Akitu Central Otago Pinot Noir Blanc 2022 $40 Freshly crushed pinot has been whisked off its red skins lickety-split and then made as if it were a white wine — and I absolutely love it. Scented with gentle stone fruit, fennel, white pepper and apple notes, it has flirty-fresh flavours of citrus, yellow plum and … Read More
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Akitu A1 Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020
Akitu A1 Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020 $65 Translated, Akitu means the summit, the apex or the highest point in te reo Māori. Andrew Donaldson called his wine that because at 380 metres above sea level, Akitu was right up there, nudging against the alps, growing in the southernmost winemaking region on earth. Andrew’s grandad … Read More
Yealands Reserve Marlborough Pinot Gris 2021
Yealands Reserve Marlborough Pinot Gris 2021 $19.95 Stacked with Summer flowers, anise, nashi and ginger-laced, soothing spices on the nose, it has a rich, creamy, leesy, feel to it and roars with red pear notes on the finish. Stylish and showing superb fruit purity, it’s refreshing yet richly structured and a satisfying sip that’ll wow … Read More
Spade Oak Voysey Le Champ NZ Prosecco 2022
Spade Oak Voysey Le Champ NZ Prosecco 2022 $28 Welcome to the very first wine made from 100% NZ prosecco grapes. It’s fitting that Steve and Eileen Voysey are the couple behind it because they have a reputation for pioneering interesting grape varieties from their little pocket of paradise on the east coast of the … Read More
Polka Davidson Plum De-Alc Sparkling Rosé NV
Polka Davidson Plum De-Alc Sparkling Rosé 2021 $28 An intriguing, citrus-saturated style crafted from a mixture of red, Riverland-grown grapes and a splash of Davidson plums to boost the botanicals. The initial impression is sweet, yet the acidity is solid and refreshing and really accentuates the length of flavour. Rich, generously proportioned and feisty, it … Read More
Jules Taylor OTQ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Jules Taylor OTQ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2021 $35 Handpicked fruit from Jules’ Holdaway vineyard, was whole-cluster pressed into old oak barriques and wild fermented then a malolactic ferment softened the acidity and injected layers of lemongrassy complexity. A creamy softness adds to its smoked capsicum character and compliments the seam of citrus intensity at its … Read More
Akitu A2 Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020
Akitu A2 Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020 $45 Some wines are like sipping a fairytale. A great and true fairytale for the modern age. A fairytale about the magical day my husband grasped the concept of hydro-physics and subsequently stacked the dishwasher correctly. The A2 pinot is a story of romance created when ripe cherries, … Read More
Astrolabe Wrekin Late Harvest Marlborough Chenin Blanc 2022
Astrolabe Wrekin Late Harvest Marlborough Chenin Blanc 2022 $32 From one of New Zealand’s premium chenin blanc vineyards comes this nectarine and yellow plum-packed sweetie that has an incredibly fresh core of citrus and hints of honeysuckle. I love how zesty and energetic this wine is, sweet but vibrant and beautifully balanced. Astrolabe
Astrolabe Kēkerengū Coast Pinot Gris 2022
Astrolabe Kēkerengū Coast Pinot Gris 2022 $27 Grown on one of the southernmost boundaries of what’s considered ‘Marlborough’, in the sea breeze-buffetted Sleepers Vineyard, this bone-dry, mineral-drenched style is awash with nashi and nutmeg notes, clean stonefruit characters and elegantly taut, tense complexity in the mouth. It has a lengthy, generous mouthfeel and bracing freshness. … Read More
Astrolabe Marlborough Pinot Gris 2022
Astrolabe Marlborough Pinot Gris 2022 $25 A really attractive and interesting style of gris here, snappy-fresh, fanging with poached pear, soft pepper and Golden Delicious apple notes on the nose and palate. Texture-wise it’s clean, dry and very nicely balanced. Hints of nutmeg and roast fennel sneak through on the finish too. Video Review here … Read More