Mills Reef Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019

June 22, 2020By Yvonne

Mills Reef Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019 $24.95 Soft and easy peasy cherry squeezy on the nose and palate, this berry-bolstered pinot noir from of New Zealand’s iconic producers, is super-fresh, saucy, and frisky to sip.  There’s a hint of truffle and blueberry around the edges and a wallop of wild berries and a lick … Read More

Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2018

June 4, 2020By Yvonne

Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2018 $24.95 Green peppercorn, violet and blueberry aromatics stand shoulder to shoulder with bright plum and cherry flavours  and then they hold hands and do the Gay Gordons (remember primary school folk-dancing?) with smooth, fine-grained oak and skin tannins accentuated by beautifully balanced acidity.  Nicely made. http://www.millsreef.co.nz

Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot 2016

June 3, 2020By Yvonne

Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot 2016 $24 Re-tasted on June 3rd 2020, this vintage (if you still have it in your cellar or spot one in a shop) is drinking rather superbly.  Lashings of plum, chocolate, cherry and berry characters lead to soft, suede-like textures, warm, velvety notes and a long, smooth finish.  … Read More

Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Merlot Malbec 2018

May 29, 2020By Yvonne

Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Merlot Malbec 2018 $24.95 Shiny and new from the Mills Reef crew (love me a wine rhyme) is this cracking blend of 61% merlot and 39% malbec from Hawke’s Bay’s superstar Gimblett Gravels sub-region.  Cold-soaked for 5 days after being gently crushed has maximised extraction of colour and texture from … Read More

Mills Reef Elspeth Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon 2016

March 16, 2020By Yvonne

Mills Reef Elspeth Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 $49.95 Named in honour and memory of Elspeth Preston, grandmother of Mills Reef’s winemaker/owner Tim Preston, and only created in years when Tim and his team feel the fruit is superlative, when the fruit cannot be faulted, and when the positive chi flows through from the East … Read More

Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot 2018

March 15, 2020By Yvonne

Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot 2018 $24.95 Right from the very first sip you’ll understand how this wine scooped a gold medal at the 2019 NZ Wine of the Year Awards and why it’s been the darling of wine critics around the traps.  68% cabernet sauvignon was blended with 32% merlot, fermented and … Read More

Mills Reef Elspeth Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2017

March 2, 2020By Yvonne

Mills Reef Elspeth Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2017 $39.99 Wow and what-the-blazes and woah Nelly!  This chardonnay is all about a-hollerin’ and a-hootin’ to the world how exceptionally fantastic the Gimblett Gravels is at turning out clean yet character-packed chardonnay that handles oak like a brain surgeon, light-fingered yet powerfully in tune with what they’re working … Read More

Mills Reef Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2017

March 2, 2020By Yvonne

Mills Reef Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2017 $23.99 If you’re able to get your hands on this vintage then you’re a lucky sausage – because there’s precious little available and yet it’s drinking SOOOOO (that’s 5 ‘o’s so it’s a banger)  nicely.  Smooth and cherry-driven, layered with black tea and cocoa and showing a luscious … Read More

Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2018

September 4, 2019By Yvonne

Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2018 $24.95 If you’re a fan of butter, cashews, cashew butter and all manner of buttery toasty things, then this new release will have you spreading the love.  Ripe stonefruit notes merge with said roasty, nutty, buttery layers and build a smooth, peachy finish and generally give you a … Read More

Mills Reef Estate Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2018

April 24, 2019By Yvonne

Mills Reef Estate Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2018 $19 Bright and floral and fanging with violets and cherry and all sorts of spices on the nose, this fresh and feisty syrah has ripe plum, raspberry and cranberry characters on the palate.  The tannins are easy, elastic and ever-so-powdery, plus there’s a softness on the finish.  Superb … Read More