Posted: April 5, 2017
From organically certified vineyards, this strongly varietal wine has a herbaceous bouquet. Lively, it shows good depth of crisp melon, lime and capsicum flavours, fresh and tangy. $20
Comments Off on Little Darling Organic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Mouthfilling, herbaceous wine with strong melon, lime and capsicum flavours, produced deliberately in a traditional, ‘greener’ style. Generous, high impact wine, ready to roll. $23 (UK)
Comments Off on Cable Bay Marlborough Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Enjoyable young, this rare example of South Island tempranillo was matured in French oak barriques (partly new). Deep ruby, it is fresh and supple, with generous, ripe blackcurrant, dried herb and spice flavours, gently seasoned with oak, and savoury notes…
Comments Off on Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Marlborough Awatere Valley Tempranillo 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Mouthfilling, dry style, fermented in tanks and old oak. Bright, light lemon/green, with good body and depth of ripe, citrusy, slightly peachy and spicy flavours, moderate acidity and a touch of complexity. Distinctive, ageworthy riesling, unusually fleshy and dry for…
Comments Off on Spy Valley Marlborough Riesling 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Pale straw, perfumed, mouthfilling wine, partly oak-fermented. Richly varietal and weighty, with generous, ripe, peachy, gingery flavours and a slightly sweet, seductively soft finish. $23 (A, UK)
Comments Off on Spy Valley Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Very open and expressive in its youth, this tangy, slightly sweet wine (8.5 grams/litre residual sugar) shows good vigour and intensity. Medium-bodied, it has penetrating, lemony, spicy, slightly gingery flavours, woven with steely acidity. Best drinking 2017+. $21 (UK)
Comments Off on Saint Clair Marlborough Riesling 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Already delicious, this is a full-bodied, dry wine (2.5 grams/litre residual sugar), grown in the Omaka and Wairau valleys, and made with some use of old oak and malolactic fermentation. Vibrantly fruity, it shows very good vigour and depth of…
Comments Off on Saint Clair Marlborough Gruner Veltliner 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A top buy. A full-coloured blend of merlot (80%), cabernet sauvignon (14%) and splashes of malbec and cabernet franc, it is mouthfilling, with strong, ripe blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, hints of herbs and dark chocolate, and gentle tannins. Already…
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Hawke’s Bay Merlot Cabernet 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Weighty and vibrantly fruity, with mouthfilling body and strong, ripe lychee, pear and spice flavours, finely balanced for early enjoyment. Dryish style (5 grams/litre residual sugar), with a slightly oily richness. $20
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Marlborough Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Tangy, punchy, intensely varietal style, with strong aromas and flavours of melons, limes and green capsicums. Mouthfilling, with fresh, lively acidity and very good delicacy and length. $25
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Halo Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
This deep ruby, generous, supple red was hand-picked from Omaka Valley slopes and French oak-aged for 10 months. It has good concentration of plummy, cherryish flavours, a sense of youthful vigour, and fine-grained tannins. Best drinking 2018+. $28
Comments Off on Sacred Hill Halo Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Lively, intensely varietal wine, estate-grown in the Awatere Valley. Fresh, incisive melon, green capsicum and lime aromas and flavours, showing a hint of ‘tomato stalk’, and a dry, crisp finish. $21 (UK)
Comments Off on Peter Yealands Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Youthful, creamy-textured wine, estate-grown, barrel-fermented with indigenous yeasts and oak-aged for a year. Medium-bodied style, with lively, citrusy, appley, mealy, slightly biscuity flavours, showing very good depth, vigour and complexity. Best drinking 2018+. $45
Comments Off on Cable Bay Waiheke Island Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Complex style, estate-grown in the Awatere Valley and fermented with indigenous yeasts in barrels. Mouthfilling, with impressive weight and depth of youthful, ripe, tropical fruit flavours and a slightly creamy texture. Still unfolding. $28
Comments Off on Cable Bay Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Pale gold, this characterful, estate-grown wine was ‘pushed’ for fruit ripeness, given ‘lots of skin contact’, and lees-aged for seven months. Full-bodied and dry, it has strong, peachy, spicy, gingery, vaguely honeyed flavours, a touch of tannin, and loads of…
Comments Off on Cable Bay Marlborough Awatere Valley Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Instantly appealing, very floral and charming rosé, fresh and vibrantly fruity. Salmon pink, with good body and strong yet delicate plum, strawberry and spice flavours, smooth and vivacious. $23
Comments Off on Tiki Estate Marlborough Pinot Noir Rosé 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Distinctive, youthful, single-vineyard wine, tank-fermented with indigenous yeasts and lees-aged for six months in old barriques. Mouthfilling, with vibrant, pure lychee, pear and spice flavours, showing excellent delicacy and depth, a very subtle oak influence, and a dry, lingering finish….
Comments Off on The Elder 1 Martinborough Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Attractively perfumed, this softly seductive wine is already delicious. Grown in the Omaka Valley, it is fleshy and smooth, with concentrated, peachy, spicy flavours, a slightly oily texture and a gently sweet (16 grams/litre residual sugar), rich finish. $27
Comments Off on Saint Clair Pioneer Block 12 Lone Gum Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Floral, finely textured wine, harvested from sites including the home vineyard at Wanaka and matured for 10 months in French oak barriques (30%). Instantly appealing, sweet-fruited red with concentrated cherry, plum and spice flavours, well-integrated oak, supple tannins and a…
Comments Off on Maude Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh, medium-bodied, finely balanced wine, enjoyable from the start. Clearly varietal, with vibrant, peachy, slightly sweet flavours, lively acidity, and impressive poise and depth. Best drinking 2018+. $26
Comments Off on Matawhero Church House Gisborne Chenin Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Generous, ‘upfront’ style, already offering a lot of pleasure, but worth cellaring. Full-bodied and sweet-fruited, with a hint of butterscotch and ripe, peachy, slightly creamy and toasty flavours, showing excellent vigour and richness. $26
Comments Off on Matawhero Church House Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fragrant, fleshy, basically dry style (4 grams/litre residual sugar), mostly lees-aged in tanks, but 10% of the blend was fermented with indigenous yeasts in old French oak barrels. Mouthfilling and richly varietal, it has pure, delicate peach, pear and lychee…
Comments Off on Greystone Sand Dollar Waipara Pinot Gris 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Classic Awatere Valley style, intensely aromatic, with lovely delicacy and depth of melon, lime and green capsicum flavours, very pure, vibrant and lingering. A great buy. $23 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Yealands Estate Single Vineyard Marlborough Awatere Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Lovely young wine, made in a medium style (23 grams/litre residual sugar). Full-bodied, with strong, ripe, citrusy, peachy flavours, hints of lime, spice and honey, and excellent concentration and harmony. Instantly appealing. $27 (A, UK, US)
Comments Off on Greystone Waipara Riesling 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Attractive yeastiness to the lifted sweet fruit nose. Very creamy in the mouth with a nice nutty length and good line of acid.
Comments Off on Terra Felix King Valley Prosecco 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Bright complex yeasty aromas and a tight, high acid, citrussy palate with nicely balanced sweetness.
Comments Off on Mt Jagged Wines Pale Rush Southern Fleurieu Sparkling Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Clean, fresh varietal fruit with wafts of violets, briar and spice. A fairly lean palate of medium weight, but well-structured/balanced.
Comments Off on Howard Vineyard Clover Single Vineyard Adelaide Hills Cabernet Franc 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A ripe, bright and confected style that one judge thought needs a little time. The rich fruit flavours on the palate are supported by good acid and tannins.
Comments Off on Rusty Mutt Rocky Ox McLaren Vale G.S.M. 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A big, bold style with an array of rich, ripe, fruit flavours and aromas. Showing flavours of liqueur cherry and spice with some tarry notes.
Comments Off on Vinrock McLaren Vale G.S.M. 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Clean, ripe red fruit aromas with some nice spice notes. Savoury red and dark fruit flavours with the spice also coming through on a soft, gentle palate.
Comments Off on Vinrock McLaren Vale Grenache 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Definitely a crowd pleaser – a slightly sweetish palate that combines rich, ripe fruit with the influence of vanillin oak.
Comments Off on Gumpara Wines Victor’s Old Vine Barossa Valley Shiraz 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
“Soft and approachable,” said one judge. Medium bodied with a lift of confectionary, floral, lavender and rosemary on the nose, on to a “meaty” palate with highlights of cherry compote and rhubarb.
Comments Off on Shingleback Local Heroes McLaren Vale Shiraz Grenache 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Dark plums, red and black cherries with a hint of coffee grounds supported by subtle oak treatment. A “fruit forward” style with excellent depth of flavour, well-structured.
Comments Off on Vin Vale by Shingleback McLaren Vale Shiraz 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh red plums supported by sweet vanillin oak. The judges were divided on this one, but the majority found good depth and varietal flavours.
Comments Off on Sth Coast by Shingleback McLaren Vale Shiraz 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A softer, riper expression of the variety. Vanillin oak and cherry notes with a violet lift, the tightly wound but rich palate shows dark cherry and chocolate flavours.
Comments Off on Shingleback Aficionado McLaren Vale Shiraz 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Bright, vibrant purple in hue. The nose is predominantly rich, red berry fruit leading on to a full, soft, round “juicy” palate of cherries and plums. Has texture and balance.
Comments Off on Davey Estate Aficionado McLaren Vale Red Blend 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Some intriguing aromatic and herbal notes on the nose. Clean and fruit driven style that one judge declared would be the perfect lunch wine.
Comments Off on Handcrafted by Geoff Hardy McLaren Vale Nero D’Avola 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
All judges were struck by the brightness and purity of fruit, one saying that this wine has a “long life ahead.” Blackberries, black cherries and liquorice flavours, with just the right amount of sweetness and tannins to wrap it all…
Comments Off on Pertaringa Rampart McLaren Vale Vintage Fortified 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Light and elegant nose with hints of dusty oak and cashew nuts leading on to a tightly wound palate that has good varietal flavour, line and length.
Comments Off on Sidewood Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Good varietal expression with mulberry and boysenberry fruits, nice violet lift. Deft use of French oak, tightly wound but will benefit from time.
Comments Off on Domaine Asmara Reserve Heathcote Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Sweet and “meaty” aromas with ripe plums, cherries and raspberries. “A good mix of red and black fruits,” noted one judge, who added that the wine had good balance and length with “soft and supple” tannins.
Comments Off on Domaine Asmara Reserve Heathcote Shiraz 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A well rounded wine with red and dark fruit aromas and flavours. The tight, medium bodied palate has cherry flavours supported by toasty oak.
Comments Off on Domaine Asmara Private Collection Heathcote Shiraz 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A fuller style with notes of cashew nuts and spice. The palate has a complex array of varietal fruit flavours and great texture.
Comments Off on Saint Clair Omaka Reserve Marlborough Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A rich mix of red and dark fruits with a hint of spice and charry oak, all of which is reflected on the palate. “Excellent flavour,” said one judge.
Comments Off on Saint Clair Premium Marlborough Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
“A classy style,” said one judge, with a creamy palate showing evidence of lees stirring and careful oak treatment. Good length.
Comments Off on Oldenburg Vineyards Stellenbosch Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A classic varietal nose that is already showing signs of development, yet still fresh. Good array of flavours and showing promise.
Comments Off on Patrick of Coonawarra Estate Wrattonbully & Coonawarra Riesling 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
A tightly coiled palate that shows lots of promise, according to one judge. White stone fruits, melon and citrus, subtle use of oak.
Comments Off on Brash Vineyard Single Vineyard Margaret River Chardonnay 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Excellent varietal expression with flavours and aromas of fresh, ripe confected fruit and a dusting of spices. A palate that was described as “Lively, bright and delicious,” by one judge, and a wine that was enjoyed by all.
Comments Off on Tenafeate Creek Wines Dry Grown One Tree Hill Grenache 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
Fresh, clean strawberry aromas and flavours – a soft and easy expression of the variety. A well balanced wine with delicate acidity and soft tannins.
Comments Off on Sileni Estate Cellar Selection Hawke’s Bay Pinot Noir 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017
Posted: April 5, 2017
The nose has perfume, white pepper and spice. An easy, approachable lighter bodied style that emphasises red fruits.
Comments Off on Sileni Estate Cellar Selection Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2015 / 0 View / April 5, 2017