Posted: April 5, 2017
Fruit-driven style, partly oak-aged, with fresh, citrusy, slightly appley flavours to the fore and gentle biscuity, mealy notes adding a touch of complexity. Drinking well now. $21
Comments Off on Peter Yealands Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Pale ruby, estate-grown red, barrel-aged for 10 months. Lighter style, with ripe, cherryish, savoury, slightly nutty flavours, showing a touch of complexity, and good tannin support. Enjoyable now. $28 (US)
Comments Off on Cable Bay Marlborough Awatere Valley Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Easy-drinking style from The Terraces Vineyard, in the Wairau Valley. Mouthfilling, with very good depth of tropical fruit and herbaceous flavours, a smooth finish, and bottle-aged notes starting to emerge. $23 (US)
Comments Off on Tiki Estate Single Vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Showing some development, this ruby hued, fruity red was grown in the upper Wairau Valley and barrel-aged for a year. Drinking well now, it has good depth of cherry, plum and nutty oak flavours, showing considerable complexity, and a fairly…
Comments Off on Tiki Estate Single Vineyard Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Finely balanced for early drinking, this is a full-bodied, off-dry style (7.8 grams/litre residual sugar), showing good depth of peach and pear-like flavours, fresh, lively and smooth. $20 (US)
Comments Off on Tiki Estate Marlborough Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Enjoyable young, this pale yellow wine is mouthfilling, sweet-fruited and creamy-textured, with peachy, slightly buttery and toasty flavours, showing very good depth and harmony. $23
Comments Off on Ti Point Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh, medium-bodied, vibrantly fruity red, still very youthful. Full-coloured, with plummy, distinctly spicy flavours, showing very good depth, a subtle oak influence (French, 18% new), and gentle tannins. Best drinking 2018+. $38 (UK)
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Well balanced for early drinking, this Wairau Valley wine was mostly fermented in French and American oak barrels. Pale lemon/green, it has a slightly creamy bouquet, with fresh acidity and good depth of peachy, slightly toasty flavours. $21 (A)
Comments Off on Saint Clair Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Offering good, early drinking, this is a more generous, savoury red than most modestly priced pinot noirs. Mouthfilling and sweet-fruited, it has plenty of ripe, plummy, strawberryish, spicy flavour, showing some savoury complexity, and a well-rounded finish. $20
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Bright ruby, vibrantly fruity and supple, medium-bodied style. Tightly structured, distinctly cool-climate red with very good depth of fresh, plummy, spicy, peppery flavours. Worth cellaring. $50 (A, US)
Comments Off on Murdoch James Blue Rock Martinborough Syrah 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Distinctive, medium-bodied wine with a slightly creamy bouquet. Citrusy and appley, with fresh acidity and considerable complexity. Lively and youthful, with cellaring potential. $35
Comments Off on Luna Eclipse Martinborough Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
From organically certified vineyards, this strongly varietal wine has a herbaceous bouquet. Lively, it shows good depth of crisp melon, lime and capsicum flavours, fresh and tangy. $20
Comments Off on Little Darling Organic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Mouthfilling, herbaceous wine with strong melon, lime and capsicum flavours, produced deliberately in a traditional, ‘greener’ style. Generous, high impact wine, ready to roll. $23 (UK)
Comments Off on Cable Bay Marlborough Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fruit-driven style, mostly handled in tanks; 10% of the blend was barrel-fermented. Fresh, lively and weighty, with citrusy, slightly appley flavours and a finely textured, slightly creamy finish. $25 (US)
Comments Off on Cable Bay Marlborough Awatere Valley Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Enjoyable young, this rare example of South Island tempranillo was matured in French oak barriques (partly new). Deep ruby, it is fresh and supple, with generous, ripe blackcurrant, dried herb and spice flavours, gently seasoned with oak, and savoury notes…
Comments Off on Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Marlborough Awatere Valley Tempranillo 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Drinking well now, but still youthful, this finely balanced red was mostly barrel-aged. Ruby hued, it has excellent depth of ripe cherry/plum flavours, finely integrated oak, good complexity and a well-rounded finish. $27 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Marlborough Awatere Valley Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Ruby hued, mouthfilling, supple red, with moderately rich, well-ripened cherry, plum, spice and nut flavours. Savoury and finely textured, with good complexity. Drink now or cellar. Certified organic. $33 (A, UK)
Comments Off on The Darling Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Elegant, cool-climate style, hand-picked at up to 24.6 brix, fermented with indigenous yeasts and barrel-aged for over two years. Deep, bright ruby, mouthfilling and supple, with strong, vibrant plum, spice and nut flavours, showing good complexity, and a tightly structured…
Comments Off on Spy Valley Marlborough Syrah 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Mouthfilling, dry style, fermented in tanks and old oak. Bright, light lemon/green, with good body and depth of ripe, citrusy, slightly peachy and spicy flavours, moderate acidity and a touch of complexity. Distinctive, ageworthy riesling, unusually fleshy and dry for…
Comments Off on Spy Valley Marlborough Riesling 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Pale straw, perfumed, mouthfilling wine, partly oak-fermented. Richly varietal and weighty, with generous, ripe, peachy, gingery flavours and a slightly sweet, seductively soft finish. $23 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Spy Valley Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Very open and expressive in its youth, this tangy, slightly sweet wine (8.5 grams/litre residual sugar) shows good vigour and intensity. Medium-bodied, it has penetrating, lemony, spicy, slightly gingery flavours, woven with steely acidity. Best drinking 2017+. $21 (UK)
Comments Off on Saint Clair Marlborough Riesling 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Already delicious, this is a full-bodied, dry wine (2.5 grams/litre residual sugar), grown in the Omaka and Wairau valleys, and made with some use of old oak and malolactic fermentation. Vibrantly fruity, it shows very good vigour and depth of…
Comments Off on Saint Clair Marlborough Gruner Veltliner 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A top buy. A full-coloured blend of merlot (80%), cabernet sauvignon (14%) and splashes of malbec and cabernet franc, it is mouthfilling, with strong, ripe blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, hints of herbs and dark chocolate, and gentle tannins. Already…
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Weighty and vibrantly fruity, with mouthfilling body and strong, ripe lychee, pear and spice flavours, finely balanced for early enjoyment. Dryish style (5 grams/litre residual sugar), with a slightly oily richness. $20
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Marlborough Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Tangy, punchy, intensely varietal style, with strong aromas and flavours of melons, limes and green capsicums. Mouthfilling, with fresh, lively acidity and very good delicacy and length. $25
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Halo Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This deep ruby, generous, supple red was hand-picked from Omaka Valley slopes and French oak-aged for 10 months. It has good concentration of plummy, cherryish flavours, a sense of youthful vigour, and fine-grained tannins. Best drinking 2018+. $28
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Halo Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Showing good potential, this deeply coloured blend of merlot (88%) and cabernet sauvignon (12%) was hand-picked in the Gimblett Gravels and barrel-aged. Mouthfilling, it is still very youthful, with fresh, strong plum, blackcurrant and spice flavours, a subtle seasoning of…
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Halo Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Lively, intensely varietal wine, estate-grown in the Awatere Valley. Fresh, incisive melon, green capsicum and lime aromas and flavours, showing a hint of ‘tomato stalk’, and a dry, crisp finish. $21 (UK)
Comments Off on Peter Yealands Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Delicious young, but also worth cellaring. Bright ruby, floral and supple, with ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours in a ‘feminine’ style with gentle tannins, good complexity and a smooth, harmonious finish. $50 (A, US)
Comments Off on Murdoch James Blue Rock Martinborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Bright ruby, single-vineyard red with a fresh, youthful bouquet, showing good complexity. Sweet-fruited, with vibrant cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing good vigour and potential. Best drinking 2017+. $40 (US)
Comments Off on Loveblock Central Otago Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Youthful, creamy-textured wine, estate-grown, barrel-fermented with indigenous yeasts and oak-aged for a year. Medium-bodied style, with lively, citrusy, appley, mealy, slightly biscuity flavours, showing very good depth, vigour and complexity. Best drinking 2018+. $45
Comments Off on Cable Bay Waiheke Island Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Complex style, estate-grown in the Awatere Valley and fermented with indigenous yeasts in barrels. Mouthfilling, with impressive weight and depth of youthful, ripe, tropical fruit flavours and a slightly creamy texture. Still unfolding. $28
Comments Off on Cable Bay Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Pale gold, this characterful, estate-grown wine was ‘pushed’ for fruit ripeness, given ‘lots of skin contact’, and lees-aged for seven months. Full-bodied and dry, it has strong, peachy, spicy, gingery, vaguely honeyed flavours, a touch of tannin, and loads of…
Comments Off on Cable Bay Marlborough Awatere Valley Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Instantly appealing, very floral and charming rosé, fresh and vibrantly fruity. Salmon pink, with good body and strong yet delicate plum, strawberry and spice flavours, smooth and vivacious. $23
Comments Off on Tiki Estate Marlborough Pinot Noir Rosé 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Distinctive, youthful, single-vineyard wine, tank-fermented with indigenous yeasts and lees-aged for six months in old barriques. Mouthfilling, with vibrant, pure lychee, pear and spice flavours, showing excellent delicacy and depth, a very subtle oak influence, and a dry, lingering finish….
Comments Off on The Elder 1 Martinborough Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Elegant blend of pinot noir (59%) and chardonnay (41%), disgorged after 3 ½ years on its yeast lees. Tightly structured, very crisp and lively, with good intensity of citrusy, yeasty, slightly nutty flavours, dry and persistent. $37
Comments Off on Spy Valley Echelon Marlborough Methode Traditionnelle 2011 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Attractively perfumed, this softly seductive wine is already delicious. Grown in the Omaka Valley, it is fleshy and smooth, with concentrated, peachy, spicy flavours, a slightly oily texture and a gently sweet (16 grams/litre residual sugar), rich finish. $27
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 12 Lone Gum Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Floral, finely textured wine, harvested from sites including the home vineyard at Wanaka and matured for 10 months in French oak barriques (30%). Instantly appealing, sweet-fruited red with concentrated cherry, plum and spice flavours, well-integrated oak, supple tannins and a…
Comments Off on Maude Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh, medium-bodied, finely balanced wine, enjoyable from the start. Clearly varietal, with vibrant, peachy, slightly sweet flavours, lively acidity, and impressive poise and depth. Best drinking 2018+. $26
Comments Off on Matawhero Church House Gisborne Chenin Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Generous, ‘upfront’ style, already offering a lot of pleasure, but worth cellaring. Full-bodied and sweet-fruited, with a hint of butterscotch and ripe, peachy, slightly creamy and toasty flavours, showing excellent vigour and richness. $26
Comments Off on Matawhero Church House Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fragrant, fleshy, basically dry style (4 grams/litre residual sugar), mostly lees-aged in tanks, but 10% of the blend was fermented with indigenous yeasts in old French oak barrels. Mouthfilling and richly varietal, it has pure, delicate peach, pear and lychee…
Comments Off on Greystone Sand Dollar Waipara Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Sturdy, youthful, clearly varietal red, grown in the Elms Vineyard. Concentrated plum and spice flavours, seasoned with nutty oak, earthy notes adding complexity, and good tannin backbone. Best drinking 2018+. $40 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Crossroads Winemakers Collection Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Classic Awatere Valley style, intensely aromatic, with lovely delicacy and depth of melon, lime and green capsicum flavours, very pure, vibrant and lingering. A great buy. $23 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Marlborough Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Certified organic, this very elegant, tightly structured, single-vineyard wine was grown in the Southern Valleys and handled in seasoned oak casks. The bouquet is fragrant and complex; the palate weighty, with penetrating grapefruit and nut flavours, good acid spine and…
Comments Off on The Darling Marlborough Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Lovely young wine, made in a medium style (23 grams/litre residual sugar). Full-bodied, with strong, ripe, citrusy, peachy flavours, hints of lime, spice and honey, and excellent concentration and harmony. Instantly appealing. $27 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Greystone Waipara Riesling 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This refined wine was estate-grown at Mangatahi. Fragrant and mouthfilling, it is youthful and tightly structured, with strong, vibrant, citrusy, peachy flavours, finely integrated oak (French, 25% new), fresh acidity, and very impressive delicacy, complexity and harmony. $40
Comments Off on Crossroads Winemakers Collection Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Floral, graceful, very finely textured red, grown in the Elms Vineyard. Deeply coloured, with rich, ripe blackcurrant and spice flavours, hints of dark chocolate and licorice, and a long, slightly peppery finish. Already delicious, it should be at its best…
Comments Off on Crossroads Talisman Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Attractive yeastiness to the lifted sweet fruit nose. Very creamy in the mouth with a nice nutty length and good line of acid.
Comments Off on Terra Felix King Valley Prosecco 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Dry nutty nose with toasty development and a rich, round and flavoursome palate.
Comments Off on Bisol Vigneti del Fol Superiore DOCG Extra Dry Valdobbiadene Prosecco 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Pleasant passionfruit aromas with persistent and tasty citrus driven flavours showing some nice aged characters developing.
Comments Off on Bisol Salis Superiore DOCG Dry Valdobbiadene Prosecco 2014 / 0 View / April 5, 2017