A collection of writing about New Zealand Wine
A Waiheke island Bordeaux-blend red, with four varietals contributing. A bloody ruby red in the glass, with a brooding and complex blast of aromatics on the nose. Cherry, pomegranate, bramble …
Mudbrick Reserve Merlot/Petit Verdot/Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec 2020 Read More
A Central Otago Pinot, from a single vineyard in Lowburn, and a very good vintage. A dense burgundy colour in the glass, just showing some earthy red at the edges, …
Surveyor Thomson Pinot Noir 2009 Read More
A classic Bordeaux Blend from Hawke’s Bay – a great vintage, and with enough years in bottle to have a look and see if it has really started to really …
Elephant Hill Reserve Cabernet Franc / Cabernet Sauvignon / Merlot / Malbec 2016 Read More
The Champion wine of the NZIWS competition recently, and a wine with immense pedigree (the 2015 wine winning that same award in 2016). An excellent vintage too – reflected in …
Clearview Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2020 Read More
After a flying visit back in 2021, I managed to sneak in an interview with Martin Bell, winemaker at Butterworth, at the winery on Te Muna Road, before harvest in …
Winemaker series: Martin Bell Read More
A deep claret and carmine red in the glass, with a vivid bouquet of black plum, cedar, cola, cassis, star anise, cherry, chamomile and violets. Beautifully poised in the palate, …
Tantalus Estate Écluse 2016 Read More
A single vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon from the Gimblett Gravels – great to see a wine that is 100% of this classic varietal. An inkily black-hued purple in the glass – …
Trinity Hill ‘Prison Block’ Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 Read More
Back in 2020 I looked at a range of Mills Reef wines – https://winefolio.co.nz/?p=932, and a couple of years on, it was time to take another look at two of …
Mills Reef Reserve reds Read More
From the excellent Everyday wine store – an ‘own brand’ Sauvignon Blanc made from a BioGro-certified organic vineyard in Nelson. Barrel-fermented and matured, in a style more akin to a …
Everyday Wine ‘Raf’ Sauvignon Blanc 2018 Read More
Made from Gamay Noir, grown in the Morgon sub-region of Beaujolais. A light, bright, garnet red, magenta-edged in the glass. The nose shows blackcurrant, blueberry, candied fruit peel, plum and …
Dominique Piron Morgon Cote du Py 2018 Read More