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
Central Otago
Carrick Bannockburn Organic Central Otago Pinot Blanc 2020
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
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
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
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
Bendigo Hills Organic Central Otago Pinot Gris 2022
Bendigo Hills Organic Central Otago Pinot Gris 2022 $25 I love it when pinot gris comes packing some spice and perky acidity- so you can imagine my hand-clappy, jumpy, joy when I first tasted this new release from the fine folk at Rock Ferry who make Bendigo Hills. Delicously dry and showing quartzy minerality, this … Read More
Bendigo Hills Organic Central Otago Chardonnay 2022
Bendigo Hills Organic Central Otago Chardonnay 2022 $36 Crafted from fruit grown in their Trig Hill Vineyard, this organic chardonnay is handpicked, whole-bunch pressed, and gently fermented in French oak (50% new barrels) with wild yeasts to inject depth, generosity and a pang of punk spirit. Prepare for peaches and cream, a hint of grapefruit … Read More
Bendigo Hills Organic Central Otago Pinot Rosé 2022
Bendigo Hills Organic Central Otago Pinot Rosé 2022 $22 When you taste how delicate this morganite-hued wine is, it won’t surprise you to learn that the certified organic pinot noir it’s made from was hand-picked and gently whole-bunch pressed and cleverly made into a soft, dry style evocative of pink peppercorn and redcurrant characters. Cleansing, … Read More
Bendigo Hills Organic Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021
Bendigo Hills Organic Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021 $29 Crafted using gentle, biodynamic principles, this handpicked pinot was grown on the sun-baked, North-facing slopes of Bendigo and given a calm ferment in 4-tonne oak cuve’s with a 3-week post-ferment soak on its skins before being gently pressed, aged for 10 months then gently bottled. Winemakers … Read More
Mora Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Mora Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc 2022 $35 Paired with Annabel Langbein’s Spicy Cockle Noodle Bowl in the NZ Herald July 15th 2023 If you scream “spicy cockle noodle bowl!” at the top of your lungs at the crack of dawn a few times you just might confuse a few of the local roosters and that … Read More