Posted: April 5, 2017
Delicious now, this elegant, gold/amber wine was hand-picked in late May and partly barrel-fermented. Rich, peachy and honeyed, it is sweet (204 grams/litre residual sugar), with balanced acidity and a fragrant, inviting bouquet of apricot and raisins. $30
Comments Off on Esk Valley Late Harvest (375ml) Hawke’s Bay Chenin Blanc 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This pale gold beauty is from sémillon, grown in the Bridge Pa Triangle and mostly harvested at 45-47 brix. Fresh, lively and crisp, it is full-bodied (although only 10% alc/vol), with rich, ripe flavours, showing good complexity, plentiful sweetness (248…
Comments Off on Alpha Domus AD Noble Selection Noble (375ml) 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Mouthfilling, dry wine (4.6 grams/litre residual sugar), with ripe, citrusy, limey flavours to the fore, fresh and lively, and a very subtle oak influence (40 per cent barrel-fermented). Worth cellaring. $20 (UK).
Comments Off on Esk Valley Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Verdelho 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Scented, citrusy wine, grown at altitude in Central Hawke’s Bay. Crisp and refreshing, with clearcut varietal characters, a sliver of sweetness and appetising acidity. $22
Comments Off on Junction Runaway Riesling 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh and light, with strong, passionfruit-like aromas (described by one judge as ‘slightly sweaty’. Lively, with ripely herbaceous flavours, moderate acidity and plenty of easy-drinking appeal. $20
Comments Off on Sileni Cellar Selection Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Gently perfumed, mouthfilling, well-rounded wine, in an easy-drinking style with a gentle splash of sweetness (11 grams/litre residual sugar), plenty of ripe, citrusy, spicy flavour, and excellent harmony. $22
Comments Off on Askerne Hawke’s Bay Gewurztraminer 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fully dry style, made with some use of oak. Mouthfilling and smooth, with ripe stonefruit and spice flavours, a touch of complexity and good freshness and length. $26 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Alpha Domus The Wingwalker Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Pale, youthful wine with subtle, citrusy flavours, showing good delicacy and length, a hint of almond and a floral bouquet. $25
Comments Off on Sileni Estate Selection Hedonist Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Rich, weighty, complex wine, fully barrel-fermented (20 per cent new.) Fragrant bouquet, with concentrated stonefruit flavours, gently seasoned with toasty oak, and a slightly creamy texture. $22
Comments Off on Askerne Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Rich, creamy textured, fully barrel-fermented wine, weighty and complex. Light yellow, with concentrated, ripe apricot and spice flavours, showing excellent depth and harmony, gentle acidity, slight toastiness and a well-rounded, dryish finish. $25
Comments Off on Linden Estate Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Ripely scented, with mouthfilling body and good depth of fresh, slightly sweet, peachy, spicy flavours. $22
Comments Off on Junction Pastime Central Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Softly mouthfilling style with a spicy bouquet. Fresh, peachy flavours, with a touch of oak adding complexity (30 per cent of the blend was fermented in seasoned barriques), gentle acidity and a dry finish (3.7 grams/litre residual sugar). $20 (UK)
Comments Off on Esk Valley Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fleshy and smooth, in a mouthfilling style with gentle sweetness, a slightly oily texture and ripe, stonefruit and spice flavours. $20
Comments Off on Church Road Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Soft and generous, in a finely textured style with mouthfilling body, concentrated, peachy flavours, gentle sweetness, and a floral, slightly honeyed and toasty bouquet. $22
Comments Off on Askerne Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Citrusy, slightly limey wine, grown at Maraekakaho, with mouthfilling body, grapefruit-like flavours and a subtle oak seasoning. $50
Comments Off on Osawa Prestige Collection Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Attractive from the start, this ‘lightly oaked’ wine is mouthfilling, with plenty of fresh, ripe, citrusy flavour. $20
Comments Off on Mission Vineyard Selection Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh and lively, barrel-fermented wine with very good depth of citrusy flavours and savoury, biscuity notes adding complexity. $20 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Vidal Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Slightly smoky, barrel-fermented wine (French, 70% new), with youthful, pale lemon/green colour. Citrusy and sweetly oaked, with a tightly structured finish. Worth cellaring. $33
Comments Off on Tiki Koro Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh, citrusy, crisp wine, grown at the Riflemans Terrace vineyard and barrel-fermented. Moderately complex style with a gentle oak influence and a finely textured, tight finish. $25
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Finely balanced for current drinking, this full-bodied wine was fully fermented in seasoned oak barrels and most (90%) of the blend went through a softening malolactic fermentation. Fresh and weighty, it’s a peachy, moderately complex style with a hint of…
Comments Off on Coopers Creek SV Plainsman Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fleshy, flavoursome wine, estate-grown in the Bridge Pa Triangle and French oak-fermented (25% new). Weighty and sweet-fruited, with ripe, citrusy, peachy flavours and a well-rounded finish. $26 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Alpha Domus First Solo Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh and finely balanced, with strong, grapefruit-like flavours and a subtle seasoning of oak (French, 40% new). Elegant style, with very good vigour and depth. $23
Comments Off on Tiki Single Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Full-bodied, youthful wine, fermented in French oak hogsheads and lees-aged for 10 months. Grapefruit-like flavours, with a subtle oak influence, smoky notes, good acid spine and excellent depth. Best drinking mid-2017+. $25
Comments Off on Te Awa Single Estate Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Powerful, rich wine with a hint of butterscotch, hand-picked, barrel-fermented (French, 26% new) and lees-aged for 10 months. Weighty, with ripe, grapefruit-like flavours, finely integrated oak, a slightly creamy texture and a lengthy finish. $40 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Mission Jewelstone Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This generous, sweet-fruited wine offers great value. Fully barrel-fermented (15% new), it is mouthfilling, with grapefruit and peach flavours, a subtle seasoning of oak, fresh acidity and a slightly mealy, finely textured finish. $20 (UK)
Comments Off on Esk Valley Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Powerful, rich style, fermented in French oak casks (40% new) and given a full, softening malolactic fermentation. Pale gold, with sweet-fruit flavours, a strong seasoning of toasty oak and a creamy-textured, lengthy finish. $39 (UK)
Comments Off on Coopers Creek Swamp Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Vibrantly fruity style, fully barrel-fermented (American, 50% new). Fresh, tightly structured and moderately complex, with a nutty oak influence and very good depth, vigour and harmony. $25
Comments Off on Coopers Creek SV Limeworks Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Elegant, estate-grown, Gimblett Gravels wine. Vibrant, ripe, grapefruit-like flavours to the fore, with subtle mealy notes and well-integrated oak adding complexity, lively acidity and good harmony. $37
Comments Off on Babich Irongate Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fragrant, with ripe, sweet fruit and creamy oak aromas. Mouthfilling, with rich, peachy, slightly spicy flavours and smoky notes adding complexity. Weighty, finely textured and lingering. Great value. $27
Comments Off on Clearview Beachhead Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Powerful, with youthful, vibrant, citrusy, peachy flavours, well-integrated oak (French, 35% new) and a long finish. Slightly smoky notes add complexity. Weighty, fresh, intense and tightly structured, with a long future ahead. $40 (UK)
Comments Off on Villa Maria Single Vineyard Keltern Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Elegant, youthful wine, grown mostly (73%) in the Lyons vineyard, in the Gimblett Gravels, and barrel-fermented (French, 45% new). Slightly smoky bouquet, with ripe, grapefruit-like flavours, showing excellent delicacy and complexity. Tightly structured and refreshing, with obvious cellaring potential. $32
Comments Off on Villa Maria Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fragrant, tightly structured wine with vibrant, ripe fruit and toasty oak aromas, showing good complexity. Minerally, slightly flinty palate, with crisp, citrusy flavours, a hint of nuts and a long, refined finish. $41
Comments Off on Mills Reef Elspeth Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Highly fragrant, with a hint of ‘struck match’, this classy wine was grown at two sites in northern Hawke’s Bay (including the Esk Valley home block), and fermented and matured for 11 months in French oak barriques (30% new). Elegant…
Comments Off on Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fine, elegant style, weighty, with a slightly smoky bouquet and fresh, vibrant peach and grapefruit flavours. Tightly structured, with a long finish. Youthful wine, well worth cellaring. $40 (A)
Comments Off on Crossroads Winemakers Collection Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fleshy, rich wine, hand-picked and barrel-fermented (45% new). Weighty and well-rounded, with concentrated, citrusy, slightly spicy and nutty flavours, showing excellent complexity and depth. $30
Comments Off on Askerne Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Very fresh, vivacious blend of riesling, flora and gewürztraminer, grown at altitude in Central Hawke’s Bay, barrel-fermented, oak-aged for nine months and then carbonated. Aromatic and slightly sweet, with strong, lively, limey, zingy flavours. $22
Comments Off on Junction Persistence 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh, full-bodied blend of pinot gris (87.5%) with smaller amounts of gewürztraminer, riesling, gruner veltliner and muscat. Dryish, ‘grigio’ style, with plenty of crisp, slightly spicy flavour. $22
Comments Off on Saint Clair James Sinclair Marlborough Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Pale straw, this Hawke’s Bay blend of pinot noir, chardonnay and pinot meunier is crisp and fruity, with citrusy, slightly buttery and toasty flavours, showing moderate complexity and good depth. $22
Comments Off on Leveret IQ Premium Brut NV Methode Traditionnelle NV / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Light pink, this merlot-based rosé is a crisp, dry style, with gentle peach, watermelon and spice flavours, showing good delicacy and depth. $23
Comments Off on Ti Point Ruby Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This pale pink, single-vineyard wine has fresh watermelon, peach and spice flavours, crisp and dry, showing very good depth. $23 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Spy Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir Rosé 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh and smooth, this youthful, medium to full-bodied style is clearly herbaceous, with melon, lime and green capsicum flavours and a crisp, dry finish. $25 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Soho Stella Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Grown in the lower Wairau Valley, this is a herbaceous style with an aromatic, slightly nettley bouquet. Full-flavoured, with a slightly salty streak, it’s a strongly varietal wine, ready to roll. $22
Comments Off on Saint Clair James Sinclair Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Partly barrel-aged, this ruby-hued, moderately youthful red was grown in the Southern Valleys. Mouthfilling and smooth, it has ripe, plummy, slightly nutty flavours, gentle tannins and some savoury complexity. It’s drinking well now. $25
Comments Off on Saint Clair James Sinclair Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Mouthfilling, slightly creamy-textured wine, grown in the Southern Valleys and Awatere Valley and mostly barrel-fermented. Fresh and smooth, with citrusy, slightly biscuity flavours, a hint of sweet oak, and good depth and harmony. Enjoyable now. $22
Comments Off on Saint Clair James Sinclair Marlborough Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Partly oak-aged, this youthful, deeply coloured red was estate-grown in the Plateau Vineyard. Medium to full-bodied, it is strongly varietal, with plum, spice and black pepper aromas and flavours, fresh, vibrant and smooth. Best drinking 2017+. $25
Comments Off on Saint Clair James Sinclair Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A drink now or cellaring proposition, this is a blend of cabernet sauvignon (84%) and merlot (16%), partly American oak-aged. Full-coloured, it is mouthfilling, with very good depth of blackcurrant, herb and red berry flavours, in a generous, vibrantly fruity…
Comments Off on Saint Clair James Sinclair Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Merlot 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Freshly herbaceous, strongly varietal style, medium-bodied, with crisp melon, lime and green capsicum flavours, showing very good balance, vigour and depth. $20
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This sturdy red was matured over a year in French oak barrels. Full-coloured, it has strong, ripe, plummy, slightly spicy and nutty flavours, and a firm backbone of tannin. $40
Comments Off on Peacock Sky Pure Waiheke Island Merlot 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fullish in colour, this fresh, smooth wine is like a very light Bordeaux, with youthful berry, plum, spice and herb flavours, savoury notes adding complexity, and some elegance. $40
Comments Off on Peacock Sky Pure Franc Waiheke Island Cabernet Franc 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Medium to full-bodied, this fruity blend of cabernet sauvignon (85%), cabernet franc (10%) and malbec (5%) was French oak-aged for over a year. Deeply coloured, it is fresh, with plummy, spicy, slightly herbal flavours, in a clearly varietal style with…
Comments Off on Peacock Sky Waiheke Island Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017