Zaria Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019 $30 Winemaker Bryce Edmonds has crafted this chardonnay from hand-picked, Mendoza-clone fruit that was whole-bunch pressed into 33% new oak and the lees were regularly stirred for 10 months to inject creamy complexity. The aromatics scream roast peach and pineapple, while hints of brulee and nougat also sneak through on … Read More
bridge pa
Swift Wines Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2018
Swift Wines Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2018 $40 This is the second edition of Lauren Swift’s solo syrah, crafted from dry-farmed fruit grown in the Bridge Pa Triangle wine district of Hawke’s Bay. Dry-farmed grapevines have to send their roots WAY down deep to find any moisture (as opposed to conventionally irrigated vines whose roots sit … Read More
Elephant Hill Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2017
Elephant Hill Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2017 $54 If anyone knows how to make exceptional syrah, it’s Steve Skinner. He’s been shepherding Elephant Hill’s fruit from their Bridge Pa, Gimblett Gravels and home vineyard at Te Awanga into the bottle for many many years and his skill is on show here. Blueberry, black pepper, dried … Read More
Ash Ridge Premium Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2018
Ash Ridge Premium Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2018 $32 SUCH a pretty ruby-garnet colour and heaving with lifted raspberry, boysenberry, blueberry, oh what the heck, every berry! There’s a solid, savoury line through this local version of a Bordeaux classic, of an Argentinean champion, and I love the leather and suede textures that come with that. … Read More
Ash Ridge Estate Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2019
Ash Ridge Estate Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2019 $22 No joke, when this wine was poured for me, the glass was over a metre away and as the wine sloshed from the bottle, the space between me and it was filled with a cloud of apple pie intensity. Bright, ripe fruit, baking spices, pear and … Read More
Ash Ridge Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2018
Ash Ridge Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2018 $22 Reviewed for dish Magazine July/Aug 2020 – Paired with Lamb Shank Pie Combining two of my absolute favourite things, lamb shanks and pies, this meal is given a leg up (shank, leg, ahem) by the delicious Ash Ridge Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2018 ($22). With its vibrant, plummy perfume, … Read More
Redmetal ‘The Merlot’ Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2000
Redmetal ‘The Merlot’ Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2000 $40 (sold out) Closing in on twenty years old, this merlot from the iron-rich, red-metal gravels of Hawke’s Bay’s Bridge Pa Triangle district is heading into its twilight years. I remember tasting this wine WAY back in 2004 and it was just a perky little puppy, it’s feet … Read More
Taiao Reserve Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Malbec 2015
Taiao Reserve Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc Malbec 2015 $49.95 So deliciously decked out with dark chocolate, cherry, plum and soft pepper on the nose and palate, this exceptional wine from the Bridge Pa Triangle Winegrowing District has a deep, dark, smouldering personality, liquorice-licked layers of complexity in its statuesque structure. Earthy, wild at heart … Read More
Alpha Domus Special Reserve ‘The Aviator’ Hawke’s Bay 2016
Alpha Domus Special Reserve ‘The Aviator’ Hawke’s Bay 2016 $69 This is the flagship Bordeaux blend for the Alpha Domus team led by winemaker Barry Riwai, and this vintage is a blend dominated by cabernet sauvignon that’s boosted by cabernet frand, merlot and malbec from the famous, iron-rich, red gravels of the Bridge Pa Triangle … Read More
Redmetal Vineyards Basket Press Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015
Redmetal Vineyards Basket Press Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015 $36 Direct from the jazz hands of master Bridge Pa syrah winemaker, Grant Edmonds, this is a plump, plush, softly-peppered style that is drinking darn nicely now. Earthy, and with elaborately elastic tannins, this is supple and sumptuous. Buy now, drink now or forever kick yourself.