Maison Noire Single Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc 2023 $29 Grown high up on the Waimarama Road in the deep limestone clays of the Tukituki Valley, in a tiny vineyard tended by French winemaker Guillaume Thomas, this cabernet franc is deeply savoury, laced with brick dust and smoked blueberry and has gently drying tannins, fresh … Read More
single vineyard
Maison Noire Reserve Single Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2023
Maison Noire Reserve Single Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2023 $29 It’s actually blowing me away how good some of the 2023 reds from Hawke’s Bay are despite coming from a cyclone vintage. Sadly there’s just so little of them available! Just 80 cases of this ultra-floral syrah were crafted and it’s a wine erupting with … Read More
Giesen Fuder Series Clayvin Marlborough Chardonnay 2017
Giesen Fuder Series Clayvin Marlborough Chardonnay 2017 $48-$52 Sourced from one of New Zealand’s OG and most famous certified organic vineyards, this chardonnay is like a bottled version of a headline act at Glastonbury. Dua Lipa, Coldplay or Janelle Monae for example. It’s supremely talented, crammed with energy and vitality, and is quite frankly, intensely … Read More
Whitehaven Block 11 Barrel Fermented Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022
Whitehaven Block 11 Barrel Fermented Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2022 $32 How excellent that the team at Whitehaven have chosen to launch their new Single Vineyard series with the release of a shiny new barrel-fermented sauvignon blanc. Fruit from their Paul’s Road vineyard has been wild fermented and aged for 13 months in old French Oak … Read More
Tarras The Canyon Single Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019
Tarras The Canyon Single Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019 $80 Winemaker Hayden Johnston* is the talent behind Tarras Vineyards, a site located near the Central Otago town of Tarras. He utilises fruit grown in his organically-managed, home vineyard called The Canyon, located high on the Bendigo goldfield terraces. Deeply lush, moody, brooding aromas of … Read More
Matawhero Single Vineyard Gisborne Chardonnay 2022
Matawhero Single Vineyard Gisborne Chardonnay 2022 $21-26 Paired with Annabel Langbein’s Gougere – French cheese Puffs from Bourgogne in the NZ Herald July 29th 2023 I love French cheese puffs so much I think they could easily qualify for my last supper. And I love rich, butterscotchy, toasty chardonnay so much, I’ve asked that they … Read More
Brockenchack Jack Harrison Eden Valley Shiraz 2018
Brockenchack Jack Harrison Eden Valley Shiraz 2018 $69 Made from 54yo grapevines by the ultra-talented Joanne Irvine, Brockenchack’s flagship shiraz is named after the grandson of founders Trevor and Marilyn Harch. Jack is the company viticulturist and is training to become their future winemaker. So no pressure then! Put all your thoughts of shiraz being … Read More
Brockenchack Zip Line Single Vineyard Eden Valley Shiraz 2020
Brockenchack Zip Line Single Vineyard Eden Valley Shiraz 2020 $26 Ripe, spice-stacked, and showing seams of peppercorn and cocoa, this new vintage of one of my favourite new Eden Valley discoveries, has a shed-tonne of flavour and texture circling a core of bright boysenberry and blackcurrant. It’s ultra-fresh, frisky and fanging (technical term) with cocoa … Read More
Mt Difficulty Ghost Town Central Otago Pinot Noir 2017
Mt Difficulty Ghost Town Central Otago Pinot Noir 2017 $55-$60 Ghost Town is one of Mt D’s Single Vineyard series, showcasing fruit sourced from a vineyard the Dicey family planted back in 2002. It’s located on Chinaman’s Terrace in Central Otago’s Bendigo sub-region, and after six years of quiet, sleepy time in the bottle it’s … Read More
Doctors Flat Single Vineyard Bannockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019
Doctors Flat Single Vineyard Bannockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019 $52-$58 Anyone who loves great pinot noir should phone their nearest wine shop now to ask if they have this wine in stock. If they do, hoon down there immediately and celebrate that you’ve carpe’d that diem. If they don’t, wail loudly over the phone … Read More