Ma Maison Martinborough Pinot Noir 2014 $38 ★★★★ Ed Leung is a well-respected, Wellington-based dentist and his wife Marjory spent 30+ years in the banking industry, however they shared an all-consuming devotion to pinot noir, which despite all attempts, they could not shake. So today they grow their own, and with the help of winemaker … Read More
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Brookfields Backblock Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015
Brookfields Backblock Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015 $21 ★★★½ How pretty is the colour of this wine? Glossy and inky-purple in the glass, it’s also chock full of violets, bouquet-garni herbs and loads of dark berries. There’s a classic hit of pepper – but it’s only there to cuddle the fruit. Fresh and youthful, winemaker Peter … Read More
Main Divide Waipara Merlot Cabernet 2014
Main Divide Waipara Merlot Cabernet 2014 $20 ★★★½ If you thought only the North Island could create good Bordeaux-style reds then best you wrap your gums around this southern sip pronto. Highly fruity on the nose and all manner of raspberry, boysenberry and spicy, cocoa-like characters crash across the palate. Yet the mouthfeel and finish … Read More
Fairmont Estate Admiral Hill Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2012
Fairmont Estate Admiral Hill Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2012 $25 ★★★ Lovers of old-school earthiness in their pinot will be all over this wine that’s produced from fruit sourced from the Gladstone Terraces. Made by Jon McNab, it’s a wine boasting aromas of ancient fallen tree trunks, lush forest floor notes, savoury cherry and shitake mushroom … Read More
Chalk Hill Sidetrack Mclaren Vale 2011
Chalk Hill Sidetrack Mclaren Vale 2011 $27 ★★★½ This is a lush, spicy blend of shiraz and grenache which carries an exotic, slightly medicinal aroma that wraps around slightly earthy characters like prunes and pepper. There’s also a lovely smoky, nutty note and a long, gently savoury finish. Winemaker Jock Harvey fashioned the Sidetrack in … Read More
Henry’s Drive Dead Letter Office Padthaway Shiraz 2013
Henry’s Drive Dead Letter Office Padthaway Shiraz 2013 $22 ★★★★ Named after the postal clerks of old who had the authority to open ‘undeliverable’ mail. But they had to restrict themselves to only reading the mare minimum of info to expedite safe delivery. This glossy, purple-crimson wine delivers a message of vanilla, pencil shavings, plum … Read More
Parusso Dolcetto D’Alba Piani Noce DOC 2013
Parusso Dolcetto D’Alba Piani Noce DOC 2013 $32 ★★★★ Spice, spice and more spice is what you’ll get in every mouthful of this tasty Italian stallion. The Parusso estate is located right at the border between the Castiglion Falletto and Monforte d’Alba appellation of Barolo and Armando Parusso’s son and daughter, Marco and Tiziana Parusso … Read More
Penny’s Hill Cracking Black Shiraz 2013
Penny’s Hill Cracking Black Shiraz 2013 $25 ★★★★½ Named after the way that the soils dry out so much they crack and break the roots of the vines (which is actually a good thing because it controls the natural vigour of the vine) this shiraz has all those desirable pepper, liquorice, cocoa dust and cherry-berry … Read More
Beach House Gimblett Gravels Montepulciano 2013
Beach House Gimblett Gravels Montepulciano 2013 $45 ★★★★★ I swear the wines made by the small but perfectly formed team at Beach House wines on Hawke’s Bay’s Te Awanga Coast, just get better with every passing year. Crafted from fruit sourced in the sun-trap that is the Gimblett Gravels (it’s always at least 2 degrees … Read More
Costa Tenute Nebbiolo d’alba DOC
Costa Tenute Nebbiolo d’alba DOC $29.90 ★★★★ Sourced from Italy’s southern Piedmonte region, this nebbiolo oozes clove, sarsaparilla and raspberry notes, yet in the mouth the tannins exhibit real grip and have good ‘chew factor’ alongside violet, pepper and solid fruit concentration. It’s a meaty red wine that’ll be just perfect the next time you … Read More