Zephyr Marlborough Pinot Gris 2019 $23 With its soft, rose-gold hue, quince, 5-spice and fresh pear aromatics and its zesty, perky mid-palate, it’s a beautifully balanced, fresh and frisky style of pinot gris that’ll have the whole table buzzing from the first pour (that’s if you’re up for sharing it). Clean, perky and heaving with … Read More
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Matahiwi Holly Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019
Matahiwi Holly Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019 $22 (normally $31.99) As soon as the cap comes off the bottle and you begin to pour this into your glass, you’re hit with a cloud of concentrated stonefruit cuddled in buttered crumpets and toasted almonds. It’s a lovely wine with fresh, buoyant acidity, creamy, nougat-like complexity, a solid … Read More
Goldie Estate Waiheke Island Syrah 2016
Goldie Estate Waiheke Island Syrah 2016 $44 Heinrich Storm not only has the most fierce name in all of New Zealand winemaking, he’s also young, bouncy and ferociously talented on the syrah front. Four years on since vintage and this delicious thing is beginning to move on from the trot and break into a canter … Read More
Goldie Estate Waiheke Island Merlot Cabernet 2018
Goldie Estate Waiheke Island Merlot Cabernet 2018 $26 Super-bright and berry driven, this merlot cabernet blend is ferociously flavoursome on the fruit-front (that’s my alliteration quota filled for this note) and I’m a huge fan of its mid-palate textures. It’s like a gentle giant of a wine, plush and velvety, but big on personality. Nicely … Read More
Montes Alpha Black Label Casablanca Valley Chardonnay 2015
Montes Alpha Black Label Casablanca Valley Chardonnay 2015 $39.99 If the only thing you know about Chilean chardonnay is that it’s the favourite tipple of erotic fiction author Rocky Flintstone (all you ‘My Dad Wrote A P**no’ podcast fans know what I mean), then hold onto your pots and pans and prepare for a toasty … Read More
Matahiwi Holly South Series Wairarapa Chardonnay 2019
Matahiwi Holly South Series Wairarapa Chardonnay 2019 $24 Matahiwi means ‘raised ridge’ in Maori, and it’s named for the landform on Paierua Road where the vineyard and winery are located. ‘Holly’ is a wine that I eagerly anticipate every year because it indicates a step up from Matahiwi’s normal chardonnay (and they’re always pretty impressive … Read More
Schist Hills Old Vines Central Otago Gewürztraminer 2014
Schist Hills Old Vines Central Otago Gewürztraminer 2014 $18.99 I love how the 2014 vintage has a different spectrum of spice than the 2013, yet it still flashes the Schisty signature of peach, lychee and ginger. Sourced from John and Christine Rasmussen’s Black Ridge vineyard, (where Alexandra’s oldest gewürztraminer vines grow), it flaunts layers of generosity … Read More
Charcoal Gully Late Harvest Central Otago Gewürztraminer 2014
Charcoal Gully Late Harvest Central Otago Gewürztraminer 2014 $30 Gewürztraminer crafted in a late harvest style is a rare thing, so whenever one slinks its way across my desk I tend to get a tad excited. Hand-harvested six weeks after their initial harvest, gave the fruit time to slightly raisin and concentrate the flavours to … Read More
Charcoal Gully Sally’s Pinch Central Otago Gewürztraminer 2014
Charcoal Gully Sally’s Pinch Central Otago Gewürztraminer 2014 $21 At Charcoal Gully, they hold their wines back until Pete Bartle, the winemaker, feels they’ve had enough bottle age to be ready for release and your ultimate drinking pleasure. Six years on, this is perfectly packed with all that good stuff that I love in gewürztraminer … Read More
Tantalus Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2018
Tantalus Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2018 $39 While Tantalus are one of THE places to be and be seen on Waiheke Island, their winemaking team like to mix things up a tad, of an occasion, when the opportunity presents itself. They’ve managed to secure fruit from one of their trusted vineyards in Hawke’s Bay and created … Read More