Lansdowne Estate Wairarapa Syrah 2016 $46 Nine years on from vintage, and this syrah is heading into its tertiary period, where the fruit is morphing into deeply savoury, gamey spectrums, the once peppery aromatics are now more leather and earth-focused, and the tannins have softened considerably. Shepherded from berry to bottle by local legend Karl … Read More
Wairarapa
Lansdowne Estate Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2014
Lansdowne Estate Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2014 $42 Hear me out. Sometimes you can find absolute treasures inside the most unassuming packaging. This wine is an excellent example of that. Eleven years old and made by one of the Wairarapa’s legendary winemakers, Karl Johner, this pinot noir, grown on the original Beetham-owned farm (famous for Heritage … Read More
Le Grá Cut Cane Wairarapa Merlot 2023
Le Grá Cut Cane Wairarapa Merlot 2023 $67 Crafted in an experimental ‘Amarone’ style, the team at Le Grá have cut the grapevine canes, which denies the ripe berries access to water and nutrition, so they naturally begin to shrivel, concentrating the sugars and creating a really unusual style of merlot. Aromatically it’s a different … Read More
Le Grá Wairarapa Sparkling Cuvée 2024
Le Grá Wairarapa Sparkling Cuvée 2024 $47 Brian and Nicky Geary have blended a parcel of their Sauvignon Blanc with a hefty splash of skin-fermented Pinot Gris and put the wine through a method traditionnelle fermentation to create a uniquely herbaceous, citrus-stacked style of sparkler that’ll get any party started. Le Grá
Alexia The Weaver Wairarapa White Blend 2024
Alexia The Weaver Wairarapa White Blend 2024 $28 So what’s in a white blend? Where the Weaver’s concerned, it’s a blend of co-fermented gewürztraminer, pinot gris, and riesling from winemaking legend Jane Cooper. Super-fragrant blossoms, apples, lemon verbena, white pepper, brisk nashi, lychee, and honeysuckle heave forth. I really like the freshness of this wine … Read More
Alexia Family Tree Wairarapa White Pinot Noir 2024
Alexia Family Tree Wairarapa White Pinot Noir 2024 $32 Pink diamond in the glass and roaring with energetic raspberry, quartzy minerality and licks of freshly cut apple, this shiny new white pinot noir from winemaker Jane Cooper at Alexia is all sorts of special. Cleansing yet highly textural and showing great generosity of flavour, hints … Read More
Alexia Gentle Girl Wairarapa Rosé 2024
Alexia Gentle Girl Wairarapa Rosé 2024 $28 If you’re a fan of cleansing red apple, raspberry, soft cherry and sarsparilla notes in your rosé then you’ve driven down the right cul de sac my friend. Winemaker Jane Cooper and partner Lesley Reidy have named this wine in honour of all the strong, creative, influential and … Read More
Matahiwi Wild Holly Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2022
Matahiwi Wild Holly Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2022 $38 Winemaker Liam Macklin has been given carte blanche to create a pinot noir that veers left from the classic Matahiwi stable and the result is well and truly wild. Crafted without any additions from just one tonne of their best quality, hand picked, Abel clone fruit, it … Read More
Huntress Waikoa 2023
Huntress Waikoa 2023 $40 Winemaker Jannine Rickards has created a deeply complex and deliciously drinkable blend of 60% riesling and 40% sauvignon blanc from fruit grown in Martinborough’s ‘Grava’ vineyards. And if you thought that a sauvignon/riesling blend was going to be all light and floral and flouncy then you can skate right out of … Read More
Huntress Waikura Wairarapa Rosé 2023
Huntress Waikura Wairarapa Rosé 2023 $30 ‘Waikura’ is a reference to the crimson-red glow in the sky in sunrise and sunset in Te Reo Māori, and as soon as you pour this into your glass you’ll see how the colour is deep and glowing. Crafted using Abel clone fruit which has been soaked on its … Read More