Porters Estate Martinborough Cuvée Madeleine 2015 $60 I thought I was across all the players in New Zealand’s fizz-mos-phere however, this gorgeous thing snuck up from nowhere, slapped my chops with lemony loveliness and walked me down the wild side in seconds flat. Winegrower John Porter is also a busy Wellington lawyer; white-collar or seedy … Read More
Swift Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019
Swift Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019 $30 Winemaker Lauren Swift has named this her ‘First Edition’ and for a debut solo release, it’s a stunner. It’s all in the barrel she reckons. She’s used Clone 15 fruit grown in the Bridge Pa Triangle and poured the third fill off the press into just one, second-use barrel. … Read More
Lime Hill Vineyard Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2018
Fans of discovering all that’s new and groovy in the local wine scene will want to fill their boots with the newest little hero in the Wairarapa, Lime Hill. It’s a small but perfectly formed joint wine venture of Karl Johner of Johner Estate in Gladstone with his winemaker Raphael Burki. Located on a hillside … Read More
Lime Hill Vineyard Wairarapa Chardonnay 2018
Fans of discovering all that’s new and groovy in the local wine scene will want to fill their boots with the newest little hero in the Wairarapa, Lime Hill. It’s a small but perfectly formed joint wine venture of Karl Johner of Johner Estate in Gladstone with his winemaker Raphael Burki. Located on a hillside … Read More
Schist Hills Old Vines Central Otago Gewürztraminer 2013
Schist Hills Old Vines Central Otago Gewürztraminer 2013 $18.99 John and Christine Rasmussen of Schist Hills source this gewürz from their Black Ridge vineyard, home to the oldest gewürztraminer vines in Alexandra. It’s a crisp, dry style, with just enough lychee, peach and Turkish delight characters to inject a tweak of sweet into an otherwise … Read More
Jules Taylor Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019
Jules Taylor Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019 $29.99 Dark and moody and broody to look at, and to sniff, and to taste, and to talk to your mates about, this pinot noir has power and solid, savoury punchiness. Cherry, leather, baked rhubarb and boatloads of rosehip tea – it’s all here in a pinot noir for … Read More
Black Barn Barrel Fermented Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019
Black Barn Barrel Fermented Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019 $39 If you were wondering what the 2019 vintage was like for the great players in Hawke’s Bay chardonnay – then let it be known that it was, if this wine is any indicator, rather great. This is a wine that I look forward to each year … Read More
Joseph Cattin Alsace Grand Cru Hatschbourg Pinot Gris 2012
Joseph Cattin Alsace Grand Cru Hatschbourg Pinot Gris 2012 ($40approx) Having a side-hustle was a thing even back in the early1700’s when young François Cattin moonlighted as a winemaker to supplement his job as a builder (back then they weren’t in such high demand). The Hatschbourg vineyard itself dates back to the 16th century! Eleven … Read More
Hawkshead Central Otago Pinot Gris 2019
Hawkshead Central Otago Pinot Gris 2019 $29 William Swainson, Fellow of the Royal Society was a natural history scholar, a naturalist who arrived in New Zealand in 1841 and Hawkshead was the name of his first home here. He shouldn’t be confused with a ‘naturist’ which is someone who prefers nudity wherever possible. Although what … Read More
Gibbston Valley School House Central Otago Pinot Gris 2019
Gibbston Valley School House Central Otago Pinot Gris 2019 $39 I have been literally hopping from foot to foot waiting for this new vintage to be let out the gate from the good folk at Gibbston Valley – and believe me the wait was worth wearing holes in my shoes and the double knee replacement. … Read More