A collection of writing about New Zealand Wine
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
From Marlborough, and this is another of those beautifully coloured 2020 vintage rosés that are just fabulous to look at in the glass and bottle. The colour is a bright, …
Whitehaven Pinot Noir Rosé 2020 Read More
A Marlborough wine, usually from the Wairau Plains, with a rich expressive nose full of flinty mineral and juicy gooseberry, spring blossom, lemongrass and tomato stalk. Vivacious on the palate …
Saint Clair ‘James Sinclair’ Sauvignon Blanc 2020 Read More
A Gold medal winner at the NZIWS last year, it’s a single vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir, from the Parkburn sub-region; made by Pinot rockstar Matt Connell. Dark, deep cherry …
The Ramsay Pinot Noir 2019 Read More
From estate fruit at Te Awanga, this coastal Chardonnay has a full bouquet of roast almond, yellow peach, oatmeal biscuit and citrus. Opulent and concentrated with a medium-full body. Rich, …
Clearview Beachhead Chardonnay 2018 Read More