Le Grá Wairarapa Merlot 2018 $30 This is a super-fresh style with youthful acidity that I’m sure will soften out over the next year or two. Intense boysenberry and blackberry flavours join forces with spicy oak notes and lengthy, elastic tannins. If you’re looking for bigand meaty, this is more fresh and leafy, but an … Read More
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Kōpū Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020
Kōpū Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020 $24.99 From the lovelies at Lake Road Wines comes this bright, pepper-dusted syrah sourced from vineyards around Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand’s syrahvana. Showing classic violet vavoom and an edge of iron filings, blackcurrant, blueberry and seasoned leather, it’s a style that requires a large, swirlable glass so that you can … Read More
Mischief with Wine Waipara Riesling 2021
Mischief with Wine Waipara Riesling 2021 $22 Beware! Sniffing this wine will send you back to that old 1980s tv ad for Fruju iceblocks where the beautiful, tanned people in bikinis all leap off a yacht and splash into the sea screaming “Ooh Aahh!” It’s awash with grapefruit, apple and punchy, citrus-centric freshness. And while … Read More
Monowai Estate Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020
Monowai Estate Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020 $25 Twas waaay back in ye olde early days of my wine journey that I first encountered the mighty Monowai chardonnay and now it’s something I look forward to seeing each year because it’s changing (for the better) all the time. Emma Lowe and Marcello Nunez are the evil … Read More
Te Pa Wines Signature Series Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019
te Pā Wines Signature Series Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019 $24.99 I’ve got a feeling that news of how good this wine is could spread around the country faster than Twitter sharing the identities of a Covid-breaching couple seeking name suppression after being snapped in Wanaka. Powerfully aromatic, soaked in cherry and tamarillo, berry tea and … Read More
ME by Matahiwi Estate Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2020
ME by Matahiwi Estate Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2020 $20 Woah! If bright, bouncy, cherry-choc pinot noir is your jam then you’ve come to the right party here. Grown just outside of Masterton, home of the Golden Shears, the ME is one of those ripe, ready-for-action pinot noirs that absolutely scream Spring wedding, or a shindig … Read More
Richmond Plains Admiral Nelson Merlot 2019
Richmond Plains Admiral Nelson Merlot 2019 $27 Red Admiral butterflies flootle their way around Lars Urlich and Sam Jensen’s Richmond Plains vineyard, getting up to all sorts of mischief, flirting with the other butterflies, skiting about their fashionable wings and whatnot. But while they’re really pretty, they don’t taste that great (apparently), they leave being … Read More
Stanley Estates Single Vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Stanley Estates Single Vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2021 $29 From the Awatere (or should I say Awesometere) Valley, comes this lemongrassy lovely from the super-talented folk at Stanley Estates. Winemaker Eveline Fraser manages to coax oh so soft aromas of elderflower, passionfruit and peach from every berry and in the mouth it’s awash with tart … Read More
Brightwater Vineyard Nelson Chardonnay 2020
Brightwater Vineyards Nelson Chardonnay 2020 $27 Lifted and lemony on the nose, this elegantly styled new release from one of our long-time WineFriend loves, is edged with roast cashews and nougat niceness. There’s a lick of smoke, an edge of grilled nectarine and a lush, peachy palate. Great late afternoon sip. Brightwater Vineyards
Butterworth Martinborough Chardonnay 2020
Butterworth Martinborough Chardonnay 2020 ($48) Crammed with roast cashew, grilled peach and creamy nougat notes on the nose and palate, this refreshing new release from fruit grown on the Te Muna Terraces is dangerously drinkable and will absolutely appeal to chardonnay lovers of all ages and stages. It’s a full, rich,toasty triumph with buckets of … Read More