This week I set myself a challenge to see if I could find six decent wines for under $60. There’s deep discounting going on left right and sideways out there in supermarketland at the moment, so it shouldn’t be too hard I thought. Because of the nature of my job, I do get to taste … Read More
Sweet and Low..
Scarred by memories of clinging to the toilet bowl after one too many Marque Vues in the sun one troublesome, teenage summer, I thought my taste for sweet, fizzy wine had died a dreary death in recent decades. But the warming of the soil and the blossoming of spring flowers has sparked a desire deep … Read More
New Sauvignon Sensations
Last August was the 40th anniversary of the very first grape vines to be planted in Marlborough’s Brancott Valley. More than 1100ha were planted (by hand and by the sight of a rifle to ensure straight rows) in a smorgasbord of varieties, including riesling sylvaner, cabernet sauvignon, pinot noir and one nobody had really heard … Read More
A Year In Burgundy DVD is near…
A Year in Burgundy Now on VOD & DVD “Tender and real. It shows the hard work, the travails and tribulations of working the soil for a living.” — Wine Spectator VOD Streaming — Watch Now! A YEAR IN BURGUNDY is available now on iTunes, Amazon Instant Video and all other leading VOD platforms internationally. … Read More
Sacred Hill Helmsman 2010
Sacred Hill Helmsman 2010 $85 ★★★★★ My first taste of this wine was a few years before the millennium and back then I was told the name represented something that led the way that stood ahead of the pack and steered you in the right direction. A Helmsman is released only in years when the … Read More
Craggy Range Sophia 2010
Craggy Range Sophia 2010 $73 ★★★★★ Sophia is Craggy Range’s flagship example of how the classic Bordeaux varieties of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot can be sewn together to create a sublime red wine right here on our shores. Scented with anise, blackcurrant, dried herbs and gamey, earthy notes; in the mouth … Read More
Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Gimblett Gravels Merlot Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon 2010
Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Gimblett Gravels Merlot Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 $59 ★★★★★ Inky purple in the glass and boasts aromas of pomegranate molasses, sweet fruit-wood smoke and prune followed by layers of complex, berry and cocoa notes. It’s built like a skyscraper, each level opening up to a floor with a different décor. With … Read More
Newton Forrest Cornerstone 2010
Newton Forrest Cornerstone 2010 $60 ★★★★★ Glossy and gorgeous in the glass, but prepare to be seduced by the hot-cross bun and Christmas pudding perfume. If you can tear your nose away from the glass for long enough to sip – you’ll be rewarded with buxom berry and chocolate flavours and a smooth, velvety texture. … Read More
Trinity Hill Homage Syrah 2010
Trinity Hill Homage Syrah 2010 $120 ★★★★★ “2010 is quite possibly the best we’ve ever done” announced winemaker Warren Gibson as I sat down to a vertical tasting of Homage dating back to the debut 2002 vintage. It’s a wine only made in the most exceptional years, and the 2010 is definitely one of the … Read More
Babich Irongate Gimblett Graves Cabernet Merlot Franc 2010
Babich Irongate Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot Franc 2010 $35 ★★★★★ Intense red rose, berry and seasoned leather aromas open up to punchy plum flavours and a deliciously warming, medicinal mouthfeel. I love how poised and elegant this wine is, and the persistence of flavour is just outstanding. www.babichwines.co.nz