Richmond Plains Admiral Nelson Merlot 2019 $27 Red Admiral butterflies flootle their way around Lars Urlich and Sam Jensen’s Richmond Plains vineyard, getting up to all sorts of mischief, flirting with the other butterflies, skiting about their fashionable wings and whatnot. But while they’re really pretty, they don’t taste that great (apparently), they leave being … Read More
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Massena The Twilight Path Barossa Valley Primitivo 2020
Massena The Twilight Path Barossa Valley Primitivo 2020 $45 From the Southern Moppa sub-region of the Barossa Valley, from their Dadd’s Block vineyard comes a primitivo that’s bursting with berries and cream characters, a soft plummy mid-palate, a tweak of tobacco leaf on the tongue and boasting a long, powdery finish. Established 21 years ago … Read More
Terra Sancta Shingle Beach Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2018
Terra Sancta Shingle Beach Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2018 $44.95 Translating to ‘sacred dirt the Shingle Beach block provides winemaker and immunologist Austin Black, bunches of tiny berries, stacked with spice and cherry intensity. But speaking of intense, how crazy is the label? So many animals! Beside the Kawarau River is a crocodilia, representative of the … Read More
Jules Taylor Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020
Jules Taylor Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020 $35 From Southern Valley’s fruit comes this ultra-fresh, earthy, tamarillo and cherry-centric pinot noir from Jules Taylor, winemaker extraordinaire and maker of seriously good chutney. It’s true. Her gift for harnessing just the right amount of spice, acidity, fruit concentration and texture is plainly evident in this new release … Read More
Bushmere Estate Gisborne Malbec 2020
Bushmere Estate Gisborne Malbec 2020 $25 This Gisborne malbec has deliciously meaty, leathery layers and a core of redcurrant and deep spice that roars across the mouth. Inky magenta-black colour and glossy in the glass and loaded with bay, dark cherry and pepper notes, it’s a rich, beautifully structured example. Bushmere.com
Te Mania Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020
Te Mania Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020 $27.99 While the team at Te Mania have kept us copasetic with their bottles of Nelsonian niceness, this time they’ve journeyed north to the syrah capital of the country to hunt out fruit that’ll not only curl your lashes and epilate your limbs, it’ll also expand your nostrils with … Read More
Butterworth Martinborough Pinot Noir 2018
Butterworth Martinborough Pinot Noir 2018 $55 Harvested on the 28th March 2018 and bottled on the 22nd December 2020, this is a classic, spice-saturated pinot noir with those Martinborough signatures such as dried herbs, dark cocoa characters, cedar, roast beetroot and scorched cherries. It’s still very youthful and is settling into itself. The acidity is … Read More
Rock Ferry Central Otago Brut Rosé 2016
Rock Ferry Central Otago Brut Rosé 2016 ($55) Crafted by Allan McWilliams, this certified organic bottle of rose gold gorgeousness packs a punch on the palate right from the get-go. With subtle aromas of berry bagel dough, crushed almonds and lemon pith and a lick of Shrewsbury Biscuit and with flavours leaning toward the deliciously … Read More
Tastes Like Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020
Known Unknown Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020 $25 Prepare for a hit of meaty, savoury, classic violet and peppercorn characters on the nose of this new syrah and enjoy how it’s followed by smooth, earthy, dark cocoa flavours and layers of nicely chewy tannins. All that good stuff is boosted with solid acidity as well. It’s … Read More
Monowai Upper Reaches Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2020
Monowai Upper Reaches Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2020 $35 The ‘upper reaches’ refers to Emma Lowe and husband Marcelo Nunez’ vineyard, which sits high up on the ancient terraces carved out by the mighty Ngaruroro River in the sub-region of Crownthorpe at the foot of the Kaweka Range. Vanilla-dipped cherry and choco-berry aromas lead to … Read More