Moko Hills Central Otago Chardonnay 2021 $59 Donald van der Westhuizen has god-given grape-growing talent and it’s evident in this cleansing, crunchy-fresh, peach and pineapple-edged wine from the schisty slopes of Bendigo. Two chardonnay clones (UCD15 and B95) were gently whole-bunch pressed directly into French oak barrels and left to ferment naturally with the indigenous … Read More
Central Otago
Mondillo Central Otago Riesling 2022
Mondillo Central Otago Riesling 2022 $30 Classic Jazz apple, white peach, fresh-squeezed lime juice and Winter Cole pear combine with honeysuckle notes to create an eruption of citrus-based aromas and flavours. Grown on the slopes of Bendigo, it’s zesty, crunchy-textured and lengthy, it also has a cute and very elaborate depiction of a barcode on … Read More
Nockie’s Palette “Georgetown” Pinot Rosé, Central Otago, 2022
Nockie’s Palette “Georgetown” Pinot Rosé, Central Otago, 2022 $35 Produced from a single vineyard at the eastern end of the Kawarau Gorge, this wine is youthful, perky and packed with redcurrant, watermelon, raspberry and soft cherry notes. Made by winemaker Lucie Lawrence and impressively lengthy and dry to finish, it’s a style that demands some … Read More
Ballasalla Central Otago Pinot Noir 2022
Ballasalla Central Otago Pinot Noir 2022 $30 The talented team at Folding Hill are responsible for turning out one of my favourite, always reliably tasty, Central Otago pinot noirs. The Ballasalla. This new vintage is perfumed with poached rhubarb, pot-pourri, red cherry and soft, earthy spices. It washes across the tongue and gums with fresh, … Read More
Folding Hill Bendigo Central Otago Chardonnay 2021
Folding Hill Bendigo Central Otago Chardonnay 2021 $32 I’m telling you right now, the vertigo-inducingly steep, sun-baked slopes of the zero-humidity sub-region of Bendigo is my new chardonnay spot to watch. While Tim Kerruish, his wife Nikki and their Folding Hill team are new to chardonnay, (their first vintage was the 2020) this second vintage … Read More
Mt Difficulty Ghost Town Lowburn Valley Chardonnay 2019
Mt Difficulty Ghost Town Lowburn Valley Chardonnay 2019 $33-$43 Gorgeously golden in the glass and glowing with cashew and grilled peach aromas, this chardonnay has a beautifully edgy energy to it. Named after the deserted relics of the goldmining era dotted around Central Otago’s river valleys, this wine washes gold across the nose and palate. … Read More
Coal Pit Central Otago Pinot Noir Rosé 2023
Coal Pit Central Otago Pinot Noir Rosé 2023 $38 Anika Willner is the evil genius winemaker responsible for this absurdly pretty and delectably dry rosé. Served in a bottle decorated with a Huia feather designed by artist Chris Heaphy and a South Island Tomtit bird on the back, it’s been crafted with 100% pinot noir, … Read More
Carrick Organic Bannockburn Pinot Gris 2020
Carrick Organic Bannockburn Pinot Gris 2020 $32 Paired with Annabel Langbein’s Lemongrasss Chilli Chicken NZ Herald Canvas Magazine 28th Oct 2023 If you like your pinot gris to have a teensy splash of sweetness, then prepare for all the grins to begin. I love the classic walnut and nashi niceness in this absolute belter from … Read More
Carrick Josephine Organic Central Otago Riesling 2023
Carrick Josephine Organic Central Otago Riesling 2023 $29-$42 The famous knot design on the Carrick label is also known as the Josephine knot, the carrick bend, the sailor’s knot, the Chinese knot, and the Celtic knot. It’s a useful and elegant plait with origins have been traced back to the 700s AD. Yet while the … Read More
Carrick Organic Central Otago Rosé 2023
Carrick Organic Central Otago Rosé 2023 $36 Zesty-dry and roaring with peppered redcurrant, soft raspberry and apple muffin aromatics, this weighty, willful rosé has extra complexity from barrel fermentation and has more depth and cling in terms of its textures than other recent vintages. Refreshing, taut and showing great mineral-laced tension, it’s a spice-driven style … Read More