Artero Tempranillo 2014 $14 ★★★★½ How crazy is it that a wine this cheap can scoop a gold medal at the Decanter World Wine Awards AND a gold medal at the NZ International Wine Awards. But it is absolutely deserving. This Spanish stunner has lovely, comforting aromas of blueberry, cherry and medicinal notes. Juicy and … Read More
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Taylors Clare Valley Shiraz 2014
Taylors Clare Valley Shiraz 2014 $18.50 ★★★★ Wow! Steady yourself for intense clove and Christmas cake spices on the nose alongside heady florals and sweet sandalwood notes. In the mouth it is smooth, fleshy and generously fruity, oozing berries and chocolate characters. It’s outstanding value and deeply satisfying. Widely available.
The Family Gisborne Merlot 2013
The Family Gisborne Merlot 2013 $25 ★★★★ Pioneer winemaker John Thorpe and his family are really making a name for themselves with this family brand and lovers of soft, plummy and plush merlot will fall all over themselves when they taste this wine. Bright berries, cherries chocolatey spices and a long, silky finish make this … Read More
CJ Pask Declaration Syrah 2013
CJ Pask Declaration Syrah 2013 $50 ★★★★★ An ultra-bright, intensely aromatic example, which oozes fruitwood smoke, cracked pepper, rose and violet notes alongside an underlying earthy character on the nose. Flavour-wise it boasts juicy dark fruit, vanilla and cocoa, tannins with grip and chew and a long, warming finish. It’s an incredibly satisfying drink now, … Read More
Big Sky ‘Provenance’ Te Muna Road Pinot Noir 2013
Big Sky ‘Provenance’ Te Muna Road Pinot Noir 2013 $54 ★★★★★ The ancient Te Muna Terraces are home to some of New Zealand’s most prestigious pinot noir vineyards. There’s something about those soils which impart such huge depth of character into the wines – so prepare yourself for masses of sweet black tea, baked cherry, fresh … Read More
Wild South Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014
Wild South Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 $18 ★★★ This super-soft, lightly structured pinot has berries-and-cream characters on the nose alongside a sniff of smoke, sweet cherry and a hint of plum. If you’re looking for a beginners guide to pinot noir (or even to red wine) then this could be just the thing to swing … Read More
Rod McDonald ‘One Off’ Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2014
Rod McDonald ‘One Off’ Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2014 $31 ★★★★ If you’re someone who gets weak at the knees when they see a beautiful colour, then strap yourself into your support-hose because this wine has the most gorgeous garnet, ruby hue. It also boasts tobacco leaf, dried herbs, cocoa, blueberry and a gentle meaty character … Read More
Mr Riggs ‘The Truant’ McLaren Vale Shiraz 2013
Mr Riggs ‘The Truant’ McLaren Vale Shiraz 2013 $17.99 ★★★½ If you like your shiraz with meat on its bones then this will be an instant hit. Deeply earthy on the nose and showing ultra-ripe plum, blackcurrant, smoky tar and molasses complexity in the mouth – it’s a rich, peppery wine and a meal in … Read More
Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Montepulciano 2014
Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Montepulciano 2014 $30 ★★★★ There’s less than 1ha planted of this super-savoury Italian red in Trinity Hill’s Gimblett Gravels vineyard – and there’s precious little planted elsewhere in the country. It’s a hearty, ribsticking red with really interesting meaty, leathery notes, lovely hints of coughdrop and cocoa alongside pepper and smoky, … Read More
Elephant Hill Hieronymus 2013
Elephant Hill Hieronymus 2013 $95 ★★★★★ Named after a famous ancestor of the Weiss family, Hieronymus Ebner von Eschenbach (Lord Mayor of Nuremberg 1514-1524 apparently) – this inaugural release of a flagship red is a blend of the best Cabernet Sauvignon (60%), Malbec (20%) and Merlot (20%) from their Gimblett and Bridge Pa Triangle Vineyards that they … Read More