Matakana is like an El Dorado for rich, aromatic white wines – and this viognier is definitely in it’s happy place here. Grown in Warkworth, the wine oozes sunshine and classic apricot kernel characters alongside hints of jasmine, ripe peach and a seam of sea salt. I like the slippery, oily character of this wine … Read More
Columns
Stanley Estates Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2013 $19.99 ★★★½
This canny Awatere Valley producer has beefed up their portfolio by buying up a bunch of quality Hawke’s Bay fruit from a bumper vintage, to create a bold, berry-driven bottle of niceness and spiceness. There’s a soft, powdery ‘chew’ to the texture of this wine, which ticks pretty much every box for good, flavoursome, all-purpose … Read More
Jules Taylor Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $33★★★★
The unmistakeable aroma hit of passionfruit curd, candied lemon zest and dried mango carries completely across a palate saturated with honey, toffee and tangy, limedrop lollies. Sauvignon blanc done sweetly is an absolute treat and Jules Taylor is an expert at getting it fresh, vibrant and loaded with vavoom. Stunning stuff with slivers of hard, … Read More
Pruners Reward Waipara Pinot Noir 2013 $25 ★★★★
This is a very snazzy mid-priced label produced by the talented Porter family team at Bellbird Spring. Don’t let the light, brick-red colour fool you, this is quite a dense and complex wine. Scented with wild strawberry, cherry, pot pourri, sandalwood and allspice, plus it has lovely silky texture and deliciously savoury freshness. It’s extremely … Read More
Philip Shaw The Architect Chardonnay 2015 $20 ★★★½
Sourced from the high altitude Koomooloo vineyard on the slopes of the extinct volcano of Mount Canobolas, this wine is refined, elegant, lean and flinty. There’s a lemony, pith-like layer in the mid-palate – a reflection of the limestone and volcanic soils. I don’t get to drink wines from the Orange region of New South … Read More
Wine column week commencing June 11th, 2016
Eggs in One Basket Easter might be a distant memory of finding bits of crème egg and chocolate buttons down your bra for days on end, but don’t let that stop you from indulging in a little egg-centric indulgence of a more exotic kind. Chardonnay whisperer Tony Bish is Chief Winemaker at Sacred Hill Wines … Read More
Clearview Coastal Chardonnay 2015 $19 ★★★★
There’s nothing about chardonnay that Tim Turvey from Clearview can’t tell you because he and his team on Hawke’s Bay’s Te Awanga coast make pretty much every style of it under the sun. The ‘Coastal’ is soft and biscuity on the nose, with a glimmer of grapefruit, hints of flint and ripe peach, hazelnut and … Read More
Black Estate Home Vineyard Chardonnay 2015 $42 ★★★★
The Naish family who own Black Estate in Waipara, now have three vineyards located in different terroirs of North Canterbury’s Waipara district, and they’re all now in organic conversion. The 12ha ‘Home’ vineyard was planted in 1994 and the ungrafted, Mendoza-clone chardonnay vines are now really hitting their straps. Golden queen peach, citrus blossom and … Read More
Amisfield Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $28 ★★★★
One of the things I love about sauvignon blanc, is that it’s so brazen about showing where its from right from that first sniff and sip. Central Otago sauvignon blanc has a really distinct, soft, nettle and elderflower note on the nose and fresh white pepper, peach and lemon pith flavours on the palate. There’s … Read More
Pask Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2013 $22 ★★★★
Can Kate Radburnd and her crack-team of winemakers do no wrong? This Gimblett Gravels pioneer producer has syrah expertly sewn up, crafting an ultra-bright, intensely aromatic example, which oozes fruitwood smoke, cracked pepper, rose and violet notes alongside an underlying earthy character on the nose. Flavour-wise it boasts juicy dark fruit, vanilla and cocoa, tannins … Read More