Full, fat and generous with its time, this pinot gris from Paddy Borthwick washes clean nashi and white peach flavours across your tastebuds, leaving a creamy yet spritzy texture behind. 33% of the juice is run into older French oak barrels to ferment, which adds toasty, tangy, spicy apple strudel characters that line the oesophagus … Read More
Vista Nelson Pinot Noir 2015 $22
Greg Dryden is a winemaker on a mission to spread the Nelson pinot love, and if this example is anything to go by, he’s becoming quite the guru! Intensely spicy on the nose, and exhibiting all manner of forest floor, shitake mushroom, baked cherry and berry bodaciousness. Plus it has a juicy mouthfeel, clean, precise … Read More
Ceres Black Rabbit Riesling 2017 $27.99
Holy apple sorbet Batman! This is one heck of a magnificent riesling from a stunning Central Otago site. True to its namesake, boy does this riesling have bounce! Crunchy green apple, ripe, juicy lime and truckloads of tangy tropical tastiness all jostle for attention. Yes there’s a smash of natural sweetness present, but it’s balanced … Read More
Yvonne Lorkin Wine Column for Canvas Sat 30 Sept 2017
September 30th already? Sipping these will help me deal with that startling news… Ceres Black Rabbit Riesling 2017 $27.99 Holy apple sorbet Batman! This is one heck of a magnificent riesling from a stunning Central Otago site. True to its namesake, boy does this riesling have bounce! Crunchy green apple, ripe, juicy lime and truckloads … Read More
Black Stilt Waitaki Valley Riesling 2014 $25 (3.5 stars)
Waitaki sits on the border of North Otago and South Canterbury, and it’s one of the most remote and raw parts of the country. It has a kind of other-worldly feel to it, and the quality of the wines that come from the lime-laden soils of Richie McCaw country have power, purity and personality to … Read More
Veuve Laperrière Brut Rose NV $17 (4 stars)
If you prefer your rosé to froth and fizz, then this is going to seriously float your boat. Created in France’s Loire (“loo-aah”) Valley, this is a super-smooth, berries-and-cream-crammed wine that has really seductive mouthfeel. There’s a squeak of sweetness and spice, alongside a rich, slightly nutty finish. Richly structured, it’s a real crowd-pleaser and … Read More
Rockburn Stolen Kiss Rosé 2017 $29 (4.5 stars)
If alien beings arrived from outer space, held weapons to your head and demanded know in 5 seconds flat what New Zealand’s most famous rosé was, you’d best yell out “Stolen Kiss” or you’re custard. It’s a sweetly fruity pink treat with a creaming soda, candy floss, raspberry, nectarine and toffee apple tone to it. … Read More
Hunter’s MiruMiru Methode Traditionelle Brut NV $28.90 (5 stars)
From the first sniff and sip, you’ll completely understand why this is one of the most highly awarded sparkling wines in the country and a much-loved favourite of mine. Generous and lush, with rising dough and smoky aromatics, stonefruit and citrus wash across the palate leaving a rich creamy, textural finish. It’s fresh, stylish and … Read More
Hunter’s MiruMiru Reserve 2013 $49.90 (5 stars)
I adore the biscuit-like aromas of this absolute aristocrat. The almond meal, rising dough notes and serious mid-palate richness in every sip make this a hugely satisfying wine that’s not only long and flavoursome, but also shows real finesse and delicacy. There’s a creamy cashew and lemon-like complexity in this 60% pinot noir 40% chardonnay … Read More
Yvonne Lorkin wine column for week beginning Sat 23 Sept 2017
Hunter’s of bubbles… If you stopped someone random in the street and asked them to name New Zealand’s top sparkling wine brands in ten seconds flat –I reckon they’d be able to rattle off the big commercial names, the Lindauer’s, Morton’s, Daniel Le Brun’s, maybe Deutz and Cloudy Bay and then they’d probably begin to … Read More