Ash Ridge Premium Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 $32 There were rumblings and rumours and all manner of murmurs on the grapevine, that 2018 would be a pretty yowza year for cabernet sauvignon in Hawke’s Bay’s Bridge Pa sub-region. I’m pleased to report the gossip was true and correct. This Lauren Swift-crafted cabernet is … Read More
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Ash Ridge Alti Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2020
Ash Ridge Alti Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2020 $29 There’s very little of this bony-dry, funky, mineral-heavy Pinot Gris left, so if you’re a fan of natural, skinsy, quartzy styles then this needs to be on your shopping list. Alti in that its made in an alternative style to conventional Pinot Gris and it’ll definitely … Read More
Ash Ridge Premium Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2017
Ash Ridge Premium Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2017 $32 Very, very toasty with hints of sawdust and spice: the caramelised characters in this Lauren Swift-crafted wine will definitely appeal to those who love old-school roastiness and nutty, creamy layers in their chardonnay. That was a long sentence — almost as long as the finish on this … Read More
Maison Noire Home Block Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2019
Maison Noire Home Block Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2019 $35 Just 75 dozen bottles were crafted of this wine which was sourced from Guillaume Thomas’ own tiny vineyard on the Waimarama Road east of Havelock North. It’s a gorgeously floral, fruit-stacked style that oozes softness, elegance and (if left in the glass for a few minutes) … Read More
Tupari Boulder Rows Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Tupari Boulder Rows Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2017 $29.99 Classic floral, Awatere Valley sauvignon blanc here, a hint of barrel fermentation adds creamy complexity to a vein of lemongrass, basil, tomato stalk and sweet pea and passionfruit – it’s a stunning style loaded with sweet herbaceousness and delicious length of flavour. http://www.tupari.co.nz
Esk Valley Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2005
Esk Valley Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2005 $na I tasted this wine 16 years after harvest, in 2021 and I’ve got to say it was a revelation. With the acidity still pinging in this ultra-golden, teenage sensation, the spices are zooming along the vanilla, nutmeg and apple strudel spectrum and it’s developing some delicious, nutty … Read More
Yealands State of Flux Marlborough Chardonnay 2019
Yealands State of Flux Marlborough Chardonnay 2019 $39.99 Soft citrus and soft peach and a hint of preserved lemon is what you can expect on the nose and the palate is creamy and shows tweaks of ground almond and melon. Fermented in Yealands concrete eggs, which some winemakers believe creates a more gentle environment for … Read More
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2019
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2019 $25 Just 90 dozen bottles were produced of this wine. To give you an idea of scale, that’s less than two pallets. For the whole country. And overseas markets. So you snooze, you lose, I’m afraid. It’s a lush, complex, dried herb and spice-saturated style edged with baked berries, … Read More
The Hunting Lodge Home Block Waimauku Sauvignon Blanc 2019
The Hunting Lodge Home Block Waimauku Sauvignon Blanc 2019 $30 If you’re beady of eye and brainy of brain, you’ll notice that the Sauvignon Blanc grapes for this wine come from a site that began being planted back in 1979. So there could very well be wine from some of the oldest Sauvignon Blanc vines … Read More
Ash Ridge Estate Bridge Pa Merlot 2019
Ash Ridge Estate Bridge Pa Merlot 2019 $21.99 From those russet-red, iron rich soils of the Bridge Pa Triangle comes this dark, inky-scarlet sensation from Lauren Swift and the team at Ash Ridge. Showing earthy, dried herb, tar, black olive and mushroomy notes drifting across the blueberry and blackberry mid-palate, it’s a soft yet generously … Read More