Carrick Arthur’s Vineyard Organic Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2022 $80 Crafted from just one clone, (10/5 if you’re wondering) from a single, northwest-facing site where the vines grow on their own roots (uncommon in New Zealand), this wine is named after the founders of this Bannockburn vineyard, Bill and Sue Arthur. Only ever made when the … Read More
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Carrick Organic Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2022
Carrick Organic Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2022 $51 Sourced from four parcels of mixed-clone vines that are closing in on 30 years old, this is Carrick’s flagship wine, the one that makes it a star in restaurants around the world, the one that has pinot fans antsy for release dates for each vintage. Spice-stacked and laced … Read More
Jules Taylor Marlborough Pinot Noir 2023
Jules Taylor Marlborough Pinot Noir 2023 $24-$30 Sourced from Marlborough’s Southern Valley’s region, this black tea and rhubarb-licked pinot noir is generously juicy and has a creamy, full-textured mid-palate and a solid, spice-laced finish. Floral-focused and dangerously drinkable, it’s an excellent late-afternoon tipple and a great match for pâté or smoked eggplant dip. Video Review … Read More
Tiki Single Vineyard North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2023
Tiki Single Vineyard North Canterbury Pinot Noir 2023 $23 – $28 This cracker of a gold medal-winning pinot hails from a single site in the Waipara Valley sub-region of North Canterbury. Most famous for its stunning examples of riesling, the region also cranks out truly spectacular pinot noir like this release from the fine folks … Read More
Oblix Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021
Oblix Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021 $18 Crafted by Michelle Richardson from fruit grown in Sir George Fistonich’s family vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels, this is a fresh, nectarine-stacked chardonnay with a core of zesty green apple and zingy acidity and lemony layers. Vibrant and faintly toasty and showing superb length of flavour. … Read More
Brightwater Lord Rutherford Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2023
Brightwater Lord Rutherford Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2023 $29 Whenever Gary and Valley Neale release a wine under their Lord Rutherford brand, you know it will be something different. Winemaker Steve Gill shepherds the fruit through the winery and into the bottle, introducing layers of lemongrass, lemon verbena, lemon zest, in fact all the lemony-est things … Read More
Maison Noire Single Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc 2023
Maison Noire Single Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc 2023 $29 Grown high up on the Waimarama Road in the deep limestone clays of the Tukituki Valley, in a tiny vineyard tended by French winemaker Guillaume Thomas, this cabernet franc is deeply savoury, laced with brick dust and smoked blueberry and has gently drying tannins, fresh … Read More
Mora Laeto Central Otago Pinot Noir 2024
Mora Laeto Central Otago Pinot Noir 2024 $35 Here’s a shiny new pinot designed with the kiwi Summer in mind. “Laeto” is derived from the Latin word for ‘lush’ and ‘joyful’ and this wine is all about not taking things too seriously, heavily, having fun with how bright and juicy and floral and plush pinot … Read More
Maison Noire Reserve Single Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2023
Maison Noire Reserve Single Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2023 $29 It’s actually blowing me away how good some of the 2023 reds from Hawke’s Bay are despite coming from a cyclone vintage. Sadly there’s just so little of them available! Just 80 cases of this ultra-floral syrah were crafted and it’s a wine erupting with … Read More
Q Waitaki Pinot Noir 2022
Q Waitaki Pinot Noir 2022 $65 Waitaki is one of the hardest places in the world to grow grapes, the climate is extreme, it’s a harsh environment but grapevines thrive in that ‘treat em mean, keep em keen’ situation and who are we to judge? This pinot noir has a gentle earthiness, baked cherry and … Read More