Abbey Estate Medium-Dry Bridge Pa Hawke’s Bay Riesling 2020 $20 This riesling is an excellent example of balance between acidity, natural sweetness, purity of fruit, and alcohol. Erupting with lime, mandarin, and awesome appletastic flavours, this Bridge Pa-grown beauty has tongue-adhesive textures that elongate the length of flavour, um, elongatingly. I also love how the … Read More
bridge pa
Abbey Estate Bridge Pa Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2021
Abbey Estate Bridge Pa Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2021 $25 Back in 2002 when Feilding dairy farmer Warren Haworth reached 50, he decided to reward himself and his wife Jan with a new life in Hawke’s Bay making wine. A new life of backbreaking work, little reward and even less sleep. But today, with the help … Read More
Alpha Domus Beatrix Hawke’s Bay Sparkling Rosé NV
Alpha Domus Beatrix Hawke’s Bay Sparkling Rosé NV $21 I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. If you’re nuts about all things rose-gold, then this super-pretty sparkler will deliver you directly to the sanatorium and, because it’s fizzy, then it could completely send you sideways. Crafted (unusually) from merlot by winemaker Barry Riwai, … Read More
Kelly Washington Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc 2019
Kelly Washington Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc 2019 $50 Sourced from the iron-rich soils of the Bridge Pa Triangle district, this is a velvety-smooth example scented with blackcurrant leaf, dark cocoa, a hint of liquorice and blueberry. All those characters wash across the palate and leave a warm, woolly, textural finish. 100% cabernet franc isn’t the … Read More
Church Road 1 Single Vineyard Redstone Syrah 2019
Church Road 1 Single Vineyard Redstone Syrah 2019 $120 The ‘treat ’em mean, keep ’em keen philosophy applied by winemaker Chris Scott to these vines, is pretty hardcore. I mean dropping the crop by 60%-70%? That’s practically abuse! And yet this Bridge Pa-grown wine tastes like its long, loose bunches have been lovingly cuddled and … Read More
Swift Whole Bunch Bridge Pa Triangle Syrah 2019
Swift Whole Bunch Bridge Pa Triangle Syrah 2019 $40 Syrah lends itself to reductive winemaking, especially when it’s made in a low-preservative way like Lauren Swift prefers. When her syrah is fresh out of the gate, it takes on a struck-match, flinty, smoky complexity that wraps around the pepper and blueberry backbone of the wine. … Read More
Swift Wines Bridge Pa Triangle Whole Bunch Syrah 2020
Swift Wines Bridge Pa Triangle Whole Bunch Syrah 2020$40 If you’re expecting classic violets and pepper and all that normal syrah ‘stuff’ then best you put your seatbelt on and scoot right out of the CBD because winemaker Lauren Swift shakes her syrah up. A field blend of two clones, Mass Selection and Chave have … Read More
Swift Wines Bridge Pa Triangle Whole Bunch Malbec 2020
Swift Wines Bridge Pa Triangle Whole Bunch Malbec 2020 $35 Selected handpicked bunches were footstomped, fermented naturally, hand plunged, aged in oak for 15 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Crafted by Lauren Swift, this is a doozy. There’s a fabulously feral aromatic structure to this malbec, slightly smoky, loaded with dried herbs and … Read More
Swift Wines Bridge Pa Triangle Chardonnay 2020
Swift Wines Bridge Pa Triangle Chardonnay 2020 $35 I could tell you all the technical wizardry involved in creating this organically grown chardonnay, but that might be a distraction to its deliciousness and that wouldn’t do at all. Erupting with ripe grapefruit, roast nectarine and creme brulee topping, caramelised, softly smoky spicy oak and incredibly … Read More
Oak Estate Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2020
Oak Estate Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2020 $25 Crafted from 100% merlot grown in the Bridge Pa Triangle district of Hawke’s Bay, this rosé has meat on its bones for sure. Classic spiced cherry and raspberry notes on the nose lead to a full, generous mid-palate and solid length of flavour. Robust, juicy and definitely a … Read More