Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Merlot Malbec 2021 $25 One thing will become super-obvious when inhaling the scent of this Bordeaux blend from Hawke’s Bay’s famous Gimblett Gravels region. Meatiness. It’s rich, savoury and roaring with roasting pan juices on the nose. Combine that with dark blueberry, plum, pepper and bay leaf layers, black olive … Read More
Hawke’s Bay
Pask Gimblett Gravels CMMF 2019
Pask Gimblett Gravels CMMF 2019 $22 Holy berries Batman! Those Paskers really know how to blend. This absolutely champion combination of Cabernet Sauvignon 43.8% Malbec 18.8%, Merlot 16%, Cabernet Franc 6.8% is super-stylish, spice-dusted and saturated with ripe plums, leather and cocoa layers and a dusting of liquorice. 2019 was a sensational vintage for Hawke’s … Read More
Pask Gimblett Gravels Merlot 2019
Pask Gimblett Gravels Merlot 2019 $22 Wow! Prepare for an instant hit of tobacco, sweet cedar, cocoa-dusted plums and bouquet garni herbs which will sail up your nostrils and morph into fabulous flavours on the palate. Grown in one of the holy trinity of vintages (2019/2020/2021) it’s a stunningly ripe, spice-saturated merlot with a long … Read More
Pask Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2020
Pask Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2020 $22 Gloriously golden in the glass, this chardonnay comes from one of the greatest vintages in Hawke’s Bay’s wine memory, 2020. And with winemaking know-how dating back to 1985, it’s no surprise that the Paskers have created chardonnay erupting with creamy, peachy intensity and glistening with glints of grapefruit in … Read More
Maison Noire Teroldego Hawke’s Bay Hand Picked Single Vineyard Port 2021
Maison Noire Teroldego Hawke’s Bay Hand-Picked Single Vineyard Port 2021 $28 Teroldego is a red grape variety grown primarily in the northeastern region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol, Italy and there’s a school of thought that it may be related to Marzemino (which is grown in Hawke’s Bay by Church Road) So one could come to the … Read More
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2021
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2021 $35 The nose of this wine absolutely roars with bay leaf and bouquet garni characters, a dusting of dark cocoa, gentle, plush plums and boysenberries ahoy! Classic cabernet characters of cigar box and cedar merge with blackcurrant, dark cherry, hints of black olive and briny goodness … Read More
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Arneis 2022
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Arneis 2022 $25 Just 170 cases were made of this lusciously lemony, apple and apricot-laced, peach-packed Italian favourite made in Hawke’s Bay. Guillaume Thomas has created a juicy, multi-layered white wine with a splash of sweetness that’ll wake up even the most tired tastebuds with its nectarine and honeysuckle intensity. Hints … Read More
Historic vertical tasting of Esk Valley ‘The Terraces’ 1991-2021
This week, on November 22nd some of the rarest bottles of Esk Valley The Terraces will come up for auction at Webb’s in Mt Eden as part of a two-day fine wine and whisky event. Last Wednesday I was extremely fortunate to attend a once-in-a-lifetime Esk Valley ‘The Terraces’ tasting at Webb’s for a small … Read More
Known Unknown Pakipaki Syrah 2021
Known Unknown Pakipaki Syrah 2021 $37 Just south of Hastings in Hawke’ Bay is the sleepy hamlet of Pakipaki, famous for its deep, limestone soils (there’s even a limestone quarry nearby), soils that aren’t your typical base for a place where syrah is more famous for growing in its gravel-rich appellations. Whole-bunch fermented for a … Read More
Known Unknown Flamingo Bridge Pa Rosé 2022
Known Unknown Flamingo Bridge Pa Rosé 2022 $22 Crafted from organic merlot and cabernet franc grapes grown in the iron-rich ‘red gravels’ of Hawke’s Bay’s Bridge Pa wine region and like a true flamingo, it does not care at all for hiding in the background oh no. It’s out there in all its burnished, russety, … Read More