Eaton Fortissimo Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2018 $48 Google says ‘fortissimo’ means ‘loud,’ yet this sensational take on sauvignon by Mike Eaton is soft and quietly sexy. Marzipan and citrus marshmallow notes on the nose lead to delicious complexity from a full malolactic fermentation and extended aging in older Tonnellerie-Ermitage barrels. Unfined and unfiltered, it may … Read More
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Eaton Flaxbourne Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2018
Eaton Flaxbourne Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2018 $31-$48 Prepare for a hit of marzipan and preserved lemon on your lips as soon as you raise your glass facewards. Sourced from Mike Eaton’s Breezemere and Thistle Hill vineyards located in the Flaxbourne region of Marlborough’s Awatere Valley, this sauvignon also shows his signature pillowy, creamy texture and … Read More
Pask Declaration Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot Malbec 2014
Pask Declaration Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot Malbec 2014 $50 (not yet released) Inky dark and oozing that gorgeous menthol, bay and concentrated boysenberry notes that give me the cabernet-dominant goosebumps, this classic blend cries out to be sipped and savoured over a slab of steak or a Lada-full of slow-cooked lentils, or a mountainous plate … Read More
Ash Ridge Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2018
Ash Ridge Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2018 $22 While it says 75% of the juice was barrel fermented on the back label, this is not an overly smoky, funky style at all. In fact the barrel fermentation has accentuated the limey, mineral nature of the wine and created a ripe, yet very complex style that … Read More
Ash Ridge Premium Hawke’s Bay Ruby Syrah 2019
Ash Ridge Premium Hawke’s Bay Ruby Syrah 2019 375ml $29 Oh the colour!!! Wow. It is a riot of crimson, ruby, magenta and garnet-gilded gorgeousness! Bold, peppery, Bridge Pa-grown syrah has been finely fortified to 20% and nursed into a 375ml bottle. This is good. A larger bottle would have been dangerous, for me at … Read More
Linden Estate NV Port
Made from mostly pinot noir blended with a little merlot that’s aged for 10 years in old French oak, is the Linden Estate NV Port ($27) Fruit is hand-harvested at the absolute highest ripeness level achievable for the given year and where possible, botrytised grapes are added to enhance the apricot notes in this sensationally … Read More
Charles Wiffen Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018
Charles Wiffen Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018 $29 Very lightly coloured and very fruity, it’s a lightly styled, very juicy pinot noir that is good, but in my view is overpriced for the quality of the vintage. It’s pleasant enough but lacks the depth and focus you’d expect at this price range. www.charleswiffenwines.co.nz
Cottier Gladstone Pinot Noir 2016
Cottier Gladstone Pinot Noir 2016 $28.50 Grown on that famous stretch of Wairarapa wine country, Dakins Road, this pinot noir captures the classic liquorice character which glows in many Gladstone district examples. It boasts an earthy backbone, loads of savoury character and a tonne of spice to cloak powdery tannins. Cherry and wild rhubarb dominate … Read More
Heron’s Flight Matakana Dolcetto Rosato 2019
Heron’s Flight Matakana Dolcetto Rosato 2019 $28 I can’t tell you how many times I’ve rung David Hoskins at Heron’s Flight to ask if his new Dolcetto rosato is available. Yes he withdrew the non-contact order and we’re communicating through a mediator, but we’re cool, because he gave me what I wanted. Finally. Unique to … Read More
Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2019
Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2019 $29 Returning to his dry-style roots not seen since 2013, winemaker Gordon Russell has taken fruit for the first time from Ian and Linda Quinn’s Two Terraces Vineyard located west of Hastings in Maraekakaho where they grow two clones of chenin, 220 and 880. Handpicked, cooled … Read More