shine on him, he’s able to eke out enough precious … Read More
Domaine de Pennautier Cité de Carcassonne Rosé 2016 $24.50 (4 stars)
So pale and pretty, like the colour of a ballet shoe, this rosé is made from cinsault, grenache, syrah and merlot. Pink peppercorn and vanilla and smoke make this an incredibly complex, super-dry, provençal-style rosé that shows a hint of dried herbs and crushed quartz. Racy and robust. www.poshslosh.co.nz
Il Villaggio delle Venezie IGT Pinot Grigio 2016 $19 (3.5 stars)
Dry and drenched in lemony, limey, white peach and pear – it’s a perky, pick-me-up for flaccid tastebuds. Green apple and crushed quartz flavours rip across the palate and leave a chalky trail of texture on the finish. www.blackmarket.co.nz