Posted: April 26, 2017
A very young tight, lighter style. Not a big wine but well balanced with some ageing potential. 3-5
Comments Off on Hungerford Hill Hunter Valley Semillon 2015 / 0 View / April 26, 2017
Posted: April 26, 2017
A riper, punter friendly, style of semillon showing good varietal characters, crunchy acid and with the potential to age well. 5+
Comments Off on Tempus Two Hunter Valley Semillon 2015 / 0 View / April 26, 2017
Posted: April 26, 2017
A very youthful semillon style with pale lemon hues. Tight lime/green apple aromas and a tightly structured palate with lovely length of varietal flavours showing through.
Comments Off on Brokenwood Hunter Valley Semillon 2015 / 0 View / April 26, 2017
Posted: April 26, 2017
Tight lifted mineral/lime aromas. Tight palate structure, good line of acid and hints of the fruit power yet to come. 5+
Comments Off on Gartelmann Benjamin Hunter Valley Semillon 2015 / 0 View / April 26, 2017
Posted: April 26, 2017
Rich and powerful with tones of rich golden varietal fruit ; lots of character, lots of appeal.
Comments Off on Topper’s Mountain New England Gewurztraminer 2013 / 0 View / April 26, 2017
Posted: April 26, 2017
Lovely nose – smells like a rose garden with spicy lychee nuances. Gentle fruit flavours on a dry style of palate. Firm on the finish.
Comments Off on Topper’s Mountain New England Gewurztraminer 2014 / 0 View / April 26, 2017
Posted: April 26, 2017
Lovely fragrances of rose petals with an herbaceous lift. Palate powerfully fruity with nice texture and good length of crisp acidity. Good drinking now but also plenty of cellaring potential. 5+
Comments Off on Topper’s Mountain Barrel Ferment New England Gewurztraminer 2014 / 0 View / April 26, 2017
Posted: April 26, 2017
Some honeyed/kero age obvious on the nose with a lovely balance of lime flavours and minerally elements. Good drinking.
Comments Off on Pokolbin Estate Hunter Valley Riesling 2013 / 0 View / April 26, 2017
Posted: April 26, 2017
“Very different”, said one judge. Lots of pleasant surprises here. Creamy texture, peachy fruit and slight grippy oak. Fume style.
Comments Off on Topper’s Mountain Barrel Ferment New England Riesling 2013 / 0 View / April 26, 2017
Posted: April 26, 2017
Lifted tropical nose; some citrus. Big, fat and flavoursome in the mouth. Old school style.
Comments Off on Topper’s Mountain Bricolage Blanc New England Sauvignon Blanc 2013 / 0 View / April 26, 2017
Posted: April 26, 2017
A very balanced wine with light green edge to the nose. Semillon fruit dominates the palate.
Comments Off on James Estate Reserve Fume Hunter Valley Semillon Sauvignon Blanc 2012 / 0 View / April 26, 2017
Posted: April 26, 2017
Intense gooseberry/passionfruit bouquet. Surprisingly rich and soft in the mouth. Drink now.
Comments Off on Topper’s Mountain Barrel Aged New England Sauvignon Blanc 2014 / 0 View / April 26, 2017
Posted: April 26, 2017
Fragrances of rose petals with a dash of herbs and powerful varietal flavours. Very Italian.
Comments Off on Mistletoe Hunter Valley Fiano 2014 / 0 View / April 26, 2017
Posted: April 26, 2017
Smoky fruit aromas; some figgy nuances. Slightly honeyed, well textured, palate with good varietal characters. 5+
Comments Off on Mistletoe Hunter Valley Verdelho 2014 / 0 View / April 26, 2017
Posted: April 26, 2017
Light lift of gooseberries and melons aromas. Some fruit on the slightly sweet palate. 3-5
Comments Off on Hungerford Hill Hunter Valley Verdelho 2015 / 0 View / April 26, 2017
Posted: April 26, 2017
Hints of figs and dates on the nose. Palate light and simple; needs time to evolve. 3-5
Comments Off on Tempus Two Copper Series Hunter Valley Verdelho 2015 / 0 View / April 26, 2017
Posted: April 26, 2017
Light lifted perfumed green apple fragrances with a lively crisp apple palate.
Comments Off on Gartelmann Blanc de Blancs Hunter Valley Sparkling Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 26, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Mouthfilling and fleshy, this single-vineyard wine has satisfying depth of ripe, passionfruit and lime flavours, in a smooth, easy-drinking style. Ready. $22 (UK)
Comments Off on Mount Brown Estates Waipara Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2016 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Floral and supple, this is a drink-young charmer. Bright ruby, it has good depth of vibrant cherry, plum, herb and spice flavours, a touch of complexity and gentle tannins. (From Pernod Ricard NZ). $25
Comments Off on The Last Shepherd Central Otago Pinot Noir 2016 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
From a one-hectare site and partly barrel-fermented, this weighty, dry wine is drinking well now. Light lemon/green, it is mouthfilling, with fresh acidity woven through its citrusy, slightly minerally flavours. Good food wine. $22
Comments Off on The Cherry Orchard Single Vineyard Central Otago Bannockburn Pinot Gris 2014 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Still very youthful, this is a deep ruby red, medium-bodied, floral and supple. Barrel-aged for 20 months, it is vibrant and smooth, with fresh acidity and plenty of plummy, gently spicy flavour. Best drinking 2018+. $35 (UK)
Comments Off on Spy Valley Marlborough Syrah 2014 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Smooth, easy-drinking style, estate-grown in the Gimblett Gravels. Full-coloured, with fresh, berryish, plummy flavours, some earthy notes, gentle tannins and good depth. Drink now or cellar. $38
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2015 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Finely balanced for early drinking, this is a fresh, mouthfilling, moderately complex wine with a slightly creamy texture and generous, citrusy, slightly peachy and toasty flavours. $21
Comments Off on Saint Clair Marlborough Chardonnay 2016 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
From sites in the lower Wairau Valley, this is an easy-drinking, medium-bodied wine, with ripe, tropical fruit flavours to the fore, some herbaceous notes, and a dry, crisp finish. $24
Comments Off on Saint Clair James Sinclair Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Building up well with bottle age, this is a fleshy, creamy-textured wine with generous peach, pear and lychee flavours, balanced acidity and a gently spicy, dryish finish. $24
Comments Off on Saint Clair James Sinclair Marlborough Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Full of drink-young charm, this finely poised, ruby-hued red was matured for nine months in French oak casks (22% new). Fresh and smooth, it is vibrantly fruity, with good depth of plum, spice and herb flavours and a gentle seasoning…
Comments Off on Mount Brown Estates Waipara Valley Pinot Noir 2016 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Drinking well already, this fresh, lively red was grown at Rapaura and barrel-aged. Bright ruby, it is full-bodied, with ripe, plummy, spicy flavours, nutty and savoury notes adding complexity, and a smooth finish. $26
Comments Off on Map Maker Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Estate-grown in the Southern Valleys, this is a fresh, full-bodied wine with slightly creamy notes and vibrant, peachy, spicy, dryish flavours that linger well. $25
Comments Off on Lake Chalice The Raptor Marlborough Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
From a coastal site at Te Awanga, this is a medium-bodied, slightly minerally wine with fresh acidity, lively passionfruit, apple and green capsicum flavours, and an appetisingly crisp, dry finish. Drink this year. $22 (UK)
Comments Off on Elephant Hill Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Drinking well now, this single-vineyard, Awatere Valley red was hand-harvested and barrel-aged for a year. Ruby hued, with a hint of maturity, it has a fragrant, slightly leafy bouquet. Mouthfilling and supple, with plum and dried herb flavours, it shows…
Comments Off on Clos Marguerite Marlborough Pinot Noir 2012 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Still youthful, this generous red was hand-harvested at Bannockburn and matured for a year in French oak barriques (29% new). Bright ruby, it is fragrant and sturdy (14.5% alc/vol), with fresh acidity woven through its vibrant cherry, plum and spice…
Comments Off on Wild Earth Central Otago Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Still unfolding, this organically certified red was hand-harvested, fermented with indigenous yeasts and bottled unfiltered. Freshly scented, it is floral, full-bodied and supple, with strong, youthful cherry and plum flavours, oak complexity and obvious potential; open mid-2018+. $40 (UK)
Comments Off on Walnut Block Nutcracker Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Drinking well now, this is a strongly varietal, medium style with very good depth of citrusy, slightly toasty flavours, bottle-aged complexity and a lingering finish. $22
Comments Off on The Cherry Orchard Single Vineyard Central Otago Bannockburn Riesling 2013 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Estate-grown and matured for 10 months in old oak barrels, this elegant, ‘feminine’ style of pinot noir is maturing gracefully. Plummy and cherryish, with fresh acidity, it is a strongly varietal, medium-bodied, supple red, with savoury notes adding complexity. Drink…
Comments Off on The Cherry Orchard Single Vineyard Central Otago Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Delicious young, this single-vineyard wine was matured on its yeast lees. Pale straw, it is full-bodied (14.5% alc/vol), with gentle sweetness and peachy, spicy, slightly gingery flavours, vaguely honeyed, fresh and strong. $28
Comments Off on Stoneleigh Rapaura Series Marlborough Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Fragrant, lively, pinot noir-based rosé, grown at Rapaura, in the Wairau Valley. Bright, light pink, with fresh, strong peach, strawberry and spice flavours, finely balanced, dryish and lingering. $23
Comments Off on Stoneleigh Latitude Marlborough Rosé 2016 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Mouthfilling and sweet-fruited, this youthful red was grown at Rapaura, hand-harvested and matured for 18 months in French oak barriques (25% new). Well worth cellaring, it has ripe, cherryish, plummy, slightly nutty flavours, gentle tannins, balanced acidity and very good…
Comments Off on Staete Landt State of Grace Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Hard to resist right now, this light gold dessert wine was hand-picked at 34 brix, with a noble rot infection, and partly barrel-fermented. Rich and smooth, it is seductively sweet, with strong, peachy, honeyed flavours. $24
Comments Off on Spy Valley Iced (375ml) Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Maturing well, this deeply coloured red was matured for nine months in French oak barriques (25% new). Mouthfilling and smooth, it is ripe and savoury, with gentle tannins and strong, plummy, spicy flavours, showing good complexity and harmony. Drink now-2020….
Comments Off on Sileni The Peak Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
This distinctive, dry wine was hand-picked and fermented in an even split of tanks and old oak barrels. Light lemon/green, it is mouthfilling, with vibrant, peachy flavours, showing good richness, balanced acidity, and the subtle oak influence giving a distinct…
Comments Off on Sileni Estate Selection Priestess Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Forward in its appeal, but still youthful, this deeply coloured red is full-bodied (15% alc/vol), with gentle tannins, strong, ripe plum and spice flavours, hints of coffee and licorice, and a seasoning of sweet oak (French and American, 40% new)….
Comments Off on Sileni Estate Selection Cut Cane Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2015 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Deeply coloured Hawke’s Bay red, mouthfilling, very fresh and smooth, with strong, ripe, plummy, slightly spicy and nutty flavours, and gentle tannins. Delicious young. $38
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Gimblett Gravels Merlot 2015 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Deeply coloured, with generous, fresh berry, plum, spice and herb flavours, seasoned with sweet oak, and gentle tannins. Already drinking well. $38
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot 2015 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Still very youthful, this mouthfilling, tightly structured wine was grown in the Omaka Valley. Pale lemon/green, it has fresh, generous, peachy, slightly spicy flavours, good drive through the palate and a dry, lengthy finish. Best drinking 2018+. $27
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 5 Bull Block Marlborough Gruner Veltliner 2015 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Grown in the Southern Valleys, this is a deep ruby, full-bodied, sweet-fruited red, with strong, ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, a hint of dried herbs, and good complexity. It’s still very youthful; open 2018+. $28
Comments Off on Saint Clair James Sinclair Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Maturing well, this is a mouthfilling, fruit-driven, creamy-textured wine, estate-grown in the Gimblett Gravels, with vibrant, peachy, slightly spicy flavours, lively, dry and smooth. Ready; no rush. $21
Comments Off on Saint Clair Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2015 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
This limited release (five barrels) was fermented and lees-aged for 15 months in seasoned oak barriques. Fleshy and smoothly textured, it is mouthfilling, with ripe, tropical fruit flavours, slightly spicy and nutty, a strong seasoning of oak and obvious potential;…
Comments Off on Saint Clair Barrique Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
This fleshy, generous was grown in the elevated Riflemans Vineyard and barrel-fermented. Bright, light lemon/green, it is full-bodied, with fresh, strong, peachy, slightly buttery and toasty flavours, and a well-rounded finish. Already approachable, it should be at its best 2018+….
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Halo Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2016 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
From mature, very low-cropped (3 tonnes/ha) vines at Kina, this is a full-bodied and generous red, drinking well now. Matured in one to two year-old French oak barriques, it is deeply coloured, with ripe, plummy, spicy flavours, a hint of…
Comments Off on Renato Nelson Merlot 2014 / 0 View / April 20, 2017
Posted: April 20, 2017
Forward in its appeal, this late-picked, medium style has a scented, slightly honeyed bouquet. Citrusy, with moderate acidity, it is full-flavoured, with a vague hint of botrytis and very good balance and depth. $23
Comments Off on Mount Brown Estates Grand Reserve Waipara Valley Riesling 2016 / 0 View / April 20, 2017