This is such a rare treat, to be able to sip great quality gewurztraminer which has had almost 8 years to develop into a luxurious, exotically scented example. You’ll see it’s 14.5% alcohol, which is pretty high for this variety, yet age has softened it and allowed it to merge into a lychee, toffee apple … Read More
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Te Hera Ocean Child Martinborough Riesling 2016 $20.00
If your tastebuds were doing a beam routine, the impact of granny smith apple and fresh-cut Winter Cole pears, combined with cheek-prickling acidity and a splash of honeysuckle, will give them the power to take a flying scissor leap and round off towards a somersault dismount. At just 11.5% alcohol, you know it’s going to … Read More
Konrad Single Vineyard Marlborough Dry Riesling 2015 $18.90
Far out, if you’re looking for dry riesling with snappy, toe-curling acidity, racy lime-laden layers and a distinct, kero-like character, then you’re opening the right bottle. Konrad Wines is fully owned by the Hengstler family, Konrad, Sigrun and their two sons, Conrad and Carlo who emigrated to New Zealand from Germany via a short, 20 … Read More
Bell Bird Bay Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 $23.00
Need a little nougat near your nostrils? This creamy, nutty, butter-rubbed chardonnay will give you all that and flesh everything out with ripe nectarine, grapefruit and hints of spice. Grown in Hawke’s Bay’s Bridge Pa Triangle district, it’s a blend of three distinct chardonnay clones, one exotically named ‘mendoza’ the others with the less magical … Read More
Bushmere Estate Classic Gisborne Chardonnay 2015 $25.00
Ahoy there, fans of East Coast awesomeness! This is classic Gisborne in a glass right here and if you’ve been lamenting the loss of that old-school style then fret no more because David and Shona Egan have come to the rescue. I love the edge of buttery pastry, toasty notes that cloak the nectarine, peach … Read More
Cypress Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2016 $22.00
Gus and Mel Lawson have been involved in winegrowing in Hawke’s Bay for 21 years, meaning they’ve got experience in spades when it comes to producing darn decent chardonnay like this. I love the soft, grapefruity, ever-so-faintly toasty notes on the nose and palate, and the ripe, peachy characters on the finish. A glass of … Read More
Coal Pit Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc 2016 $22.95
Woah! Here’s a total lime overload and I love it! Central Otago has its own signature when it comes to sauvignon blanc and that’s proudly showing off intense citrus, gooseberry, green apple and passionfruit in a squint-factor-fifty flavour sensation. Lean, clean and boasting hints of powdery florals on the finish – it’s a wine that’ll … Read More
Delta Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2016 $22.95
With its sweet pea, lemon and passionfruit aromas, this snappy sauvignon follows up with a softly fruited, tang-fest on the tongue. Made by star wine consultant Matt Thomson and sourced from a single vineyard in the Dillons Point sub-region – this sauvignon has a whole lotta herbaceousness, classic red capsicum and jalapeno characters and serious … Read More
Leveret Estate Reserve Barrel Aged Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017 $29 (4 stars)
How is it that a sauvignon blanc can be fresh, frisky and citrusy, but also buxom and bodacious at the same time? When it’s the Leveret Reserve style, that’s how. Displaying all that juicy passionfruit, pineapple and lime loveliness we expect in Marlborough sauvignon, yet somehow morphing the herbaceousness into a soft, smoky spectrum of … Read More
TW Wines Gisborne Verdelho 2014 $25 (3.5 stars)
Anita Ewart-Croy is a bit of a verdelho vixen if I do say so myself. Extremely rare in New Zealand, it’s a variety that’s the signature white grape of Portugal and it’s used to make those awesomely ageworthy, luxuriously sweet Madiera’s. Anita however, turns the Tietjen Witters fruit into a dry and mineral-focused style with … Read More