$28 If winemaker Pete Bartle ever makes a riesling that isn’t exceptionally balanced and beautiful then I want to know about it. Sourced from a single hectare of vines grown in the Bald Hills Bannockburn site that are planted in such a way as to soak up the very last rays of the late afternoon … Read More
Paynter’s The Pict Pear Cider
Paynter’s The Pict Pear Cider 330ml $88.90 (24 x 330ml btls) New from multi-award-winning cider producers, this pear-predominant sip has a decent splash of cider apples in the mix as well. So you get all pungent pear intensity on the nose and palate yet the ripe apple injection creates a tropical burst of flavour that’s … Read More
Bostock Wines Vicki’s Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2017
Bostock Wines Vicki’s Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2017 $50 I deliberately left this wine for a year from release to taste it because from what I’d read about how it was made, I figured a little time would really elevate things immensely. Sometimes I do actually have ideas that work out for the best because … Read More
Paritua Stone Paddock Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2020
Paritua Stone Paddock Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2020 $19.95 From the talented hands of Hawke’s Bay’s Merlot King himself, comes Jason Stent’s new rosé for Paritua’s Stone Paddock range. Crafted from merlot grown in the deep, iron-rich, red gravels of the Bridge Pa Triangle district, this rosé has a full, fleshy, peppery tone to it, while … Read More
Lawson’s Dry Hills Marlborough Ranu 2020
Lawson’s Dry Hills Marlborough RANU 2020 $28 This is only the second RANU produced by Marcus Wright and his winemaking team at Lawson’s, and I for one am very happy to see it. Very happy because I am an unashamed fan of the blended white, and this one happens to be a full, rich, rock … Read More
Masottina Conegliano Valdobbiadene Le Rive Di Ogliano Extra Dry Prosecco Superiore 2018
Masottina Conegliano Valdobbiadene Le Rive Di Ogliano Prosecco Superiore 2018 $31.99 One sniff and sip and you’ll see why this exceptionally tasty fizz has won the ‘Best Prosecco in the World’ award at the Decanter World Wine Awards. It’s sourced from a single site in the Conegliano Valdobbiadene, which is where the most prestigious prosecco … Read More
Masottina Prosecco DOC Treviso Vino Spumante Brut NV
Masottina Prosecco DOC Treviso Vino Spumante Brut NV $19.99 No joke, when this multi-award-winning wine is first poured, the tiny links of delicate bubbles are wriggling and twisting so energetically, they look like they’re doing a Zumba class inside the glass. With its soft, summer-flowers and lemon blossom aromatics, pillowy texture and generous, suede-like citrus … Read More
Te Awanga Estate Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019
Te Awanga Estate Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019 $24.99 Crafted by Rod McDonald, this coastally-grown chardonnay has unique aromas of seabreezes and custard squares and peach conserve spread on buttered toast with charred edges. It’s creamy, stonefruit saturated and licked with a whisker of white pepper which adds complexity and yumness (should totally be a word) … Read More
Junction Pastime Central Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2019
Junction Pastime Central Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2019 $22 One sip and it’s blindingly obvious as to how this wine romped into a trophy spot at the Hawke’s Bay Wine Awards. With its aromas of crisp apple and nashi and cleansing, dry, white pepper, musky ginger and five-spice characters. Nicely balanced, it’s an apple-edged, aromatic … Read More
Middle Earth Nelson Pinot Gris 2020
Middle Earth Nelson Pinot Gris 2020 $22 My number-one match for pumpkin soup has always been good pinot gris, and that’s not about to change now that I’ve tasted Middle Earth’s new delish offering. There’s something about the rich, spiced nashi notes and juicy, cleansing, luscious mouthfeel in this wine that makes it perfect with … Read More