Mills Reef Elspeth Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2023 $39 The flagship chardonnay for Mills Reef is tightly coiled and ready to unleash its talents over the next ten years I feel. From a cooler vintage, Paul Dawick and his winemaking team have sourced some spectacular fruit to craft a chardonnay scented with grilled grapefruit, lemon pith, … Read More
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Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2024 $20 – $25 Classic, ripe, robust Hawke’s Bay signatures sing in this wine, with pungent jalapeno, lime, passionfruit and bruised basil merging with red apple and clean capsicum characters. Zesty acidity is complimented by crushed shell minerality and a lacing of creamy complexity on the finish. It’s … Read More
Leveret Estate Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2024
Leveret Estate Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2024 $19.99 One sniff of this citrus oil-scented, jasmine-stacked, apricot-edged viognier and you’ll understand why it scooped a championship trophy at the NZ International Wine Show AND a double gold medal also. It’s exotically spiced, fresh and laced with creamy macadamia and roast peach complexity on the nose and palate. … Read More
Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Gewürztraminer 2024
Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Gewürztraminer 2024 $22 On your marks, get set, and GO directly to my pick for the BEST VALUE gewürztraminer for the summer. It’s Paddy Preston of Mills Reef started out making kiwifruit wine in Tauranga. He was darn good at it too. But a few years into it, back in … Read More
Little Big Wolf Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Little Big Wolf Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024 $32 So the messaging might be a teensy bit cryptic if you’re looking at the back label, and if you visit the website it’s a bit of a mission to find out exactly “who” is behind the brand. There are many mentions of ‘we’ and ‘our family’ and … Read More
Rapaura Springs Southbrook Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Noir 2023
Rapaura Springs South Brook Vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2023 $42 Situated in the Fairhall Valley, in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys sub-region, this Dijon clone-dominant style has a creamy, cherry-red hue in the glass and boasts rhubarb, plum, cherry, rooibos tea, thyme, game meats and a lacing of five spice on the nose and palate. The tannins … Read More
Rapaura Springs Bouldevines Vineyard Omaka Valley Chardonnay 2023
Rapaura Springs Bouldevines Vineyard Omaka Valley Chardonnay 2023 $40 With gold medals and 5-star ratings up the wahzoo (technical term) this roasty, toasty bottle of peachy perfection will absolutely bring the grins to any occasion. Crafted to contain a balance of creamy complexity, it deftly works nougat notes with flinty, struck-match magic, and super-sippable, oaky, … Read More
Rapaura Springs Bull Paddock Vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Rapaura Springs Bull Paddock Vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2024 $27.99 Grown in the Dillons Point sub-region of Marlborough, this new vintage is laced with jalapeno, green olive, and green capsicum crunchiness. Hints of tomato leaf, bruised basil, lemon, grapefruit and a splash of smoked passionfruit make for a pretty darn delicious sip. It opens up … Read More
Balvonie Marlborough Prosecco Methode Traditionnelle 2023
Balvonie Marlborough Prosecco Methode Traditionnelle 2023 $35 New Zealand’s first Prosecco (despite the Italians not being happy about it, we can keep calling it that for the foreseeable future) is being made by the McLauchlan family from their vineyard in Rapaura, Blenheim. They’ve been growing Glera grapes on their family farm for a few years … Read More
Carrick Organic Bannockburn Pinot Blanc 2024
Carrick Organic Bannockburn Pinot Blanc 2024 $42 So here are a couple of cool things to know about Pinot Blanc from the good folks at Wikipedia (whom you should donate to btw). It’s also known as Pinot Bianco in Italy, Beli Pinot in Slovenia), Rulandské Biele in Slovakia and Weisser Burgunder in Germany and Austria and … Read More