LV Marlborough Chardonnay 2016 $48 Straight off the bat, this is by far the most delicious chardonnay I’ve tasted in aeons! Aromas of creme caramel and freshly cut grapefruit and grilled stonefruit lead to the most elegant and statuesque palate that’s oh so concentrated and saturated with citrus and stonefruit. Winemaker Louis Vavasour has gone … Read More
Cambridge Road Martinborough Pinot Noir 2011
Cambridge Road Martinborough Pinot Noir 2011 $80 It’s very easy to see why Lance Redgwell put a ring on it and announced at the time of release that this is his finest pinot vintage to date, because seven years on from harvest, it’s absolutely blowing my mind. Sourced from a small 5.5 acre (3 hectare) … Read More
39° Below Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2018
39° Below Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2018 $25 For starters how pretty does this look in the glass? A touch of skin contact has given it the softest, sexiest blush of pink and I love how it rocks classic quince and nashi niceness on the nose, followed by ripe stonefruit, punchy acidity and tongue-tingling textures … Read More
39°Below Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2018
39°Below Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2018 $17.95 So fresh, frisky, vibrant and packed solid with lemongrass, basil, sweet lemon verbena notes, this wine also boasts buckets of passionfruit and nectarine on the nose and palate. It’s a ripe and rumpty sauvignon blanc that’s so friendly and feisty, it’ll please even the fussiest sauvignon snob. Paul McEvoy … Read More
Gibson Bridge Tasting Oct 2018
Gibson Bridge Estate Blend Marlborough Pinot Gris 2015 $38 This pinot gris is deeply golden in the glass, perhaps due to its age and also its partial barrel fermentation and the addition of 12% gewurztraminer already barrel fermented itself. On the nose it has nutty complexity, musky florals and spiced stonefruit characters. The acidity is fresh … Read More
Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot 2017
Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot 2017 $24 Bold, juicy and ready for action, this velvety-smooth red has cocoa, dark cherry, plum and peppery warmth on the palate. It’s fleshy, beautifully textured and fabulous with moussaka. www.millsreef.co.nz
Australian Wine Film wins Silver Dolphin at Cannes
Dr. Richard Hamilton, the owner of Leconfield Wines, Australia’s oldest family-owned winemaking business, has just won a Silver Dolphin at the 2018 Cannes Media and TV Awards in Cannes for his film ‘WineLine2 – Odyssey’. The film received the Silver Dolphin award in the Documentary section of the Cannes Media and TV Awards – the … Read More
Hunter’s Marlborough Chardonnay 2017
Hunter’s Marlborough Chardonnay 2017 $24 Holy peach pit Batman! This is like a tropical, toasty roundhouse kick to the face by a cheeky chardonnay often discounted down to the $18.99 mark. Absolutely heaving with gorgeous roast stonefruit, grilled grapefruit, toasted cashew, and incredibly zesty acidity makes this a wow moment for me as chardonnay lover … Read More
Veuve Laperrière Blanc de Blancs Brut NV
Veuve Laperrière Blanc de Blancs Brut NV $18 If you’re looking for a rich, creamy, cashewy, peachy bubbles with a hint of sweetness and a complete lack of wallet-impact then you’ve come to the right cul de sac. Made entirely from chardonnay (that’s where the peachiness comes from), it’s a grin-inducing, biscuity little sip that … Read More
Vidal Reserve Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2018
Vidal Reserve Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2018 $19 This is an in-your-face pinot gris if ever I’ve sipped one. There’s a lot happening in the glass and that could be because this vintage has splashes of gewürztraminer and albariño added for extra aromatic and textural complexity. Heaving with baked pear and spiced apple alongside exotic floral notes and … Read More