Posted: April 5, 2017
Gently perfumed, mouthfilling, well-rounded wine, in an easy-drinking style with a gentle splash of sweetness (11 grams/litre residual sugar), plenty of ripe, citrusy, spicy flavour, and excellent harmony. $22
Comments Off on Askerne Hawke’s Bay Gewurztraminer 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Mouthfilling, medium-dry style (15 grams/litre residual sugar), with fresh, youthful, well-spiced flavours, lively acidity and a richly perfumed bouquet. Bargain-priced. $18 (UK)
Comments Off on Mission Hawke’s Bay Gewurztraminer 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Youthful, finely balanced wine, with moderately concentrated, ripe flavours, a hint of apricot, a touch of complexity from barrel fermentation (60 per cent), gentle acidity and a fully dry finish. Worth cellaring. $18
Comments Off on Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Pale, youthful wine with subtle, citrusy flavours, showing good delicacy and length, a hint of almond and a floral bouquet. $25
Comments Off on Sileni Estate Selection Hedonist Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Rich, weighty, complex wine, fully barrel-fermented (20 per cent new.) Fragrant bouquet, with concentrated stonefruit flavours, gently seasoned with toasty oak, and a slightly creamy texture. $22
Comments Off on Askerne Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Full-bodied, with a lightly fragrant bouquet and fresh acidity woven through ripe, peachy, spicy flavours. $18 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Mission Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Ripely scented, with mouthfilling body and good depth of fresh, slightly sweet, peachy, spicy flavours. $22
Comments Off on Junction Pastime Central Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Lively, crisp, slightly minerally style with a splash of sweetness and strong, citrusy, slightly peachy flavours. $19
Comments Off on Clearview Haumoana Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Soft and generous, in a finely textured style with mouthfilling body, concentrated, peachy flavours, gentle sweetness, and a floral, slightly honeyed and toasty bouquet. $22
Comments Off on Askerne Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Full-bodied, partly barrel-fermented style with peach and grapefruit flavours and slightly smoky notes adding a touch of complexity. Ready to roll. $16 (UK)
Comments Off on Vidal Estate Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Citrusy, slightly limey wine, grown at Maraekakaho, with mouthfilling body, grapefruit-like flavours and a subtle oak seasoning. $50
Comments Off on Osawa Prestige Collection Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh and lively, barrel-fermented wine with very good depth of citrusy flavours and savoury, biscuity notes adding complexity. $20 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Vidal Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh, citrusy, crisp wine, grown at the Riflemans Terrace vineyard and barrel-fermented. Moderately complex style with a gentle oak influence and a finely textured, tight finish. $25
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
From Te Awa, this is an elegant, partly barrel-fermented, fully barrel-aged (for six months) style. The bouquet is slightly smoky; the palate mouthfilling, citrusy, slightly nutty and dry, with fresh acidity keeping things lively. $18
Comments Off on Left Field Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Finely balanced for current drinking, this full-bodied wine was fully fermented in seasoned oak barrels and most (90%) of the blend went through a softening malolactic fermentation. Fresh and weighty, it’s a peachy, moderately complex style with a hint of…
Comments Off on Coopers Creek SV Plainsman Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Bargain-priced, this refined, youthful wine was almost entirely (95%) fermented in French oak barrels (25% new). Instantly appealing, it is fragrant, fresh and finely balanced, with ripe, citrusy, biscuity flavours, showing good complexity, a hint of ‘struck match’ and a…
Comments Off on Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Full-bodied, youthful wine, fermented in French oak hogsheads and lees-aged for 10 months. Grapefruit-like flavours, with a subtle oak influence, smoky notes, good acid spine and excellent depth. Best drinking mid-2017+. $25
Comments Off on Te Awa Single Estate Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Powerful, rich wine with a hint of butterscotch, hand-picked, barrel-fermented (French, 26% new) and lees-aged for 10 months. Weighty, with ripe, grapefruit-like flavours, finely integrated oak, a slightly creamy texture and a lengthy finish. $40 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Mission Jewelstone Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Skilfully crafted, with a slightly buttery bouquet, this full-bodied wine has peachy, slightly toasty flavours, showing excellent depth and harmony. “Long and fine’, noted one judge. Great value. $18 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Mission Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This generous, sweet-fruited wine offers great value. Fully barrel-fermented (15% new), it is mouthfilling, with grapefruit and peach flavours, a subtle seasoning of oak, fresh acidity and a slightly mealy, finely textured finish. $20 (UK)
Comments Off on Esk Valley Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Vibrantly fruity style, fully barrel-fermented (American, 50% new). Fresh, tightly structured and moderately complex, with a nutty oak influence and very good depth, vigour and harmony. $25
Comments Off on Coopers Creek SV Limeworks Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Elegant, partly barrel-fermented style, grown at Te Awanga. Fresh and finely poised, with strong, ripe, citrusy flavours and considerable complexity. Fine value. $19
Comments Off on Clearview Coastal Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fragrant, with ripe, sweet fruit and creamy oak aromas. Mouthfilling, with rich, peachy, slightly spicy flavours and smoky notes adding complexity. Weighty, finely textured and lingering. Great value. $27
Comments Off on Clearview Beachhead Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Powerful, with youthful, vibrant, citrusy, peachy flavours, well-integrated oak (French, 35% new) and a long finish. Slightly smoky notes add complexity. Weighty, fresh, intense and tightly structured, with a long future ahead. $40 (UK)
Comments Off on Villa Maria Single Vineyard Keltern Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Elegant, youthful wine, grown mostly (73%) in the Lyons vineyard, in the Gimblett Gravels, and barrel-fermented (French, 45% new). Slightly smoky bouquet, with ripe, grapefruit-like flavours, showing excellent delicacy and complexity. Tightly structured and refreshing, with obvious cellaring potential. $32
Comments Off on Villa Maria Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Highly fragrant, with a hint of ‘struck match’, this classy wine was grown at two sites in northern Hawke’s Bay (including the Esk Valley home block), and fermented and matured for 11 months in French oak barriques (30% new). Elegant…
Comments Off on Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh, full-bodied blend of pinot gris (87.5%) with smaller amounts of gewürztraminer, riesling, gruner veltliner and muscat. Dryish, ‘grigio’ style, with plenty of crisp, slightly spicy flavour. $22
Comments Off on Saint Clair James Sinclair Marlborough Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Priced sharply, this barrel-fermented wine is medium-bodied, with fresh, crisp, lively, citrusy flavours to the fore, slightly peachy and toasty notes, a touch of complexity and satisfying depth. $16
Comments Off on Rossendale Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Grown in the lower Wairau Valley, this is a herbaceous style with an aromatic, slightly nettley bouquet. Full-flavoured, with a slightly salty streak, it’s a strongly varietal wine, ready to roll. $22
Comments Off on Saint Clair James Sinclair Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Mouthfilling and supple, this youthful, deep ruby wine has plummy, spicy, slightly nutty flavours, showing a hint of tamarillo, and good complexity and depth. Priced right. $24
Comments Off on Paddy Borthwick Falloon Block New Zealand Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh, fruit-driven style, blended from merlot (83%), cabernet sauvignon (11%) and malbec (6%). Full-coloured, with generous, vibrant, plummy, slightly spicy flavours, ripe and smooth. Enjoyable young. $20
Comments Off on Gunn Estate Reserve Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Enjoyable young, this partly barrel-aged red is bright ruby, mouthfilling and smooth, with ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing some savoury complexity. Drink now or cellar. $25 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Black Cottage Reserve Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Barrel-fermented, this full-bodied wine has fresh acidity and generous, ripely herbal, slightly nutty flavours. It’s a distinctly cool-climate expression of sauvignon blanc, showing considerable complexity. $30
Comments Off on Bishops Head Waipara Valley Fume Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Light lemon/green, this youthful, medium-bodied wine is a slightly sweet style, with good depth of ripe, citrusy, limey flavours, hints of peaches and passionfruit, fresh acidity and a tight finish. Best drinking mid-2017+. $26
Comments Off on Ataahua Waipara Riesling 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This sturdy, full-flavoured wine was grown at Bannockburn and Pisa, barrel-aged (40% new) and bottled unfined and unfiltered. Still youthful, it is concentrated and savoury, with strong strawberry, spice and dried herb flavours, oak complexity and the structure to age…
Comments Off on Super Nanny Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Balanced for easy drinking, this Gladstone, Wairarapa wine is fleshy, with generous peach and grapefruit flavours, hints of passionfruit and spices, lively acidity, and lots of drink-young appeal. $22
Comments Off on Paddy Borthwick New Zealand Riesling 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Grown in the Wairarapa, this deep ruby, full-bodied red has plum, cherry and spice flavours, hints of herbs and nuts, finely balanced tannins, and good ripeness and concentration. Best drinking 2018+. $34
Comments Off on Paddy Borthwick New Zealand Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fleshy, ripe and rounded, this estate-grown wine is from Gladstone, in the Wairarapa. It has strong stonefruit and spice flavours, in a dryish style, inviting current drinking or cellaring. $22
Comments Off on Paddy Borthwick New Zealand Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Grown in the Wairarapa, this has a fragrant, slightly buttery and nutty bouquet. The palate is vibrant, with strong, peachy, mealy, slightly toasty flavours, woven with fresh acidity, good complexity, and some potential. Best drinking mid-2017+. $26
Comments Off on Paddy Borthwick New Zealand Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh, ageworthy wine, barrel-fermented with indigenous yeasts. Vibrant and youthful, with peachy, slightly mealy and toasty flavours, showing good complexity, and a slightly buttery, dry, lingering finish. $30
Comments Off on Bishops Head Waipara Valley Chenin Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This elegant, youthful red is already enjoyable. Estate-grown at Wanaka and barrel-aged for 10 months (13% new), it has a fragrant, savoury bouquet, leading into a moderately rich wine with ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing very good delicacy…
Comments Off on Akitu A2 Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This elegant, ageworthy red is full-coloured, mouthfilling and generous, with ripe, sweet-fruit characters. Tightly structured, it is finely balanced, with rich, youthful plum/spice flavours, a hint of dried herbs, and good complexity. Best drinking 2018+. $38 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Soho Havana Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Floral and finely textured, this is a mouthfilling, supple, fruit-packed red. Deep ruby, with strong cherry, plum and herb flavours, it is very harmonious, with plenty of drink-young appeal, but also good potential. Best drinking 2018+. $50
Comments Off on Rockburn Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Complex, very youthful wine, hand-picked and barrel-fermented. Light lemon/green, with mouthfilling body and concentrated, ripe grapefruit/lime flavours, seasoned with nutty oak. Tightly structured, with excellent vigour, depth and potential. $31 (A)
Comments Off on Catalina Sounds Sound of White Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
‘Serious’ but delicious, this estate-grown wine was made from pinot noir grapes. Pale pink, it is full-bodied, with excellent depth of fresh strawberry, peach, spice and apricot flavours, a sliver of sweetness, gentle tannins and plenty of personality. $26
Comments Off on Ataahua Waipara Rosé 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fragrant, with a slightly buttery bouquet, this is a high-flavoured, sweet-fruited wine, barrel-fermented and given a full, softening malolactic fermentation. Mouthfilling, with generous, peachy, slightly spicy and mealy flavours, a hint of butterscotch and good complexity, it is well worth…
Comments Off on Ataahua Waipara Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Estate-grown at Wanaka, this bright, ruby-hued red was matured for 10 months in oak barrels (25% new.) Fresh, savoury and supple, it has generous, ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, showing good complexity. Finely textured and youthful, it’s well worth…
Comments Off on Akitu A1 Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Lovely rich stalky cherry characters on the nose which are echoed on the palate and merging with licorice-like elements.
Comments Off on Wise Leaf Series Great Southern Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Ripe, jubey and simple with fresh cherry and lifted spicy bouquet and lingering cherry flavours nicely supported by the acid.
Comments Off on Paringa Estate Estate Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A very attractive lighter savoury style with pleasant light cherry and berry fruit characters. It’s simple and fresh and good drinking.
Comments Off on Paringa Estate The Paringa Mornington Peninsula Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017