Posted: May 12, 2022
Drinking well now and offering good value, this Waipara blend of merlot, cabernet sauvignon, malbec and cabernet franc was barrique-aged for a year. Full-coloured, it is mouthfilling, with ripe, plummy, spicy flavours, showing some savoury complexity, supple tannins and good…
Comments Off on Main Divide North /Cabernet Canterbury Merlot 2019 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Bargain-priced, this full-coloured red has a perfumed, spicy bouquet. Mouthfilling, it is strongly varietal, with plummy, peppery flavours, showing excellent depth, savoury notes adding complexity, supple tannins and a finely poised finish. Best drinking mid-2023+. $21
Comments Off on Church Road Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2020 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Offering great value, this merlot-dominated blend (92%) was grown mostly in the Bridge Pa Triangle and oak-aged for a year. Full-coloured and fragrant, it is mouthfilling and sweet-fruited, with rich, well-ripened blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, a hint of liquorice,…
Comments Off on Church Road Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
This good value red was fermented with indigenous yeasts – hence the ‘Wild’ Valley. Bright ruby, it is mouthfilling, vibrantly fruity and supple, with cherry, plum and spice flavours, some savoury notes adding complexity, and a smooth finish. Enjoyable young,…
Comments Off on Stoneleigh Wild Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2021 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Drinking well in its youth, this bright ruby red has a floral, slightly spicy bouquet. Medium to full-bodied, it is vibrantly fruity, with very good depth of fresh berry, plum and spice flavours, showing a touch of complexity, and supple…
Comments Off on Spy Valley Satellite by Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Already enjoyable, this Bannockburn red was barrel-aged for seven months. Full, bright ruby, with a fragrant, spicy bouquet, it is mouthfilling and vibrant, with fresh acidity, finely balanced tannins, and generous cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing considerable complexity. $27…
Comments Off on Carrick Unravelled Organic Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Full of drink-young charm, yet also a wine of substance, this red was grown at Bannockburn and Pisa, and matured in old oak barrels. Deep, bright ruby, it is fragrant, with strong, ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours and supple…
Comments Off on Akarua Rua Central Otago Pinot Noir 2021 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
This elegant, finely poised, ageworthy red was estate-grown in the Southern Valleys and matured for 11 months in French oak barrels. Full, bright ruby, it is fragrant, mouthfilling and supple, with very good complexity and depth of cherry, plum, spice…
Comments Off on Spy Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Well worth cellaring, this youthful, single-vineyard red was hand-harvested at Lowburn, French oak-aged for 16 months, and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Full, bright ruby, it is mouthfilling and savoury, with strong, ripe cherry and spice flavours, seasoned with nutty oak,…
Comments Off on Church Road Grand Reserve Central Otago Pinot Noir 2019 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Already drinking well, this single-vineyard red is sturdy, rich and rounded, with generous, very ripe fruit flavours and a seductively smooth finish. $25
Comments Off on Brancott Estate Letter Series T Marlborough Pinot Noir 2020 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
From vines planted in 1995 in the Outpost Vineyard, this delicious wine was hand-picked and barrel-aged for over a year. Deep ruby, with some development showing, it is enticingly fragrant, mouthfilling and supple, with concentrated cherry, plum, spice and nut…
Comments Off on Spy Valley Envoy Southern Valleys Marlborough Pinot Noir 2017 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Bright pink, this attractive wine has very good depth of fresh strawberry and spice flavours, lively acidity and a smooth finish. Good value. $17
Comments Off on Stoneleigh Marlborough Pinot Noir Rosé 2021 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Ready to roll, this gently pink wine has good depth of peach, strawberry and spice flavours, a hint of tannin and an off-dry finish. $18
Comments Off on Brancott Estate Reserve Wairau Marlborough Rosé 2021 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Bright pink, this is a full-bodied style of rosé. Drinking well now, it has strong red berry, peach, strawberry, apricot and spice flavours, with a touch of tannin and a fresh, slightly off-dry finish. $19
Comments Off on Church Road Hawke’s Bay Rosé 2021 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
This distinctive wine is from chardonnay, hand-picked in a cool, coastal vineyard. Elegant, vigorous and tightly structured, it is aromatic, with very good intensity of youthful, citrusy, yeasty, complex flavours, crisp, dry and lingering. $45
Comments Off on Church Road Méthode Traditionnelle Hawke’s Bay Blanc de Blanc 2017 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
This classy, chardonnay-predominant blend is hand-picked and matured for up to three years on its yeast lees. Bright yellow/green, it reveals excellent richness and complexity, with strong, peachy, citrusy, yeasty flavours and a crisp, dryish, persistent finish. $30
Comments Off on Deutz Cuvée s Marlborough Blanc de Blanc 2018 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Rich, rounded and ready, this characterful, single-vineyard wine was estate-grown in the Bridge Pa Triangle and matured for 10 months in French oak barrels. Bright, light yellow/green, it is full-bodied and fleshy, with generous, ripe stonefruit flavours, a hint of…
Comments Off on Church Road McDonald Series Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2019 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Fermented with indigenous rather than cultured yeasts (hence the ‘Wild Valley’), this bright, light yellow/green wine is mouthfilling, with strong tropical fruit and herbaceous aromas and flavours, and a green-edged, smooth finish. $18
Comments Off on Stoneleigh Wild Valley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2021 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Priced sharply, this partly estate-grown wine was harvested in the Wairau and Waihopai valleys. Bright, light lemon/green, it is fresh, punchy and strongly varietal, with good intensity of tropical fruit and herbaceous flavours, crisp, lively and finely balanced for current…
Comments Off on Spy Valley Satellite by Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2021 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Estate-grown principally in the cool, inland Matapiro district, this bright, light lemon/green wine is aromatic and full-bodied. It has good intensity of vibrant, ripe, passionfruit and lime flavours, crisp and dry. $19
Comments Off on Church Road Hawke’s Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2021 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Drinking well now, this delicious wine is ripely scented and mouthfilling, in an Alsace style with fresh, generous fruit flavours and a slightly sweet, smooth, very harmonious finish. (From Pegasus Bay.) $21
Comments Off on Main Divide North Canterbury Pinot Gris 2020 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Drinking well now, this is a medium-bodied, subtle style of pinot gris. Estate-grown at Matapiro, it is fresh and lively, with strong pear, peach and spice flavours, gentle acidity and a fully dry finish. $25
Comments Off on Church Road Gwen Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2020 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Instantly appealing, this regional blend was grown in the Cromwell Basin (84%) and Gibbston (16%), and mostly (64%) fermented in neutral oak barrels; the rest was handled in tanks. Light lemon/green, it is mouthfilling, with concentrated, vibrant, peachy, spicy flavours…
Comments Off on Wild Earth Central Otago Pinot Gris 2021 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Slightly honeyed, this bright, light lemon/green is weighty, rich and slightly sweet, in the classic style of Alsace. Already delicious, it has a distinct touch of complexity and concentrated, peachy, spicy flavours. Best drinking 2023+. $25
Comments Off on Church Road McDonald Series Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2021 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Already delicious, this Alsace-style wine was estate-grown in the relatively cool, elevated, inland Matapiro Vineyard. Attractively scented, it is sturdy and vibrantly fruity, with rich, ripe peach and pear flavours, a touch of sweetness, gentle acidity, and loads of drink-young…
Comments Off on Church Road Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2021 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Full of personality, this weighty, Alsace-style wine, grown in the Southern Valleys, was handled in tanks and large, seasoned oak barrels. Bright lemon/green, it has an inviting, ripely scented bouquet. Mouthfilling, with rich, vibrant pear, peach and spice flavours, it…
Comments Off on Spy Valley Marlborough Pinot Gris 2021 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Enjoyable from the start, this light-bodied wine is finely poised, with gentle sweetness and very good depth of lemony, appley flavours. $17
Comments Off on Stoneleigh Marlborough Riesling 2021 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Offering great value, this is an elegant, attractively scented wine. Bright, light lemon/green, it is vigorous, with youthful, peachy, citrusy flavours, showing excellent delicacy, depth and harmony, a hint of oranges, and a crisp, gently sweet finish. (From Pegasus Bay.)…
Comments Off on Main Divide Nth Canterbury Riesling 2019 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Certified organic, this lovely, vigorous young wine was hand-picked, fermented with indigenous yeasts and handled entirely in stainless steel tanks. Light lemon/green, it is invitingly scented, with intense, lemony, slightly appley and peachy flavours, gentle sweetness, crisp acidity, and a…
Comments Off on Carrick Organic Central Otago Bannockburn Riesling 2020 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Bargain-priced and ‘unashamedly just a little bit old school’, this wine is given a full, softening malolactic fermentation. Fresh and full-bodied, it is sweet-fruited, with generous stonefruit flavours, showing good complexity, and a well-rounded finish. Already enjoyable, it should be…
Comments Off on Church Road Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2021 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
This steely, youthful, distinctly cool-climate wine should be long-lived. Certified organic, it was hand-picked, barrel-fermented (15% new), and oak-aged for over a year. Light gold, mouthfilling and lively, it has crisp, peachy, mealy flavours, showing very good vigour and depth,…
Comments Off on Carrick Organic Central Otago Bannockburn Chardonnay 2020 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Offering fine value, this flavour-packed wine was hand-picked and fermented with indigenous yeasts in French oak barrels. Bright, light yellow/green, it is full-bodied, with strong, vibrant, peachy flavours, toasty, savoury notes adding complexity and a lingering finish. Best mid-2023+. $25
Comments Off on Church Road McDonald Series Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Crafted as an ‘elegant’ style with moderate alcohol (12.5% by vol), this subtle, Chablis-like wine was hand-picked earlier than most chardonnays from Church Road. Bright, light lemon/green, it is mouthfilling and vibrant, with youthful, citrusy, peachy flavours, showing good intensity…
Comments Off on Church Road Gwen Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2020 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
Approaching its peak, this distinctive wine was estate-grown and hand-harvested in the Southern Valleys and barrel-fermented. Bright, light yellow/green, it is mouthfilling, with deep stonefruit flavours, gently seasoned with toasty oak, slightly buttery notes, excellent complexity, fresh acidity and a…
Comments Off on Spy Valley Envoy Johnson Chardonnay 2017 / 0 View / May 12, 2022
Posted: May 12, 2022
A real conversation piece, this very ‘complete’ wine was harvested from vines over 30 years old and lees-aged for a year in oak puncheons. Bright, light yellow/green, with a fragrant bouquet, it is mouthfilling, with searching stonefruit flavours, highly complex…
Comments Off on Pegasus Bay Virtuoso Waipara Valley North Canterbury Chardonnay 2019 / 0 View / May 12, 2022