Askerne Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2016 $22 This is a wine that really benefits from some ‘swirl-time’ in the glass. It may appear a tad closed when first poured, but lordy be, y the time you get to the second half of the glass, she’s a disco queen. Dried herbs, baked cherry, all manner of … Read More
Pinot Noir
Jules Taylor Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018
Jules Taylor Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018 $29.99 Subtle yet wild-at-heart aromas of cherry and baked raspberry leap out of the glass and in the mouth it’s got that ‘young wine’ friskiness that comes with high acidity – yet there’s an underlying savouriness and structure that supports the ability to age. But right now it’s a … Read More
Waipara Hills Waipara Valley Pinot Noir Rosé 2019
Waipara Hills Waipara Valley Pinot Noir Rosé 2019 $12.99 Brand new Cantabrian cherries and cream-filled rosé here from the fine folk at Waipara Hills. With raspberry and watermelon flavours, it’s fresh and zesty, crisp and crunchy, simple and satisfying – and that it’s being sold on special for $13 is crazy. www.thegoodwine.co.nz
Big Sky Te Muna Road Martinborough Pinot Noir 2016
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
Brightwater Vineyards Te Kāhu Nelson Pinot Noir 2016
Brightwater Vineyards Te Kāhu Nelson Pinot Noir 2016 $26.99 Three years on from harvest and the wine is taking on a lovely brick-red hue and aromas that lead you down the wild side of the hedge. Named after the native harrier hawk which patrols the vineyards of Gary and Valley Neale, it’s softly savoury and … Read More
Pegasus Bay Prima Donna Waipara Pinot Noir 2015
Pegasus Bay Prima Donna Waipara Pinot Noir 2015 $95 From the second the first whiff of cocoa-covered cherries, black tea, wild berries, truffle and spice assail your nostrils, you know there’s no escape from its clutches. It’s a dense, deliciously structured, statuesque example of what Waipara is capable of. So lush, plush and poised, it’s … Read More
Churton The Abyss Marlborough Pinot Noir 2017
Churton The Abyss Marlborough Pinot Noir 2017 $75 The Abyss is the highest altitude block of this organic and biodynamic producer in Marlborough’s Waihopai Valley. Backing onto a precipitous cliff, it’s also home to Churton’s oldest vines, which grow bunches exposed to the easterly sun, creating fruit with complexity and coolness. Hints of musk, wild … Read More
Matahiwi Estate Holly Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2018
Matahiwi Estate Holly Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2018 $42.99 If you’re not a fan of overcooked, overextracted pinot, then this may definitely appeal. A classically-styled pinot noir with hints of tobacco and smoked cherry on the nose and palate, slippery and lush, lightly-structured, powdery tannins, and long, redcurrant and raspberry layers on the finish. www.matahiwi.co.nz
Matahiwi Holly South Series Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2018
Matahiwi Holly South Series Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2018 $45 Do you know what’s freaky? If you look at the dark and sultry image of smoke and blossoms on the label, then sniff this wine, your brain will be assailed with charred roses, graphite, baked berries and cocoa. Singling out pinot noir from their ‘home’ vineyard just … Read More
Paddy Borthwick Falloon Block Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2014
Paddy Borthwick Falloon Block Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2014 $22 The Borthwick’s are Wairarapa pioneers in farming and grapegrowing and that they’re able to produce such fresh and fabulous pinot noir at this price is testament to their vast experience on the land. Classic black tea, seasoned leather, black guava and spicy cherry flavours merge with … Read More