Bushmere Estate Classic Gisborne Chardonnay 2018 $25 While this wine is super-creamy and nutty on the nose, there’s an explosion of grapefruit and toasted peaches as soon as you manage to get the glass into your gob, closely followed by a gurgle of lemon and a pinch of pineapple. David and Shona Egan have been … Read More
The Hunting Lodge Project X Chardy Jack Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019
The Hunting Lodge Project X Chardy Jack Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019 $32 Ok. Hands up who wouldn’t love to leap into a chardonnay fermented in bourbon barrels? Bourbon barrel-aged wine is new to New Zealand, however, it’s a growing trend in the US, with Californian wineries leading the charge. So the folk at the Hunting … Read More
Bristol Farm Nelson Chardonnay 2019
Bristol Farm Nelson Chardonnay 2019 ($39) Winemaker Brendan Seal is best known for his Urbn Vino branded pinot noir wines which he makes at his inner-city winery in Dunedin. His other, more under-the-radar label, is Bristol Farm. Chardonnay is the first 2019 wine of his I’ve tasted (unlabelled sample) and it’s telling me that Nelson … Read More
Matawhero Single Vineyard Gisborne Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Matawhero Single Vineyard Gisborne Sauvignon Blanc 2019 $23.99 I’m old enough to remember when a Gisborne sauvignon blanc won the championship sauvignon blanc trophy at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards – and that blew people’s minds! This sauvignon blanc from the team at Matawhero brings back some of those memories of lemongrass, basil, passionfruit, … Read More
Sacred Hill Hawke’s Bay Brokenstone 2014
Sacred Hill Hawke’s Bay Brokenstone 2014 $45 (re-tasted June 2020) Merlot leads a cast of superstar varieties in this celebrity Gimblett Gravels gathering. Malbec, syrah, cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc combine to create a deeply aromatic red with warmth, woollyness and furry feelings in all the right places. This vintage at 6 years on is … Read More
Trinity Hill The Trinity Hawke’s Bay Red Blend 2018
Trinity Hill The Trinity Hawke’s Bay Red Blend 2018 $22.90 Here’s a shiny new lipsmacking blend of 32% merlot 30% cabernet franc, 28% cabernet sauvignon, 6% petit verdot and 4% malbec from the team at Trinity Hill, and it’s a darn attractive thing to drink. Great value red here, bursting with classic plum and raspberry … Read More
Domain Road The Water Race Central Otago Dry Riesling 2018
Domain Road The Water Race Central Otago Dry Riesling 2018 $27 Great dry riesling should have an immediate flinty, limey, green apple impact on the nose and a tidal wave of crunchy, zesty acidity and lemon-lime layers. This super-juicy new release from Graeme and Jill Crosbie is actually named after the ubiquitous water races that … Read More
Trinity Hill ‘The Trinity’ Hawke’s Bay Red Blend 2017
Trinity Hill ‘The Trinity’ Hawke’s Bay Red Blend 2017 $22 Comprised of 66% cabernet franc and 34% cabernet sauvignon sourced from Trinity Hill’s Gimblett Stones, Tin Shed and Gimblett Estate vineyards, this ‘Trinity’ is a doozie. A ‘doozie’ (if unaccustomed to that particular linguistic crumb) is otherwise known as a ‘ripsnorter’, a ‘humdinger’ a ‘whopper’ … Read More
Trinity Hill Lost Garden Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2019
Trinity Hill Lost Garden Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2019 $29.95 This Central Hawke’s Bay-grown pinot noir is intensely aromatic, infused with bay leaf, cherry, blueberry and a bunch of bright, vibrant spicy layers to boot. Floral and tightly coiled on the palate, it’s a raspberry-stacked style that will unfurl itself over the next year or … Read More
Trinity Hill White Label Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2018
Trinity Hill White Label Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2018 $22.99 Bright, vibrant and cherry-saturated, here’s a slippery-textured, smooth and softly spiced pinot noir sourced from quality vineyards in the South Central Hawke’s Bay sub-regions of Porangahau and Waipawa. Sites boasting a range of soil types include limestone and argillite which (when combined with a long, … Read More