Wild South Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 $18 ★★★ This super-soft, lightly structured pinot has berries-and-cream characters on the nose alongside a sniff of smoke, sweet cherry and a hint of plum. If you’re looking for a beginners guide to pinot noir (or even to red wine) then this could be just the thing to swing … Read More
2014
Rod McDonald ‘One Off’ Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2014
Rod McDonald ‘One Off’ Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2014 $31 ★★★★ If you’re someone who gets weak at the knees when they see a beautiful colour, then strap yourself into your support-hose because this wine has the most gorgeous garnet, ruby hue. It also boasts tobacco leaf, dried herbs, cocoa, blueberry and a gentle meaty character … Read More
Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Montepulciano 2014
Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Montepulciano 2014 $30 ★★★★ There’s less than 1ha planted of this super-savoury Italian red in Trinity Hill’s Gimblett Gravels vineyard – and there’s precious little planted elsewhere in the country. It’s a hearty, ribsticking red with really interesting meaty, leathery notes, lovely hints of coughdrop and cocoa alongside pepper and smoky, … Read More
Loveblock Noble Chenin Blanc 2014
Loveblock Noble Chenin Blanc 2014 500ml $29 ★★★★★ Here’s the thing. Do not under any circumstances attempt to drink this wine if you know that you’re in possession of untreated tooth decay or cavities of any description. At over 230g/l residual sugar and 12g/l titrateable acidity, this sticky-sweet treat is dangerously delicious. Golden-bronze in the … Read More
Brightwater Lord Rutherford Nelson Pinot Gris 2014
Brightwater Lord Rutherford Nelson Pinot Gris 2014 $30 ★★★★½ So if you’ve never entertained the thought of spending $30 on a bottle of pinot gris then it’s probably about time you started saving some coin because there’s a huge leap in complexity to be gained when you upgrade. I love the luscious lychee, quince, baking … Read More
VNO Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014
VNO Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 $16.99 ★★★½ If you’re a fan of tropical, fruit-salad-like chardonnay, then I’m sure this will definitely become a new fave for your fridge this summer. Chardonnay like this can really suffer if it’s served too cold, so with its temperature sensitive label to tell you exactly when to take it … Read More
Ceres Composition Central Otago Pinot Gris 2014
Ceres Composition Central Otago Pinot Gris 2014 $29 ★★★★ Ceres (seh-rez) is a Bannockburn-based company run by Central Otago royalty, the Dicey family. They know that pinot gris comes in a vast array of styles, so they’ve helped pinpoint the flavour of this by including a helpful ‘fuel gauge’ on the label telling us that … Read More
Spinyback Nelson Chardonnay 2014
Spinyback Nelson Chardonnay 2014 $17 ★★★½ Made by the team at Waimea Estates, this is a tangy, tropical, fruit salad style of chardonnay that I know loads of people will love because it doesn’t have that toasty, oaky flavour. Lighter peachiness, with a splash of pineapple and mango, means it’s an easy, fresh and lively … Read More
Hogshead Old Vine Shiraz 2014
Hogshead Old Vine Shiraz 2014 $19 ★★★★ Fruit sourced from old vines in the Barossa, McLaren Vale and Lower Murray regions have been used to create this wine, which is glossy and dark in the glass and saturates the mouth and nostrils with ripe, rumpty raspberry and cherry notes before being boosted by blackcurrant and a … Read More
Byrne Vineyard Northland Chardonnay 2014
Byrne Vineyard Northland Chardonnay 2014 $29 ★★★★½ I really like the creamy, honeyed toast aromas in this wine, they merge with the youthful oak, and ripe nectarine and grilled pineapple punch in the mid palate. This is lovely stuff indeed from winemaker Ben Byrne – a definite Northland star producer. www.byrnewine.com