Posted: December 2, 2021
Still unfolding, this fragrant, full-bodied wine is vibrantly fruity, with good intensity of citrusy, spicy flavours, dry and appetisingly crisp. Best drinking 2022+. $22
Comments Off on Coopers Creek Select Vineyards Bell-Ringer Albariño Gisborne 2020 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Already highly enjoyable, this wine is full of youthful vigour. Bright, light yellow/green, it is full-bodied, with very good intensity of vibrant, peachy, slightly spicy flavours, appetising acidity and a dryish, finely balanced finish. Best drinking 2023+. $26 (A)
Comments Off on Matawhero Church House Single Vineyard Gisborne Chenin Blanc 2020 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Full of personality, this softly mouthfilling wine was fermented and matured for six months in old oak puncheons. Light lemon/green, it is perfumed, sturdy and rich, with deep lychee, pear and spice flavours, gentle sweetness, a slightly oily texture and…
Comments Off on Pegasus Bay Waipara Valley North Canterbury Gewurztraminer 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Similar in style to Muscat Beaumes de Venise, this distinctive, rare wine was handled in tanks and stop-fermented with the addition of neutral spirit. Pale gold, it is weighty (16% alc/vol), with vibrant, concentrated, peachy flavours, hints of oranges and…
Comments Off on Pegasus Bay Fortissimo Waipara Valley North Muscat NV Canterbury NV / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Attractively scented and very harmonious, this light-bodied wine is a medium style with incisive, citrusy, limey flavours, a gentle splash of sweetness, appetising acidity and a long finish. Drink now or cellar. $30 (A)
Comments Off on Bald Hills Last Light Single Vineyard Central Otago Bannockburn Riesling 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Showing good intensity, this wine was estate-grown at sites in the central Wairau Valley and the Waihopai Valley. Crisp and youthful, it is strongly varietal, with fresh tropical fruit and herbaceous flavours that linger well. $21 (UK)
Comments Off on Jackson Estate Stich Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2020 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Strongly varietal, this highly aromatic, youthful wine is mouthfilling, crisp and dry, with punchy, tropical fruit and herbaceous flavours, and a racy, tightly structured finish. Best drinking 2022. $29 (A, UK, US
Comments Off on Palliser Estate Martinborough Sauvignon Blanc 2020 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Priced right, this highly approachable red was matured for a year in seasoned French oak. Full-coloured, it is medium-bodied, with strong, fresh, plum and spice flavours, a hint of nutty oak, fresh acidity and supple tannins. Best drinking 2022+. $22
Comments Off on Pask Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
This very easy drinking, medium-bodied red was estate-grown in west Auckland. Ruby hued, it has moderately concentrated, ripe, berryish, spicy flavours, seasoned with sweet oak, and a well-rounded finish. $28
Comments Off on Coopers Creek Select Vineyards Guido in Velvet Pants Kumeu Montepulciano 2018 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
This generous, supple red has a fresh, slightly spicy and earthy bouquet. Full-bodied, it has very good depth of ripe, plummy, spicy flavours, showing considerable complexity, and a lengthy, smooth finish. Drink now or cellar. $23 (A)
Comments Off on Matawhero Single Vineyard Gisborne Merlot 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Still very youthful, this estate-grown red was matured for 13 months in French oak, mostly new. Full-coloured, it is mouthfilling, with strong plum and black pepper flavours, savoury notes adding complexity, and a long, spicy, supple finish. Best drinking 2023+….
Comments Off on Pask Declaration Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
This graceful, ruby hued red is a medium-bodied style, grown in the Southern Valleys. Vibrantly fruity, it has fresh cherry, plum and spice flavours, a restrained touch of oak and good length. Best drinking mid-2022+. $24
Comments Off on Black Cottage Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
This very easy-drinking red was grown at Alexandra and Gibbston. Bright ruby, it is floral and vibrantly fruity, with good depth of cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing some savoury complexity, and ripe, supple tannins. Best drinking mid-2022+. $26 (A,…
Comments Off on Black Cottage Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Deep ruby, this savoury, medium to full-bodied red has a fragrant, slightly earthy bouquet. Well balanced, it has generous, plummy, spicy flavours, fresh acidity and supple tannins, in an easy-drinking style, likely to be at its best in 2023. $25
Comments Off on Brancott Estate Letter Series T Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Priced right, this Bannockburn red spent a year in French oak barriques (27% new). Deep ruby, it is full-bodied, with very good density of cherry, plum and spice flavours, complex, savoury and well-structured, with a moderately firm finish. Best drinking…
Comments Off on Bald Hills 3 Acres Central Otago Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Offering top value, this wine was estate-grown at Bannockburn and Pisa, and matured in French oak barriques. Deep ruby, it is fragrant, mouthfilling and vibrantly fruity, with generous, ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, savoury notes adding complexity, and fine-grained…
Comments Off on Akarua Rua Central Otago Pinot Noir 2020 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Weighty and complex, this savoury red was hand-picked from estate-grown, mature vines in the Southern Valleys and matured for 10 months in French oak barriques. Deep, bright ruby, it is still youthful, with concentrated, ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours,…
Comments Off on Jackson Estate Vintage Widow Marlborough Pinot Noir 2017 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Still very youthful, this estate-grown red was matured for nearly a year in French oak barriques (30% new). Deep, bright ruby, it is vigorous, with excellent density of cherry, plum and spice flavours, fresh acidity, savoury notes adding complexity, and…
Comments Off on Bald Hills Central Otago Single Vineyard Central Otago Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2017 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Already highly enjoyable, this estate-grown red was hand-picked from 23 year-old vines and matured for nearly a year in French oak barriques (27% new). Bright ruby, it is full-bodied, sweet-fruited and supple, with vibrant cherry, plum and spice flavours, finely…
Comments Off on Akarua Central Otago Bannockburn Pinot Noir 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Pale pink, this fresh, lively wine has very good vigour and depth of strawberryish, spicy flavours, a hint of apricot and a dry finish. It’s ready to roll. $21
Comments Off on Jackson Estate Alayna Pinot Rosé 2020 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Instantly appealing, this pale pink sparkling is a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir, grown in Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay. It has strong, strawberryish, peachy, gently yeasty flavours, fresh acidity, and a dryish, smooth, lingering finish. $22
Comments Off on Haha Brut NV Rosé NV / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Priced right, this chardonnay/pinot noir blend was grown in Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough. The bouquet is citrusy and yeasty; the palate fresh and lively, with good intensity, gentle biscuity notes adding complexity, and a dryish, finely poised finish. $22
Comments Off on Haha Brut Cuvée NV NV / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
This powerful young wine was estate-grown in Northland. Robust, it has vibrant pear and spice flavours, moderate acidity, very good vigour and length, and a basically dry finish. Well worth cellaring, it should be at its best mid-2022+. $26
Comments Off on Waiparore Tutukaka Coast Pinot Gris 2020 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Mouthfilling, fleshy and smooth, this wine is enjoyable young, but worth cellaring too. Bright, light lemon/green, it has good intensity of vibrant peach, pear and spice flavours, and a dryish, very harmonious finish. $23 (A)
Comments Off on Matawhero Single Vineyard Gisborne Pinot Gris 2020 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
From ‘the best grapes we have ever picked from our Home Block vineyard’, this youthful wine is weighty and vibrantly fruity, with strong, ripe, peachy, slightly spicy flavours, balanced acidity, and a finely textured, dry, rounded finish. Best drinking 2022+….
Comments Off on Coopers Creek Select Vineyards Home Block Kumeu Pinot Gris 2020 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Delicious now, but also ageworthy, this estate-grown wine was hand-picked and tank-fermented. Pale lemon/green, it is weighty, with concentrated, vibrant peach, pear and spice flavours, a touch of complexity, and a finely balanced, off-dry finish. $30 (A)
Comments Off on Bald Hills Kirameki Single Vineyard Central Otago Bannockburn Pinot Gris 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Crafted deliberately in the ‘full-on’ style popular in the 1980s, this pale gold wine was fermented and matured for 11 months in American oak barrels (20% new). Full-bodied, it is a generous, moderately complex wine with plenty of peachy, toasty…
Comments Off on Coopers Creek Select Vineyards Big & Buttery Gisborne Chardonnay 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Already drinking well, this partly hand-picked wine was matured for nine months in French oak barriques and puncheons (10% new). Bright, light lemon/green, it is vibrantly fruity, with very good depth of peach and grapefruit flavours, a subtle seasoning of…
Comments Off on Pask Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Offering good value, this barrel-fermented, lees-aged wine is full-bodied, with generous, ripe stonefruit flavours, woven with fresh acidity, and well-integrated oak adding complexity. Still very youthful, it should be at its best mid-2022+. (From Pegasus Bay.) $21 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Main Divide Canterbury Chardonnay 2020 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Well worth cellaring, this elegant wine was hand-picked at Pisa and fermented and matured for 10 months in French oak casks (10% new). Full-bodied, it is fresh and youthful, with strong, vibrant, citrusy flavours, gently seasoned with biscuity oak, and…
Comments Off on Wild Earth Central Otago Chardonnay 2020 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Showing good personality, this youthful, vibrant Northland wine was barrel-fermented and lees-aged. Bright, light lemon/green, it is mouthfilling, with generous, ripe, citrusy, peachy flavours, finely integrated oak, and a slightly creamy, harmonious finish. Best drinking 2023+. $28
Comments Off on Waiparore Tutukaka Coast Chardonnay 2020 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Showing obvious potential for cellaring, this is a weighty, fleshy wine with generous, ripe, peachy, slightly toasty flavours, fresh, balanced acidity and excellent complexity. $25
Comments Off on Stoneleigh Rapaura Series Single Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay 2020 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Still unfolding, this youthful wine is bright, light lemon/green, with a fragrant, smoky bouquet. Mouthfilling, it is vibrantly fruity, with concentrated, ripe, peachy flavours, mealy and toasty notes adding complexity, fresh, balanced acidity, and a lingering finish. $25
Comments Off on Brancott Estate Letter Series O Marlborough Chardonnay 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
This stylish, youthful wine was hand-picked in the Gimblett Gravels, and fermented and matured for 10 months in French oak barriques (55% new). Fragrant and concentrated, it is weighty, with rich peach and grapefruit flavours, mealy, biscuity notes adding complexity,…
Comments Off on Pask Declaration Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Still developing, this elegant, youthful wine has a fragrant, complex, slightly smoky bouquet. Full-bodied, it has rich, ripe, stonefruit flavours, seasoned with well-integrated, toasty oak, and a long, finely poised finish. Best drinking 2023+. $43
Comments Off on Palliser Estate Martinborough Chardonnay 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
This single-vineyard, Gimblett Gravels red was matured for 10 months in French oak (new and seasoned.) Deeply coloured, it is vibrantly fruity and medium-bodied, with fresh acidity and strong, youthful, plummy, spicy flavours. Best drinking 2023+. $28
Comments Off on Saint Clair James Sinclair Hawke’s Bay Malbec 2020 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
From a variety cultivated in northern Italy, this attractive, easy-drinking red was estate-grown in the Redstone Vineyard, in the Bridge Pa Triangle, and matured for over a year in French oak casks (21% new). Deep and youthful in colour, it…
Comments Off on Church Road McDonald Series Marzemino Hawke’s Bay 2018 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Still very youthful, this deeply coloured blend of cabernet sauvignon (68%) and merlot (32%) was matured in tanks and French oak barrels. Full-bodied, with a slightly earthy bouquet, it has strong, vibrant blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, showing considerable complexity,…
Comments Off on Saint Clair James Sinclair Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Estate-grown in the Redstone Vineyard, in the Bridge Pa Triangle, this good value red includes malbec (10%) and merlot (3%). Deep and youthful in colour, it is sturdy and supple, with rich blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, hints of herbs…
Comments Off on Church Road McDonald Series Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 2018 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
This classy, youthful, claret-style Hawke’s Bay red is a blend of cabernet sauvignon and cabernet franc, oak-matured for a year. Dark and purple-flushed, it is a powerful, full-bodied wine, with vibrant, well-ripened blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, finely balanced tannins,…
Comments Off on Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels The Gimblett 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
This fragrant, savoury, smooth-flowing red is a blend of cabernet sauvignon (68%), estate-grown in the Redstone Vineyard, in the Bridge Pa Triangle, with merlot (24%) and malbec (8%), grown in the Gimblett Gravels. French oak-aged for 20 months, it is…
Comments Off on Church Road Grand Reserve Hawke’s Bay Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2018 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
This youthful, medium-bodied red is deeply coloured, with a fresh, spicy bouquet. It has strong plum, spice and black pepper flavours, woven with fresh acidity, and an almost pinot noir-ish charm. $21
Comments Off on Church Road Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Dark and purple-flushed, this youthful, single-vineyard red was French oak-matured for six months. Vibrantly fruity, with a fresh, spicy, slightly earthy bouquet, it has clearly varietal, plummy, spicy, peppery flavours, generous and supple. Enjoyable young, it’s also worth cellaring. $28
Comments Off on Saint Clair James Sinclair Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Ruby hued, this single-vineyard red includes a splash of viognier (2%). Freshly aromatic, it is strongly varietal, with plummy, spicy, slightly nutty flavours, supple tannins, and good complexity, vigour and harmony. Best drinking mid-2022+. $28
Comments Off on Coopers Creek Select Vineyards Chalk Ridge Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
This classy young red is well worth cellaring. Oak-aged for a year, it is deeply coloured, with a fragrant, spicy, clearly varietal bouquet. Mouthfilling and well-structured, it is concentrated, with deep, ripe, plummy, spicy flavours, fresh acidity, oak complexity and…
Comments Off on Trinity Hill Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
A top buy, this dark, floral red was grown in the Gimblett Gravels (principally) and the Bridge Pa Triangle, blended with malbec (14%), and matured for 18 months in French and Hungarian oak barrels (22% new). Still purple-flushed, with a…
Comments Off on Church Road McDonald Series Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
This is a powerful, very age-worthy red, dark and rich. Estate-grown in the Bridge Pa Triangle (mostly) and the Gimblett Gravels, it was matured for 20 months in French and Hungarian oak barrels (33% new). Fragrant and fresh, it has…
Comments Off on Church Road Grand Reserve Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2018 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Instantly appealing, this very graceful, youthful red was estate-grown and matured for 10 months in French oak barrels (30% new). Deeply coloured, it is fleshy, savoury and supple, with excellent flavour depth, vigour and harmony. Best drinking 2023+. $50
Comments Off on Askerne The Tere Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Aiming for a ‘fruit-driven’ style, this Gimblett Gravels red was matured in tanks and seasoned French oak barrels. Deeply coloured, it is mouthfilling and fruit-packed, with strong, plummy, spicy flavours, a hint of toasty oak, fresh acidity and supple tannins….
Comments Off on Saint Clair Origin Hawke’s Bay Merlot 2020 / 0 View / December 2, 2021
Posted: December 2, 2021
Deeply coloured, with a fragrant, slightly earthy bouquet, this is a concentrated red. Full-bodied, it has strong, youthful, plum and spice flavours, seasoned with toasty oak, fresh acidity and ripe, supple tannins. Showing obvious potential, it’s well worth cellaring to…
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 17 Plateau Gimblett Gravels Merlot 2019 / 0 View / December 2, 2021