Posted: April 8, 2020
Finely balanced for early enjoyment, this vibrantly fruity wine was fermented and lees-aged in an even split of tanks and French oak barriques (25% new). It is fragrant and harmonious, with fresh, generous stonefruit flavours to the fore, lively acidity,…
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Elegant, very vibrant wine, mostly (75%) barrel-fermented. Fresh, citrusy, peachy flavours to the fore, with a subtle seasoning of oak, considerable complexity and a finely balanced, lingering finish. $24
Comments Off on Jackson Estate Shelter Belt Single Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay 2017 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Grown on Paewhenua Island, in the Far North, this lively wine has fresh, gently spicy aromas. Full of youthful vigour, it is weighty, with very good depth of pear, lychee and spice flavours and a finely textured, dryish finish. $25
Comments Off on Dancing Petrel Northland Pinot Gris 2019 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Drinking well from the start, this Far North rosé was blended from syrah and cabernet franc. Bright, light pink, it is fresh and full-bodied, with strong berry and spice flavours, a sliver of sweetness and a smooth, lively finish. $25
Comments Off on Dancing Petrel Mangonui Northland Rosé 2019 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Still very youthful, this is a fresh, vibrant, medium-bodied wine with good intensity of peachy, gently spicy flavours, lively acidity and a dry finish. Best drinking 2021+. $27
Comments Off on Church Road Gwen Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2019 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
This fragrant, light yellow/pale gold wine was fermented and lees-aged for nine months in French oak barriques. Full-bodied, it has strong, citrusy, slightly toasty and creamy flavours, fresh acidity and good complexity. Best drinking 2021+. $30 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Awatere River Marlborough Chardonnay 2017 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Bright pink, this fresh, floral rosé is a single-vineyard wine, hand-harvested at Gibbston. Full of drink-young charm, it is vivacious, with strong, vibrant, strawberry and spice flavours, crisp and harmonious. $28
Comments Off on Wild Earth Central Otago Pinot Noir Rosé 2019 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Fragrant, savoury, single-vineyard Bannockburn red, matured for a year in French oak barriques (25% new). Deep ruby, well-structured wine with fresh, youthful cherry, plum, spice and nut flavours, showing excellent ripeness and complexity. Best drinking 2021+. $40 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Wild Earth Central Otago Pinot Noir 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Punchy, very fresh and aromatic. Full-bodied and sweet-fruited, with penetrating tropical fruit and herbaceous flavours, lively acidity and a dry, lingering finish. $25 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Sileni Grand Reserve Straits Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2019 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Fresh, youthful and finely balanced wine, fermented and lees-aged for 10 months in French oak barriques. Fragrant, with concentrated, ripe stonefruit flavours, buttery and toasty notes adding complexity, good acid spine and obvious aging potential. $35
Comments Off on Sileni Grand Reserve Lodge Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
This regional blend is well worth cellaring. Partly (40%) barrel-fermented, it is scented, youthful and mouthfilling, with fresh, concentrated, pear-like flavours, revealing excellent delicacy and vibrancy, gentle spiciness, and a finely balanced finish. Best drinking 2021+. $27 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Maude Central Otago Pinot Gris 2019 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
This single-vineyard Bendigo red offers fine value. Barrel-aged for 10 months, it is bright ruby, with a fragrant, savoury bouquet. Mouthfilling, it is sweet-fruited, with rich cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing very good complexity and harmony, and a smooth…
Comments Off on Ballasalla Central Otago Pinot Noir 2017 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Deeply coloured, rich red, grown in the Bridge Pa Triangle and matured in French oak barriques. Mouthfilling, with concentrated, ripe, plummy, spicy flavours, seasoned with nutty oak, fine-grained tannins and impressive complexity. Still very fresh and youthful, it’s well worth…
Comments Off on Sileni Grand Reserve Triangle Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Richly fragrant, intense wine, hand-picked in the Riflemans Vineyard and fermented in French oak barrels (50% new). Finely poised, with fresh, ripe stonefruit flavours, lively acidity, and excellent complexity, vigour and harmony. Drink now or cellar. $35
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Wine Thief Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Finely scented, ruby hued red, hand-picked from vines planted in 1993, matured for 14 months in French oak barriques (30% new), and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Savoury, with impressive density of cherryish, plummy, spicy, nutty flavours, still fresh and youthful,…
Comments Off on Muddy Water Waipara Pinot Noir 2017 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Certified organic, this distinctive wine, from vines planted in 1993, was fermented and matured for 11 months in French oak puncheons. Bright, light yellow/green, it is full-bodied and sweet-fruited, with rich, vibrant stonefruit flavours, integrated oak, excellent complexity and lovely…
Comments Off on Muddy Water Waipara Chardonnay 2016 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Distinctly Mosel-like, this attractively scented wine was hand-harvested from mature vines and made in a medium-sweet style. Bright, light lemon/green, it is light and racy, with intense, lemony, appley flavours, lively acidity and a long finish. Best drinking 2022+. $32
Comments Off on Maude Mt Maude Vineyard East Block Wanaka Riesling 2019 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
This intense, youthful, racy wine is full of aging potential. From 25 year-old vines, it is medium-bodied, with deep, lemony, limey flavours, showing excellent delicacy and vigour, and a racy, dryish, lasting finish. Best 2022+. $32
Comments Off on Maude Mt Maude Vineyard Wanaka Dry Riesling 2019 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Classy, youthful red, hand-picked, barrel-aged, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Bright ruby, fresh and very refined, with strong cherry, plum, spice and nut flavours, finely balanced and long, and an attractively scented bouquet. $45
Comments Off on Folding Hill Bendigo Central Otago Pinot Noir 2016 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Estate-grown, this moderately youthful red is ruby hued, mouthfilling and sweet-fruited, with fresh cherry, spice and herb flavours, showing good depth, and a smooth finish. Drink 2020. $23
Comments Off on Yealands Reserve Marlborough Awatere Valley Pinot Noir 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Fresh, supple, ruby hued red, attractively scented, with very good depth of cherry, plum and spice flavours, lively acidity and considerable complexity. Priced right. $22 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Wither Hills Marlborough Pinot Noir 2017 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Drinking well now, but still unfolding, this ruby hued red is mouthfilling, with ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing very good depth and complexity, finely balanced tannins and a lingering finish. $28
Comments Off on Wither Hills Single Vineyard Taylor River Marlborough Pinot Noir 2016 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
From a relatively warm site at the base of the hills on the south side of the Wairau Valley, this age-worthy red was matured in French oak barriques (22% new). Bright ruby, it has strong, ripe cherry, plum and spice…
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 22 Barn Block Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
This fragrant red was estate-grown at Fairhall and matured in French oak barriques (24% new). Bright ruby, it is youthful, with very good depth of ripe, berryish, spicy flavours, savoury notes adding complexity and fine, supple tannins. Best drinking 2021+….
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 14 Doctor’s Creek Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
This powerful pinot noir was grown in the Eyrie Vineyard, in the lower Waihopai Valley, and barrique-aged for 11 months. Deeply coloured, it is fleshy, with ripe plum/spice flavours, fresh and strong. An age-worthy red, it should be at its…
Comments Off on Lake Chalice The Raptor Marlborough Pinot Noir 2017 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Offering good value, this fragrant red was hand-picked from mature vines, fermented with indigenous yeasts and barrel-aged (20% new). Ruby hued, it is mouthfilling and savoury, with ripe fruit flavours, good complexity and a smooth, harmonious finish. Best drinking 2021+….
Comments Off on Allan Scott [Black Label] Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Softly seductive, this ruby-hued red was grown in Benmorven Vineyard, west of Blenheim. Refined and supple, it has ripe cherry, plum, spice and nut flavours, good complexity and a well-rounded finish. Already delicious, it should be at its best 2021+….
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 23 Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
This highly attractive, single-vineyard red was grown in the Southern Valleys and matured for 10 months in French oak barriques (30% new). Ruby hued, it is fragrant, sweet-fruited and savoury, with youthful cherry, plum, spice and nut flavours, showing excellent…
Comments Off on Delta Hatters Hill Marlborough Pinot Noir 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Highly fragrant, deeply coloured red, hand-picked in the Southern Valleys and matured for 16 months in French oak barriques (30% new). Full-bodied and sweet-fruited, with deep cherry, plum and spice flavours, complex, savoury and long. Very ageworthy, but already delicious….
Comments Off on Greywacke Marlborough Pinot Noir 2017 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Offering good drinking through 2020, this estate-grown wine is pink/pale red, dryish and smooth, with strong, strawberryish, slightly spicy flavours, a touch of tannin, fresh acidity and a slightly creamy finish. $25
Comments Off on Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Marlborough Awatere Valley Pinot Noir Rosé 2019 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
This classy sparkling is a blend of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier, bottle-fermented and aged for over three years on its yeast lees. A distinctive, slightly broader style than most Champagnes, it has a fragrant, complex bouquet, leading into…
Comments Off on Hunter’s Miru Miru Reserve Marlborough Sparkling 2015 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Richly fragrant, honeyed bouquet. Already a lovely mouthful, with lush, sweet stonefruit flavours, enriched but not dominated by botrytis, an oily texture, and excellent depth and harmony. (375ml) $40
Comments Off on Yealands Estate Winemaker’s Reserve Marlborough Noble Awatere Valley Riesling 2019 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Worth cellaring, this estate-grown wine was blended from three aromatic varieties – pinot gris, riesling and gewürztraminer. It has a scented, gently spicy bouquet, leading into a full-bodied, finely balanced wine with an array of fresh fruit flavours – citrus…
Comments Off on Yealands Estate Single Vineyard P.G.R. Awatere Valley Pinot Gris Gewurztraminer Riesling 2019 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Perfumed, rich wine, estate-grown in the lower Awatere Valley. Full-bodied and intensely varietal, with concentrated, ripe, peachy, spicy flavours, gentle sweetness, a slightly oily texture and a fresh, long finish. Fine value. $22
Comments Off on Loveblock Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Light and lively, this wine was grown in the lower Brancott Valley and stop-fermented to make a medium-sweet style. Pale, it has strong, citrusy, peachy, slightly limey flavours and a sweetish, appetisingly crisp, very harmonious finish. Best drinking 2021+. $27…
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 9 Big John Marlborough Riesling 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Weighty, medium-sweet style, estate-grown in the lower Awatere Valley. Slightly honeyed bouquet, with generous, ripe, stonefruit flavours and a distinct splash of sweetness balanced by appetising acidity. Drink now or cellar. $22 (A)
Comments Off on Loveblock Marlborough Riesling 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
This highly approachable wine has a scented, gently honeyed bouquet, with peachy, slightly spicy and honeyed flavours, fresh and deep, and a well-rounded finish. A youthful, very harmonious style, it’s a drink-now or cellaring proposition. $30
Comments Off on Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Late Pick Marlborough Awatere Valley Riesling 2019 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Scented, rich, medium style, hand-picked at Fairhall, 50% barrel-fermented and fully barrel-aged for four months. Weighty, with generous, ripe, peachy, citrusy flavours, gentle sweetness, balanced acidity, and excellent delicacy and length. Well worth cellaring, but already delicious. $31 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Greywacke Marlborough Riesling 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
This single-vineyard, Awatere Valley wine is mouthfilling, with crisp, vibrant, pear-like flavours, showing good delicacy, gentle spicy notes, youthful drive and a crisp, dryish finish. Best drinking mid-2020+. $26
Comments Off on Wither Hills Cellar Selection Marlborough Pinot Gris 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Certified organic, this estate-grown, Awatere Valley wine is full-bodied and youthful, with strong pear and spice flavours, fresh acidity and a dryish, persistent finish. Open mid-2020+. $22 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Loveblock Marlborough Pinot Gris 2019 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Deliciously rich, Alsace style of pinot gris, hand-picked, mostly fermented with indigenous yeasts in old French oak barriques, and lees-aged for a year. Attractively scented, weighty wine, with concentrated peach, pear and spice flavours, excellent complexity and an off-dry, very…
Comments Off on Greywacke Marlborough Pinot Gris 2017 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
This is a rare wine – only 1050 bottles were produced. Fresh and dry, it is medium to full-bodied, with citrusy, slightly peachy and leesy flavours, finely balanced acidity, a distinct touch of complexity, and very good texture, harmony and…
Comments Off on Wither Hills Cellar Selection Unoaked Marlborough Chardonnay 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Fresh, full-bodied and dry, with complexity from fermentation and maturation for 10 months in French oak puncheons. Citrusy, peachy, gently biscuity flavours, with very good vigour and a lingering finish. Well worth cellaring. $25 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Hunter’s Marlborough Chardonnay 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Unfolding well, this rich, smooth wine was hand-picked in the Wairau Valley and fermented and aged for eight months in French oak puncheons. Mouthfilling, it has strong, ripe stonefruit flavours, gently seasoned with toasty oak, a hint of butterscotch and…
Comments Off on Allan Scott [Black Label] Marlborough Chardonnay 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Already delicious, this hand-picked, barrel-fermented wine is rich and well-rounded. Full-bodied, it has very good intensity of ripe stonefruit flavours, integrated oak, good complexity and a long, smooth finish. (A) $26
Comments Off on Wither Hills Single Vineyard Benmorven Marlborough Chardonnay 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
This youthful, barrel-fermented wine was grown mostly in the Omaka Valley. Full-bodied, it has strong, peachy, slightly toasty flavours, fresh acidity and a lingering, creamy-textured, very harmonious finish. Best drinking 2021+. $38 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Saint Clair Omaka Reserve Marlborough Chardonnay 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Offering fine value, this attractive wine was grown mostly in the central Wairau Valley, barrel-fermented with indigenous yeasts and wood-aged for 10 months. Bright, light lemon/green, it is fragrant, fresh and vibrant, with strong, citrusy, peachy, gently biscuity flavours, showing…
Comments Off on Lake Chalice The Raptor Marlborough Chardonnay 2018 / 0 View / April 8, 2020
Posted: April 8, 2020
Elegant, tightly structured, very ageworthy wine, hand-harvested and oak-aged for 18 months (French barriques, 12% new). Complex, slightly smoky bouquet. Mouthfilling, with ripe, peachy, slightly toasty flavours, strong and youthful. Best drinking 2021+. $43 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Greywacke Marlborough Chardonnay 2016 / 0 View / April 8, 2020