Neck of the Woods Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019 $31.95 Neck of the Woods is the brainchild of AJ Johnson, who segwayed sideways into winegrowing during his successful television production career. Employing the formidable talents of Jen Parr as his winemaker, has meant that his wines are now in hot demand because they’re so damn … Read More
Central Otago
Neck of the Woods Central Otago Chardonnay 2019
Neck of the Woods Central Otago Chardonnay 2019 $25 Created as a nod to the ‘poster boy of plants’ — the famous naturalist Sir Joseph Banks (had to make doubly sure I’d typed ‘naturalist’ and not ‘naturist,’ as that could have been a tad awkward) — this new vintage carries the Neck of the Woods … Read More
Rockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020
Rockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020 $45 Made by Malcolm Rees-Francis, the most dapperly-dressed man in all the land, this bright-as-a-button new release features a combo of 85% Parkburn Vineyard fruit and 15% Gibbston Valley fruit which knits together buckets of fresh spices, perky red fruits and lush, dark floral notes. Cherry, redcurrant and rhubarb … Read More
Valli Bendigo Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019
Valli Bendigo Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019 $69 If soft, pillowy, savoury, meaty notes in your pinot noir is what gets your juices flowing then get out the fluffy towels because this wine will have you leaking all over the place. Fabulous forest floor and mushroomy layers cloak wild cherry, black tea, pepper and … Read More
Valli Gibbston Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019
Valli Gibbston Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019 $69 Hand-harvested on five different days during April 2019, the Gibbston fruit imparts an incredibly floral, lifted character into its wines and if you’re a fan of cherry, raspberry, tamarillo and rhubarb razziness, then this is for you. Incredibly stylish and showing superb tension and poise on … Read More
Church Road Grand Reserve Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019
Church Road Grand Reserve Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019 Paired with Lemongrass and Chilli Beef – NZ Herald Canvas Magazine 23.7.2021 When beef is boosted by a whack of chilli and lashings of lemongrass, step away from the cabernet and pick up a bottle of the shiny new and ludicrously lush Church Road Grand Reserve … Read More
Terra Sancta The Italian Central Otago Red Blend NV
Terra Sancta The Italian Central Otago Red Blend NV $44.95 Who’d have thought you could sip a slurp of Italy all the ways down in Central Otago? Not me. But then that was before I tasted their blend of dolcetto, lagrein and barbera grown in the Winery Hill and Little Italy blocks of their Bannockburn … Read More
Bald Hills Kirameki Central Otago Pinot Gris 2019
Bald Hills Kirameki Central Otago Pinot Gris 2019 $30 Kirameki is a Japanese word for ‘sparkle’, ‘glint’, ‘glitter’ or ‘glow’ and thats how the good folk at Bald Hills describe the rocks that line the Northern tip of their pinot gris vineyard. This new vintage shimmers with soft quince and nashi notes, a lick of … Read More
Valli Gibbston Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Gris 2019
Valli Gibbston Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Gris 2019 $30 Paired with Annabel Langbein’s Slow-Cooked Moroccan Pork NZ Herald Canvas Sat 26th June 2021 Named after winemaker Grant Taylor’s great grandfather Guiseppe Valli, this brand is responsible for some of my favourite New Zealand pinot noir’s, however I’m relatively new to his pinot gris. Having tasted … Read More
Carrick Central Otago Pinot Blanc 2019
Carrick Central Otago Pinot Blanc 2019 ($35) Pinot Blanc is a white mutation of pinot noir (hence ‘blanc’) and Carrick grow it on their tiny, certified organic ‘Cairnmuir’ block. It’s packed with white peach, flecked with fennel and licked with lemon, plus it’s multi-layered and magical to drink, with incredible texture with just the right … Read More