Beach House Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc 2013 $25 ★★★★★ Outrageously good. So good in fact it was selected a one of just twelve wines to represent the very best of the famous Gimblett Gravels appellation from the much lauded 2013 vintage. That it’s only $25 a bottle is quite staggering because it tastes better than … Read More
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Snapper Rock Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet 2013
Snapper Rock Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet 2013 $16.95 ★★★★ Well I for one did a little dance after tasting this wine because not only is it bright and berry-stacked on the nose, but it’s loaded with plum, boysenberry and attractive vanilla, spice and smoky notes on the palate. It’s a warm, cuddly, silky and slippery … Read More
Château Rombeau Cuveé Elise Vieilles Vignes 2008
Château Rombeau Cuveé Elise Vieilles Vignes 2008 $42.95 ★★★½ Hailing from the Cotes du Rousillon in the south of France, this eight year old blend of syrah, mourvedre and Grenache has a light, gently savoury plum and dried herb character on the nose followed by plush cherry and dark fruit notes in the mouth. So … Read More
Caldora Sangiovese IGT
Caldora Sangiovese IGT $25 ★★★★ As soon as you begin pouring this wine into your glass, you’ll find people across the room will lift their noses and begin floating in your direction. The aromas are so powerfully sweet and spicy. Ripe plums, black cherry, boysenberry, pepper and chocolate-covered liquorice – it’s all here. Fresh and … Read More
Mud House Dambuster Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014
Mud House Dambuster Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 $39 ★★★★ This is the first single-vineyard release to come from the clay soils of their new ‘Woolshed’ vineyard located near the Delta Dam. Originally an old RNZAF base on land deemed too crap for cropping, this patch of dirt is more than proving itself in vines if … Read More
Church Road Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2013
Church Road Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2013 $20 ★★★★★ I really, really, really, really like this wine for loads of reasons. It’s not just its elegant aromas of peppercorn, plum, violet and red fruits freshly dusted with cocoa powder, or its buoyant acidity and ethereal texture or even its sandy, emery-like tannins with just the right … Read More
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Merlot 2014
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Merlot 2014 $33 ★★★★½ Cleverly crafted by winemakers Matt Thomson and Hamish Clark (who has a background in microbiology, zoology and forensic science interestingly enough) from fruit grown in the Gimblett Gravels, this is a wine with deeply earthy aromas of chocolate, liquorice and cured meats. Those same characters … Read More
Bannock Brae Goldfields Central Otago Pinot Noir 2014
Bannock Brae Goldfields Central Otago Pinot Noir 2014 $30 ★★★★ This is one heck of an exotically perfumed pinot made for the Bannockbrae team by world-class winemaking wahine, Sarah-Kate (SK) Dineen. Boasting plum, black tea, hedgerow fruits, savoury, peppery notes and a chunk of cherry on the palate, it has freshness, buoyancy and real character. … Read More
St John’s Road ‘Line & Length’ Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
St John’s Road ‘Line & Length’ Barossa Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 $20 ★★★½ Here’s a bottle of banging Barossa cabernet that’ll tick all your boxes if you’re looking for bolshy sweet plum and blackcurrant notes, chocolate, peppercorn and classic minty characters. There’s a plush, fleshy sweetness, fruitcake spices and a smoky, toasty finish that just cries … Read More
Orlandi Contucci Rubiolo Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2013
Orlandi Contucci Rubiolo Montepulciano D’Abruzzo 2013 $24 ★★★½ I LOVE that this Italian wine smells like Christmas cake, all cloves, mixed peel, allspice and cranberry. In the mouth it is savoury, smooth, juicy and ultra-earthy, with hints of leather and pepper. Light & fleshy. For stockists near you contact Macvine International 09 5797451