Five different clones were hand harvested, fermented with wild yeasts and blended to create this buttered-crumpet-smelling chardonnay, which quickly unveils a backbone of grilled nectarine and grapefruit pith alongside deliciously textural, creamy almond characters in the mid palate. It’s a juicy, cheek-puckering style that pretty much makes everything you consume with it positively bounce around … Read More
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Gunn Estate Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $17.99
Intensely herbaceous on the nose with hints of jalapeno, basil and ripe passionfruit, this is a banging, boldly aromatic wine that’s gently juicy on the palate with nice acidity and length. It’s a superb wine that (luckily for us) is available in supermarkets around the country. If you’re a fan of crunchy-crisp sauvignon that hits … Read More
Mills Reef Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2015 $18
The wine has that pinky-gold colour which indicates the juice has spent a touch of time in contact with its skins before the ferment. This not only gives it a spash of colour, it also adds an extra layer of texture to its dry, nashi, quince and apple pie flavours. Sip with: The oldest, most … Read More
Churton ‘Best End’ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2013 $47
Visit Churton, in winter and you’re likely to spend a lot of time up on a hill looking at “poo pits” and sniffing compost. The winter solstice is when owners Mandy and Sam Weaver choose to release their wines. “In an agricultural sense it’s when one year ends and another begins” explains Sam. “The earth … Read More
Swan’s Flight Marlborough Semillon 2013 $18.50
Crafted by Georges Michel’s winemaker daughter Swan, this is a superb ‘cheese board’ wine for those late afternoon loungearounds. Toasted, smoky notes indicate a touch of barrel fermentation across freshly-baled hay, dried herbs and soft, lemony, limey flavours. Sip with a chunk of sheeps milk pecorino or tangy goats cheese www.georgesmichel.com
Riverby Estate Marlborough Grüner Veltliner 2014 $23
You should SO make it your mission to sip Grüner Veltliner (grooner-velt-leener) this season. Aromas of white flowers, almonds, crushed seashells and lemon lead the way to white flesh peach, soft citrus and tantalisingly textural layers on the finish. Grüner is native to Austria, it’s their signature white wine – their sauvignon blanc if you … Read More
Sacred Hill Halo Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 $25 ★★★★½
Born in the now nationally-reverred Rifleman’s Vineyard which lies in a secret spot inland-west of Napier in Puketapu’s Dartmoor Valley, this is an ‘impress-your-friends’ chardonnay if ever I tasted one. Prepare for a burst of fennel, peach and vanilla, alongside some white pepper and a big, juicy, satisfying texture. It’s fat, fresh and fabulous. www.finewinedelivery.co.nz
Tiki Single Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 $23 ★★★★½
Crafted by winemaking legend Evan Ward, this wine oozes smoked apricot, toasty nectarine and oatmealy, creamy flavours. There’s a gently juicy texture, silky citrus and vanilla-infused spices wash around the back teeth. And it’s rich, fulfilling and rather fabulous.This is a great wine from a chardonnay master at work. For stockists visit www.tikiwine.com
Alchemy Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 $27 ★★★★
Google will have you believe that Alchemy is defined as “a seemingly magical process of transformation, creation, or combination” This wine however, has had much calculated thought put into it by owner Neal Cave and winemaker Ant Mackenzie. Clones 15 and ENTAV-548, were handpicked, 100% barrel fermented in 30% new French oak and given a … Read More
Soho ‘Maren’ Marlborough Riesling 2015 $26
Woah Nelly! This is a lime-laden kick in the face, a gum-numbingly fresh little riesling designed to put your tastebuds into a tangelo-laced tangle in seconds flat. At 11.6% alcohol there’s a squeak of sweetness, but it’s mostly bony-dry. If James Rowan continues to turn out sensational riesling like this, pretty soon someone will put … Read More