O:TU Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019 $19 Lovers of soft, creamy, peach-laced chardonnay will be all over this wine crafted by winemaker Jan Kux. Smooth, soothing and saturated in tropical fruit, it’s an ultra-friendly, attractive little sip for sure. http://www.otuwine.com
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Taylors St Andrews Clare Valley Chardonnay 2016
Taylors St Andrews Clare Valley Chardonnay 2016 $49.99 Whenever a new vintage of St Andrews chardonnay lands on our shores and zooms over to my office, the joy is electric. Electric like a disco. The kind of disco that John Travolta would go to. That’s how boogie wonderland my mood becomes. Super-juicy and packed solid … Read More
McArthur Ridge Lilico Central Otago Pinot Rosé 2019
McArthur Ridge Lilico Central Otago Pinot Rosé 2019 $16.50 Scented with berry brioche and buckets of cherries, this Central Otago rosé roars with creamy cherry clafoutis flavours on the palate. Hints of pink peppercorn and spice round out the finish of this crisp, full-bodied and frisky rosé. http://www.mcarthurridge.nz
Matahiwi Estate ME Wairarapa rosé 2020
Matahiwi Estate ME Wairarapa rosé 2020 $13 For starters the colour of this rosé is BEYOND glorious. How to describe it? It almost glows in the dark, it’s so luminously pink, it’s practically Pantone 673. Scented with creaming soda, candy floss and raspberry buns and delectably dry on the palate. Raspberry, cherry, white pepper and … Read More
Bushmere Estate Classic Gisborne Chardonnay 2018
Bushmere Estate Classic Gisborne Chardonnay 2018 $25 While this wine is super-creamy and nutty on the nose, there’s an explosion of grapefruit and toasted peaches as soon as you manage to get the glass into your gob, closely followed by a gurgle of lemon and a pinch of pineapple. David and Shona Egan have been … Read More
The Hunting Lodge Project X Chardy Jack Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019
The Hunting Lodge Project X Chardy Jack Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019 $32 Ok. Hands up who wouldn’t love to leap into a chardonnay fermented in bourbon barrels? Bourbon barrel-aged wine is new to New Zealand, however, it’s a growing trend in the US, with Californian wineries leading the charge. So the folk at the Hunting … Read More
Bristol Farm Nelson Chardonnay 2019
Bristol Farm Nelson Chardonnay 2019 ($39) Winemaker Brendan Seal is best known for his Urbn Vino branded pinot noir wines which he makes at his inner-city winery in Dunedin. His other, more under-the-radar label, is Bristol Farm. Chardonnay is the first 2019 wine of his I’ve tasted (unlabelled sample) and it’s telling me that Nelson … Read More
Matawhero Single Vineyard Gisborne Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Matawhero Single Vineyard Gisborne Sauvignon Blanc 2019 $23.99 I’m old enough to remember when a Gisborne sauvignon blanc won the championship sauvignon blanc trophy at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards – and that blew people’s minds! This sauvignon blanc from the team at Matawhero brings back some of those memories of lemongrass, basil, passionfruit, … Read More
Sacred Hill Hawke’s Bay Brokenstone 2014
Sacred Hill Hawke’s Bay Brokenstone 2014 $45 (re-tasted June 2020) Merlot leads a cast of superstar varieties in this celebrity Gimblett Gravels gathering. Malbec, syrah, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc combine to create a deeply aromatic red with warmth, woollyness and furry feelings in all the right places. This vintage at 6 years on is … Read More
Trinity Hill The Trinity Hawke’s Bay Red Blend 2018
Trinity Hill The Trinity Hawke’s Bay Red Blend 2018 $22.90 Here’s a shiny new lipsmacking blend of 32% merlot 30% cabernet franc, 28% cabernet sauvignon, 6% petit verdot and 4% malbec from the team at Trinity Hill, and it’s a darn attractive thing to drink. Great value red here, bursting with classic plum and raspberry … Read More