Jenny Dobson Florence Hawke’s Bay Fiano 2023 $45 Having been involved with crafting Fiano from fruit grown in tiny amounts in the Bridge Pa subregion since 2010, Jenny Dobson is easily New Zealand’s foremost expert on Fiano production. Fiano is an ancient, white grape with its spiritual home in Campania in Southern Italy. Still, it … Read More
Hawke’s Bay
Huntress Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2023
Huntress Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2023 $48 This is the first time Jannine Rickards has released a syrah from Hawke’s Bay, and she sourced her fruit from the Herringbone Vineyard in Bridge Pa. Taking a third of the grapes and fermenting them as whole clusters (rather than the traditionally crushed berries) has created a wine with … Read More
Three Fates Gordon Russell Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2024
Three Fates Gordon Russell Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2024 $40 From Ian and Linda Quinn’s Two Terraces vineyard out in Mangatahi west of Hastings, this wild-fermented collaboration between Holly, Hester and Casey from Three Fates, and Holly’s father Gordon Russell (ex-Esk Valley) one of New Zealand’s pioneer Chenin Blanc masters. Aromas of mandarin, jasmine, peach … Read More
Maison Noire Gabrielle’s Kiss 2023
Maison Noire Gabrielle’s Kiss Hawke’s Bay Red Blend 2023 $20 Hit hard by Cyclone Gabrielle in February 2023, Guillaume Thomas at Maison Noire opted to get creative with their Cabernet Franc and Syrah grown high up on the Waimarama Road – and do some crafty blending. Highly floral, laced with bay, tobacco, green peppercorns, black … Read More
Leveret Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet 2021
Leveret Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet 2021 $29 Things I want: to be cosy at home but also socialise and travel. To buy everything I want but also save money and to get super fit, but also eat what I like and not exercise. That’s not too much to ask for, right? Things I … Read More
Leveret Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2021
Leveret Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2021 $28 From the ‘holy trinity’ of Hawke’s Bay vintages (2019, 2020, 2021) this Syrah is stacked with classic florals, violets, red roses, plum blossom and buckets of cracked pepper and smoky oak. Vibrant and energetic, it dunks your taste buds into dark berryfruit and then dusts them with … Read More
Mills Reef Elspeth Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2023
Mills Reef Elspeth Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2023 $39 The flagship chardonnay for Mills Reef is tightly coiled and ready to unleash its talents over the next ten years I feel. From a cooler vintage, Paul Dawick and his winemaking team have sourced some spectacular fruit to craft a chardonnay scented with grilled grapefruit, lemon pith, … Read More
Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2024
Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2024 $20 – $25 Classic, ripe, robust Hawke’s Bay signatures sing in this wine, with pungent jalapeno, lime, passionfruit and bruised basil merging with red apple and clean capsicum characters. Zesty acidity is complimented by crushed shell minerality and a lacing of creamy complexity on the finish. It’s … Read More
Leveret Estate Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2024
Leveret Estate Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2024 $19.99 One sniff of this citrus oil-scented, jasmine-stacked, apricot-edged viognier and you’ll understand why it scooped a championship trophy at the NZ International Wine Show AND a double gold medal also. It’s exotically spiced, fresh and laced with creamy macadamia and roast peach complexity on the nose and palate. … Read More
Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Gewürztraminer 2024
Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Gewürztraminer 2024 $22 On your marks, get set, and GO directly to my pick for the BEST VALUE gewürztraminer for the summer. It’s Paddy Preston of Mills Reef started out making kiwifruit wine in Tauranga. He was darn good at it too. But a few years into it, back in … Read More