Maison Noire Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2022 $35 Glossy-dark and inky in the glass, this new syrah from winemaker Guillaume Thomas has a distinct, pepper-soaked sarsparilla note on the nose, with black guava, tea leaf and tamarillo characters sashaying their way nostrilward also. To taste, it’s incredibly fresh and youthful, stitched together with peppercorn and … Read More
Hawke’s Bay
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2023
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2023 $24 Using 100% cabernet franc grapes grown in his home block high on the Waimarama Road behind Hawke’s Bays Te Mata Peak, Guillaume Thomas has fashioned a crunchy-crisp rosé that’s easy on the eye, but injects zing and ping into to the palate. Red apple and wild raspberry aromas … Read More
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Puketapu Chardonnay 2022
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay Puketapu 2022 $35 Sourced from the Puketapu (sacred hill) subregion of Hawke’s Bay inland west of Napier, winemaker Guillaume Thomas has opted to create a creamy, barrel-fermented, 12-month barrel-aged style that will please anyone partial to a twang of buttered toast in their glass. Grilled stonefruit, a splash of creamed … Read More
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2023
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2023 $24 It’d make perfect sense for Chenin Blanc to be Guillaume Thomas’ favourite white wine seeing as its a signature grape of the Loire and Guillaume also happens to be a signature child of the same place. Contrary to much of the chenin grown in New Zealand (and … Read More
Brookfields Highland Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2021
Brookfields Highland Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2021 $46 Owner and winemaker Peter Robertson has been making wine in Hawke’s Bay since the mid-1970s and when you’re in Hawke’s Bay for that long, you get to know Merlot incredibly well. In fact, Hawke’s Bay’s wine powers that be were considering dubbing the region “Hawke’s Bay, Merlot Country” … Read More
Tony Bish Fat & Sassy Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2022
Tony Bish Fat & Sassy Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2022 $22 Pronounced nectarine and lemon notes on the nose lead to a palate awash with stonefruit and preserved lemon layers wrapped around a sawdusty, toasty core. If ‘fatness’ to you means ‘creaminess’ then that’s not what you’ll receive, but if you’re a fan of toasty, spicy … Read More
Brookfields Sun-Dried Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2022
Brookfields Sun-Dried Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2022 $26 Winemaker Peter Roberston and his team hand-harvest their malbec and then lay the grapes out on racks to partially dry in the sun, much like the Italian appassimento technique to concentrate the flavours and accentuate the rich, fruity aromatics. The nose reveals rich, blueberry, boysenberry, cocoa and liquorice … Read More
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc 2022
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc 2022 $35 Cabernet franc is a rare thing to see on its own here in New Zealand, so it’s exciting whenever I see one, particularly one from one of the tiniest vineyards in Hawke’s Bay. Very new and youthfully fresh, it boasts a huge lift of bay leaf, blackcurrant, … Read More
Brookfields Back Block Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2022
Brookfields Back Block Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2022 $22 From a challenging vintage comes a highly approachable, friendly, softly fruited, softly peppered syrah grown at Ohiti on the banks of the Ngaruroro River. Classic florals and blackcurrant characters lead to iron sands tannins and a suede-like mid-palate texture and finish. Brookfields
Brookfields Fiesta Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2023
Brookfields Fiesta Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2023 $22 Crafted from free-run syrah juice (that’s the highest quality, delicately fresh juice which runs from the grape press before any pressing starts), this pretty, trout-pink rosé has summer days and warm sunsets written all over it. Generously flavoured with red apple, raspberry and a hint of creaming soda, … Read More