Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Late Harvest Arneis 2018 $22 Arneis created in a dessert wine style is not something you see every day – especially not here in New Zealand. It’s rare to even find arneis in its normal, dry form, let alone fashioned into a tantalisingly sweet, mandarin and quince-like triumph such as this. … Read More
Hawke’s Bay
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2018
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2018 $20 Made by French winemaker Guillaume Thomas, this cabernet franc-based rosé is bursting with redcurrant, cranberry and pomegranate aromas and flavours. It’s pretty and trout-pink in the glass and there’s even a touch of creaming soda and tamarillo in there, too. Fresh, succulent, saucy, and with a hint of … Read More
39° Below Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2018
39° Below Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2018 $25 For starters how pretty does this look in the glass? A touch of skin contact has given it the softest, sexiest blush of pink and I love how it rocks classic quince and nashi niceness on the nose, followed by ripe stonefruit, punchy acidity and tongue-tingling textures … Read More
39°Below Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2018
39°Below Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2018 $17.95 So fresh, frisky, vibrant and packed solid with lemongrass, basil, sweet lemon verbena notes, this wine also boasts buckets of passionfruit and nectarine on the nose and palate. It’s a ripe and rumpty sauvignon blanc that’s so friendly and feisty, it’ll please even the fussiest sauvignon snob. Paul McEvoy … Read More
Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot 2017
Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot 2017 $24 Bold, juicy and ready for action, this velvety-smooth red has cocoa, dark cherry, plum and peppery warmth on the palate. It’s fleshy, beautifully textured and fabulous with moussaka. www.millsreef.co.nz
Collaboration Wines Impression Rosé 2018
Collaboration Wines Impression Rosé 2018 $25 Crafted from 100% cabernet franc grapes from winemaker Julz Brogden’s favourite sites around Hawke’s Bay, this rosé is a total standout. I love that it’s dry, snappy and sophisticated and shows amazing length of flavour. So elegant and stylish, yet it also boasts superb body, bodaciousness and texture. Yummo!
Ash Ridge Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Ash Ridge Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2017 $21 Lemon, lime notes on the nose and palate, they’re edged with seashell minerality and expect some marzipan and toasty notes from the 85% barrel fermentation as well. It could do with more generosity and freshness in the mid palate however. www.ashridgewines.co.nz
Collaboration Wines Impression White (chardonnay) 2017 $27
Collaboration Wines Impression White (chardonnay) 2017 $27 Crafted by Julianne Brogden from 100% Mendoza-clone fruit sourced near Havelock North, this is one chardonnay that has elegance written all over it. The oak maturation regime meant subtle handling in older French oak for just 8 months, allowing the delicate white stonefruit to be the hero. Laced … Read More
The Hay Paddock Pitchfork Classic Hawke’s Bay Red 2016
The Hay Paddock Pitchfork Classic Hawke’s Bay Red 2016 $34 Blended from a selection of classic Hawke’s Bay red varieties with Malbec and Syrah being the main stars, this has been supervised by Chris Canning, artist, writer, winemaker extraordinaire and its loaded with classic savoury peppery meaty notes that wrap around the prune, baked berries … Read More
Mills Reef Bespoke Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2016 $34.95
Mills Reef Bespoke Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2016 $34.95 I LOVE the burst of grilled grapefruit, poached peach, hints of struck match and tangy, smoky notes on the nose and a lovely complex, juicy, cashew and bacony loveliness. Fresh and fabulously funky, it’s a lipsmackingly good example. The team at Mills Reef are chardonnay nuts and it … Read More