Butterworth Martinborough Chardonnay 2020

September 14, 2021By Yvonne

Butterworth Martinborough Chardonnay 2020 ($48) Crammed with roast cashew, grilled peach and creamy nougat notes on the nose and palate, this refreshing new release from fruit grown on the Te Muna Terraces is dangerously drinkable and will absolutely appeal to chardonnay lovers of all ages and stages. It’s a full, rich,toasty triumph with buckets of … Read More

Butterworth Martinborough Pinot Noir 2018

August 24, 2021By Yvonne

Butterworth Martinborough Pinot Noir 2018 $55 Harvested on the 28th March 2018 and bottled on the 22nd December 2020, this is a classic, spice-saturated pinot noir with those Martinborough signatures such as dried herbs, dark cocoa characters, cedar, roast beetroot and scorched cherries. It’s still very youthful and is settling into itself. The acidity is … Read More

Butterworth Estate Martinborough Layline Pinot Noir 2017

August 17, 2021By Yvonne

Butterworth Estate Martinborough Layline Pinot Noir 2017 $35 If Martinborough pinot noir had a LinkedIn profile, I’m certain we’d have a thousand mutual connections. There’s something about those ancient, river-gravel soils that inject seriously savoury characters into its pinot noir and it’s a joy to drink with lamb. With fruit supplied by a clutch of … Read More

Drummond Farm The Long Walk Martinborough Pinot Noir Rosé 2020

July 17, 2021By Yvonne

Drummond Farm The Long Walk Martinborough Pinot Noir Rosé 2020 $29 From the best little winery you’ve never heard of comes a pinot noir-based rosé that boasts mysterious, savoury and seriously spicy, smoked cherry complexity on the nose and buckets of fresh cranberry and rhubarb characters which canter across the palate nicely. Crafted by Alex … Read More

Pencarrow Martinborough Chardonnay 2019

April 13, 2021By Yvonne

Pencarrow Martinborough Chardonnay 2019 $23 Palliser Estate’s Pencarrow wines are named in honour of the stories of the famous lighthouse at the entrance to Wellington harbour. This chardonnay acknowledges the heroic Mary Jane Bennet, who single-handedly raised 5 children and took on the vital role of Pencarrow Lighthouse keeper when her husband died in 1855. … Read More

Ashwell Martinborough Chardonnay 2019

March 17, 2021By Yvonne

Ashwell Martinborough Chardonnay 2019 $28 If you’re looking for a lemony, citrus-forward, mineral-edged chardonnay instead of a fruit salady, buttery, oak-bomb then you’ve come to the right campsite. Clean, focused, lighter-styled and showing that rain-on-hot-rocks character that works itself into a slight saline character. It’s Chablis-like in its citrus dimensions and acidity. Tip: Be careful … Read More

Palliser Estate Martinborough Chardonnay 2019

March 13, 2021By Yvonne

Palliser Estate Martinborough Chardonnay 2019 $39 Perfumed with roasted almond, grilled peach, caramelised, spicy oak and buttered cinnamon toast, it’ s an extremely juicy, satisfying, creamy-textured and beautifully built chardonnay that boasts cheek-slappingly vibrant acidity and seductive, perfectly prickly textures. It’s ballerina-balanced and shows delicious tension and excitement. Stunning stuff. http://www.palliser.co.nz

On Giants’ Shoulders Martinborough Chardonnay 2018

October 7, 2020By Yvonne

On Giants’ Shoulders Martinborough Chardonnay 2018 $40 Hands up if you just feel like sipping on a slippery, softly-styled, elegant-as-all-getout chardonnay that doesn’t leave you scraping the sawdust and butterscotch out of your mouth after every sip? This 2018 vintage from Braden and Gabrielle Crosby’s tiny, non-irrigated vineyard in Martinborough is wild-fermented, supremely smooth, styled … Read More

Palliser Estate Martinborough Pinot Noir 2019

September 14, 2020By Yvonne

Palliser Estate Martinborough Pinot Noir 2019 $59 Paired with: Greens Ricotta and mushroom pizza in Issue 93 Dish Magazine While it might sound weird pairing a glass of red wine with a pizza loaded with greens, just bear with, because the Palliser Estate Martinborough Pinot Noir 2019 ($59) is just the most delicious thing with … Read More

Drummond Farm Back Block Martinborough Pinot Noir 2017

August 18, 2020By Yvonne

Drummond Farm Back Block Martinborough Pinot Noir 2017 $29 Bricky-red in the glass, this 3yo pinot noir is cantering along nicely.  Showing layers of savoury spices, freshly-turned earth, smoked rhubarb, wild strawberries, redcurrant and there’s even a slight creamy complexity underlying the spices.   Unfined, unfiltered and crafted with minimal sulphur additions, it’s a rumpty, robust … Read More