This citrus-stacked Trophy winner at the 2013 Air NZ Awards is, six years down the track, still carrying gorgeous acidity, caramelized tropical fruit, hints of honey and succulent textures. It’s an intensely delicious sweet treat that’s aging gracefully and exotically. Email: kevin@riverbyestate.com to buy
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Hunter’s Kāho Roa Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017 $23.90 (4.5 stars)
Hunter’s Kāho Roa Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017 $23.90 Sourced from the clay-rich soils of their Omaka vineyard, the fruit for this sauvignon was crushed and the cloudy, high-solids juice poured directly into old French oak puncheons for a wild yeast (spontaneous) fermentation. The wine was then aged on its lees for 6 months before bottling, … Read More
Massena The Surly Muse Barossa Valley Viognier Marsanne 2017 $41.90 (5 stars)
If your muse is all ‘treat em mean, keep em keen’ then they’d best stay surly because this wine is ridiculously grin-inducing. The winemaking team at Massena are mad as cut snakes when it comes to creating crazy-good blends and this South Australian version of Rhone-style classic just explodes with happiness. Yellow-diamond in the glass, … Read More
Manincor Réserve della Contessa Terlano 2016 $40 (5 stars)
Imported by Oh So Pretty wines, here’s a beautifully dry and delicious blend of 60% pinot blanc, 30% chardonnay combined with 10% sauvignon blanc sourced mainly from Manincor’s vineyards in Terlan, with a teensy splash of fruit from Kaltern. Both of these areas are in Südtirol, Northern Italy, and it’s like you can taste the … Read More
Collaboration Wines Impression White (chardonnay) 2017 $27
Collaboration Wines Impression White (chardonnay) 2017 $27 Crafted by Julianne Brogden from 100% Mendoza-clone fruit sourced near Havelock North, this is one chardonnay that has elegance written all over it. The oak maturation regime meant subtle handling in older French oak for just 8 months, allowing the delicate white stonefruit to be the hero. Laced … Read More
The Lazy Dog Queensberry Central Otago Sweet On Chenin 2018
The Lazy Dog Queensberry Central Otago Sweet On Chenin 2018 A blend of late-picked Chenin Blanc and Gewurztraminer by Jeff Sinnott, at 70g/l residual sugar it’s definitely sweet, but it’s tangy fresh and balanced. I like the toffee apple and honey notes that combine with musky spices, lychee and grilled peach flavours on the finish. … Read More
The Lazy Dog Queensberry Central Otago Chenin Blanc 2017
The Lazy Dog Queensberry Central Otago Chenin Blanc 2017 $23 Crafted by winemaker Jeff Sinnott from Diana and Dean Harker from chenin blanc vines they’ve been growing since 2008. This is a dry, elegant style, packed to the eyeballs with lime and green apple, a hint (just a skerrick) of honeysuckle and loads and loads … Read More
Matahiwi Holly South Series Chardonnay 2017
Matahiwi Holly South Series Chardonnay 2017 $33 The Holly South Series Chardonnay is from the southern Chardonnay planting in the ‘home’ vineyard at Matahiwi, just outside of Masterton. The vines were planted back in 2013 but it took 3 years before they were ready to produce enough fruit to make into a wine. So this … Read More
Anchorage Nelson Riesling 2015
Anchorage Nelson Riesling 2015 $18 This wine is definitely on the dry side. In fact it’s so dry it’s practically skeletal if you like that sort of thing. I like the lime intensity on the nose, however the palate is just too mean and skinny for me personally. If you prefer your rieslings to exfoliate … Read More
Matahiwi Estate Wairarapa Pinot Gris 2018 $22.90 (4.5 stars)
I am head over heels with this wine. Not because I naturally have the hand-eye coordination of a one legged pirate with glaucoma and a bad case of OOS, but because the exotic, pear strudel and apple pie richness of this gris has seriously got me in its grip. White peach, soft spices and a … Read More