Church Road 1 Single Vineyard Terraces Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019 $100 Word on the street is that 2019 was a blistering blinder of a year for chardonnay in Hawke’s Bay and that the fruit was set to flourish into something more fabulous than ever before. The word on the street is entirely accurate. Immensely powerful … Read More
Hawke’s Bay
Swift Whole Bunch Bridge Pa Triangle Syrah 2019
Swift Whole Bunch Bridge Pa Triangle Syrah 2019 $40 Syrah lends itself to reductive winemaking, especially when it’s made in a low-preservative way like Lauren Swift prefers. When her syrah is fresh out of the gate, it takes on a struck-match, flinty, smoky complexity that wraps around the pepper and blueberry backbone of the wine. … Read More
Swift Wines Bridge Pa Triangle Whole Bunch Malbec 2020
Swift Wines Bridge Pa Triangle Whole Bunch Malbec 2020 $35 Selected handpicked bunches were footstomped, fermented naturally, hand plunged, aged in oak for 15 months before being bottled unfined and unfiltered. Crafted by Lauren Swift, this is a doozy. There’s a fabulously feral aromatic structure to this malbec, slightly smoky, loaded with dried herbs and … Read More
Swift Wines Maraekakaho Blanc de Noir 2021
Swift Wines Maraekakaho Blanc de Noir 2021 $35 For starters, it looks like rainbows and unicorns right? So pretty to look at and crazy-refreshing to drink, this wine has been crafted from handpicked, red, gamay noir grapes that once pressed has had the skins separated from the juice immediately to minimise the colour uptake (hence … Read More
Swift Wines Bridge Pa Triangle Chardonnay 2020
Swift Wines Bridge Pa Triangle Chardonnay 2020 $35 I could tell you all the technical wizardry involved in creating this organically grown chardonnay, but that might be a distraction to its deliciousness and that wouldn’t do at all. Erupting with ripe grapefruit, roast nectarine and creme brulee topping, caramelised, softly smoky spicy oak and incredibly … Read More
Monowai Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2021
Monowai Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2021 $20 Out west of Hastings in a place called Matapiro, high up on the terraces of the Ngaruroro River, some of Hawke’s Bays best sauvignon blanc is being grown. In the rain shadow of the Ruahine range, with roots thriving in the deep, ancient river gravels, the vines that … Read More
Monowai Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2021
Monowai Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2021 $24.99 With pear, poached quince and roast peach characters on the nose lead to a softly spiced palate with gentle acidity and a long, creamy finish, it’s a good little sip-in-the-sunshine gris. Don’t over-chill it (that’ll mask the all-important florals and fruit). Nicely made. Monowai Estate
Monowai Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2021
Monowai Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2021 $24.99 This ultra pretty-in-pink wine bursts with classic bubblegum, rose apple, creaming soda and raspberry aromatics and yet on the palate it’s cleansing, dry and seriously refreshing. The acidity is perky, lending just the right amount of ‘prickle’ to the gums and tongue and it’s got personality to burn. Nicely … Read More
Monowai Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2020
Monowai Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2020 $24.99 Softly spiced, perfumed with plum, light liquorice and a dusting of cocoa, it’s a velvety-smooth, refreshingly ripe style of merlot from the Matapiro region west of Hastings. Slinky and slightly smoky, it’s a satisfyingly juicy sip. Monowai
Monowai Upper Reaches Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020
Monowai Upper Reaches Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020 $35 Aromas of baked peach, cashew butter and creme caramel collide with slightly scorched toast, a lick of grapefruit, pineapple and layers of butterscotch complexity. It’s a refreshingly silky thing to sip, with nicely balanced acidity and alcohol and a long, creamy, classic finish. Round, ripe and soothing … Read More