A collection of writing about New Zealand Wine
A single vineyard wine from the Lyttelton Harbour – Whistling Buoy wines were featured on WineFolio in September. Award-winning, indeed, destined to be served on Air NZ Business Class this …
Whistling Buoy ‘Kokolo Vineyard’ Pinot Noir 2016 Read More
The new vintage of this wine – from the great 2019 vintage. I reviewed the single vineyard wines from Rockburn recently, but have now returned to try the cuvé, which …
Rockburn Pinot Noir 2019 Read More
From Central Otago, this Blanc de Noir is allegedly Reese Witherspoon’s favourite NZ wine!? Family-owned estate-grown Pinot Noir grapes are crushed with the least skin contact possible, to produce a …
Wooing Tree Blondie 2020 Read More
A Marlborough wine – winner of a silver medal at the NZIWS this year – from a couple of vineyards, and using classic burgundy clones. Pale straw colour, with an …
Nautilus Chardonnay 2019 Read More
From the Awatere Valley comes this Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, with a twist. Using a barrel-fermented method, leads us away from the usual cold-fermented fruit-forward herbaceousness of the well-known style, and …
Tupari ‘Boulder Rows’ Sauvignon Blanc 2017 Read More
From Pisa in Central Otago. Dark ruby red, with some obvious darkening to a mahogany colour with the (6 years) bottle age. On the generous nose are red cherry, bramble, …
Tankersley Estate Pinot Noir 2014 Read More
When I was in Central Otago this year, Malcolm Rees-Francis, the winemaker at Rockburn, had just started doing his annual barrel selection. This is where he tastes every separate barrel …
Rockburn 2019 ‘Eight Barrels’ & ‘Eleven Barrels’ Pinot Noirs Read More
An elegant and complex bouquet with nectarine, red apple and almond biscuit notes. Medium bodied, with a supple and creamy texture, cut with a moderate acidity. Still quite restrained on …
Peregrine Chardonnay 2018 Read More
The first vintage of this new wine, representing ‘the pinnacle of this variety from Askerne’. Having enjoyed their Reserve Chardonnay over the years, I was keen to try this. A …
Askerne ‘The Archer’ Chardonnay 2018 Read More
The newest vintage of a stellar New Zealand wine – rightly considered an icon, and a wine with a sterling reputation overseas as well as locally. At $150 a bottle, …
Trinity Hill ‘Homage’ 2018 Read More