Kennedy Point Organic Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2018 $29 I love the way the pohutukawa trees on the label look as though they’re dancing a tango. Very apt considering the meaty, gravy-boat notes in this organic, Bridge Pa-grown glass of goodness tend to sashay across the palate rather perfectly. Determined to preserve its original character, winemaker … Read More
Hawke’s Bay
Pask Declaration Gimblett Gravels Merlot 2014
Pask Declaration Gimblett Gravels Merlot 2014 $50 (release date tbc) 2014 had Ronald McDonald-sized shoes to fill seeing as 2013 was hailed as ‘the vintage of the century’ by Hawke’s Bay winemakers, yet this new vintage is sneaking up in spectacular fashion. More elegant in its approach, the core is of blueberry, leather, a click … Read More
Ash Ridge Premium Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2018
Ash Ridge Premium Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2018 $32 SUCH a pretty ruby-garnet colour and heaving with lifted raspberry, boysenberry, blueberry, oh what the heck, every berry! There’s a solid, savoury line through this local version of a Bordeaux classic, of an Argentinean champion, and I love the leather and suede textures that come with that. … Read More
Matahiwi Holly Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019
Matahiwi Holly Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019 $22 (normally $31.99) As soon as the cap comes off the bottle and you begin to pour this into your glass, you’re hit with a cloud of concentrated stonefruit cuddled in buttered crumpets and toasted almonds. It’s a lovely wine with fresh, buoyant acidity, creamy, nougat-like complexity, a solid … Read More
Tantalus Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2018
Tantalus Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2018 $39 While Tantalus are one of THE places to be and be seen on Waiheke Island, their winemaking team like to mix things up a tad, of an occasion, when the opportunity presents itself. They’ve managed to secure fruit from one of their trusted vineyards in Hawke’s Bay and created … Read More
Ash Ridge Estate Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2019
Ash Ridge Estate Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2019 $22 No joke, when this wine was poured for me, the glass was over a metre away and as the wine sloshed from the bottle, the space between me and it was filled with a cloud of apple pie intensity. Bright, ripe fruit, baking spices, pear and … Read More
Maison Noire Home Block Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2018
Maison Noire Home Block Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2018 $35 Grown on the limestone-laden soils of the Waimarama Road, this syrah has its own distinct personality and it’s not a massively peppery one. Flying in the face of what we consider ‘classic’ Hawke’s Bay syrah, the Home Block is intensely floral and fruit-driven, laced with baking … Read More
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 $28 Winemaker Guillaume Thomas managed to secure cabernet sauvignon fruit exclusively from the famous Gimblett Gravels district for the 2018 vintage, and egads and forsooth! Has it made a difference! His style is still typically super-elegant and smooth (and that’s just his hairstyle and dress sense) yet the … Read More
Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2019
Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2019 $29 Returning to his dry-style roots not seen since 2013, winemaker Gordon Russell has taken fruit for the first time from Ian and Linda Quinn’s Two Terraces Vineyard located west of Hastings in Maraekakaho where they grow two clones of chenin, 220 and 880. Handpicked, cooled … Read More
Wairiki Estate The Redeemer Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2018
Wairiki Estate The Redeemer Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2018 $39.99 Crafted out in Mangatahi, on terraces high above the Ngaruroro river in the Maraekakaho area of Hawke’s Bay, it’s a seriously fragrant, cherry and dried herb-hefty style from a brand so small and under the radar, they’re practically subterranean. There’s a black tea and cranberry … Read More