Te Mata Elston Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020 $37-$43 There’s a reason why 2020 will go down as one of the greatest Hawke’s Bay vintages of the century. Not just that somehow during a nationwide lockdown and under incredibly tricky, worker safety conditions, did the wines even get made – but the ripening season was a … Read More
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Matahiwi Wild Holly Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2021
Matahiwi Wild Holly Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2021 $35-$44 Crafted by winemaker Liam Macklin*, this wild and woolly pinot has had 3 weeks on skins to extract colour and texture and then aged for 14 months in French oak to inject some smoky tones and according to Liam, it was created with “No additives, no fining, … Read More
Tiki Waipara Riesling 2018
Tiki Waipara Riesling 2018 $23 Royce McKean ditched the corporate grind for a new life in wine after almost meeting his maker. Caught in an avalanche while skiing, he decided during recovery that he wanted to be more connected to the land — and this is the result. Sweet and beeswaxy, heaving with apple, honeysuckle … Read More
Tiki Waiata Vineyard North Canterbury Pinot Noir Rosé 2021
Tiki Waiata Vineyard North Canterbury Pinot Noir Rosé 2021 $18 If you were expecting a soft, light, simple rosé then you’ll be wanting to do a u-turn and zoom on out of the cul-de-sac because this wine is bursting with apple, peach and cherry characters, brisk acidity and boasts a generously dry finish. It’s appropriate … Read More
Tiki Single Vineyard North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2020
Tiki Single Vineyard North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2020 ($25) An excellent-value pinot noir that’s crammed with cherry and tamarillo tastiness. Smooth and soothing to sip, it shows subtle smoke notes from its well-handled oak maturation and it’s edged with soft mushroom and dried herb characters which add complexity to the mid-palate and elongate the finish. … Read More
Abbey Estate Medium-Dry Bridge Pa Hawke’s Bay Riesling 2020
Abbey Estate Medium-Dry Bridge Pa Hawke’s Bay Riesling 2020 $20 This riesling is an excellent example of balance between acidity, natural sweetness, purity of fruit, and alcohol. Erupting with lime, mandarin, and awesome appletastic flavours, this Bridge Pa-grown beauty has tongue-adhesive textures that elongate the length of flavour, um, elongatingly. I also love how the … Read More
Norfolk Rise Mt Benson Merlot 2020
Norfolk Rise Mt Benson Merlot 2020 $17.99 Grown in the cooler climes of the Adelaide Hills, this merlot is saturated with bay leaf, minted chocolate, blackberry and buckets of spice. Soothing, smooth, pepper-sprinkled and dangerously easy to drink. It’s the kind of easy, velvety, fruity wine you’d devour with Margherita pizza. Powerhouse Wines
Riverby Estate Noble Marlborough Riesling 2018
Riverby Estate Noble Marlborough Riesling 2018 $35 From a season which couldn’t be more perfect for sticky, noble rot to set in amongst the bunches of riesling, this wine has won so many gold medals, that owner Kevin Courtney had to hammer some extra brackets into the trophy cabinet! Glossy-bronze and erupting with caramelised citrus, … Read More
Matahiwi Holly Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2019
Matahiwi Holly Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2019 $39 What I really enjoy about this wine is its soft, floral aromas, lifted leather and spice layers and slippery, fleshy mouthfeel. It’s silky and lithe and shows lovely restraint and poise. The acidity is energetic and perky, yet the wine is developing some maturity and its tannins are … Read More
Johanneshof Marlborough Pinot Gris 2022
Johanneshof Marlborough Pinot Gris 2022 $35 This is a dry, mineral-edged style of pinot gris for Johanneshof. The colour has a slight rose gold tweak to it and aroma-wise it’s showing notes of nashi but it’s also displaying a tropical, herbaceous edge meaning you could almost call it a gris for sauvignon lovers. Crisp, dry … Read More