Mills Reef Estate Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020

6 December 2022By Yvonne

Mills Reef Estate Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020 $18 Great value syrah here, buckets of red fruit. redcurrant, red apple and plum layers on the nose and palate merge with soft tannins, hints of pepper and earthy spices on the palate. Juicy, easy and a superb introduction to Hawke’s Bay syrah. Mills Reef

Squawking Magpie The Chatterer Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2022

2 December 2022By Yvonne

Squawking Magpie The Chatterer Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2022 $24 Bright pear and green apple aromas combine with a tweak of nutmeg and yellow plum on the nose and palate. The acidity is fresh and peaky which accentuates its dry finish. 2022 was a challenging vintage and this is a solid effort.  

A Little Maison Noire Magic – BayBuzz Magazine Christmas Issue 2022

2 December 2022By Yvonne

Santé to Maison Noire by Yvonne LorkinNovember 29, 2022 Photo: Florence Charvin “My perfect Christmas present?” asks artist Esther Smith. “Easy. A trailer load of mulch.” Not exactly what I was expecting when asking Esther and her husband, winemaker Guillaume Thomas of Maison Noire wines, what their Christmas wishes were for 2022. But as I quickly … Read More

Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Merlot Malbec 2021

1 December 2022By Yvonne

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

Pask Gimblett Gravels CMMF 2019

1 December 2022By Yvonne

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

30 November 2022By Yvonne

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

30 November 2022By Yvonne

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

22 November 2022By Yvonne

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

22 November 2022By Yvonne

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

22 November 2022By Yvonne

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