Maison Noire Home Block Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc 2019 $28 Sourced from their tiny vineyard located high up on the Waimarama Road, this is a local take on a French favourite grape from the Loire Valley. This is Cabernet Franc crafted in a softer, more restrained style than most with fine-grained astringency in the mid-palate. … Read More
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Maison Noire Single Vineyard Paki Paki Chardonnay 2020
Maison Noire Single Vineyard Paki Paki Chardonnay 2020 $28 Just 75 cases were produced of this uber-refreshing chardonnay which is grown in the deep, limestone-laden soils of Hawke’s Bay’s Paki Paki sub-region, just south of Hastings. With its lifted almond, peach and lemon aromatics and creamy, softly oaky mid-palate and saturation of citrus on the … Read More
Maison Noire Home Block Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2020
Maison Noire Home Block Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2020 $30 Crafted from fruit grown in a tiny coast-facing vineyard amongst the hills along the Waimarama Road, this chenin blanc has clean, creamy, almond and apple aromatics and a super-nice nougat and citrus custard character in the mid palate which I really really love. But the … Read More
Miraval Côtes De Provence Rosé AOP 2019
Miraval Côtes De Provence Rosé AOP 2019 $40 Celebrity winegrowers aren’t new. Sting, Madonna, Cliff Richard, Dan Akroyd, Fergie from the Black-Eyed Peas, Antonio Banderas, Gerard Depardieu, Richard Gere, John Malkovich, Cameron Diaz and Pink, are just a few famous faces putting their nose jobs on the line to create fine wine. Despite the divorce, … Read More
Tironui Above & Beyond Hawke’s Bay Malbec Merlot Cabernet 2019
Tironui Above & Beyond Hawke’s Bay Malbec Merlot Cabernet 2019 $35 This absolute mouthquake of a blend is comprised of 78% Malbec, 14% merlot and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon and I am absolutely in love with it! Scented with cedar, blueberry, black doris plum and smoky vanilla vavoom, the palate is saturated with boysenberry, licks of … Read More
Mahi Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019
Mahi Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019 $34 Three vineyards provided the fruit for this lip smacking example, Fareham Road, Byrne and Ward which is located 45kms south of Blenheim. It’s a dark, glossy, spice-saturated style that’s laced with soft smoky tones from gentle hand-plunging and 13 months in French barriques, a core of black cherry, tamarillo … Read More
Mahi Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Mahi Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019 $24 I love how the splashy-splash of semillon and the portions of barrel-fermented juice (20%) and wild-fermented juice ($39%) add enormous complexity to this excellent wine. Harvested from six different vineyards a whole 5 days earlier than any other Mahi harvest, the conditions were excellent, however the berries were much … Read More
Delta Hatters Hill Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2020
Delta Hatters Hill Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2020 $29 After the first sniff and sip you’ll need to allow time for your face to adjust to the fact that your eyeballs have literally Ren & Stimpy’d on their stalks. What do I mean? Popped right out of their sockets. Ren & Stimpy? It’s a cartoon. From … Read More
Ra Nui Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2020
Ra Nui Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2020 $25 Well lather me up in lime, pummel me with passionfruit and peach, kick me around the chops with capsicum, bash me around the brain with basil, holler jalapeno in my ear and tickle my tongue with tomato leaf, if this isn’t one of the loveliest sauvignon blancs I’ve … Read More
Unison Symphony Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2014
Unison Symphony Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2014 $55 This syrah is developing a deliciously meaty majesty to its aromatic and flavourmatic (yes, it’s a word) layers. Soft white pepper, blueberry and boysenberry coulis characters all jostle for attention on the nose and mouth and it ends up being quite the delicious disco. Hints of flaxseed, soy … Read More