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
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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
Misty Cove Landmark Series Marlborough Rose 2021
Misty Cove Landmark Series Marlborough Rose 2021 $20 I poured this wine and said to my husband “When we win Lotto, I want a pink diamond rock on my finger in exactly this shade thanks” to which he mumbled “sure” and went back to scrolling for fishing lures on his phone. I know you’re thinking … Read More
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 28 Marlborough Pinot Blanc 2019
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 28 Marlborough Pinot Blanc 2019 $28.99 Pinot blanc is an ancient mutation of pinot noir that’s also called Weissburgunder in Austria, Fehér Burgundi in Hungary, Bijeli pinot in Croatia and the more commonly known бели бургундац in Serbia. Yet no matter where in the world you’re sipping it, that distinct green … Read More
Blank Canvas Abstract Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2018
Blank Canvas Abstract Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2018 $39.99 Crafted from fruit dry-farmed by the Holdaway family in Marlborough’s Dillons Point sub-region, the ‘Abstract’ is about as far-removed from still-life sauvignon blanc as you can get. It’s like Rothko, Kandinsky, Mondrian and Miro all in one. 100% wild yeast fermented in old, French oak and aged … Read More
Domain Road The Water Race Central Otago Dry Riesling 2019
Domain Road The Water Race Central Otago Dry Riesling 2019 $25 I’ve been a fan of this wine for a very long time and that’s because it just gets better and better and better with every vintage. I’m sure that vine age has something to do with it, but I’m even more convinced that it’s … Read More