Coal Pit Tiwha Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020 $57 2020 was a doozy of a vintage, cooler than usual and seriously tricky in terms of shepherding the grapes from berry to bottle while navigating the health and safety precautions of a global pandemic. Yet the Tiwha reveals a slick, silky, sinewy texture wrapped around dark … Read More
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Coal Pit Proprietor’s Reserve Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Coal Pit Proprietor’s Reserve Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc 2021 $45 If there’s one thing that’ll conjure up tropical imaginings in Central Otago, it’s this fresh, fruity sauvignon blanc. Ultra-tiny amounts are made at Coal Pit, and when it’s released it disappears fast, so I’m extremely fortunate to have snaffled one to taste. Lithe, lemony, and … Read More
Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Merlot 2020
Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Merlot 2020 $22 If there’s a range of wines that consistently, crowd-wowingly over-delivers for the money, it’s the Mills Reef Reserves. 2020 is fast being written into the stone tablets of wine bibles as being an exceptional year for Hawke’s Bay reds and this plump, plush, mouthcoatingly rich and cocoa-crammed … Read More
The Landing Bay of Islands Chardonnay 2020
The Landing Bay of Islands Chardonnay 2020 $48 Crafted by multi-talented Ben Byrne, from fruit grown on the gentle slopes of the Purerua Peninsula, overlooking Rangihoua Bay, this new vintage of The Landing’s flagship chardonnay is the product of an absolutely stunning set of seasons. Scented with cinnamon and butter toast drizzled with grapefruit juice … Read More
Pegasus Bay Waipara Gewürztraminer 2021
Pegasus Bay Waipara Gewürztraminer 2021 $30 This wine is so beautifully balanced, it’s like the liquid equivalent of a Simone Biles beam routine. Released in the 30th anniversary year of Peg Bay brilliance, this gewürz glows with candied lychee, crystalised ginger, a whiff of white pepper, persimmon and showing a soft, creamy, peachy undertone. Clean … Read More
Forrest Estate Marlborough Albariño 2022
Forrest Estate Marlborough Albariño 2022 $28 Ultra-vibrant nectarine, apple, lime and white peach will up and punch you in the kisser with every sip. The acidity is whipcrack sharp, like swallowing a sword, yet the underlying citrus and peachy plushness smooths and soothes it all out. It’s like an incredibly tasty exfoliation for your oesophagus … Read More
Fancrest Estate Organic North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2017
Fancrest Estate Organic North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2017 $45 Unfined, unfiltered and crafted without the use of added anything, this organic pinot noir is ultra-fresh, with a hint of herbaceousness, rhubarb leaf, wild cherry, strawberry and redcurrant. It’s a youthful style, ultra-floral, laced with forest floor notes and showing bracing acidity which ensures solid cellaring … Read More
Fancrest Estate Organic North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2016
Fancrest Estate Organic North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2016 $45 Grown in the deep, limestone soils of North Canterbury, under the watchful eye of winemaker Di Holding, the pinot noir grapes thrive in such a mineral-rich environment and create a wine with fresh, vital energy which seems to be getting stronger despite its 6yr maturation. Crafted … Read More
Fancrest Estate Organic North Canterbury Pinot Noir Rosé 2020
Fancrest Estate Organic North Canterbury Pinot Noir Rosé 2020 $26 Winemaker Di Holding is an absolute pinot noir obsessive, and from her tiny site, high up on the slopes of North Canterbury’s Omihi Road, she produces minuscule amounts of organic pinot done every which way. Her new organic rosé is made without fining or filtration … Read More
Fancrest Estate Organic North Canterbury Pinot Noir Rosé 2019
Fancrest Estate Organic North Canterbury Pinot Noir Rosé 2019 $26 Produced organically, from a tiny, hillside site on Omihi Road, this rosé is a touch cloudy in the bottle because this wild yeast-fermented wine has been produced without the use of any fining agents or filtration. So don’t fret about the sediment, it’s harmless and … Read More