Black Quail Central Otago Pinot Noir 2018 $49 Grown on the ultra-prestigious Felton Road (the Paritai Drive of Central Otago vineyard addresses), this tiny winery is named after one of the rarest birds in the world. The wine is pretty rare too, with only a couple of hundred cases made of just one wine each … Read More
Archives
Golden Child End of the Heartache Single Vineyard Adelaide Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Golden Child End of the Heartache Single Vineyard Adelaide Hills Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 $42.50 Golden Child is the project of father-and-son team, David and James Hamilton. David grows the grapes in his vineyard in Kuitpo in the southern Adelaide Hills, while his son James (often jokingly referred to as the ‘golden child of the family’) … Read More
Trinity Hill Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020
Trinity Hill Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020 $24.99 Clearly the syrah gods were shining on Trinity hill during the 2020 summer because this syrah is an absolute stunner. That they’ve managed to cram in so much character for under $25 is a phenomenal feat. The aromas display an exhaustive array of peppercorn, dark, exotic florals, damson … Read More
The Flying Winemaker Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2019
The Flying Winemaker Wairarapa Pinot Noir 2019 $29 From winemakers Eddie McDougall and Monty Petrie and their team comes a rhubarb-laced, spice-edged, wild strawberry-stacked pinot noir from their small but perfectly formed vineyard on the Gladstone terraces between Carterton and Martinborough. Soothing textures, easy-like-Sunday-morning tannins and a moreish, meaty note on the finish, makes this … Read More
Maison Noire Home Block Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020
Maison Noire Home Block Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020 $40 Wow. This is one sexy wine! Deep, glossy and crimson-hued, I love the waft of caramelised spices, coffee, sweet cocoa and buckets of baked fruit on the nose. It’s intensely fragrant and gushes with peppercorns, red currant and smoked cherry flavours on the palate. The tannins … Read More
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020
Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020 $25 With its deliciously soft tannins, pencil shavings complexity, fragrant pepper, redcurrant, pomegranate, juicy spices and Black Doris plum punchiness, this is a superb example from a hugely exciting red wine vintage. Just 85 dozen bottles were made to satisfy a growing fanbase, so best you get in quick … Read More
Astrolabe Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018
Astrolabe Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018 $25 Astrolabe’s owner and winemaker Simon Waghorn once had the ambition to be a seaweed scientist. I know. Just think, if he’d pursued a life aquatic, we’d never have pinot noir like this. It’s ok, I’ll give you a second to compose yourself. This 2018 vintage shows exotic aromatics, ripe … Read More
Astrolabe Wairau Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2016
Astrolabe Wairau Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2016 $22 Six years on from harvest this pinot is moving into the baked berry spectrum, dried tamarillo, redcurrant and rooibos tea on the nose and palate combine with layers of spice and smoked cherry characters on the palate. The tannins are softly chewy and prickle nicely under the … Read More
Astrolabe Wrekin Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019
Astrolabe Wrekin Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019 $65 Aromatically this dark, glossy, pinot noir has a huge lift of red apple and cherry blossom right up front while on the palate it roars with fresh tamarillo, rhubarb and layers of earthy, black tea and soft, savoury meaty notes on the palate. It shows really prominent tannins … Read More
Crab Farm Hawke’s Bay Pinotage 2019
Crab Farm Hawke’s Bay Pinotage 2019 $35 Pinotage is a really rare red style in New Zealand and over the years they’ve been a bit of a mixed bag – but strap yourself in because Crab Farm has crafted a very juicy, very drinkable and totally delightful example. Buckets of vanilla and spice on the … Read More