Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2021 $35 The nose of this wine absolutely roars with bay leaf and bouquet garni characters, a dusting of dark cocoa, gentle, plush plums and boysenberries ahoy! Classic cabernet characters of cigar box and cedar merge with blackcurrant, dark cherry, hints of black olive and briny goodness … Read More
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Rapaura Springs Limestone Terrace Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020
Rapaura Springs Limestone Terrace Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020 $45 Grown in the seriously southern, ruggedly coastal district of Ward, these individually-numbered bottles of pinot noir all hold an exotic tension in terms of texture, they’re scented with that unmistakeable ‘fallen logs in the forest’ note, moss-covered, leaf litter, wild cherries, black tea, raspberry and a … Read More
Brown Brothers Origins Series Heathcote Shiraz 2018
Brown Brothers Origins Series Heathcote Shiraz 2018 $14 I’m loving the label of this wine for starters, it’s very evocative of the land and farming and the classic Aussie heat and dust. I’ve gotta say, this is a delicious and very affordable shiraz that bursts with classic blackcurrant, white pepper, liquorice, plums and spice-laced chocolate. … Read More
Low Sulphur and Preservative Free Wines from Stone Pony & Fourth Wave
Low Sulphur and Preservative Free Wines from Stone Pony & Fourth Wave There’s an increasing volume of quality, affordable, ‘minimal intervention’ wines appearing on our shop shelves, opening up the options for consumers who are conscious of what they’d rather their wines ‘didn’t’ contain. Seeing wines labelled Low or No-Added Sulphites, Zero Preservative and Unfined … Read More
Trinity Hill Prison Block Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon 2020
Trinity Hill Prison Block Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon 2020 $120 The way this wine looks as it pours into the glass was enough to elicit an awestruck “woof” from me. Inky, impenetrably dark and gorgeously glossy, it’s the colour of Queen of the Night tulips. It also hoists a payload of intensely pretty, Chocolate Cosmos … Read More
Rapaura Springs South Brook Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019
Rapaura Springs South Brook Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019 $45 Tasted bottle no. 4047 of 5209 Sourced from Marlborough’s Southern Valleys, this wine bursts with signature soft rhubarb, red apple and cherry aromas, juicy red fruits and creamy textures in the mouth, lifted spice and florals with tannins that have plush yet powerful grip and … Read More
Known Unknown Pakipaki Syrah 2021
Known Unknown Pakipaki Syrah 2021 $37 Just south of Hastings in Hawke’ Bay is the sleepy hamlet of Pakipaki, famous for its deep, limestone soils (there’s even a limestone quarry nearby), soils that aren’t your typical base for a place where syrah is more famous for growing in its gravel-rich appellations. Whole-bunch fermented for a … Read More
Ricca Terra Riverland Juicy June 2021
Ricca Terra Riverland Juicy June 2021 $27 Ash and Holly Ratcliff are the talents behind this early-release (June) blend of grenache and negroamaro grown in the Riverland region of South Australia. They’re about capturing all that youthful, just-harvested energy and you’ll note that in its bright, crimson colour. Unfined and unfiltered, it’s also slightly cloudy … Read More
Blackenbrook Family Reserve Nelson Pinot Noir 2020
Blackenbrook Family Reserve Nelson Pinot Noir 2020 $44 This new vintage does not disappoint. Bursting with vibrant, forest floor lushness, black tea, tamarillo and taut leather layers on the nose, it opens up in the glass to reveal a solid core of black cherry, cranberry and raspberry. The mouthfeel is ripe and clean with lovely … Read More
Blackenbrook Nelson Pinot Noir 2020
Blackenbrook Nelson Pinot Noir 2020 $32 Looking for a woolly, spicy, soothing and plum-stacked pinot noir? Then you’ve rolled your scooter down the right street my friend. Earthy, toasty and oozing personality, it’s the Moutere clay soils which inject massive minerality into the mid-palate and alongside a seam of fruitwood smoke and cocoa. Warming, friendly, … Read More