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
McManis Family Vineyards Petite Sirah 2014
McManis Family Vineyards Petite Sirah 2014 $24 ★★★★ If two of your favourite scents are berries and vanilla then you’ll probably be tempted to dab this behind your ears before you even sip it. Vibrant, exciting and despite being soft and silky on the palate, it’s absolutely loaded with flavour. Petite Sirah is known as … Read More
Amisfield Central Otago Dry Riesling 2014
Amisfield Central Otago Dry Riesling 2014 $25 ★★★★½ Winemaker Dr Stephanie Lambert and her team have absolutely cracked it with this ultra-clean, dry riesling that bursts with crunchy granny smith apple, juicy lime and flinty, wet stone minerality. It’s intensely vibrant, mouthwatering even, and I love the gum-tingling texture on the finish. www.amisfield.co.nz
Spade Oak Voysey Gisborne Syrah Tempranillo 2013
Spade Oak Voysey Gisborne Syrah Tempranillo 2013 $23 ★★★½ Tempranillo might be the signature red grape in the Spanish Rioja wines, yet over in Gisborne, Steve Voysey has had a crack at blending it with syrah which has its h0me in France’s Southern Rhone region. It’s resulted in a wine with sweet, almost medicinal aromas … Read More
Nikau Point Select Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Nikau Point Select Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 $13.99 ★★½ The Nikau Point brand has recently been given a spruce up, meaning it looks a tad more stylish on the table, which is always a good thing with a sub-$15 bottle. This is a lightweight red that has layers of dried herb, berry and spice … Read More
Cristina Ascheri Gavi de Gavi DOCG 2014
Cristina Ascheri Gavi de Gavi DOCG 2014 $29 ★★★★★ Straight off the bat, I LOVE this wine! Crafted from Cortese grapes (how cool is that for a grape name), this is a supremely classy, dry white wine with alluring aromas of crunchy green apple, freshly bruised basil, white pepper and wet stones. It’s generously proportioned in … Read More
Santa Sofia Lugana Veneto 2014
Santa Sofia Lugana Veneto 2014 $22 ★★★½ This super-dry Italian white wine is made from 100% trebbiano grapes grown in the Lugana DOC area of Lombardy in the northern part of the country. With deliciously complex aromas of almond meal, oats, lime and sea breezes, it’ll definitely appeal to anyone who likes to explore whites … Read More