A collection of writing about New Zealand Wine
Mike Weersing, the maker of this wine recently passed away – the wines now under the Aotearoa New Zealand Fine Wine Estates umbrella, and continue to be created with guidance …
Pyramid Valley Earth Smoke Pinot Noir 2016 Read More
Making only four barrels, this is a new ‘Bridge Pa’ Reserve wine from Hancock and Sons, building a modern wine with all the best bits of the Hancock Snr past …
Hancock & Sons Reserve Chardonnay 2019 Read More
From vineyards to the side of Clearview at Te Awanga, planted by Tim and daughter Katie over 14 years ago with the idea of making wines together. (I’ve seen this …
Topsy Turvey Chardonnay 2018 Read More
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