Monowai Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2021 $24.99 This ultra pretty-in-pink wine bursts with classic bubblegum, rose apple, creaming soda and raspberry aromatics and yet on the palate it’s cleansing, dry and seriously refreshing. The acidity is perky, lending just the right amount of ‘prickle’ to the gums and tongue and it’s got personality to burn. Nicely … Read More
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Monowai Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2020
Monowai Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2020 $24.99 Softly spiced, perfumed with plum, light liquorice and a dusting of cocoa, it’s a velvety-smooth, refreshingly ripe style of merlot from the Matapiro region west of Hastings. Slinky and slightly smoky, it’s a satisfyingly juicy sip. Monowai
Monowai Upper Reaches Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020
Monowai Upper Reaches Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020 $35 Aromas of baked peach, cashew butter and creme caramel collide with slightly scorched toast, a lick of grapefruit, pineapple and layers of butterscotch complexity. It’s a refreshingly silky thing to sip, with nicely balanced acidity and alcohol and a long, creamy, classic finish. Round, ripe and soothing … Read More
Monowai Upper Reaches Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2020
Monowai Upper Reaches Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2020 $26 Well well well. Straight out the gate, I’m calling this the best merlot I’ve ever tasted from Hawke’s Bay’s Matapiro subregion. Clearly the grape gods were shining down on husband and wife winegrowing team Emma Lowe and Marcelo Nunez in 2020, because those vines have produced a … Read More
Monowai Estate Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020
Monowai Estate Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020 $25 Twas waaay back in ye olde early days of my wine journey that I first encountered the mighty Monowai chardonnay and now it’s something I look forward to seeing each year because it’s changing (for the better) all the time. Emma Lowe and Marcello Nunez are the evil … Read More
Monowai Upper Reaches Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2020
Monowai Upper Reaches Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2020 $35 The ‘upper reaches’ refers to Emma Lowe and husband Marcelo Nunez’ vineyard, which sits high up on the ancient terraces carved out by the mighty Ngaruroro River in the sub-region of Crownthorpe at the foot of the Kaweka Range. Vanilla-dipped cherry and choco-berry aromas lead to … Read More
Monowai Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir Rosé 2020
Monowai Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir Rosé 2020 $24.99 Sometimes I make myself do a personal SWOT analysis and it’s never pleasant. The main reason I force myself through this excruciating exercise is so that I can reward-slash-console myself at its conclusion with something delicious made by Emma Lowe at Monowai. Her new rosé brings the … Read More
Monowai Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2020
Monowai Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2020 $24.99 2020 clearly shined bright on the grapes grown on the Ngaruroro River terraces by winemaker Emma Lowe and her Chilean viticulturist husband Marcelo Nunez. The high altitude, rocky, free-draining soils of the Matapiro sub-region inland west of Hastings, is superb for turning out tasty pinot gris. All the … Read More
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