Brightwater Vineyards Te Kāhu Nelson Pinot Noir 2016 $26.99 Three years on from harvest and the wine is taking on a lovely brick-red hue and aromas that lead you down the wild side of the hedge. Named after the native harrier hawk which patrols the vineyards of Gary and Valley Neale, it’s softly savoury and … Read More
Cicada Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2018
Cicada Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2018 $19.99 I’ve been a huge fan of this wine since I first tasted it back in 2016. Each vintage since has been slightly different, but this 2018 version is all kinds of crispy-fresh in terms of mouthfeel, loaded with stonefruit, ginger-kissed and crammed with spice, it’s a plush, exotic style with … Read More
Black Estate Home North Canterbury Chardonnay 2018
Black Estate Home North Canterbury Chardonnay 2018 $42 The Home Vineyard sits 6 kilometres north east of the Waipara Junction, in the Omihi sub-district of North Canterbury’s Waipara Valley. The un-grafted, Mendoza-clone chardonnay vines this wine was made from were planted in 1994 and since 2010 have been grown using organic and biodynamic practices, resulting … Read More
Pegasus Bay Prima Donna Waipara Pinot Noir 2015
Pegasus Bay Prima Donna Waipara Pinot Noir 2015 $95 From the second the first whiff of cocoa-covered cherries, black tea, wild berries, truffle and spice assail your nostrils, you know there’s no escape from its clutches. It’s a dense, deliciously structured, statuesque example of what Waipara is capable of. So lush, plush and poised, it’s … Read More
Taiao Reserve Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Malbec 2015
Taiao Reserve Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Malbec 2015 $49.95 So deliciously decked out with dark chocolate, cherry, plum and soft pepper on the nose and palate, this exceptional wine from the Bridge Pa Triangle Winegrowing District has a deep, dark, smouldering personality, liquorice-licked layers of complexity in its statuesque structure. Earthy, wild at heart … Read More
Churton The Abyss Marlborough Pinot Noir 2017
Churton The Abyss Marlborough Pinot Noir 2017 $75 The Abyss is the highest altitude block of this organic and biodynamic producer in Marlborough’s Waihopai Valley. Backing onto a precipitous cliff, it’s also home to Churton’s oldest vines, which grow bunches exposed to the easterly sun, creating fruit with complexity and coolness. Hints of musk, wild … Read More
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc 2015
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc 2015 $25 Cabernet Franc is just the sexiest wee red grape, and yet it’s very rarely made into wine on its own. Crafted by Guillaume Thomas from his tiny vineyard on the Waimarama Road, this new 2015 vintage is ultra-floral and rock-solid with spices and racy, raspberry/cranberry characters. The … Read More
Church Road TOM release 2019
In a new move, the release of arguably one of New Zealand’s most aristocratic range of wines has taken on a new timeframe. Church Road TOM is a tribute to Tom McDonald (1907-1987), a visionary winemaker who devoted his life to producing outstanding wines at Church Road Winery (formerly known as McWilliams Wines) in Hawke’s … Read More
Mahurangi River Winery Field of Grace Reserve Matakana Chardonnay 2014
Mahurangi River Winery Field of Grace Reserve Matakana Chardonnay 2014 $54 Incredibly glossy and golden when poured, this chardonnay from a tiny corner of Matakana is absolutely roaring into life after sitting quietly for a couple of years just building its confidence and character. Complex smoke and toast notes merge with roast stonefruit, lemon pith … Read More
Te Awanga Estate One Off Underground Organic Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2018
Te Awanga Estate One Off Underground Organic Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2018 $33 Grown out in the rocky soils of what the locals call ‘the RD9’ (or Maraekakaho to the townies), this organic chardonnay comes courtesy of the skilled winemaking wizardry of Rod McDonald. Wait. How rocky are the soils I hear you ask? Ok. So … Read More