Ask not what your sauvignon can do for you, but what you can do for your sauvignon. That’s the question. I’m not a winemaker, I’m a wine drinker and I love sauvignon to distraction. I will drink it on a boat, in my coat, on a train, on a plane in the rain while travelling … Read More
Te Pa Wines Oke Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $24 (4.5 stars)
Forget the words ‘sauvignon blanc’, because it’s way more like a ‘crazy, complex, smoky, roasty, toasty white wine’ than a sauvignon. Aromas of pine pollen, marzipan and smoked passionfruit are followed by lemongrass, lime leaf and tropical tastiness. Essentially it’s a gloriously complex wine, produced by a family that can trace their roots back to … Read More
Leveret IQ Premium Brut NV $20 (4 stars)
This méthode traditionelle (the same method of making Champagne) is a regional blend of Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Pinot Meunier that’s been disgorged after a minimum of 18 months on its yeast lees (the residue leftover from the ferment). These guys have been making high-end sparkling wine since aeons ago, and … Read More
Alex K Big Back Yard Waipara Pinot Noir 2014 $24 (4 stars)
Crafted by the talented team at Kalex wines from fruit grown in north Canterbury, there’s a spice, soy and black olive note which wraps around the cherry and berry characters beautifully. It’s also got that gorgeous, hedgerow fruits and earthy, mossy character that I really love in great Central Otago pinot noir. There’s even a … Read More
Terravin Te Ahu Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2013 $40 (4.5 stars)
‘‘Te Ahu’’ loosely translates to ‘‘new beginning’’ in Maori and for many sauvignon blanc fans, one sip of this will send them into new realms of possibility. Barrel-fermented, as opposed to the usual stainless-steel treatment, and using wild, indigenous yeasts, this wine offers almond meal, frangipani, freshly baled hay and baked tropical fruits on the … Read More
Pacific Potion Hawke’s Bay Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2017 $25 (4 stars)
Certified organic and oozing personality, this is lemongrassy, limey lusciousness at its best. Produced by the Supernatural Wine kids with organic-specialist winemaker Hayden Penny at the helm, the Pacific Potion is a skilfully produced clean, zesty, tangy and tropical tipple. It’s surprising to see it’s lower in alcohol than most (11.5%) but I love it’s … Read More
Yvonne Lorkin Canvas Column for Sat Sept 9 2017
It’s been a nuts week right? Calm the farm by giving your taste buds a chardonnay cuddle to show them you still care. Ara Single Estate Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 $17 The Ara vineyard sits at the confluence of the Wairau and Waihopai rivers, a beautifully laidout piece of land where the vines are left to … Read More
Stonecroft Gimblett Gravels Old Vine Chardonnay 2016 $47
If you’ve been seeking creamy satisfaction in all the wrong places, then fret no more. 100% malolactic fermentation has added lovely layers of crème caramel and ground almonds to classic citrus and grapefruity, peachy goodness to this fully-certified organic chardonnay. Crafted from fruit grown on vines planted in 1992, Mendoza clone vines with low yields, … Read More
Abbey Estate Bridge Pa Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2015 $25
Back in 2002 when Feilding dairy farmer Warren Haworth reached 50, he decided to reward himself and his wife Jan with a new life in Hawke’s Bay making wine. A new life of backbreaking work, little reward and even less sleep. But with the help of their winemaker son Dermot, they’re now crafting gobsmackingly good … Read More
Ara Single Estate Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 $17
The Ara vineyard sits at the confluence of the Wairau and Waihopai rivers, a beautifully laidout piece of land where the vines are left to ‘dry-grow’, meaning they don’t get a constant irrigation feed, instead their roots are forced to bury deep to find water. In chardonnay, this results in incredible fruit concentration and stylistic … Read More