Posted: April 3, 2017
Attractive, moderately complex wine with vibrant, peachy, citrusy flavours, fresh and crisp, and a gentle seasoning of biscuity oak.
Comments Off on Mills Reef Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Full-bodied wine from Mangatahi with ripe fruit flavours, some barrel-ferment complexity and very good depth.
Comments Off on Crossroads Winemakers Collection Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Tight, youthful, elegant wine with ripe, citrusy flavours, showing excellent complexity and length. Best drinking mid-2016+.
Comments Off on Te Awa Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Elegant, youthful wine with fresh, ripe, citrusy flavours to the fore, nutty, mealy characters adding complexity, and a well-rounded, harmonious finish. (From Rod McDonald.)
Comments Off on Te Awanga Estate Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Elegant, youthful, medium-bodied wine with fresh, ripe, sweet-fruit flavours, gently seasoned with oak. Finely balanced, with drink-young appeal.
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Creamy, smoky bouquet. Mouthfilling, with generous, ripe fruit flavours, toasty oak adding complexity, and a well-rounded, lingering finish. (From Rod McDonald.)
Comments Off on Quarter Acre Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Fragrant, mouthfilling, Gimblett Gravels wine with ripe fruit flavours, impressive depth and complexity, and a lingering finish.
Comments Off on Pask Small Batch Wild Yeast Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Slightly oaky bouquet. Traditional regional style, with substantial body and generous, ripe, peachy, slightly toasty flavours. ‘Yum,’ enthused one judge.
Comments Off on Pask Declaration Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Elegant wine, fully barrel-fermented, with a fragrant, mealy, slightly biscuity bouquet. Full-bodied and fresh, with vibrant, ripe fruit flavours, a subtle oak influence and good length.
Comments Off on Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Slightly creamy bouquet. Weighty, with ripe, stonefruit flavours, showing good depth, and a finely-textured, lengthy finish.
Comments Off on Gunn Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Pale, youthful wine with mouthfilling body, fresh, citrusy fruit flavours, smoky, creamy notes adding complexity and a lingering, harmonious finish.
Comments Off on Clearview Beachhead Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Fleshy and sweet-fruited, with generous, peachy flavours, finely integrated oak and a rounded finish.
Comments Off on Askerne Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Pale, creamy-textured wine with rich, grapefruit-like flavours, finely integrated oak, good complexity and a long finish. Tightly structured and ageworthy.
Comments Off on Ash Ridge Vintner’s Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Elegant, tight-knit wine with a smoky bouquet, concentrated, ripe, grapefruit-like flavours, good complexity and a sustained finish. Well worth cellaring.
Comments Off on Villa Maria Single Vineyard Keltern Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Fragrant bouquet, citrusy, nutty and smoky. Powerful, weighty wine, still very youthful, with concentrated, ripe grapefruit and nut flavours, showing excellent complexity, harmony and richness.
Comments Off on Villa Maria Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Classy, elegant wine with a fragrant bouquet, mingling ripe fruit and smoky notes. Strong, grapefruit-like flavours, with well-integrated nutty oak, good complexity and a long finish.
Comments Off on Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
This beauty shot straight to a five-star rating from all judges. A generous, full-bodied wine, with a fragrant, slightly flinty bouquet, it has rich stonefruit flavours, seasoned with nutty oak and excellent complexity.
Comments Off on Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Classic regional style, with mouthfilling body and strong peach, grapefruit and nut flavours, showing excellent complexity and harmony. Weighty, rich and rounded, this is a wonderful buy.
Comments Off on Esk Valley Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Weighty, generous, creamy-smooth wine, estate-grown at Te Awanga and barrel-fermented. Concentrated, peachy, slightly toasty flavours, with excellent texture, harmony and length.
Comments Off on Elephant Hill Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2013 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Fragrant, complex, slightly smoky bouquet. Concentrated, youthful, grapefruit-like flavours, woven with fresh acidity, a subtle oak seasoning and good complexity. Elegant, tightly structured wine, rated highly by all judges.
Comments Off on Clearview Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Excellent citrus/apricot aromas with sweet honeyed notes. Luscious and lively in the mouth with a palate offering a vibrant complexity of sweet lip smacking flavours.
Comments Off on Mistletoe Hilltops Noble Viognier 2013 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Floral perfumed aromas with nice dried fruit notes. Nice varietal expression on a textured palate with good tannin/acid balance.
Comments Off on Heritage Estate Wines Granite Belt Marsanne 2013 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Deep ruby wine with savory fruit aromas and flavours with substantial tannins and lots of acid.
Comments Off on Malone Wines Wrattonbully Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Fresh cassis aromas and some nice aged notes starting to develop on a highly astringent palate.
Comments Off on Richmond Grove Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Lovely fruit here; lots of spiciness with upfront fruit sweetness on a chalky textured palate.
Comments Off on Jacobs Creek Double Barrel Limestone Coast Shiraz Cabernet 2012 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
A young wine with lots of potential to grow. The cassis nose is leafy and minty; the well structured palate is complex and balanced with persistent fresh blackcurrant fruit.
Comments Off on Jacobs Creek Double Barrel Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Quite an intense, medium bodied, shiraz with lovely varietal fruit showing some peppery notes and lots of grippy tannins.
Comments Off on Koonara Angel’s Peak Coonawarra Shiraz 2013 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
A delightful big rich wine, deep red colour with lovely purity of varietal fruit. Earthy savory notes on the nose and plenty of upfront dark berry flavours with very good tannins and long finish.
Comments Off on DiGiorgio Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Big and rich with intense spicy dark berry fruit, some licorice notes and creamy oak.
Comments Off on DiGiorgio Emporio Coonawarra Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon Cabernet Franc 2013 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
A big rich creamy oak driven style with vibrant floral/lemon fruit characters.
Comments Off on DiGiorgio Coonawarra Chardonnay 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
A touch of menthol to the nose with sweet berry fruit flavours balanced by the soft tannins.
Comments Off on Redman Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2010 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
“A friendly drink”, said one judge. A blackcurrant bouquet and cedary oak and cassis fruit flavours on quite an astringent palate.
Comments Off on Redman Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Earthy nutty age developing on the nose with good integration of fruit, oak and bottle age characters on the palate.
Comments Off on Redman Coonawarra Shiraz 2012 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Plums and cherries on the nose with slight barnyardy edge and some lovely strawberry flavours on the light, pleasant palate.
Comments Off on Herbert Vineyard Barrel Number 1 Mt Gambier Pinot Noir 2013 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Minty leafy nose showing leathery aged notes. Nice persistence of spicy fruit flavours with good tannin support.
Comments Off on Herbert Vineyard Cabernet Plus Mt Gambier Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot Cabernet Franc 2013 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Very intense concentration of sweet blackberry fruit characters on both the nose and palate with plenty of oak and savory nutty notes.
Comments Off on Flint’s Rostrevor Coonawarra Shiraz 2013 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
A lean, obvious cool climate style of cabernet with minty menthol aromas and a lovely lingering complexity of sweet dark berry flavours layered with chocolate.
Comments Off on Flint’s Gammons Crossing Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Intense aromas – all savory, meaty and earthy and underscored with berries and cherries. Lovely mouthfilling dark sweet fruit flavours with hints of spice. Good acid/tannin balance.
Comments Off on Wood Block Wines Single Vineyard Coonawarra Shiraz 2013 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
A beautifully aged wine; good drinking now. Has a complexity of earthy, licorice, peppery aromas and lovely aged flavours that still show fruit freshness. Excellent chalky tannins.
Comments Off on Patrick of Coonawarra Joanna Wrattonbully Shiraz 2003 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Nicely aged aromas of toasty lime with hints of green apple. The palate is complex, intense and long but still has lovely freshness to it. “Very good for such an old wine!”
Comments Off on Patrick of Coonawarra The Caves Vineyard Wrattonbully Riesling 2003 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Very intense aged toasty lime bouquet with excellent persistence of the toasty citrus characters on the long lingering palate.
Comments Off on Patrick of Coonawarra Aged Wrattonbully Riesling 2010 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Quite complex developed and nutty with chocolaty fragrances and an elegant cassis fruit driven palate.
Comments Off on Patrick of Coonawarra Home Block Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2010 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Interesting complexity from the minty/eucalypt nose with great balance and length of creamy berry and menthol flavours; plenty of tannins to match.
Comments Off on Patrick of Coonawarra Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2012 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
A lovely weighted wine with the nose and palate offering a seamless balance of tarry aged characters, fresh plum fruit, cedary oak and moderate sweet tannins.
Comments Off on Patrick of Coonawarra Estate Wrattonbully Shiraz 2010 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Lots of lime and lemon fragrances with a dash of fresh herbs which are echoed on the long persistent palate and mixed with green apple skin characters.
Comments Off on Patrick of Coonawarra Estate Wrattonbully Coonawarra Riesling 2014 / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Persistent bubbles, green notes to the nose and smooth complex layers of flavours.
Comments Off on Bottega Vini Dei Poeti Gold DOC Valdobbiadene Italy Prosecco NV / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Spicy nose with honeyed notes. Mouthfilling fresh lemon flavours. Sweetness at start and finish.
Comments Off on Bottega Vini Dei Poeti Valdobbiadene Italy Prosecco DOCG NV / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
Elegant and sophisticated with complex inviting aromas of primary fruit with well integrated yeast. Very flavoursome with nice line of acid – very French-like. 5+
Comments Off on Verdun Park Wines Amelia Adelaide Hills Sparkling NV / 0 View / April 3, 2017
Posted: April 3, 2017
A lightness of baked apple and honey on the nose and a beautifully tight, elegant, fruit focused palate.
Comments Off on Yes Said The Seal Reserve Geelong Blanc de Blanc 2009 / 0 View / April 3, 2017