Balthazar Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Franc 2010

23 July 2012By Yvonne

Balthazar Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Franc 2010 $25  Inky and glossy in the glass, it’s a deep, brooding, earthy wine which is stitched together with violet, dark berryfruit, pepper, smoke and hints of graphite.  Succulent, solid tannins add to its chewy length of flavour and its potential to cellar nicely indeed.  

William Murdoch ‘The Guardsman’ 2009

22 February 2012By Yvonne

William Murdoch ‘The Guardsman’ 2009 $65  Built around a solid spine of cabernet sauvignon, and with absolutely no insecticide, herbicide, pesticide, or systemic or non-organic chemicals of any kind being used; this wine is about as organic and natural as they come.  Crafted by Hayden Penny from fruit sourced from Hawke’s Bay’s Gimblett Gravels, this … Read More

Trinity Hill Homage Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2009

16 December 2011By Yvonne

Trinity Hill Homage Syrah 2009 $120  It only took two or three sips for me to declare to my husband that when I die he’d better bury me with a bottle of this wine in my coffin – or there’ll be trouble. The Homage is only made when the fruit is exceptional and the 2009 … Read More

Trinity Hill Hawke’s Bay Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2010

16 December 2011By Yvonne

Trinity Hill Hawke’s Bay Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2010 $35  Perfumed with intense dark berryfruit, plum, dried thyme and violet notes while in the mouth it bursts with fresh, juicy, ripe fruit, hints of smoke and cocoa and deliciously savoury spices.  Complex and concentrated, it has muscular elegance and silky, warming length of flavour.  One of … Read More

Trinity Hill Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2010

16 December 2011By Yvonne

Trinity Hill Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2010 $22  Sexy inky purple colour and aromas of roast beef, rosemary, ripe plum and cuddly cocoa notes.  Boasting youthful acidity, beautiful structure, elegance in the mid palate and the tannins are chewy but stylishly knitted together.  It’s a ‘drink now’ wine representing superb value for money.

Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Grenache 2007

21 September 2011By Yvonne

Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Grenache 2007 $60  I’ve been waiting for a 100% Grenache from Hawke’s Bay since forever!  Heady roasting pan juices, rosemary and dusty, earthy aromas lead the way to spicy plum, mace and amazingly silky, earthy, blackberry and cherry smoke.  It’s a muscular, meaty wine – and is just sensational with … Read More

Sacred Hill Deerstalkers Syrah 2009

14 August 2011By Yvonne

Sacred Hill Deerstalkers Syrah 2009 $55  This is fast becoming a bit of a superstar where Gimblett Gravels syrah is concerned, winemaker Tony Bish and his team have well and truly got world-class syrah in their sights and they’ve got the skills to achieve it.  Beautiful magenta-black colour and oozing deliciously peppery, violet, plum and … Read More

Mills Reef Reserve Merlot Malbec 2009

14 August 2011By Yvonne

Mills Reef Reserve Merlot Malbec 2009 $24  A Gimblett Gravels wine already with a gold medal from the San Francisco Wine Show under its belt, it’s a lovely wine which will definitely appeal to anyone who loves ripe, sweetly exotic black fruits, anise, mace and soft peppery perfume in their reds.  This wine got the … Read More

Alluviale Gimblett Road Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon 2009

15 July 2011By Yvonne

ALLUVIALE GIMBLETT ROAD MERLOT CABERNET FRANC, CABERNET SAUVIGNON 2009 $30  A cracker of a red created by sickeningly handsome winemaking couple, Kate Galloway and David Ramonteau – this wine has beautifully fragrant rosemary, roast beef, dark chocolate, espresso, plum, berry and molasses characters.  I love the texture of this wine in the mouth with finely-grained … Read More