Posted: April 5, 2017
Fine value red, mostly (80%) barrel-aged. Boldly coloured, with deep, ripe, well-rounded flavours of spices and licorice, a slightly earthy streak, and good acidity and length. (Labelled ‘shiraz’, rather than syrah, to attract supermarket shoppers.) $20 (UK)
Comments Off on Villa Maria Private Bin Shiraz Hawke’s Bay 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Generous, supple red, matured for 15 months in barrels (20% new). Deeply coloured, with blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, in a silky, finely textured style, described by one panellist as “pinot noir-like”. $25 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Vidal Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Very youthful, floral, fruit-packed style, with deep, bright colour and strong, fresh, plummy, peppery flavours, showing good purity. Elegant, with a soft, long finish. $30
Comments Off on Te Awa Single Estate Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh, rich, youthful, Gimblett Gravels red, matured for 11 months in French oak (30% new). Deeply coloured and mouthfilling, with ripe plum, spice and licorice flavours that linger well. $38 (UK)
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Dark, purple-flushed red with strong plum/spice flavours and some earthy, gamey notes adding complexity. Firm, peppery and savoury, with very good depth, structure and potential. $25 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Mission Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Dark, concentrated red, matured for a year in French oak casks (23% new). Rich, well-ripened flavours of blackcurrants, plums and spices, with a finely textured finish. $45 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Mission Jewelstone Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Deep ruby, vibrantly fruity red, aged for eight months in French oak casks (72%), American oak casks (8%), and tanks (20%). Medium to full-bodied style with generous, ripe berry fruit and spice flavours, good complexity and richness, and fine-grained tannins….
Comments Off on Mills Reef Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Boldly coloured, sweet-fruited red, with dense plum and black pepper flavours, and savoury, toasty notes adding complexity. Described by one judge as “a burly, ripe style, more shiraz than syrah.” $25
Comments Off on Esk Valley Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Youthful, full-bodied, soft red, with dark, purple-flushed colour and an attractive bouquet of red berries, fruitcake and spice. Fruity, with plum and slight licorice flavours, rich and smooth. $27
Comments Off on Clearview Cape Kidnappers Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Concentrated, firmly structured red, grown in the Bridge Pa Triangle. Dark, with a fragrant bouquet of violets, oak complexity and a strong surge of plum, spice and slight licorice flavours. Well worth cellaring. $30
Comments Off on Babich Winemakers Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Powerful, sweet-fruited red, bargain-priced. Deeply coloured and floral, with concentrated, youthful, very ripe flavours of red fruits and spices, a hint of licorice, and supple tannins. Drink now-2020+. $20
Comments Off on Church Road Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Instantly appealing, deliciously rich and smooth-flowing red. Grown in the Gimblett Gravels (two-thirds) and the Bridge Pa Triangle (one-third), and matured for 17 months in French oak barriques (20% new). Mouthfilling and boldly coloured, with concentrated plum, licorice and spice…
Comments Off on Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Highly expressive in its youth, but very ageworthy, this dark, fragrant blend (2% viognier) is concentrated, sweet-fruited and finely structured. Rich, ripe and smooth, with hints of licorice, it offers great value. $28
Comments Off on Coopers Creek SV Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Dark, with an invitingly fragrant, aromatic bouquet (1.5% viognier) of violets, boysenberry and licorice. Fresh, with intense, ripe plum and spice flavours, vibrant, silky-textured and long. Fine value. $28 (UK)
Comments Off on Coopers Creek SV Chalk Ridge Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Bold, dense colour, with a fragrant bouquet of spices and licorice. Highly concentrated, with good weight, rich, very ripe plum, spice and licorice flavours, and a firm backbone of tannin. Best drinking 2017+. $27
Comments Off on Church Road McDonald Series Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Full-coloured and mouthfilling, with good depth of berryish, spicy, herby and nutty flavours. Slightly leafy, but softly textured, with some riper fruit notes. “Very varietal”, according to one judge. $37
Comments Off on Sileni Estate Selection Pacemaker Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Full-coloured, tightly structured red, mouthfilling (14.5% alc/vol), with youthful, berryish, slightly earthy flavours and firm tannins. Still youthful. $25
Comments Off on Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke’s Bay Grenache 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fragrant, deeply coloured, youthful red with a strong surge of plummy, spicy flavours and slightly rustic, earthy, meaty notes. Best drinking mid-2017+. (One judge scored it five stars.) $38
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Elegant, youthful, savoury red, with full but not dense colour. Ripe plum and spice flavours, showing good complexity (French oak, 30% new, for 15 months) and a persistent, well-structured finish. $25
Comments Off on Mission Reserve Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Franc 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Classy, youthful red, full-coloured, with strong berry and spice flavours, well-integrated oak adding complexity, and excellent ripeness and depth. Dense, savoury, ‘serious’ wine, well worth cellaring. $30
Comments Off on Te Awa Single Estate Hawke’s Bay Tempranillo 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Youthful, bright-coloured blend of merlot (79%) and cabernet sauvignon (21%), with strong plum and herb flavours to the fore and firm tannins. $25
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Reserve Merlot Cabernet 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
One judge praised this wine for its concentrated plum/spice flavours and tannin backbone, while another found some savoury, nutty complexities, but two judges noted premature development. $28
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Halo Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Slightly herby and earthy red, blended from estate-grown merlot (85%), cabernet sauvignon (10%) and cabernet franc (5%), French oak-aged for a year. Medium to full-bodied, with good freshness and flavour depth. $25 (UK)
Comments Off on Left Field Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Deeply coloured, full-flavoured, tightly structured blend with some herbal notes, a biscuity oak influence and firm tannins. $20
Comments Off on Church Road Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Medium-bodied, ruby-hued blend with good depth of plum, spice and herb flavours, some savoury oak, and an early-drinking appeal. $22
Comments Off on Babich Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fruit-packed, supple, merlot-based blend (83%), matured in French oak casks (33% new). Full-coloured, with strong, ripe red berry, plum and spice flavours. $50
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Brokenstone 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Deeply coloured blend of merlot (70%), cabernet sauvignon (25%) and cabernet franc (5%), grown in the Gimblett Gravels, Hawke’s Bay, and matured in French oak casks (55% new). Fresh blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, with savoury notes adding complexity, and…
Comments Off on Mission Jewelstone Antoine 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Supple, generous red, estate-grown in the Esk Valley and French oak-aged. Deeply coloured and weighty, with berryish, slightly herbal flavours, strong and smooth. $30 (A)
Comments Off on Linden Estate Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Easy-drinking blend of merlot (44%), cabernet sauvignon (30%), malbec (22%) and cabernet franc (4%). Full-coloured and vibrantly fruity, with fresh, plummy, slightly herbal flavours, a gentle seasoning of biscuity oak (40% new), and very good balance and depth. $20 (UK,…
Comments Off on Esk Valley Gimblett Gravels Merlot Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Deeply coloured, supple, drink-young blend of merlot (65%) with cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, malbec and petit verdot, barrel-aged for 10 months. Strong plum and spice flavours, showing some savoury complexity. $22
Comments Off on Askerne Merlot Cabernet Franc Cabernet Sauvignon Malbec 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Floral, deeply coloured, single-vineyard Gimblett Gravels red, American oak-matured. Mouthfilling, with ripe blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, showing some savoury complexity, and soft tannins. Praised by one judge as “moreish”. $25
Comments Off on Saint Clair Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Generous red from the Gimblett Gravels, with plum, spice and nutty oak flavours, showing good complexity and harmony. Weighty, ripe and rich. $25 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Mission Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Weighty, generous red, estate-grown in the Esk Valley and French oak-matured. Savoury, with ripe plum/spice flavours, hints of licorice and tar, and good complexity and concentration. $48 (A)
Comments Off on Linden Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Elegant, medium-bodied style with plenty of fresh, ripe berry, plum, spice and nut flavour, supple tannins, and a finely balanced, lingering finish. Good value. $20
Comments Off on Coopers Creek Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Bargain-priced, dark blend of merlot (64%), cabernet sauvignon (25%), malbec (10%) and cabernet franc (1%), matured for 20 months in French oak barrels (25% new). Fragrant and youthful, with strong, ripe berry, plum, spice and dried herb flavours, and a…
Comments Off on Vidal Reserve Gimblett Gravels Merlot/ Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Powerful, fragrant, youthful red, estate-grown and matured in American oak (43% new). Deeply coloured, with red berry, plum, spice, licorice and nut flavours, gentle tannins, and excellent weight, ripeness and richness. “Lots to like”, enthused one judge. $38
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Youthful, purple/black blend of merlot (77%) and malbec (23%). Concentrated plum and spice flavours, with a hint of licorice, a strong, sweet oak influence and a long, soft finish. Praised by one judge as “full-bored”. $25 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Coopers Creek SV Gravels and Metals Hawke’s Bay Merlot Malbec 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Finely poised, savoury red, grown in the Gimblett Gravels. Deep ruby, with concentrated, ripe flavours, showing very good complexity, and the structure to age well. (One judge scored it five stars). $30
Comments Off on Babich Winemakers Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Dark, elegant blend of merlot and cabernet sauvignon, French oak-aged for 20 months. Rich blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, with savoury, earthy notes adding complexity and ripe, supple tannins. Well worth cellaring. $30
Comments Off on Te Awa Single Estate Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Built for cellaring, this classy, dark, very youthful red is concentrated and firmly structured, with rich, beautifully ripe red and black berry fruit flavours, seasoned with spicy oak. Weighty, dense and complex, with obvious potential. $50 (UK)
Comments Off on Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Boldly coloured blend of cabernet sauvignon (84%) and merlot (16%), partly American oak-aged. Concentrated blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, with a firm finish. Fresh and youthful. $27
Comments Off on Saint Clair Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Merlot 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Deeply coloured blend of cabernet sauvignon (49%), merlot (45%) and cabernet franc (6%), French oak-aged for 15 months. Sweet-fruited, with firm, berryish flavours, hint of thyme and leather, and good density. $25 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Mission Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Merlot 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Generous, supple Gimblett Gravels blend. Elegant, medium to full-bodied style with ripe berry, plum and spice flavours, tightly structured and youthful. $37
Comments Off on Babich Irongate Cabernet Merlot Franc 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Dark, concentrated blend of cabernet sauvignon (71%) and merlot (29%), American oak-aged (50% new). Slightly green-edged, but weighty, ripe and rich, with impressive density and length. $38
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Bold, youthful, Hawke’s Bay blend of cabernet sauvignon (73%), merlot (21%) and malbec (6%). Blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, a hint of herbs, and excellent density and structure. Well worth cellaring. $36
Comments Off on Clearview Old Olive Block 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Dark, dense blend of cabernet sauvignon (75%) and merlot (25%), matured for 18 months in French oak barriques (40% new). Highly concentrated, with pure blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, showing lovely weight, ripeness and structure. Full of cellaring potential. $50…
Comments Off on Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Bright pink, tasty, merlot-based rosé, vibrantly fruity, with red berry, watermelon and spice flavours and a fresh, crisp, almost bone-dry finish. $20 (UK)
Comments Off on Esk Valley Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Instantly appealing Hawke’s Bay wine, with chambourcin, a well-regarded French hybrid, contributing bright pink/pale red colour. Fleshy and vibrantly fruity, with fresh, berryish, plummy flavours and a smooth, long finish. $21
Comments Off on Clearview Black Reef Blush Rosé 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Bright pink, full-bodied wine, fragrant and fresh, with vibrant berry and spice flavours, a hint of watermelon and a dryish finish. $20
Comments Off on Church Road Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Gold, with a hint of amber, this soft, sweet wine was grown at Maraekakaho, in Hawke’s Bay. Drinking well now, it is floral, peachy and spicy, with bottle-aged complexity and a rich, well-rounded finish. $29
Comments Off on Osawa Prestige Collection Late Harvest (375ml) Gewurztraminer 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017