Posted: June 16, 2017
Mouthfilling, tightly structured and youthful, with crisp, ripe passionfruit/lime flavours and firm acid spine. Best drinking mid-2015+.
Comments Off on Charles Wiffen Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Fruit-driven style, partly barrel-matured, with mouthfilling body and vibrant peach, pear and lychee flavours, slightly toasty and nutty. Best drinking mid-2015+.
Comments Off on Cable Bay Waiheke Island Viognier 2014 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Bright pink/pale red field blend of syrah (70%) and chambourcin (30%). Mouthfilling, with red berry and spice flavours, fresh and vibrant, and a tightly structured, dryish finish. Good drinking this summer.
Comments Off on Byrne Northland Rosé 2014 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Bold, ‘upfront’ style from Northland with mouthfilling body and strong, peachy, toasty, slightly buttery flavours. Drinking well now.
Comments Off on Bent Duck Bay of Islands Chardonnay 2012 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Pale pink rosé, made from pinot gris juice, held on the skins for four days. Freshly scented and full-bodied, with good depth of peach and slight apricot flavours and a well-rounded finish. Certified organic.
Comments Off on Aurum Central Otago Rosé 2014 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Bright, light pink. Mouthfilling, fresh, dryish and smooth, with berry, spice and slight apricot flavours, showing a touch of complexity.
Comments Off on Alexander Raumati Martinborough Pinot Noir Rosé 2014 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Dryish style from Alexandra with very satisfying depth of citrusy, slightly appley and spicy flavours, showing excellent freshness and vigour. Good drinking this year.
Comments Off on 8 Ranges Tussock Ridge Central Otago Pinot Gris 2014 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Bright pink, floral, mouthfilling, vibrantly fruity rosé, made from pinot noir. Delicious watermelon and spice flavours, with a sliver of sweetness, balanced acidity and loads of drink-young charm.
Comments Off on Wooing Tree Central Otago Rosé 2014 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Deep ruby, with an invitingly scented bouquet. Fruit-packed and supple, with fresh, strong cherry and plum flavours to the fore, a gentle seasoning of oak, and plenty of drink-young appeal.
Comments Off on Wooing Tree Beetle Juice Central Otago Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Mouthfilling, with fresh, ripe passionfruit and lime flavours, crisp, dry and finely balanced, and very good vigour and depth. Sweet-fruited, youthful, distinctly Wairau Valley style, probably at its best mid-2015+. Certified organic.
Comments Off on Walnut Block Nutcracker Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Mouthfilling, sweet-fruited and savoury, with generous cherry, plum and spice flavours, good complexity and a supple, finely textured finish. Already drinking well.
Comments Off on Walnut Block Nutcracker Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Youthful, single-vineyard Wairau Valley wine, fully barrel-fermented. Mouthfilling, slightly toasty and buttery, with strong grapefruit and peach flavours, fresh acidity and very good depth and potential. Certified organic.
Comments Off on Walnut Block Nutcracker Marlborough Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Vibrant, full-coloured blend of cabernet sauvignon (40%), merlot (30%) and cabernet franc (29%), with a splash of petit verdot. Youthful and finely textured, with fresh, strong blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, ripe, supple tannins and good complexity. Open 2016+.
Comments Off on Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels The Gimblett Riesling 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Ripely scented, generous, medium style with passionfruit, lemon and lime flavours and moderate acidity. Forward, ripe and rounded. Delicious young.
Comments Off on Palliser Estate Martinborough Riesling 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Weighty wine with peachy, citrusy flavours, hints of ginger and spice, and good concentration and vigour. Youthful, off-dry style, for drinking now or cellaring.
Comments Off on Palliser Estate Martinborough Pinot Gris 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Mouthfilling, ripely herbaceous style, showing some oak complexity (25% barrel-fermented.) Fresh and full-bodied, with very good depth of melon/lime flavours, subtle oak/lees-aging notes and a lingering finish. Good ‘food’ wine.
Comments Off on Vineyard Terrace Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Delicious now, this is a single vineyard, Te Awanga blend of pinot gris, viognier and gewürztraminer. The bouquet is gently spicy; the palate mouthfilling, with strong, ripe, peachy, spicy flavours and an off-dry finish. Very user-friendly.
Comments Off on Elephant Hill Le Phant Blanc Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Fleshy and mouthfilling, with generous stonefruit and pear flavours, a touch of complexity and a dryish, slightly spicy, finely textured finish. Drink now or cellar.
Comments Off on Domain Road Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Gris 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Weighty, fully dry style with youthful, ripe stonefruit flavours and hints of pears and spices. Rich, finely textured wine, already drinking well.
Comments Off on Craggy Range Te Muna Road Vineyard Martinborough Pinot Gris 2014 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Very pale pink blend of merlot (principally) and syrah, fermented to full dryness in old French oak barrels. ‘Serious’ style, mouthfilling, with peachy, spicy flavours, hints of strawberry and apricot, and good complexity. Best drinking mid-2015+.
Comments Off on Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2014 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Sophisticated, sweet-fruited wine with melon, lime and slight passionfruit flavours, a touch of complexity (6% barrel-fermented), and a crisp, dry, lingering finish.
Comments Off on Catalina Sounds Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Scented, mouthfilling, harmonious wine with ripe peach, pear and spice flavours, showing very good delicacy and depth, and a dry, smoothly textured finish. Drink now or cellar.
Comments Off on Catalina Sounds Marlborough Pinot Gris 2014 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Deeply coloured and mouthfilling, with generous, ripe, plum and black pepper flavours. Good varietal character, with savoury notes adding complexity (16 months in French oak) and supple tannins. Best drinking 2016+.
Comments Off on Cable Bay Waiheke Island Syrah 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Full-coloured, with a fresh, spicy bouquet, strong plum/spice flavours and oak-matured complexity. Refined, savoury and lingering, with good cellaring potential.
Comments Off on Cable Bay Five Hills Waiheke Island Merlot Malbec 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Buttery, sweetly oaked bouquet, leading into a full-bodied, softly structured Northland wine with concentrated, citrusy, peachy, toasty flavours. Upfront style, already drinking well but still developing.
Comments Off on Bent Duck Bay of Islands Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Pale pink sparkling, blended from Central Otago pinot gris and pinot noir, and disgorged after three years on its yeast lees. Mouthfilling and dryish, with good complexity, vigour and intensity of berryish, gently spicy and yeasty flavours.
Comments Off on Aurum Vintage Rosé 2011 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Deep, youthful colour. Mouthfilling and supple, with strong, vibrant blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, well integrated oak (French and American) and good complexity. Generous red, maturing gracefully.
Comments Off on Alexander Martinborough Merlot 2011 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Ruby hued, sweet-fruited red with cherry, plum and spice flavours. Savoury and nutty, with good complexity (15 months in French oak barriques) and ripe, finely balanced tannins. Drink now or cellar. Fine value.
Comments Off on Alexander Dusty Road Martinborough Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Instantly appealing, bright pink wine, grown at Alexandra. Very fresh, crisp and lively, with vivacious strawberry and spice flavours, a sliver of sweetness and finely balanced acidity. Delicious drinking this summer.
Comments Off on 8 Ranges Tussock Ridge Central Otago Pinot Rosé 2014 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Powerful, dark, purple-flushed red, still very youthful. Full-bodied, with a strong surge of plummy, spicy flavour, woven with fresh acidity, fine-grained tannins and obvious cellaring potential. Open 2016+.
Comments Off on Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Perfumed and weighty, with concentrated, ripe lychee, pear and spice flavours, showing excellent delicacy and richness. Youthful and slightly gingery, with fractional sweetness, an oily texture and good potential. Best drinking 2016+.
Comments Off on Villa Maria Single Vineyard Ihumatao Auckland Gewurztraminer 2014 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Deeply coloured, with a fragrant bouquet of ripe plums and spices. Still very youthful, with vibrant blackcurrant and black pepper flavours, showing excellent concentration, well-integrated oak and fine-grained tannins. Best drinking 2016+.
Comments Off on Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
This is one of New Zealand’s first marsannes (blended with 31% viognier.) Fleshy and sweet-fruited, it is weighty and savoury, with concentrated stonefruit flavours, slightly buttery and nutty, and good complexity. Drink now or cellar.
Comments Off on Trinity Hills Gimblett Gravels Marsanne Viognier 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Classy Matakana red, blended from cabernet franc (60%), merlot (35%) and carmenere (5%). Full-coloured, savoury and earthy, with distinct overtones of Bordeaux. Sweet-fruited, with excellent concentration and complexity. Already delicious and well-priced.
Comments Off on Sculptureum The Rodin Blend Syrah 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Boldly coloured Matakana red, fragrant, fresh and full-bodied. Strongly varietal, with concentrated plum and black pepper flavours, slightly earthy notes adding complexity and balanced tannins. Ageworthy red, offering fine value.
Comments Off on Sculptureum Cezanne Syrah 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Deeply coloured, with a fragrant, ripe, savoury bouquet. Sweet-fruited and supple, with cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing excellent complexity and harmony. A top vintage. (From Palliser Estate.)
Comments Off on Pencarrow Martinborough Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Very graceful red, grown at several sites, including Mount Maude Vineyard at Wanaka. Deep ruby, perfumed and silky, with rich cherry and plum flavours, oak complexity and excellent depth and harmony. Best drinking 2016+.
Comments Off on Maude Central Otago Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Deep, bright ruby. Enticingly floral, with vibrant cherry, plum and spice flavours, good concentration and a subtle seasoning of oak (French, 18% new.) Savoury, youthful wine, already delicious, but likely to be at its best 2016+.
Comments Off on Lowburn Ferry Skeleton Creek Central Otago Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Deeply coloured blend, grown in the Gimblett Gravels and the Bridge Pa Triangle. Powerful young red with fresh, ripe, concentrated plum/spice flavours, hints of dark chocolate and nuts, and good tannin backbone. Well worth cellaring to 2017+.
Comments Off on Elephant Hill Merlot Malbec Cabernet Franc Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Delicious drinking from now onwards, this is a full-bodied, sweet-fruited wine with strong, citrusy, peachy flavours, hints of butter and toast, finely integrated oak and good weight, texture and harmony. Fine value.
Comments Off on Charles Wiffen Marlborough Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Full-bodied, with rich, ripe stonefruit flavours and mealy, slightly buttery notes adding complexity. Powerful, concentrated wine, youthful and well worth cellaring.
Comments Off on Cable Bay Waiheke Island Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Deeply coloured, very youthful red with highly concentrated blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, showing excellent ripeness and varietal definition. Elegant, with fine-grained tannins and good cellaring potential. Fine value.
Comments Off on Byrne Northland Syrah 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Deep ruby, fragrant red with concentrated, ripe plum, spice, dried herb and nut flavours, woven with fresh acidity. Savoury and complex, with excellent harmony and a long finish.
Comments Off on Brennan Gibbston Central Otago Pinot Noir 2011 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Distinctive, bone-dry style from Central Otago chardonnay, disgorged after six years on lees. Crisp and zesty, with good intensity of lively, citrusy flavour, yeasty and toasty notes adding complexity, and excellent vigour and length.
Comments Off on Aurum Vintage Blanc de Blanc 2008 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Highly fragrant, densely coloured red, grown in the Gimblett Gravels. Very concentrated, youthful and silky-textured, with vibrant plum and black pepper flavours, a hint of licorice, finely integrated oak, and notable depth and complexity. Still a baby; open 2017+.
Comments Off on Villa Maria Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Bold, youthful hue. Refined and rich, with beautifully ripe blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, supple tannins, savoury, earthy, nutty notes adding complexity, and excellent harmony. Classy, classic young merlot, likely to be long-lived.
Comments Off on Villa Maria Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Powerful, very youthful blend of cabernet sauvignon (75%) and merlot (25%). Deeply coloured, with vibrant, well-ripened blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, nutty, concentrated and firmly structured. A ‘serious’ wine with long-term cellaring potential.
Comments Off on Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Bold, purple-flushed red, grown in the Gimblett Gravels (60%) and Bridge Pa Triangle (40%). Dense and ripe, with richly varietal, blackcurrant and spice flavours, a savoury, nutty complexity (from 17 months in French oak barriques, 30% new), and good tannin…
Comments Off on Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017
Posted: June 16, 2017
Very refined, with a highly fragrant bouquet, showing indigenous yeast complexity and biscuity oak. Youthful, with concentrated , very ripe, grapefruit-like flavours, a gentle seasoning of French oak and a finely textured, rich, rounded finish. Already delicious.
Comments Off on Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / June 16, 2017