Blackenbrook Nelson Pinot Rosé 2023

November 6, 2023By Yvonne

Blackenbrook Nelson Pinot Rosé 2023 $26 2023 is the 20th year that Ursula and Daniel Schwarzenbach have been growing grapes at Blackenbrook. This is crazy to me because it still feels like yesterday that they burst onto the scene with shiny new wines, a young family and buckets of ambition. This new rosé is dark … Read More

Martinborough Vineyard Home Block Pinot Noir 2019

November 5, 2023By Yvonne

Martinborough Vineyard Home Block Pinot Noir 2019 $69 One of Martinborough’s foundation wineries, Martinborough Vineyard’s pinot noirs have an aristocratic signature, a spicy edge and delicious dried herb intensity. With its colour of Karma Choc Dahlias and hints of rhubarb and black baccara rose on the nose, it’s an impressive wine with a tonne of … Read More

Big Sky Martinborough Pinot Noir 2021

November 5, 2023By Yvonne

Big Sky Martinborough Pinot Noir 2021 $45 Katherine Jacobs and Jeremy Corban are the evil geniuses behind Big Sky, one of the most excitingest and one of the most tiniest producers in all ye olde Martinborough. Their vines grow high on the rocky terraces above the Huangarua River and the fruit ripens under the baking … Read More

On Giants Shoulders Martinborough Pinot Gris 2022

November 5, 2023By Yvonne

On Giants Shoulders Martinborough Pinot Gris 2022 $30 If rich, fleshy pinot gris is your jam then go grab the Molenberg and flick on the toaster buddy because tonight we feast! Crafted by ex-Dry River winemaker Wilco Lam at quite possibly the tiniest winery in the land (a teensy old shed, on the Porters’ Vineyard), … Read More

On Giants’ Shoulders Martinborough Chardonnay 2021

November 5, 2023By Yvonne

On Giants’ Shoulders Martinborough Chardonnay 2021 $45 I tasted bottle number 1143 of 1578 produced Superb chardonnay here from an exciting Martinborough producer. Its highly refined nose is crammed with baked nectarine and charred pineapple characters and it totally twins where taste is concerned. Youthfully zingy textures help its stylish, stonefruit flavours race around the … Read More

Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2022

November 3, 2023By Yvonne

Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2022 $39.99 Bright pineapple and luscious baked nectarine, grilled grapefruit and roast almond aromas and those core elements wash across the palate as well. Bright and juicy and roaring with peachy complexity. The textures in this wine are beautifully balanced, zippy-fresh and crunchy, adding extra oomph to its already powerful … Read More

Obliix Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah Malbec Viognier 2022

November 1, 2023By Yvonne

Obliix Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah Malbec Viognier 2022 $30 New from Sir George Fistonich and his winemaking team headed by Michelle Richardson comes the Oblix/Obliix brand. This is a hugely floral syrah-dominant wine, fleshed out with 12% malbec and 8% viognier to create a light, bright, highly juicy and fantastically fresh red wine that … Read More

Taylors The Pioneer Clare Valley Shiraz 2016

October 31, 2023By Yvonne

Taylors The Pioneer Clare Valley Shiraz 2016 $220 I tasted bottle no. 981 This flagship shiraz from the Taylors stable is, in a word, otherworldly. Seductive aromas of red liquorice, baking spices, layers of leather and charred plums lead to a palate awash with rich red berries, caramelised smoky oak, pomegranate molasses and balsamic notes. … Read More

Taylors Masterstroke Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2020

October 31, 2023By Yvonne

Taylors Masterstroke Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 $60 Journeying outside their home region of Clare Valley, Taylors winemaker Adam Eggins has unleashed his skill and talent on fruit from Coonawarra. The result is an exceptionally floral, exotically scented, sweet tobacco, spearmint, and cocoa-crammed cabernet with a juicy palate saturated with blueberry, dark cherries and boysenberry depth. … Read More

Taylors Masterstroke McLaren Vale Shiraz 2020

October 31, 2023By Yvonne

Taylors Masterstroke McLaren Vale Shiraz 2020 $60 Glossy, inky, and aromatically a beast all of its own. Very different to Taylors Clare Valley shiraz styles in that it’s scented on the earthy, smoky, spicy spectrum while underlying layers of plum, blackcurrant and peppered berries unroll across chewy, toasty, sandy tannins. Dry, densely structured and loaded … Read More