Drummond Farm Martinborough Pinot Noir 2017

18 August 2020By Yvonne

Drummond Farm Martinborough Pinot Noir 2017 $31 I really love how on the label of this bottle it says very succinctly “harvested in 2017, matured in barrel until 2018 and finally bottled in July 2018”.  It gives you a quick scan of how their winemaking season runs for pinot noir. Unfined and unfiltered, with only … Read More

Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2020

18 August 2020By Yvonne

Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2020$20 This Provençale-style rosé from French winemaker Guillaume Thomas is lipsmackingly dry, layered with soft redcurrant and cherry characters and stiched together with attractive spices.  Ultra-fresh acidity and a super-succulent texture make for a sunny day in your mouth no matter what the weather.  Cleansing, feisty and full of personality. … Read More

Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Arneis 2020

18 August 2020By Yvonne

Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Arneis 2020 $22 Guillaume Thomas has been crafting some of the best local Arneis I’ve ever tasted, and clearly this Italian variety (nicknamed Little Rascal due to its fussy, tricky nature) thrives in the lime and clay soils of his tiny vineyard on the Waimarama Road.  Crammed with creamy nectarine, peach … Read More

Drummond Farm Martinborough Pinot Gris 2018

17 August 2020By Yvonne

Drummond Farm Martinborough Pinot Gris 2018 $24 Alex Muir and Leah Creaven are the forces behind Martinborough’s newest splash in the wine pond and they’re determined to educate people that it’s what’s NOT in the bottle that makes it distinctive.  Produced at a positively demure 9.5% alcohol and showing clean, lightly-styled, apple and greengage plum … Read More

Drummond Farm Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019

17 August 2020By Yvonne

Drummond Farm Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019 $20.40 I tasted this wine as a cleanskin sample and it was a roasty, toasty example packed solid with stonefruit tones and showing a creamy complexity on the finish.  Punchy and slightly wild at heart, its a ripe, rumpty style that has loads of potential.  Very food-friendly too. Soft … Read More

Zephyr Marlborough Chardonnay 2019

13 August 2020By Yvonne

Zephyr Marlborough Chardonnay 2019 $31.99 This bright like a yellow diamond 2019 release is one that any chardonnay fan will enjoy I’m sure.  That’s because it’s just darn yummy, beautifully balanced, fat and juicy, with a bit of smokiness, ripe grapefruit flavours and buckets of baked nectarine and creamy, crushed almond, characters.  There’s a lovely … Read More

Pegasus Bay Prima Donna Waipara Pinot Noir 2010

13 August 2020By Yvonne

Pegasus Bay Prima Donna Waipara Pinot Noir 2010 $120 Ivan Donaldson planted the first vineyard in Canterbury back in 1976, ten years later, together with his wife Christine, he established Pegasus Bay.  Today all four of their sons and two spouses are all involved in the business and it’s fair rocketing along.  Prima Donna is … Read More

Pegasus Bay Aged Release Waipara Pinot Noir 2010

12 August 2020By Yvonne

Pegasus Bay Aged Release Waipara Pinot Noir 2010 $65 Back in 2006 the Donaldson family of Pegasus Bay began witholding stock and stashing it away to sleep quietly for at least a decade before being released again to the public.  Now it’s time for those 2010’s to really show us what they’re made of. Their … Read More

O:TU Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013

9 August 2020By Yvonne

O:TU Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013 (price tbc) Seven years down the track this Marlborough pinot noir is morphing into the tertiary flavour spectrum, leather, espresso, dried herb and gravy boat notes.  Soft, smooth and savoury, it’s still drinking nicely. http://www.otuwine.com  

Trinity Hill Homage Syrah 2018

9 August 2020By Yvonne

Trinity Hill Homage Syrah 2018 $150 THE TECHNICAL: This is the new vintage release of one of New Zealand’s most sought-after syrah’s.  Produced only in years when the fruit is exceptional, the 2018 Homage was crafted from 99.6% syrah and 0.4% viognier hand-harvested from three different Gimblett Gravels sites including 70% Gimblett Estate, 19% Tin … Read More