Otu Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020 $20 Lightly structured, lean and edged with soft peachy tones, a hint of popcorn and light lemony notes. It’s a simple, shippable, clean, non-confronting style. http://www.otuwine.com
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Carrick Organic Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Carrick Organic Central Otago Sauvignon Blanc 2019 $25 Paired with Salmon, potato, green olive and fennel tray bake (dish issue 97 2021) It’s the piquancy (love that word) of the green olives and the herby-anise-y notes in the fennel which make this dish sing with the Carrick Central Otago Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2019 ($25). With lemongrass, … Read More
Hunter’s Marlborough Pinot Gris 2020
Hunter’s Marlborough Pinot Gris 2020 $19.90 Vegan-Friendly certified, this dry, spice-stacked Pinot Gris get’s its layers of character from a combo of barrel and tank fermentation. On the nose and palate you can expect quince, hints of appleskin and nashi, yet it has a strong, mineral-focused backbone and a long cleansing finish. It’s definitely not … Read More
Urlar Gladstone Pinot Gris 2018
Urlar Gladstone Pinot Gris 2018 $25 Organically and Biodynamically grown and tended by viticulturist Bevan Lambess, and crafted into wine by Jannine Rickards, this wild, wooly and mineral-edged Pinot Gris will definitely appeal to those who prefer their gris on the dry side. 12% of the blend went in as ripe bunches that were fermented … Read More
Pencarrow Martinborough Chardonnay 2019
Pencarrow Martinborough Chardonnay 2019 $23 Palliser Estate’s Pencarrow wines are named in honour of the stories of the famous lighthouse at the entrance to Wellington harbour. This chardonnay acknowledges the heroic Mary Jane Bennet, who single-handedly raised 5 children and took on the vital role of Pencarrow Lighthouse keeper when her husband died in 1855. … Read More
Moutere Hills Sarau Reserve Chardonnay 2018
Moutere Hills Sarau Reserve Chardonnay 2018 $55 Nelson chardonnay is oft overshadowed by the big names from the likes of Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne – but I tell you what, if more people get their chops around chardonnay like this, then Nelson will storm the stage. The Sarau Reserve is Moutere Hills flagship wine, made … Read More
Blackenbrook Nelson Pinot Gris 2020
Blackenbrook Nelson Pinot Gris 2020 $28 If you thought Pinot Gris was a snore-fest then prepare to have your brain blown up by this deliciously dry, mineral-saturated, nashi-induced bottle of niceness. Clean, lean, quartz and laced with lemon pith, nutmeg, apple and pear-packed – this is a gris that’ll gently exfoliate your palate in spectacular … Read More
Jules Taylor Marlborough Grüner Veltliner 2020
Jules Taylor Marlborough Grüner Veltliner 2020 $24.99 If your experiences with grüner veltliner have come tied to more than a decent splash of sweetness, then this little van-load of vavoom with it’s partial wild ferment will be a fabulous face slap of delicious dryness. With mountains of minerality, richness and generosity of texture, the soft … Read More
Abbey Estate Wild Fermented Bridge Pa Chardonnay 2019
Abbey Estate Wild Fermented Bridge Pa Chardonnay 2019 $30 Yum Yum Yumminny! This is a really interesting, multi-layered lovely from Dermot and his team at Abbey Estate in Hawke’s Bay’s Bridge Pa Triangle Wine District. Bursting with white nectarine, apricot, grapefruit pith, dried herb and nutty, toasty, caramelised characters in the mid-palate, it carries a … Read More
Pegasus Bay Waipara Valley Gewürztraminer 2019
Pegasus Bay Waipara Valley Gewürztraminer 2019 $30 Smell that beeswax character? That’s coming directly from the high proportion of botrytis-infected fruit (the ‘noble’ rot) which adds sweetness and texture to the already ripe, lychee and ginger-soaked sensations present in the gewürztraminer grapes. Slick, smooth, slippery acidity and luscious length of flavour make this a classic. … Read More