Posted: April 19, 2017
Subtle tropical fragrances with some limes and lemons. Well structured palate with intense green melon flavours.
Comments Off on Brygon Reserve Bin 848 Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc 2016 / 0 View / April 19, 2017
Posted: April 19, 2017
Pungent tropical notes on the nose leading to a lovely elegant palate with lots of flavour, some sweetness and lively acidity that gives the wine plenty of length.
Comments Off on Vinaceous Divine Light Margaret River Sauvignon Blanc 2016 / 0 View / April 19, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Enjoyable young, this full-bodied, well-rounded wine was given a full, softening malolactic fermentation. The bouquet is creamy; the palate peachy, slightly nutty and buttery, in a fresh, moderately complex style, ready to roll. $23 (US)
Comments Off on Tiki Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Enjoyable young, this is a ruby hued, freshly scented red, with ripe cherry/plum flavours, spicy and nutty notes adding a touch of complexity, gentle tannins and a smooth finish. $25
Comments Off on The Last Shepherd Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Light and lively, this sweet wine was made from grapes grown in Gisborne. Pale and soft, it has peachy, slightly limey flavours, showing good delicacy, purity and freshness. Already enjoyable. $20
Comments Off on Marsden Bay of Islands 375 ml Late Harvest Muscat 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Weighty and sweet-fruited, this ruby-hued red is full-bodied, with ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing considerable complexity, and a smooth finish. Best drinking 2017+. Certified organic. $29 (UK, US)
Comments Off on Walnut Block Collectables Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Priced right, this is a youthful, ruby-hued red, mouthfilling and supple, with fresh, ripe plum, red berry and spice flavours, showing very good depth. Enjoyable young, it should be at its best mid-2017+. $27
Comments Off on Toi Toi Clutha Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Finely balanced for easy drinking, this bright pink, full-bodied wine has generous red berry, strawberry and spice flavours, strong, fresh and smooth. $23 (US)
Comments Off on Tiki Estate Marlborough Pinot Noir Rosé 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This full-coloured Northland red was French oak-aged for 18 months. Fresh and youthful, it has good depth of plummy, spicy flavours, showing some complexity, and a smooth finish. Fragrant, generous and supple, it’s worth cellaring. $30
Comments Off on Marsden Bay of Islands The Winemaker’s Daughter Merlot 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Bright pink, this merlot-based rosé is fresh, medium-bodied and smooth, with strawberry and peach flavours, a sliver of sweetness, and very good delicacy, depth and sheer drinkability. $20
Comments Off on Marsden Bay of Islands Rosé 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Crisp and dry, this Wairau Valley wine is strongly varietal, with good depth of fresh, ripely herbaceous flavours, lively and tangy. $21
Comments Off on Hunter’s Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Light pink, this is a refreshing, medium-bodied wine with delicate peach, strawberry and spice flavours, very fresh and vibrant, and a fully dry finish. $20
Comments Off on Hunter’s Rosé Marlborough Pinot Noir 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Showing considerable complexity, this ruby-hued red was matured for 10 months in French oak casks. Savoury, spicy and nutty, it is moderately concentrated, with a touch of maturity. Best drinking mid-2017+. $29
Comments Off on Hunter’s Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This crisp, medium-bodied, freshly aromatic wine was estate-grown at Te Awanga. Showing a touch of bottle-aged complexity, it is strongly varietal, with ripely herbaceous flavours and a dry, lengthy finish. $22
Comments Off on Elephant Hill Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Certified organic, this full-bodied, ripely flavoured wine is already drinking well. Grown in the Wairau Valley, it has tropical fruit characters to the fore, finely balanced, crisp, dry and strong. $20 (UK, US)
Comments Off on Walnut Block Collectables Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Mouthfilling and generous, this dryish wine is weighty and finely textured, with very good depth of ripe, peachy, citrusy, slightly spicy and gingery flavours, showing a touch of complexity, and a well-rounded finish. $22
Comments Off on Toi Toi Brookdale Reserve Marlborough Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Enjoyable from the start, but worth cellaring, this is a full-bodied, sweet-fruited wine with strong, vibrant, citrusy, peachy flavours to the fore, a subtle seasoning of oak adding complexity, and a finely textured finish. $25
Comments Off on The Last Shepherd Gisborne Chardonnay 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fragrant, mouthfilling and supple, this North Canterbury wine was hand-picked, fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured for a year in French oak casks. Full ruby, it is youthful, with strong, plummy, spicy flavours, gentle tannins, savoury notes adding complexity and…
Comments Off on Terrace Edge Waipara Valley Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh and youthful, this mouthfilling wine has a fragrant, slightly buttery bouquet. Estate-grown on the coast, hand-harvested and barrel-fermented, it has strong, ripe, peachy flavours, woven with fresh acidity, finely integrated oak, and very good depth. Best drinking mid-2017+. $25
Comments Off on Renato Nelson Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This graceful, supple red was estate-grown at Bendigo and matured in French oak hogsheads (27 per cent new). Ruby hued, it has fresh, cherryish, plummy and spicy flavours, woven with lively acidity, and a hint of dried herbs, in a…
Comments Off on Misha’s Vineyard The High Note Central Otago Pinot Noir 2012 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Drinking well now, but still developing, this is a fresh, mouthfilling wine with a fragrant, slightly spicy bouquet. It has ripe, citrusy, peachy, distinctly spicy flavours, gentle sweetness, balanced acidity and good intensity. $25
Comments Off on Marsden Bay of Islands Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
From one of the most highly rated French hybrids, this fresh, densely coloured Northland red is sturdy, with concentrated, plummy, spicy flavours and gentle tannins. Barrel-aged for 16 months, it is rich and smooth, with current-drinking appeal. $20
Comments Off on Marsden Bay of Islands Chambourcin 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Certified organic, this is a full-bodied, dry wine with a fresh, ripely aromatic bouquet. It has vibrant tropical fruit and green capsicum-like flavours, leesy notes adding a touch of complexity, and good weight, vigour and length. $25 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Loveblock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Still very youthful, this is a tightly structured, dryish wine, estate-grown at Rapaura. Lively and tangy, it has citrusy, slightly spicy flavours, showing good intensity, and obvious potential; best drinking 2018+. $20
Comments Off on Hunter’s Marlborough Riesling 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Perfumed and spicy, this is a full-bodied wine, strongly varietal, with fresh, youthful lychee, pear and spice flavours, showing excellent depth. A fleshy, medium style, it’s enjoyable from the start. $25
Comments Off on Hunter’s Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This scented, mouthfilling wine was estate-grown at Te Awanga, hand-picked and fermented in tanks and old barriques. Already enjoyable, it’s a very harmonious wine, with generous pear, lychee and spice flavours, showing a touch of complexity, and an off-dry, smooth…
Comments Off on Elephant Hill Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
From one vintage to the next, this is great value. Fragrant and fleshy, it is mouthfilling, with generous, peachy, slightly buttery and toasty flavours, barrel-ferment complexity and a well-rounded finish. Showing excellent depth and harmony, it’s a drink-now or cellaring…
Comments Off on Church Road Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This youthful, graceful red is a single-vineyard wine, grown at Bannockburn. Ruby hued, it is mouthfilling and supple, with very good depth of vibrant cherry, plum and spice flavours, and savoury notes adding complexity. Best drinking 2018+. $39
Comments Off on Black Quail Estate Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This powerful, ageworthy red was hand-picked and matured in French oak casks (25% new). Deeply coloured, it is fragrant and mouthfilling (14.5% alc/vol), with concentrated, ripe plum and spice flavours, still very youthful, and excellent depth, complexity and harmony. Best…
Comments Off on Terrace Edge Waipara Valley Syrah 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Already delicious, this sturdy, fleshy, Alsace-style wine was hand-picked and fermented with indigenous yeasts in a mix of seasoned French oak barrels (60%) and tanks. Full-bodied and soft, it has rich stonefruit and spice flavours, a sliver of sweetness and…
Comments Off on Terrace Edge Waipara Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This powerful, complex wine is a fragrant, full-bodied Waipara blend of sauvignon blanc and sémillon, fermented in a mix of tanks and French oak barrels, old and new. It has rich, ripe, tropical fruit flavours, hints of herbs and honey,…
Comments Off on Pegasus Bay Sauvignon/Sémillon 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Deeply coloured, mouthfilling and rich, this fresh, youthful Northland red is very ageworthy. Showing excellent density of ripe, plummy, spicy, nutty flavours, it is complex and well-structured. Open 2018+. $35
Comments Off on Marsden Bay of Islands Vigot Syrah 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Already drinking well, this youthful, finely textured Northland wine was fermented in French oak barriques (30 per cent new) and given a full, softening malolactic fermentation. Fragrant, it is slightly creamy and well-rounded, with vibrant, peachy, citrusy, nutty flavours, smoky…
Comments Off on Marsden Bay of Islands Black Rock Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This powerful wine has excellent varietal character and depth. Partly barrel-fermented, it’s a dry style, aromatic and fleshy, with mouthfilling body and vibrant, ripe peach, pear and spice flavours, finely poised, very harmonious and rich. Drink now onwards. $21
Comments Off on Hunter’s Marlborough Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Elegant and ageworthy, this estate-grown, Te Awanga wine was fermented with indigenous yeasts and matured in French oak barriques (25 per cent new). Light lemon/green, with a fragrant, slightly nutty bouquet, it is weighty, with vibrant grapefruit and peach flavours,…
Comments Off on Elephant Hill Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Sturdy and rich, this is a classy, distinctive rosé, made from co-fermented pinot noir (80%) and syrah (20%). Light pink, it is deliciously fragrant, full-bodied and soft, with generous strawberry and spice flavours, hints of peach and apricot, and a…
Comments Off on Terrace Edge Waipara Valley Rosé 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This fleshy, Alsace-style pinot gris is full of personality. Very full-bodied (14.5% alc/vol), it was grown at a cool, elevated, inland site and fermented with indigenous yeasts in French oak cuves. Straw hued, it is deliciously rich and rounded, with…
Comments Off on Church Road McDonald Series Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Supple, ruby hued red, medium-bodied, with fresh, moderately rich flavours of red fruits, dried herbs and spices. $31 (UK)
Comments Off on Grove Mill Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Medium-bodied style, with good depth of ripe berry, spice and dried herb flavours, showing some earthy, savoury complexity. $25 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Villa Maria Cellar Selection Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Softly mouthfilling, with a savoury, toasty bouquet, showing some maturity, and ripe cherry/plum flavours, revealing considerable complexity. $31 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Vavasour Marlborough Awatere Valley Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Ruby hued, with fresh, ripe, sweet-fruit flavours, a hint of herbs, and toasty, biscuity oak adding complexity. $27
Comments Off on Stoneleigh Rapaura Series Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Ruby hued, with rich, ripe flavours, seasoned with toasty oak, some earthy complexity and a finely textured finish. $38
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 23 Master Block Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Deep ruby, with strong cherry, plum, dried herb and spice flavours, seasoned with nutty oak, and a smooth finish. Savoury, with good weight and length. $28
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Halo Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Light ruby, supple red with ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, a hint of herbs and gentle tannins. Fresh and youthful, with good length. $20
Comments Off on Lake Chalice Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Aromatic, fresh and youthful, with a bright ruby hue, good depth of cherry, plum and spice flavours and well-integrated oak. $23 (US)
Comments Off on Goldwater Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Enjoyable now, this Brancott Valley red is a ruby hued, medium-bodied wine, ripely flavoured and savoury, with good depth. $26
Comments Off on Coopers Creek SV Gibsons Run Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fragrant, very finely textured, supple blend of Awatere Valley and Wairau Valley fruit. Rich, ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, still fresh and vibrant, and a well-rounded finish. $50 (UK)
Comments Off on Villa Maria Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Mouthfilling, ruby hued red with vibrant berry, spice and dried herb flavours, savoury notes adding complexity, and good varietal character and length. $25 (UK)
Comments Off on Vidal Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Bright ruby, savoury, sweet-fruited red with cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing good complexity, and a moderately firm, lengthy finish. $22
Comments Off on Stoneleigh Latitude Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Youthful, sweet-fruited wine with strong cherry, plum and spice flavours and gentle tannins. Elegant, medium-bodied, soft red with good length. $27
Comments Off on Saint Clair Premium Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017