Tarras Central Otago Pinot Gris 2022

October 8, 2023By Yvonne

Tarras Central Otago Pinot Gris 2022 $32 Erupting with spiced nashi notes on the nose and palate, this Central Otago stunner is super-fresh, super-rich and is a greatest hits album of flavour. So it’s basically Taylor Swift in a bottle. Made from fruit grown in the Alexandra sub-region and bursting with apple, pear and peachy … Read More

Tarras The Canyon Single Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019

October 4, 2023By Yvonne

Tarras The Canyon Single Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019 $80 Winemaker Hayden Johnston* is the talent behind Tarras Vineyards, a site located near the Central Otago town of Tarras. He utilises fruit grown in his organically-managed, home vineyard called The Canyon, located high on the Bendigo goldfield terraces. Deeply lush, moody, brooding aromas of … Read More

Lowburn Ferry Home Block Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021

September 24, 2023By Yvonne

Lowburn Ferry Home Block Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021 $115 Presented in a gift box inscribed with ‘150’ as a nod to 150 years of continual human interaction with the land which is now home to a biodynamically-farmed vineyard where regenerative farming is now the norm. A 1ha parcel from the original 23yo vines in … Read More

Rockburn Twelve Barrels Gibbston Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022

September 8, 2023By Yvonne

Rockburn Twelve Barrels Gibbston Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 $99 Wow. This is one of those wines that cause you to stop, stare into the distance and contemplate the beauty in nature, the mastery of man and the meaning of life. It also makes you wonder if winemaker Malcolm Rees-Francis isn’t some sort of warlock of … Read More

Valli Bendigo Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021

September 7, 2023By Yvonne

Valli Bendigo Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021 $65-$75 A powerfully structured pinot noir comprised of a mix of Abel, 115, UCD 5, 667 and  777 clone fruit grown in the Chinaman’s Terrace where 65% of it was fermented hot (30°C) in 31% new French oak barrels, where it spent a quiet, sleepy 11.5 months maturing … Read More

Rockburn Eleven Barrels Parkburn Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2022

August 25, 2023By Yvonne

Rockburn Eleven Barrels Parkburn Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2022 $99 What happens when winemaker Malcolm Rees-Francis gets hold of amazing quality, Abel clone, Parkburn-grown fruit and throws it into a 7tonne fermenter for an eight-day cold soak, followed by a week-long ferment with daily hand plunging then a 10-day post-ferment soak before being aged … Read More

Carrick Bannockburn Organic Central Otago Pinot Blanc 2020

August 25, 2023By Yvonne

Carrick Bannockburn Organic Central Otago Pinot Blanc 2020 $36 Pinot blanc is a rare beast in New Zealand and I get super-excited whenever I see it, especially when it’s released by expert winemakers like Rosie Menzies at Carrick. With its white flowers, soft lemon and almond aromatics and rich, dry, generously juicy, stonefruit-saturated palate with … Read More

Valli Bannockburn Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021

August 17, 2023By Yvonne

Valli Bannockburn Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021 $65-$75 One of the most silky, smooth, precisely structured Central Otago pinot noir’s I’ve experienced in a long time. Soothing, savoury and bursting at the seams with roasted rhubarb, wild berries, crabapple complexity and tannins that lurk in the background like a shy kid at the school … Read More

Lowburn Ferry Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021

July 23, 2023By Yvonne

Lowburn Ferry Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021 $45 Paired with Annabel Langbein’s Cheesy Corn and Pesto Polenta Bake in the NZ Herald  July 29th 2023 While it might seem a touch odd to see a red wine in your glass next to a dish like this. All that herbaceous pesto and cheesy corn should surely … Read More

Te Kano Estate Central Otago Riesling 2022

July 19, 2023By Yvonne

Te Kano Estate Central Otago Riesling 2022 $30 Bright and classically fruity, this ripper of a riesling leaps out of the glass and bombards your senses with baked peach, applesauce, sweetly luscious layers and just 10% alcohol to keep things balanced and beautiful. It boasts a rush of ripe lime and hints of honeysuckle to … Read More