Linden Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 $48 ★★★★ This Esk Valley producer is on its way to completing a radical turnaround of fortunes, from being run into virtual non-existence, it’s been rescued and revitalised by sparkie-turned-winemaker Trevor Shepherd, who clearly has a knack for creating quality syrah. Intensely spicy and showing plum, dark berries, … Read More
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Allan Scott Marlborough Riesling 2014
Allan Scott Marlborough Riesling 2014 $18 ★★★½ Aromas of green apple, carrot cake spices and musky, honeysuckle and apricot kernel characters all merge together on the palate and crash into a wave of sweetness. There’s a soft, grainy texture to the finish of this tangy example that’ll definitely appeal to those who prefer a more … Read More
Linden Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah
Linden Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 $48 ★★★★ This Esk Valley producer is on its way to completing a radical turnaround of fortunes, from being run into virtual non-existence, it’s been rescued and revitalised by sparkie-turned-winemaker Trevor Shepherd, who clearly has a knack for creating quality syrah. Intensely spicy and showing plum, dark berries, … Read More
Allan Scott Marlborough Riesling
Allan Scott Marlborough Riesling 2014 $18 ★★★½ Aromas of green apple, carrot cake spices and musky, honeysuckle and apricot kernel characters all merge together on the palate and crash into a wave of sweetness. There’s a soft, grainy texture to the finish of this tangy example that’ll definitely appeal to those who prefer a more … Read More
Pegasus Bay Waipara Gewürztraminer 2014
Pegasus Bay Waipara Gewürztraminer 2014 $30 ★★★★★ Wow! The glittering yellow diamond colour of this wine is quite mesmerizing. It smells like the most delicious combo of lemon Turkish delight, ginger, rose water, Christmas lilies, toffee, runny honey and spice. Rich, unctuous, generously fruity and tangy it is too, making this an irresistibly un-put-downable example.
Brookfields Backblock Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015
Brookfields Backblock Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015 $21 ★★★½ How pretty is the colour of this wine? Glossy and inky-purple in the glass, it’s also chock full of violets, bouquet-garni herbs and loads of dark berries. There’s a classic hit of pepper – but it’s only there to cuddle the fruit. Fresh and youthful, winemaker Peter … Read More
Seifried Nelson Zweigelt 2014
Seifried Nelson Zweigelt 2014 ★★★½ Zweigelt is rare and rather crazy red wine that was purpose-built (although for what purpose is unclear) in 1922 by Austrian viticulture professor Fritz Zweigelt, from a crafty cross-dressing of It was a crossing of St. Laurent and Blaufränkisch. Now while you’re still silently mouthing how to say the latter, … Read More
Te Mata Estate Cape Crest Sauvignon 2014
Te Mata Estate Cape Crest Sauvignon 2014 $30 ★★★★½ I love the fragrance of passionfruit curd, lemon blossom and hints of herbaceousness in this wine. Crafted from prime Hawke’s Bay sauvignon blanc, blended with a splash of semillon and sauvignon gris, it’s an out-there kind of style that’s less of a ‘sauvignon’ and more a … Read More
Santagostino Nero D’Avola Syrah 2011
Santagostino Nero D’Avola Syrah 2011 $30 ★★★★ The groovy, gothic-style circular design on the label comes from the façade of the 14th century Sicilian Santagostino Monastry in Trapani, so yes, the bottle looks good, but it tastes like money too. Liquorice, raspberry, dusty rose and pepper aromatics merge with rosehip and pomegranate flavours, fresh acidity, … Read More
Invivo Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Invivo Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $19 ★★★★½ You won’t be disappointed with this crunchy, clean, passionfruit-packed sauvignon, in fact the minute you try it you’ll probably want to race down to the supermarket to grab a second bottle. Signature grassy notes, capsicum zingy juicy white nectarine, white pepper complexity and juicy length of flavour, make this … Read More