Palliser Martinborough Riesling 2015 $22 ★★★★½ Allan Johnson has been the Chief Winemaker at Palliser since 1991 and since then he’s helped load over 80 gold medals into their trophy cabinet. And luckily for us, riesling is one of the things he does best. The word here is purity. It’s all about pristine, clean, white … Read More
Archives
Allan Scott Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2015
Allan Scott Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2015 $19 ★★★½ Just in case you needed a refresher, it’s pronounced (gah-werts-tra-meener) and it translates to ‘spicy wine’ in German, it’s spiritual homeland. Fans of Turkish Delight will want to do a little dance as soon as they sip this, because with its alluring rose petal, ginger and musky-sweet lychee-like … Read More
Amisfield Central Otago Dry Riesling 2014
Amisfield Central Otago Dry Riesling 2014 $25 ★★★★½ Winemaker Dr Stephanie Lambert and her team have absolutely cracked it with this ultra-clean, dry riesling that bursts with crunchy granny smith apple, juicy lime and flinty, wet stone minerality. It’s intensely vibrant, mouthwatering even, and I love the gum-tingling texture on the finish. www.amisfield.co.nz
Cristina Ascheri Gavi de Gavi DOCG 2014
Cristina Ascheri Gavi de Gavi DOCG 2014 $29 ★★★★★ Straight off the bat, I LOVE this wine! Crafted from Cortese grapes (how cool is that for a grape name), this is a supremely classy, dry white wine with alluring aromas of crunchy green apple, freshly bruised basil, white pepper and wet stones. It’s generously proportioned in … Read More
Santa Sofia Lugana Veneto 2014
Santa Sofia Lugana Veneto 2014 $22 ★★★½ This super-dry Italian white wine is made from 100% trebbiano grapes grown in the Lugana DOC area of Lombardy in the northern part of the country. With deliciously complex aromas of almond meal, oats, lime and sea breezes, it’ll definitely appeal to anyone who likes to explore whites … Read More
Te Mata Estate Cape Crest Sauvignon 2014
Te Mata Estate Cape Crest Sauvignon 2014 $30 ★★★★½ I love the fragrance of passionfruit curd, lemon blossom and hints of herbaceousness in this wine. Crafted from prime Hawke’s Bay sauvignon blanc, blended with a splash of semillon and sauvignon gris, it’s an out-there kind of style that’s less of a ‘sauvignon’ and more a … Read More
Neudorf Moutere Pinot Gris 2015
Neudorf Moutere Pinot Gris 2015 $29 ★★★★ Winemaker Todd Stevens and viticulturist Richard Flatman have done a cracker of a job creating pinot gris that smells like pear and apple strudel served with poached quince and cream. Exotically spicy, chock full of ripe fruit and has a deeply textural mouthfeel that’s fresh and funky. A … Read More
Fox Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014
Fox Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014 $18 ★★★½ This is a sweet, sweaty sauvignon crafted by 40-year winemaking veteran John Belsham and his team at Foxes Island Wines, and for the price it’s a darn good drink. Classic passionfruit and basil and even a splash of elderflower followed by a lick of lemongrass and lime. Nicely … Read More
Clos Marguerite Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015
Clos Marguerite Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 $27 ★★★★½ For me, sauvignon blanc’s like this absolutely scream their sense of place. From a mile away you can tell it’s from the Awatere Valley because of the gorgeous elderflower, lemon blossom, peach and lime perfume typical of the region that just romp from the glass. Delicate herbaceousnesss, … Read More
Domain Road Defiance Central Otago Pinot Gris 2015
Domain Road Defiance Central Otago Pinot Gris 2015 $25 ★★★★½ Lovers of sweeter pinot gris are sure to go doolally over this honeysuckle-soaked style. Think nectarine, nashi pear, mandarin and the pungent tang of quince, make this Bannockburn-grown gris downright gorgeous. Superb with your next chicken tikka marsala. www.domainroad.co.nz