A collection of writing about New Zealand Wine
2013 was an exceptionally strong vintage in the Hawke’s Bay and this wine was selected as part of the Gimblett Gravels Growers Association ‘Annual Vintage Selection’ where a dozen wines …
Newton Forrest Cornerstone 2013 Read More
A new tasting of an old favourite. I have shares in a company that owns vineyards – Terra Vitae – and the Twyford Gravels vineyard in the middle of the …
Villa Maria ‘Twyford Gravels Vineyard’ Merlot 2004 Read More
A wine from Wanaka in Central Otago – the fruit sourced from an elevated site in Queensberry, the vineyard having gravel, schist and mineral quartz soils. This 2014 vintage was …
Black Peak Riesling 2014 Read More
2020 was an exceptional vintage in Hawke’s Bay, characterised by a long, hot, dry season with 1,362 Growing Degree Days – compared with a long-term average of approximately 1,304. The …
Craggy Range Te Kahu 2020 Read More
A Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough. There is a movement in Marlborough with producers seeking to showcase the different aspects of vineyards located throughout ‘Marlborough’ as a whole, and what that …
Rohe Blind River Sauvignon Blanc 2022 Read More
Planted in 1991 at the top of the Brancott Valley, the Clayvin Vineyard was Marlborough’s first significant hillside vineyard. Now owned by the Giesen winemaking family, with Te Whare Ra …
Te Whare Ra ‘Clayvin’ Pinot Noir 2016 Read More
The fruit for the 2019 Totto Syrah came from various sites on Waiheke Island which are close planted, dry farmed, with an average vine age of 40 years on steeply …
Man O’War Kulta ‘Totto’ 2019 Read More
Made by a young winemaking duo – Alina and Masha in Marlborough, as a side hustle from their ‘real’ jobs making wine on much larger scale. Originally from Ukraine, they …
Brave Roots Viognier 2024 Read More
Esk Valley winemaker Gordon Russell best known wine is his iconic red field blend ‘The Terraces’ but in my opinion was perhaps at his best when creating wines for the …
Esk Valley ‘Winemakers Reserve’ Syrah 2009 Read More
From a cooler vintage in Bannockburn. Hand-picked fruit was whole bunch pressed. The natural fermentation with indigenous yeasts was stopped by chilling to balance the high natural acidity with residual …
Felton Road ‘Block 1′ Riesling 2020 Read More