Posted: April 4, 2017
This fleshy, weighty wine is very fresh and vibrant, with strong peach, lychee, pear and spice flavours, showing good delicacy and purity, and a dryish finish. Best drinking mid-2016+.
Comments Off on Bald Hills Central Otago Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Delicious young, this very pale pink wine is attractively scented and mouthfilling, with strong strawberry, peach and spice flavours and a fully dry, well-rounded finish. Certified organic.
Comments Off on Aurum Rosé Central Otago Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Already drinking well, this creamy-textured wine was fermented with indigenous yeasts and barrel-aged for 16 months. Light lemon/green, it has strong, citrusy, appley, slightly peachy flavours, showing good complexity, balanced acidity, and a rounded, lingering finish. Best 2016-17.
Comments Off on Aurum Central Otago Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Certified organic, this weighty, finely textured wine was hand-harvested and fermented partly with indigenous yeasts. Sweet-fruited, it is mouthfilling and dry, with excellent delicacy and depth of fresh, tropical fruit flavours, balanced acidity and a smooth finish. A very harmonious…
Comments Off on Walnut Block Nutcracker Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Highly scented, this is a mouthfilling wine with penetrating, ripe melon, capsicum and lime flavours. Slightly peachy and salty, it is very fresh, harmonious and lingering.
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 20 Cash Block Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Showing excellent depth, this is a very aromatic, fresh and vibrant, intensely varietal wine. Mouthfilling, sweet-fruited and smooth, it has tropical fruit flavours, a herbaceous undercurrent, and a dry, persistent finish.
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 3 43 Degrees Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
This flavour-packed, fine-value wine is from sites in the lower Wairau Valley. Mouthfilling, it is vibrantly fruity, with strong melon, passionfruit and lime flavours, a slightly ‘salty’ streak, and excellent harmony and length.
Comments Off on Saint Clair Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Dark and youthful, this mouthfilling red has concentrated, well-ripened plum, spice and black pepper flavours. Vibrant, with good density and supple, fine-grained tannins, it’s well worth cellaring.
Comments Off on Obsidian Waiheke Island Syrah 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Delicious now, this is a blend dominated by cabernet franc (36%), petit verdot (32%) and malbec (24%), with a splash of merlot. Still youthful, it is a graceful, concentrated, supple red, with strong blackcurrant, plum and herb flavours, seasoned with…
Comments Off on Obsidian Reserve The Mayor Waiheke Island Chardonnay 2012 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Weighty and concentrated, this youthful wine has rich, ripe stonefruit flavours, overlaid with biscuity, nutty oak (French, 40% new), and a creamy-smooth texture. Powerful, with northern warmth and roundness, it should be at its best mid-2016+.
Comments Off on Obsidian Reserve Waiheke Island Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Grown at Bendigo, this mouthfilling, sweet-fruited, youthful red is built to last. Deep ruby, it is weighty, with dense, ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, complex, savoury and firm. Best drinking 2017+.
Comments Off on Folding Hill Central Otago Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
This elegant red was grown and hand-picked in the Gibbston (principally) and Bannockburn sub-regions. Full, bright ruby, it is fragrant and supple, with strong, ripe cherry and plum flavours, a hint of dried herbs, good complexity, and a finely textured…
Comments Off on Coal Pit Tiwha Central Otago Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
This bargain-priced wine was estate-grown in the relatively cool, elevated Matapiro district. A powerful, Alsace-style pinot gris (14.5% alc/vol), it is fleshy, with concentrated, ripe, peachy, slightly spicy flavours, gentle sweetness and a rich, rounded finish. Delicious already.
Comments Off on Church Road Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
This appetisingly crisp, mouthfilling wine has strong, ripely herbaceous flavours, showing a touch of bottle-aged complexity. Drinking well now but also ageworthy, it is sweet-fruited and tightly structured, with a lingering finish.
Comments Off on Brightwater Vineyards Lord Rutherford Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Finely textured, with a persistent finish, this is an instantly attractive wine. Hand-picked and made in a medium style (28 grams/litre residual sugar), it is still fresh and youthful, with concentrated, ripe peach, pear and spice flavours. Best drinking mid-2016+.
Comments Off on Brightwater Vineyards Lord Rutherford Nelson Pinot Gris 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Still very youthful, this fragrant, estate-grown wine was hand-harvested and fermented and matured for over a year in French oak barriques (25% new). Concentrated, with vibrant, peachy, citrusy, slightly biscuity flavours, woven with fresh acidity, and finely integrated oak, it…
Comments Off on Brightwater Vineyards Lord Rutherford Barrique Nelson Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Showing excellent cellaring potential, this deeply coloured red is mouthfilling, with youthful vigour and strong, ripe cherry, plum, spice and nut flavours. A stylish wine with integrated oak and good complexity, it should be at its best 2017+.
Comments Off on Bald Hills Single Vineyard Central Otago Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Full of youthful impact, this is a medium style of riesling (23 grams/litre residual sugar) with fresh lemon/lime flavours, showing good intensity and vigour, a lovely sugar/acid balance, and a long finish. Already approachable, it’s a tightly structured wine, well…
Comments Off on Bald Hills Central Otago Riesling 2015 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Still very youthful, this deeply coloured red was estate-grown at Lowburn, barrel-matured for a year, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Mouthfilling and supple, it has concentrated, ripe plum, cherry and spice flavours, with finely integrated oak adding complexity, and obvious…
Comments Off on Aurum Central Otago Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
This classy rosé was hand-harvested and partly (10%) handled in old barrels. Bright pink, it is buoyantly fruity, with rich, yet delicate, strawberry and peach flavours, hints of apricots and spices, lively acidity, and loads of charm.
Comments Off on Terra Sancta Central Otago Bannockburn Rosé 2015 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Deliciously pure and sweet-fruited, this classy, youthful wine was grown at Dillons Point, in the lower Wairau Valley. Pale and mouthfilling, it is weighty, with melon, grapefruit and lime flavours that build across the palate to a powerful finish. A…
Comments Off on Saint Clair Wairau Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
If you like Alsace pinot gris, try this beauty. Instantly engaging, it is fragrant and full-bodied (14.5% alc/vol), in a rich, ripe, slightly sweet style with lovely depth of peach, pear and spice flavours. Slightly honeyed, with complexity from some…
Comments Off on Church Road McDonald Series Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
This powerful, complex wine offers great value. Hand-harvested and barrel-fermented with indigenous yeasts, it has a highly fragrant, smoky bouquet, leading into a full-bodied wine with concentrated, ripe, grapefruit-like flavours, gently seasoned with biscuity, toasty oak. Creamy-textured, with a long,…
Comments Off on Church Road McDonald Series Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Still very youthful, this powerful, concentrated red was estate-grown in Redstone Vineyard, in the Bridge Pa Triangle, and French oak-aged for 18 months. Bold and youthful in colour, it is sturdy (14.5% alc/vol), with dense, ripe blackcurrant, plum and spice…
Comments Off on Church Road Grand Reserve Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2013 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Freshly scented, lively and tangy, this medium-bodied wine has intense lemon/lime flavours, a minerally streak and a finely poised, dryish, very long finish. Full of personality and potential, it’s certified organic.
Comments Off on Aurum Central Otago Riesling 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Looking for something completely different, made by ancient techniques? This amber-hued pinot gris, made with indigenous yeast fermentation and prolonged skin maceration, was barrique-aged for over a year, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Mouthfilling, it shows good complexity, with strong…
Comments Off on Aurum Amber Wine Central Otago 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Deeply coloured, with concentrated blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours. Slightly peppery notes, with barrel-aged complexity and a firmly structured finish. $23
Comments Off on Spy Valley Marlborough Merlot Malbec 2013 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Ruby hued, with fresh plum and red berry flavours, strong and smooth. Medium-bodied, fruit-driven style, ripe and rounded. $25
Comments Off on Vidal Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Bright ruby, medium-bodied red with plum/cherry flavours and gentle tannins. Fleshy and fresh, with good length. $30 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Spy Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Easy-drinking style, ruby hued, with plum, cherry and spice flavours, some greener notes and a hint of oak. $23 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Saint Clair Vicar’s Choice Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Fresh and lively, with youthful cherry/plum flavours, toasty oak adding complexity and mouthfilling body. Slightly earthy and funky, with good texture and weight. $38
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 5 Bull Block Omaka Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Fresh, vibrantly fruity and supple. Medium-bodied style with good depth of fresh, ripe, red fruit flavours, gentle tannins and some oak-derived complexity. $27 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Saint Clair Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Savoury, moderately complex style. Cherry, plum and spice flavours, with earthy, nutty notes and good depth. $40 (A, US)
Comments Off on Mount Riley Seventeen Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Fresh, ruby-hued, medium-bodied style with plummy, sweet-fruit flavours and gentle tannins. Smooth, easy drinking. $22 (A, US)
Comments Off on Mount Riley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Easy-drinking style, ruby hued, with fresh, vibrant berry and dried herb flavours, moderate complexity and a smooth finish. $25
Comments Off on Esk Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Fragrant, medium-bodied style with cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing a touch of oak complexity, and good depth. $20
Comments Off on Dashwood Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Wairau Valley red with good depth of plummy, spicy, nutty flavours, showing a touch of complexity. ‘A little drying on the finish’, according to one judge, but another praised its ‘soft, long’ finish. $27 (A, US)
Comments Off on Ant Moore Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Mouthfilling, with a spicy, savoury bouquet and very good depth of plummy, spicy flavours. Complex, with hints of tamarillo and dried herbs. Worth cellaring. (Single-vineyard red from the Southern Valleys). $44
Comments Off on Saint Clair Omaka Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Deep ruby, with a fragrant, plummy, spicy bouquet, strong cherry, plum, dried herb and spice flavours, and good texture and harmony. $25
Comments Off on Coopers Creek SV Gibsons Run Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Fresh and finely balanced, with vibrant, ripe, red-fruit and spice flavours, showing a touch of complexity. Good value. $20 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Coopers Creek Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Finely textured, mouthfilling red with sweet-fruit delights, vibrant cherry/plum flavours, integrated oak, supple tannins and a long finish. $31
Comments Off on Vavasour Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Deeply coloured, generous red with concentrated, youthful, plummy flavours and a tight, firm finish. (From Jackson Estate). $20 (A)
Comments Off on Shelter Bay Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Showing good personality, this is a sweet-fruited red with a smoky, savoury, oak-influenced bouquet (barrique-aged, 38 per cent new). Mouthfilling and supple, it has strong plum, spice and dried herb flavours, with some ‘funky’ notes adding complexity. $38 (US)
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 16 Awatere Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Weighty, generous, finely textured red, deeply coloured, with rich, ripe cherry/plum flavours, well-integrated oak and an invitingly fragrant bouquet. $38
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 10 Twin Hills Omaka Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Deeply coloured, with a fragrant bouquet, mouthfilling body, and generous cherry, plum and spice flavours. Good richness, structure and complexity, with a long finish. $36 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Jackson Estate Vintage Widow Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Ruby hued, with vibrant plum, cherry and spice flavours, showing good complexity. Savoury and slightly earthy style, with ripe, sweet-fruit flavours, good supporting oak and a lengthy finish. $33
Comments Off on Brancott Estate Letter Series T Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Deep ruby, with generous, ripe cherry, plum, spice and dried herb flavours. Fragrant and finely textured, with oak complexity and good structure and richness. $35
Comments Off on Babich Winemakers’ Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2014 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Refined, deep ruby red, mouthfilling and generous, with concentrated, youthful flavours and fine-grained tannins. Rich, savoury, finely textured and long. $50
Comments Off on Villa Maria Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Pale pink, mouthfilling rosé from pinot noir, with generous berryish flavours, a hint of spice, and a fresh, rounded finish. $25 (UK)
Comments Off on Two Rivers L’ile de Beauté Marlborough Rosé 2015 / 0 View / April 4, 2017
Posted: April 4, 2017
Pale pink, with dryish strawberry and spice flavours, showing very good freshness and depth. $22
Comments Off on Saint Clair Rosé Marlborough Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 4, 2017