Schist Hills Old Vines Central Otago Gewürztraminer 2013 $18.99 John and Christine Rasmussen of Schist Hills source this gewürz from their Black Ridge vineyard, home to the oldest gewürztraminer vines in Alexandra. It’s a crisp, dry style, with just enough lychee, peach and Turkish delight characters to inject a tweak of sweet into an otherwise … Read More
Central Otago
Hawkshead Central Otago Pinot Gris 2019
Hawkshead Central Otago Pinot Gris 2019 $29 William Swainson, Fellow of the Royal Society was a natural history scholar, a naturalist who arrived in New Zealand in 1841 and Hawkshead was the name of his first home here. He shouldn’t be confused with a ‘naturist’ which is someone who prefers nudity wherever possible. Although what … Read More
Gibbston Valley School House Central Otago Pinot Gris 2019
Gibbston Valley School House Central Otago Pinot Gris 2019 $39 I have been literally hopping from foot to foot waiting for this new vintage to be let out the gate from the good folk at Gibbston Valley – and believe me the wait was worth wearing holes in my shoes and the double knee replacement. … Read More
Fifth Bridge Central Otago Rose 2018
Fifth Bridge Central Otago Rose 2018 $19 Pop this pinot noir-based rosé in the fridge immediately! Leave it for 40mins or so and then relish the raspberry, strawberry, cherry, indeed ‘every berry’ that’ll irrigate your olfactory passages. That slight chill accentuates the acidity and hints of savoury spice that pinot noir is famous for while … Read More
Schist Hills Old Vines Central Otago Gewürztraminer 2014
Schist Hills Old Vines Central Otago Gewürztraminer 2014 $18.99 I love how the 2014 vintage has a different spectrum of spice than the 2013, yet it still flashes the Schisty signature of peach, lychee and ginger. Sourced from John and Christine Rasmussen’s Black Ridge vineyard, (where Alexandra’s oldest gewürztraminer vines grow), it flaunts layers of generosity … Read More
Charcoal Gully Late Harvest Central Otago Gewürztraminer 2014
Charcoal Gully Late Harvest Central Otago Gewürztraminer 2014 $30 Gewürztraminer crafted in a late harvest style is a rare thing, so whenever one slinks its way across my desk I tend to get a tad excited. Hand-harvested six weeks after their initial harvest, gave the fruit time to slightly raisin and concentrate the flavours to … Read More
Charcoal Gully Sally’s Pinch Central Otago Gewürztraminer 2014
Charcoal Gully Sally’s Pinch Central Otago Gewürztraminer 2014 $21 At Charcoal Gully, they hold their wines back until Pete Bartle, the winemaker, feels they’ve had enough bottle age to be ready for release and your ultimate drinking pleasure. Six years on, this is perfectly packed with all that good stuff that I love in gewürztraminer … Read More
Aurum Organic Central Otago Pinot Gris Rosé 2019
Aurum Organic Central Otago Pinot Gris Rosé 2019 $28 Here’s a cool thing that not many people know. The skins of pinot gris grapes are, when ripe, a sexy, dusky-rose pinky-grey colour, but because they’re separated from the juice in ‘normal’ pinot gris, you wouldn’t know it. Winemaker Lucie Lawrence decided it was time to … Read More
Lindis River Central Otago Pinot Noir Rosé 2018
Lindis River Central Otago Pinot Noir Rosé 2018 $28 Those with small children will know as soon as they pour this into a glass that it’s the colour of Pamol, that soothing solution for temperatures, tummy aches and all manner of ailments, and i’m happy to say it’s juicy, cherry and raspberry aromatics all wash … Read More
Mr Glover Central Otago Pinot Noir 2018
Mr Glover Central Otago Pinot Noir 2018 $42 I’ve said it before, but in case you missed the memo, for professional pinot people, Ben Glover is about as top-of-the-tree as it gets in this country. With ‘chief winemaker’ titles from Wither Hills, Mud House and Zephyr, and a past Chair of Pinot Noir New Zealand, … Read More