Terra Sancta The Italian Central Otago Red Blend NV

17 July 2021By Yvonne

Terra Sancta The Italian Central Otago Red Blend NV $44.95 Who’d have thought you could sip a slurp of Italy all the ways down in Central Otago? Not me. But then that was before I tasted their blend of dolcetto, lagrein and barbera grown in the Winery Hill and Little Italy blocks of their Bannockburn … Read More

TRINITY HILL Gimblett Gravels Prison Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

5 July 2021By Yvonne

TRINITY HILL Gimblett Gravels Prison Block Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 $120 Deep, dark, intensely fruity, spicy, toasty, earthy, cocoa-crammed and leather-laden, it’s a lovely, muscular example crafted from grapes grown beside the Ngaruroro River on a stony site once destined to be a correctional facility. This 100% cabernet sauvignon absolutely screams tobacco, dark plum, bouquet garni … Read More

Esk Valley Artisanal Collection Hawke’s Bay Malbec Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2019

24 June 2021By Yvonne

Esk Valley Artisanal Collection Hawke’s Bay Malbec Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($24.99) Paired with Annabel Langbein’s The Great Kiwi Cheeseburger Canvas Magazine NZ Herald June 5th 2021 I can’t think of anything nicer to wash down mouthfuls of juicy, beefy burger than the Esk Valley Artisanal Collection Hawke’s Bay Malbec Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 ($24.99). … Read More

Esk Valley Artisanal Collection Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2019

24 June 2021By Yvonne

Esk Valley Artisanal Collection Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2019 $25 Glossy and gorgeous in the glass, it’s heaving with violets, soft black pepper, dark cherry, damson plum and redcurrant characters that assail the nostrils and flood the tastebuds. With fresh, ultra-vibrant acidity adding vavoom to the mid-palate and fine-grained tannins elongating the flavours, it’s a total … Read More

Whitehaven Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019

22 June 2021By Yvonne

Whitehaven Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019 $35 Crafted from fruit grown in the Awatere and Southern Valley’s sub-regions, this little banger of a pinot noir is destined for big things. Bursting with bright tamarillo, berry tea, cherry and all manner of earthy goodness, it’s ultra-fresh, frisky and fanging with flavour. Smooth, velvety textures and solid, spicy … Read More

Esk Valley Artisanal Collection Hawke’s Bay Gamay Noir 2020

18 June 2021By Yvonne

Esk Valley Artisanal Collection Hawke’s Bay Gamay Noir 2020 $25 With less than 5 ha of gamay (full name Gamay Noir à Jus Blanc) planted in all New Zealand, it’s one of the rarest styles seen in our market. It’s mainly recognised as the red grape grown in Beaujolais to make their famously fresh, juicy, lightly-styled signature … Read More

Paritua Bridge Pa Syrah 2018

10 June 2021By Yvonne

Paritua Bridge Pa Syrah 2018 $49 Boasting so much violet perfume on the nose you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s potted colour in a bottle. Those iron-rich, Bridge Pa soils inject powerful graphite and damson plum notes, hints of tar, smoke, blueberry and pepper then kick into gear. The tannins are supple and snuggle the … Read More

Valli Waitaki Vineyard North Otago Pinot Noir 2019

10 June 2021By Yvonne

Valli Waitaki Vineyard North Otago Pinot Noir 2019 $79 The Waitaki wine region sits right on the border of North Otago and South Canterbury. Hard country. Richie McCaw country. Its extreme climate produces pinot noir with huge florality (yes it’s a word), a soft, saline layer compliments cheek-puckeringly prickly astringency and has cherry, raspberry, pomegranate … Read More

Yakutin Family Wines Matakana

28 May 2021By Yvonne

From Kazakhstan with Love… Oleg Yakutin, owner of Yakutin Family Wines (a 1 hectare vineyard, marked by an ancient brick chimney on Matakana Road, Warkworth), is the first Kazakhstani winemaker in New Zealand. A corporate marketing career in a past life fed his love for fine food and wine, so when the time came for … Read More

Brancott Estate Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020

23 May 2021By Yvonne

Brancott Estate Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020 $19 If you’re looking for a perfectly decent, cherry and plum-packed Pinot Noir that won’t give your wallet any grief, this is your parking spot. It’s also the pumped up kicks where aromatics are concerned. Redcurrant and buckets of raspberry wash across a spicy baseline in the mouth. … Read More