Paired with: Chicken Baked with fennel and olives. Annebel Langbein Canvas NZ Herald Sat 12.3.2022 Zephyr Marlborough Pinot Gris 2021 $23.99 Any recipe that front-foots it with fennel instantly has me probing, prying and pursuing the perkiest bottle of pinot gris within reach. Winemaker Ben Glover has delivered a deliciously dry example that roars with … Read More
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Zephyr Organic Marlborough Riesling 2021
Zephyr Organic Marlborough Riesling 2021 $28 Crafted from fruit grown in the Dillons Point sub-region of the lower Wairau Valley, this little whipcrack taste tornado is loaded with lime and lemongrassy goodness, mandarin and a zing of taut, tense acidity. So energetic, refreshing and plucky, it’ll perk up even the most sluggish of palates. Zephyr … Read More
Maison Noire Home Block Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020
Maison Noire Home Block Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020 $40 Wow. This is one sexy wine! Deep, glossy and crimson-hued, I love the waft of caramelised spices, coffee, sweet cocoa and buckets of baked fruit on the nose. It’s intensely fragrant and gushes with peppercorns, red currant and smoked cherry flavours on the palate. The tannins … Read More
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020 $25 With its deliciously soft tannins, pencil shavings complexity, fragrant pepper, redcurrant, pomegranate, juicy spices and Black Doris plum punchiness, this is a superb example from a hugely exciting red wine vintage. Just 85 dozen bottles were made to satisfy a growing fanbase, so best you get in quick … Read More
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Freisa 2021
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Freisa 2021 $25 re-tasted Sept 24 2022 – rating re-evaluated to 4 star Bright, garnet-hued, Freisa is Latin for ‘strawberry’ and it’s a very rare little Italian grape that grows mainly in the Monferrato and Langhe areas in the Piemonte region. It dates back to the middle ages. Despite the name … Read More
Maison Noire Home Block Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2021
Maison Noire Home Block Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2021 $30 Grown in the deep limestone soils of winemaker Guillaume Thomas’ home vineyard high up on the Waimarama Road, this bracingly fresh, frisky, apple-edged chenin blanc is absolutely heaving with flavour and personality. Grapefruit, guava, stacks of citrus and overflowing with honeysuckle and jasmine florals. it’s … Read More
Maison Noire Ngatarawa Road Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021
Maison Noire Ngatarawa Road Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021 $28 Just 120 cases were made of this refreshing, roast peach and citrus-laced chardonnay sourced from a vineyard in the iron-rich soils of Bridge Pa on Ngatarawa Road. Caramelised toasty oak, balanced acidity, cashew characters, orange zest, it’s all here. French winemaker Guillaume Thomas has crafted a … Read More
Rusty Bell Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Rusty Bell Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2021 $25 (cleanskin sample). Subtle lemongrass and lime leaf layers on the nose and palate, soft and herbaceous, with cushion-like texture on the palate. It’s showing a subtle green apple and lemon zest note on the finish, creating a gentle style that’s very food-friendly. Rusty Bell
Rabbit Ranch Central Otago Sur Lie Chardonnay 2020
Rabbit Ranch Central Otago Sur Lie Chardonnay 2020 $22 Central Otago is like the masked singer when it comes to chardonnay – everyone wants to know who’s bringing the good stuff and yet it’s usually kept a precious secret by those in the chardonknow. The words ‘sur lie’ relate to the wine spending extra time … Read More
Te Mania Nelson Pinot Gris 2021
Te Mania Nelson Pinot Gris 2021 $22 If you dust some ripe pears in nutmeg and poach them in citrus and inhale the result then you’ll have something resembling this frisky-fresh pinot gris. Punchy, nashi and white peach flavours in the mid-palate – bright, energetic, with great tension and verve. Excellent length of flavour and … Read More