Posted: April 5, 2017
Bright ruby, easy-drinking wine with attractive cherry and spice flavours, showing considerable complexity. Rich, with supple tannins. Drink now or cellar. $28
Comments Off on Saint Clair James Sinclair Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Youthful, ruby hued red with good weight, strong, ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, oak complexity and a finely textured finish. $38
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 14 Doctors Creek Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Savoury and soft, with good complexity. Weighty, sweet-fruited, nutty wine, richly flavoured and drinking well now. $30
Comments Off on Lake Chalice The Raptor Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Ruby hued, fresh and smooth, in a medium-bodied style with youthful, cherryish, plummy flavours, showing considerable complexity, and good length. $25 (UK)
Comments Off on Esk Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fragrant, deeply coloured red, estate-grown in the Southern Valleys. Rich, cherryish, plummy flavours, seasoned with smoky, spicy oak (French, 40% new), and a hint of licorice. Youthful, structured wine, well worth cellaring. $45 (A)
Comments Off on Catalina Sounds Sound of White Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Full ruby, generous wine with plum, cherry and spice flavours, fine-grained tannins and a sustained finish. Elegant red, fresh, tightly structured and youthful $41 (A)
Comments Off on Vavasour Felix’s Vineyard Marlborough Awatere Valley Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Deep ruby, generous, finely textured red with concentrated cherry, plum and spice flavours, ripe and supple, and a seasoning of smoky, savoury oak adding complexity. Well worth cellaring. $38
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 22 Barn Block Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Deep ruby, concentrated wine, nutty, savoury and supple. Powerful, with sweet fruit flavours and impressive complexity. $44
Comments Off on Saint Clair Omaka Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Already delicious, this great-value wine was estate-grown in the lower Awatere Valley. Perfumed and deeply coloured, it is concentrated, ripe and savoury, with sweet-fruit delights and a velvety texture. All judges went straight to a five-star rating. $27 (A)
Comments Off on Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Highly fragrant and deeply coloured, with rich, ripe flavours, showing good complexity, and fine-grained tannins. Dense, sweet-fruited and layered, with obvious potential. $38
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 15 Strip Block Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Deeply coloured, fleshy wine. Rich, plummy flavours, with a hint of herbs and a seasoning of sweet oak. Firmly structured, with savoury notes adding complexity. $22
Comments Off on Stoneleigh Latitude Marlborough Merlot 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Bright, pale pink. Aromatic, pinot noir-based rosé, vibrant and finely balanced, with fresh, subtle strawberry and spice flavours and a crisp, dry finish. $24 (UK, US)
Comments Off on Two Rivers ‘L’ile de Beauté’ Marlborough Rosé 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
From a hillside vineyard at Koromiko, this is a full-bodied style of rosé (14.5% alc/vol), with slightly reddish colour and generous, berryish flavours, slightly sweet and smooth. ‘Ripe, more red-wine style’, noted one judge. $25
Comments Off on Johanneshof Cellars Marlborough Pinot Noir Rosé 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Floral, mouthfilling wine, made in a sweet but not super-sweet style and fortified with grain alcohol (to 13.5% alc/vol). Strong, vibrant grape, lemon and orange flavours, pure and fresh. $30 (A)
Comments Off on Loveblock Sweet Marlborough Moscato (500ml) 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Pale gold, highly scented dessert wine, with fresh, intense, peachy, citrusy flavours. Sweet, crisp and gently honeyed, with lovely harmony and a long, luscious finish. (All panellists went straight to a five-star rating.) $37
Comments Off on Villa Maria Reserve Noble Botrytis Selection (375ml) Marlborough Riesling 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Deep gold, with a honeyed bouquet and luscious, highly concentrated peach, apricot, fig and honey flavours. Heavily botrytised style, very sweet and crisp, with an oily richness and lovely depth and harmony. $30 (A)
Comments Off on Loveblock Noble (500 ml) Marlborough Chenin Blanc 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Exotically perfumed, weighty and fleshy, in a slightly sweet style with an oily texture and fresh, rich, peachy, spicy, gingery flavours. $23 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Spy Valley Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Mature, very pale gold wine, medium-bodied, with peachy, slightly mealy and toasty flavours. Ready. $30 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Ra Nui Wairau Valley Marlborough Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh, fruit-driven style with good depth of ripe, peachy flavours, hints of oak and moderate complexity. $20
Comments Off on Lake Chalice The Haast Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Showing good complexity, this is a weighty, fleshy, well-rounded wine with mealy, nutty flavours. Described by one judge as ‘a big statement, stylistically’. $31
Comments Off on Grove Mill Wairau Valley Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fragrant, vibrant, citrusy, slightly spicy Awatere Valley wine, with a subtle toasty oak influence adding complexity. Medium-bodied, layered wine, worth cellaring. $35 (US)
Comments Off on Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Rich, generous, toasty, mealy wine with a freshly scented bouquet and plenty of oak in evidence. Already very open and expressive. $31 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Vavasour Marlborough Awatere Valley Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh and lively, with grapefruit-like flavours to the fore. Fruit-driven, with subtle, mealy, nutty notes adding complexity and a well-rounded finish. $21
Comments Off on Saint Clair Premium Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fragrant, with rich, vibrant, sweet-fruit flavours, showing good complexity. Peachy and biscuity, in a subtle, very harmonious style. $33
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 11 Cell Block Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Powerful, weighty wine with generous, ripe, grapefruit-like flavours, a smoky, spicy oak influence adding complexity and a lingering finish. $38
Comments Off on Saint Clair Omaka Reserve Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Generous, citrusy, slightly buttery and mealy wine, medium-bodied, with a subtle seasoning of oak, fresh acidity and a long finish. $24
Comments Off on Saint Clair James Sinclair Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Rich, weighty, well-integrated wine with a fragrant, complex bouquet and concentrated, peachy, mealy flavours, finely textured, delicate and lingering. $41 (A)
Comments Off on Vavasour Anna’s Vineyard Marlborough Awatere Valley Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Elegant, fully barrel-fermented wine, with concentrated, citrusy flavours, showing excellent texture and complexity, integrated oak (French, 30% new), and a fragrant, slightly bready and chalky bouquet. $32 (UK)
Comments Off on Villa Maria Reserve Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Mouthfilling, dry style with ripe, citrusy, limey flavours and slightly toasty notes (from some barrel fermentation). $23 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Spy Valley Marlborough Riesling 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Highly scented, Awatere Valley wine, with fresh, citrusy, slightly appley flavours, showing very good depth, racy acidity and a hint of bottle-aged toastiness. $21
Comments Off on Vavasour Marlborough Riesling 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fleshy, ripe and rounded. Citrusy and toasty, with a complex, faintly honeyed bouquet. Maturing gracefully. $25 (A)
Comments Off on Loveblock Bone Dry Marlborough Riesling 2011 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Floral, lively, finely balanced wine with fresh, citrusy, limey flavours that linger well. Youthful and tightly structured, with good potential. $24 (UK, US)
Comments Off on Two Rivers Juliet Marlborough Riesling 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Crisp, lively, gently sweet style with appetising, citrusy, appley flavours, showing very good freshness and intensity. $27
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 9 Big John Marlborough Riesling 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Scented, youthful, vibrantly fruity wine in a distinctly medium, slightly honeyed style, showing very good freshness, balance and length. $25
Comments Off on Johanneshof Cellars Medium-Dry Marlborough Riesling 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh, crisp, single-vineyard wine, grown in the Omaka Valley and partly (10%) barrel-fermented. Citrusy and appley, with lively acidity and good length. $24 (UK, US)
Comments Off on Two Rivers Brookby Hill Marlborough Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Enjoyable drink-young style, with strong, peachy, faintly gingery and honeyed flavours and a slightly sweet, well-rounded finish. Ready. $20
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Marlborough Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Forward in its appeal, with gently sweet, ripe, peachy, slightly honeyed flavours and mouthfilling body. Ready to roll. $20
Comments Off on Gunn Estate Reserve Marlborough Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Floral, medium-bodied style, drinking well now, with lively acidity and good freshness and flavour depth. $23
Comments Off on Coopers Creek SV The Pointer Marlborough Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Aromatic, full-bodied and vibrantly fruity, with very good weight and depth of ripe peach, pear and almond flavours, gentle acidity, and a finely textured, lingering finish. $23 (A)
Comments Off on Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Floral, full-bodied and fleshy wine, grown in the Wairau Valley and partly (15%) barrel-fermented. Stonefruit flavours, showing very good ripeness and depth, and a slightly sweet, finely balanced finish. $20
Comments Off on Grove Mill Marlborough Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Attractively scented, with mouthfilling body and strong, ripe peach and pear-like flavours. Fresh and finely textured, with slightly mealy notes. $25 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Catalina Sounds Marlborough Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Attractively scented, fleshy and soft, with strong, stonefruit flavours, showing a touch of complexity, gentle acidity, a slightly oily texture and a long, harmonious finish. Fine value. $20
Comments Off on Brancott Estate Terroir Series Marlborough Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Freshly scented and weighty, with generous, ripe, stonefruit flavours and an off-dry, well-rounded finish. Slightly oily texture, with leesy, biscuity notes adding complexity. $24 (UK, US)
Comments Off on Stoneleigh Latitude Marlborough Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Floral, luscious wine, estate-grown and hand-picked in the Awatere Valley and barrel-fermented. Soft and ripe, with vibrant, rich stonefruit flavours, gentle acidity and a long, finely textured, dry finish. $30 (UK)
Comments Off on Villa Maria Single Vineyard Seddon Marlborough Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Floral, very fresh and lively, partly barrel-fermented wine, estate-grown in the lower Awatere Valley. Vibrant, with pure, ripe lychee, pear and spice flavours, some leesy, nutty complexity, and a finely textured, dryish finish. $23 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Vavasour Marlborough Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Delicious now, this wine was mostly hand-picked and partly barrel-fermented. Weighty, it has pure, rich pear and lychee flavours, slightly biscuity notes adding complexity, and an invitingly perfumed bouquet. $23 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Spy Valley Marlborough Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh, lively, well-balanced Awatere Valley wine, medium-bodied, with grapefruit and herbaceous flavours, showing good delicacy and depth. $30 (UK, US)
Comments Off on Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Sauvignon Blanc 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Floral, fresh and sweet-fruited, with hints of passionfruit and limes, a delicate creaminess on the palate and a well-rounded finish. $22
Comments Off on Saint Clair Premium Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Lively, crisp, ripely herbaceous wine with melon, lime and capsicum flavours, showing good vibrancy and depth. $20
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Crisp, lively, sweet-fruited wine with fresh, ripely herbaceous flavours, slightly creamy notes on the palate and good length. $20
Comments Off on Gunn Estate Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017