On Giants’ Shoulders Martinborough Chardonnay 2018

7 October 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

14 September 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

18 August 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

Drummond Farm Martinborough Pinot Noir 2018

18 August 2020By Yvonne

Drummond Farm Martinborough Pinot Noir 2018 $31 Just a baby, this pinot noir crafted by Alex Muir, is dedicated to his Dad “for all the words of wisdom and reassuring arm over the shoulder moments”. He’s two rows of each clone planted and co-fermented them together to create a signature style from their land.  Plump … Read More

Drummond Farm Back Block Martinborough Pinot Noir 2018

18 August 2020By Yvonne

Drummond Farm Back Block Martinborough Pinot Noir 2018 $29 Alex Muir has crafted an unfined, unfiltered pinot noir with only the bare minimum of sulphur added from his Back Block vineyard and it’ll definitely appeal to those who like their pinot light and spicy.  Its a softly-styled example with a slightly funky vein running through … Read More

Drummond Farm Martinborough Pinot Noir 2017

18 August 2020By Yvonne

Drummond Farm Martinborough Pinot Noir 2017 $31 I really love how on the label of this bottle it says very succinctly “harvested in 2017, matured in barrel until 2018 and finally bottled in July 2018”.  It gives you a quick scan of how their winemaking season runs for pinot noir. Unfined and unfiltered, with only … Read More

Drummond Farm Martinborough Pinot Gris 2018

17 August 2020By Yvonne

Drummond Farm Martinborough Pinot Gris 2018 $24 Alex Muir and Leah Creaven are the forces behind Martinborough’s newest splash in the wine pond and they’re determined to educate people that it’s what’s NOT in the bottle that makes it distinctive.  Produced at a positively demure 9.5% alcohol and showing clean, lightly-styled, apple and greengage plum … Read More

Drummond Farm Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019

17 August 2020By Yvonne

Drummond Farm Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019 $20.40 I tasted this wine as a cleanskin sample and it was a roasty, toasty example packed solid with stonefruit tones and showing a creamy complexity on the finish.  Punchy and slightly wild at heart, its a ripe, rumpty style that has loads of potential.  Very food-friendly too. Soft … Read More

Porters Estate Martinborough Cuvée Madeleine 2015

22 May 2020By Yvonne

Porters Estate Martinborough Cuvée Madeleine 2015 $60 I thought I was across all the players in New Zealand’s fizz-mos-phere however, this gorgeous thing snuck up from nowhere, slapped my chops with lemony loveliness and walked me down the wild side in seconds flat.  Winegrower John Porter is also a busy Wellington lawyer; white-collar or seedy … Read More

Big Sky Te Muna Road Martinborough Pinot Noir 2016

18 July 2019By Yvonne

Big Sky Te Muna Road Martinborough Pinot Noir 2016 $40 I love the little depiction of the Southern Cross on the label of this Katherine Jacobs and Jeremy Corban-crafted wine, it fits with the clean, unfussy image of a couple focused on maintaining fruit purity and plushness of style.  The ancient Te Muna Terraces are … Read More