Mahana Clays and Gravels Nelson Pinot Noir 2013 $42 ★★★★½ Nelson produces some of the best pinot noir in the country and this is a great example of why. I love the aromas of tea, baked strawberries, cherries and all manner of earthy-sweet smokiness. ‘Mahana’ means ‘warm’ in Maori and there’s definitely smoothness and warmth … Read More
Bellbird Spring ‘Block Eight’ Sauvignon Blanc 2013
Bellbird Spring ‘Block Eight’ Sauvignon Blanc 2013 $30 ★★★★★ This is a beautifully aromatic, organic sauvignon grown on Waipara’s ‘Glasnevin Gravels’. Made by Guy Porter, it shows soft, finely tuned oak influence, elderflower, white peach and lemony characters. It’s a stunning exercise in restraint with all the flavours and textures working in harmony, finishing with complex … Read More
Cantina Gallura Piras Vermentino DOCG 2014
Cantina Gallura Piras Vermentino DOCG 2014 $22 ★★★½ Crafted from vermentino grapes grown in the granite soils of coastal Sardinia, this bone dry but beautifully structured wine has a huge lift of lemon and white peach on the nose followed by a slice of samurai-sword like acidity across the tongue with every sip. We don’t … Read More
Kaimira Estate Nelson ‘Iti’ Brightwater Riesling 2015
Kaimira Estate Nelson ‘Iti’ Brightwater Riesling 2015 $21 ★★★½ “Iti” indicates something ‘small’ in Maori, and the Kaimira team have used the word to reflect the positively petite alcohol level of just 10% in this wine. Exhuberant, punchy and packed with lemon, lime, mandarin and crunchy apple characters – there’s nothing ‘iti’ about the flavours … Read More
Mishas Vineyard Dress Circle Central Otago Pinot Gris 2015
Mishas Vineyard Dress Circle Central Otago Pinot Gris 2015 $27 ★★★★ If you think you’re ready to take your pinot gris appreciation to the next level then here’s your stepladder. Crafted by guru winemaker Olly Masters from vines growing on the vertigo-inducingly steep slopes of Bendigo overlooking Lake Dunstan, this wine has powerful roast pear, … Read More
Wine Talk: Wine with some heat
Published NZME Regional Papers Tue 22 Mar 2016 It’s been a really interesting week where I’ve actually spent more time meeting wine ‘people’ than tasting new wines, and I’ve loved it. In our everyday lives where convenience reigns and most of our wine decisions are made on price in the supermarket – it’s easy … Read More
Spade Oak Voysey Gisborne Pinot Gris 2015
Spade Oak Voysey Gisborne Pinot Gris 2015 $18 ★★★★ What Steve and Eileen Voysey don’t know about growing grapes in Gisborne probably isn’t worth thinking about. They’re experts in gleaning every drop of excellence from their vineyards and this stonefruit-packed pinot gris is no exception. With nashi pear, quince and classic, baked apple and musky … Read More
Palliser Martinborough Riesling 2015
Palliser Martinborough Riesling 2015 $22 ★★★★½ Allan Johnson has been the Chief Winemaker at Palliser since 1991 and since then he’s helped load over 80 gold medals into their trophy cabinet. And luckily for us, riesling is one of the things he does best. The word here is purity. It’s all about pristine, clean, white … Read More
Allan Scott Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2015
Allan Scott Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2015 $19 ★★★½ Just in case you needed a refresher, it’s pronounced (gah-werts-tra-meener) and it translates to ‘spicy wine’ in German, it’s spiritual homeland. Fans of Turkish Delight will want to do a little dance as soon as they sip this, because with its alluring rose petal, ginger and musky-sweet lychee-like … Read More
Clearview Two Pinnacles Malbec Cabernet Franc 2013
Clearview Two Pinnacles Malbec Cabernet Franc 2013 $29 ★★★★ Named after the two jagged rocky pinnacles clinging to life against the relentless Cape Kidnappers surf down the road from Clearview on the southern tip of Hawke’s Bay – this wine has real ‘edge’ and complexity. Unfiltered and oozing deep damson plum, pepper and smoky tones … Read More