Folding Hill Bendigo Chardonnay 2023

2 August 2025By Yvonne

Folding Hill Bendigo Chardonnay 2023 $38 Wow! Central Otago Chardonnay is absolutely having its moment and I’m exultant about that. From the 2023 vintage the team at Folding Hill have crafted a fantastic example, a style roaring with baked stonefruit, creme brulee, soft caramelised characters a lick of white pepper and grapefruit pith. A style … Read More

Ayrburn Whimsy Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020

28 July 2025By Yvonne

Ayrburn Whimsy Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020 $29 Maturing gracefully and scented with scorched rhubarb, charred cherry, and sunbaked earth, this pinot is delivering classic brick dust and forest floor savoury notes. The textures are slippery, but the acidity is still youthful, and the tannins have powdery pluckiness. Ayrburn

Lateral Wines Bannockburn Skins 2022

28 July 2025By Yvonne

Lateral Wines Bannockburn Skins 2022 $35 A blend of Pinot Gris and Pinot Blanc by winemaking couple Pip Batteley and Austin Black, it’s got that bronze-copper colour typical of a skin-soaked example. Aromas of soft white pepper, quartzy minerality, a hint of nashi and fennel. On the palate, there’s a dried herb, smoky vein, dandelion, … Read More

Ayrburn Homestead Central Otago Pinot Noir 2024

15 July 2025By Yvonne

Ayrburn Homestead Central Otago Pinot Noir 2024 $65 Exotically spiced and roaring with dark cherry saturation, typical of fruit ripened under the baking Bendigo heat. Baked rhubarb, rooibos tea, heightened blueberry and blackcurrant characters merge with seductively spiced, smoky oak, juicy, grainy tannins and showing a strong, warming, muscular, sinewy finish. Deliciously drinkable now, yet … Read More

Ayrburn Central Otago Bonnet Rouge Nouveau Pinot Noir 2023

15 July 2025By Yvonne

Ayrburn Central Otago Bonnet Rouge Nouveau Pinot Noir 2023 $45 The winemaking team at Ayrburn have opted to have a crack at crafting a lighter ‘nouveau’ style pinot noir that’s just as happy being chilled down to serve on a sizzling day, or sipped fireside during winter. Aromatically it’s ultra-bright, perky, roaring with redcurrant, raspberry, … Read More

Ayrburn Central Otago Pinot Gris 2024

15 July 2025By Yvonne

Ayrburn Central Otago Pinot Gris 2024 $40 From one of the most exciting new wine businesses emerging from Central Otago comes a Pinot Gris that’s so beautifully balanced it’s been headhunted by the Cirque du Soleil tightrope team. No joke. Sourced from vineyards in Gibbston Valley, it’s scented with poached pear, softly spiced quince and … Read More

Lateral Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir 2022

3 July 2025By Yvonne

Lateral Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir 2022 $40 Crafted by Austin Black and Pip Battley are the talented twosome behind this punchy, plucky pinot noir. Slightly unusual in that it comes in a Bordeaux bottle, but nothing unusual about its classic Gibbston Valley vavoom. Stacked with ripe rhubarb, dark cherry, bright berries, black tea and complex … Read More

Folding Hill Orchard Block Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021

30 June 2025By Yvonne

Folding Hill Orchard Block Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021 $65 Named after the western boundary of the vineyard, which happens to be an orchard of cider apple trees and the most sheltered spot on the vineyard site. It’s a super-stylish example and more intensely aromatic and textural than the previous vintage. An extended 18-month maturation … Read More

Mt Difficulty Ghost Town Lowburn Valley Chardonnay 2020

11 June 2025By Yvonne

Mt Difficulty Ghost Town Lowburn Valley Chardonnay 2020 $39 Crafted from small parcels of fruit sourced from Mt D’s Lowburn vineyards, this glossily golden chardonnay roars with roast nectarine, grilled grapefruit, buckets of toasted almonds, creamy complexity and bursts of buttery goodness. Beautifully balanced, nougat-nuanced oak notes combine with refreshing acidity and “drink me” personality … Read More

Rockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2023

11 June 2025By Yvonne

Rockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2023 $42 Fruit harvested from Rockburn’s Gibbston Valley Back Road vineyard and their Parkburn vineyard has been shepherded from berry to bottle by winemaker Malcolm Rees-Francis, and every sip contains his signature, gum-tingling style. Prepare for baked rhubarb, dark cherry, 5-spice, black tea and redcurrant characters to wash across your … Read More