The Writer’s Block Waitaki Valley Riesling 2018 $29 Produced by Brendan Seal at his Urbn Winery in central Dunedin from fruit sourced from stunning vineyards in the Waitaki Valley in North Otago. The climate there is so extreme that grapes struggle along, pouring all their energy into tiny, flavour-packed nuggets of niceness. The result is a … Read More
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Kelly Washington Wairau Valley Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Kelly Washington Wairau Valley Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2017 $36 Aromas of freshly-baled pea-hay, lemongrass and soft, white pepper characters co-exist with lime and nettle notes in a beautifully balanced, mineral-driven mouthfeel that is just delicious. Certified organic and very classy in the glass, I really wish I could confidently say that New Zealanders will pay … Read More
Circuit North Canterbury Chardonnay 2018
Circuit North Canterbury Chardonnay 2018 $24.99 Crafted by the team at Black Estate from organically grown fruit that’s been fermented using a starter culture from the vineyard itself, this is a creamy, brulee and butter-smothered wine, with peach and grapefruit notes underpinning the nutty smoothness. Theres a hint of wildness and funk to the fruit layers … Read More
Black Estate French Farm Pinot Gris 2018
Black Estate French Farm Pinot Gris 2018 $30 Crafted from fruit sourced from a vineyard overlooking Akaroa Harbour on Canterbury’s Bank’s Peninsula, this is a dry, seriously textural pinot gris showing hints of quince and a palate that definitely rocks in the mineral, quartzy-dry department. Full and generously flavoured, it’s a deeply complex style fermented in … Read More
Black Estate Netherwood North Canterbury Chardonnay 2016
Black Estate Netherwood North Canterbury Chardonnay 2016 $65 Created from organically grown fruit and kicked off with a ferment straight from the vineyard, this cashew and citrus-forward chardonnay is their signature example and only produced in years when the fruit is perfect. It’s big, real big. Boasting caramelised oak notes, soft smoky characters, wild and … Read More
Tinpot Hut Marlborough Late Harvest Riesling 2017
Tinpot Hut Marlborough Late Harvest Riesling 2017 $28 Winemaker Fiona Turner has worked her magic on this stylishly sticky, sweet wine that carries candied citrus, toffee apple and heavenly honey notes on the nose and palate. Fresh and flirtatious, it’s seriously sweet, yet finely tuned and beautifully balanced. Great stuff! www.tinpothut.co.nz
Main Divide North Canterbury Sauvignon Blanc 2018
Main Divide North Canterbury Sauvignon Blanc 2018 $20.99 Get on your skateboard, segway or scooter and shimmy on over to the Main Divide North Canterbury Sauvignon Blanc 2018 ($20.99) to pour with any sort of pan-fried pesce perfection. Crisp, crunchy, packed with citrus and huge herbaceous notes, this wine is superb to sip with fresh fish. … Read More
The Writer’s Block Gibbston Valley Central Otago Pinot Gris 2018
The Writer’s Block Gibbston Valley Central Otago Pinot Gris 2018 $29 (4stars) Crafted by Urbn Vino’s Brendan Seal, this gris has a full and frisky fragrance of baked apple, poached quince and hints of honeysuckle and stonefruit – all characters that wash across the palate, leaving an impression of richness on the finish (which also happens … Read More
Black Estate Home North Canterbury Chenin Blanc 2017 $45 5stars
The Naish family planted chenin blanc on their ‘Home’ vineyard back in 2011, and the vines thrive under the baking Waipara sun and those wild Nor’Easter winds. This is the fourth vintage made by their winemaker, Nicholas Brown, an obsessive fan of wines from the Mid-Loire Valley in France (where chenin and cabernet franc are … Read More
Queensberry Gardens Central Otago Chenin Blanc 2018 $27.50 4stars
Chenin Blanc has the unmistakeable aroma of rose apple and citrus blossom and, while its spiritual home is in France’s Loire Valley, it’s absolutely found its happy place in the Queensberry sub-region of Central Otago. Grown by Dean and Diana Harker, their tiny Chenin Blanc vineyard turns out a crisp, floral, softly spiced and gently … Read More