What you’re holding in your hand came from just one single row of 184 vines which winemaker Marc Hatfield had crafted into a lovely, lychee, ginger and musky pot pourri-packed gewürztraminer that has masses of natural fruit sweetness and a smooth, velvety mouthfeel. Peach, persimmon and punchy roast pear flavours make this one of those … Read More
Churton Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $27 ★★★★½
Sauvignon blanc from Marlborough’s Waihopai Valley has its own personality, and when it’s given Sam Weaver’s organic, biodynamic treatment at Churton, you can expect something seriously special. Soft basil, lime leaf, sweet pea and elderflower all jostle for attention on the nose, while the palate has an almost creamy, tropical character which comes from the … Read More
Cypress Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 $22 ★★★½
Violets? Check. Peppercorns of all colours? Check. Blueberry? Check. Soft, meaty, gamey flavours make this a rather seductive and savoury syrah to be shared with all of your friends. Preferably the ones that don’t arrive empty handed and instead arrive with armloads of cheese, pate and chocolate. They are the people you should be sharing … Read More
I’ve been invited to a big party this week
The largest international wine competition in the country has wrapped, the judging has been done and all the gold medal winners can be ogled at on www.nziws.co.nz/awards/2016. What you’ll also see when you click onto the NZ International Wine Show site is a spot where you can purchase tickets for their “Pick The Trophies Challenge”. … Read More
Peregrine Central Otago Pinot Gris 2015 $27 ★★★★
Great dry pinot gris isn’t the easiest thing to find here in NZ, yet Nadine Cross and her team at Peregrine have nailed it. The unusual thing here, is that while its dry, this wine (sourced from their vineyards in Bendigo and Pisa) also has a rich, creamy character from 3 months sitting on its … Read More
Peregrine Central Otago Chardonnay 2015 $37 ★★★★½
I love that old-school, buttered crumpet and classic golden queen peach and grapefruity goodness in this chardonnay. Here’s an example of how you merge fresh fruit from across the tropical, citrus and stonefruit spectrum, with finely tuned French oak and a burst of buttery bliss. Nadine Cross is the winemaker at Peregrine and her skills … Read More
Peregrine Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc 2016 $27 ★★★½
Anyone thinking central otago was simply pinot noir country clearly hasn’t had the pleasure of sipping their sauvignon. Softer in style, with basil, peach and lemongrass characters that wash across the palate with the most subtle hit of white pepper and fresh passionfruit. Softly fruited and refreshing, this little gem from Gibbston will leave a … Read More
Astrolabe Province Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 $26 ★★★★
Although it might confound you to understand how someone could chuck in a scintillating study path in the physiology of seaweed (phaeophycology in case you’re curious) to embark on a career in wine – that’s exactly what Simon Waghorn did. Thank heaven because we wouldn’t have this tangy, grapefruit pith, peach stone and toasty, textural … Read More
Kalex Bendigo Terrace Central Otago Riesling 2014 $32 ★★★★½
Wow! Lime alert! This southern star smashes through the palate with green apple and quartz-powder, minerally mouthfeel that lingers long and will send your saliva glands into overload. Dry and bony, but packed with character – here’s a wine that’ll work
Wine column week beginning 7 Oct, 2016
Occasionally, if I happen to be in Auckland, and it happens to be a slow news week, I’ll be asked to scoot over to the TV3 building with a couple of bottles of something tasty and talk about them with Paul Henry live on his show. The Paul Henry Show is a dual-purpose telly and … Read More