Map Maker Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2020$18 The steampunky-style fantastical flying machine on the label offers a clue that this sauvignon is a tad left of centre and rebellious. Sauvignon fans will love its green capsicum, lemongrass and luscious lime characters while being tickled by its perfectly prickly textures and herbaceous finish. Land ho! Map Maker
Uncategorized
Lone Goat Winemaker Series Canterbury Riesling 2015
Lone Goat Winemaker Series Canterbury Riesling 2015 $22 If you’ll excuse me channelling Nigel Tufnel from Spinal Tap for a second, I’m turning the volume up to eleven and awarding this wine 6stars out of 5. It’s. That. Good. Riesling is considered the most cellarworthy white wine in the world – at 6 years on, … Read More
Mission Gimblett Gravels Jewelstone Syrah 2020
Mission Gimblett Gravels Jewelstone Syrah 2020 $50 Intensely glossy and inky-dark as it pours into the glass, this is a wine crafted from fruit grown in a small site on Mere Road, in the middle of the most famous red wine region in the country. And it’s pretty spectacular. I bet the last thing you … Read More
Butterworth Estate Layline Martinborough Pinot Gris 2020
Butterworth Estate Layline Martinborough Pinot Gris 2020 $24 If your only experiences with pinot gris have been overly sweet, blousy, flabby and floral, then strap yourself in for a drive on the dry side with this snappy new release from Butterworth Estate. Scented with golden delicious apples, sake spirit, subtle nashi notes and a deliciously … Read More
Blackenbrook Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Blackenbrook Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2021 $20 This wine has some serious pedigree and it’s not only one of Nelson’s finest examples, it’s also one of the greatest $20 sauvignon blancs in the country. I say this because it’s so powerfully aromatic, with lemongrass, lime zest, sweet pea and tropical intensity on the nose and palate. … Read More
Brightwater Gravels Nelson Pinot Gris 2020
Brightwater Gravels Nelson Pinot Gris 2020 $18 Incredible value for money right here in this perky, plush, pear and apple-packed pinot gris from Nelson. Crisp, punchy, pure and licked with citrus and soft spices, it’s got ‘crowd pleaser’ and’ spring wedding’ written all over it. Clean, balanced and with a squeak of sweetness, it delivers … Read More
Church Road 1 Single Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019
Church Road 1 Single Vineyard Terraces Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019 $100 Word on the street is that 2019 was a blistering blinder of a year for chardonnay in Hawke’s Bay and that the fruit was set to flourish into something more fabulous than ever before. The word on the street is entirely accurate. Immensely powerful … Read More
Orlando Steingarten Eden Valley Riesling 2019
Orlando Steingarten Eden Valley Riesling 2019 $45 Steingarten was the first Riesling of its kind in Australia, setting the benchmark for cool-climate Riesling for the past 50 years. From the creation of the rocky vineyard that imitated the mountainous winemaking regions of Germany, to the innovative wine style, Steingarten is one of Australia’s most awarded … Read More
Louis Vavasour LV Marlborough Methode Traditionelle NV
Louis Vavasour LV Marlborough Methode Traditionelle NV $55 Winemaker Louis Vavasour says this méthode has exceeded even his own expectations. It’s taken him more than 20 years to get to the point where he could create a luxury range that includes a finely tuned fizz. I love the aromas of rising dough, almonds, lemon shortbread, … Read More
Swift Whole Bunch Bridge Pa Triangle Syrah 2019
Swift Whole Bunch Bridge Pa Triangle Syrah 2019 $40 Syrah lends itself to reductive winemaking, especially when it’s made in a low-preservative way like Lauren Swift prefers. When her syrah is fresh out of the gate, it takes on a struck-match, flinty, smoky complexity that wraps around the pepper and blueberry backbone of the wine. … Read More