The August edition of The Tasting Table was postponed by a week due to clashes in a busy wine events schedule in Auckland. Even then, it still manages to be on the same night as one retailer’s long-running tasting night. I’ve had four events in three days – Steven has had five! One of our group is a big fan of tonight’s venue and was one of the reasons we’re here tonight at Tacoteca. Edmundo is considered a bit of a legend in local hospitality, and he’s here on hand to make sure we’re happy with everything. I’ve tried to match the menu items to our wines for tonight, but I’m not that well-versed in Mexican cuisine, so we wing it!
Our guests are at a long table, and I’ve asked that we crack into the first few wines whilst the staff drop down plates of two entrées for us. The Ceviche is Market fish with lime, tomatillo, avocado, shallots, orange and tostado, and there’s also Guacamole and corn chips – Avocado, coriander, charcoal oil and seeds.
Forrest Albariño 2025. A wine from Marlborough, using a grape varietal that is best known from northern Spain, but which has really picked up momentum in New Zealand too. We’ve had four versions sent in for these events, and I’m expecting more. This one won a gold medal at the NZIWS last year, in the “Other Whites” category that I judged. A vivid golden colour in the glass, with fresh aromas of nashi pear, mandarin, peach, lemon, almond and something like creme fraiche. The signature crisp, saline acidity of the grape is there on the palate, and heightened by a crushed shell minerality. “Refreshing and lingering on the palate” was one taster’s notes. Juicy fruit adds a sense of ripe sweetness but the finish feels dry. This was one guests highlight – “crisp and fresh, just made for seafood”. 92pts
Rockburn Pinot Gris 2025 is step away from the usual style that you might come across, from the Supermarket. Yes, it is a distinctly cool-climate wine – coming from the high-altitude Gibbston sub-region. And, as so often, Gibbston delivers grapes with tart acidity and expressive fruit character. But it is It is the skin contact which has added a delicate blush colour, and some texture and a whisper of tannin, but also some barrel maturation lends depth and weight. A ripeness throughout the mid-palate, with “a lick of fruit sweetness through the palate” in the notes. Flavours and scents of green pear, crunchy apple, white nectarine, and lemon peel, with varietal ginger and baking spice in the finish. One guest did think that “the finish is quite short” though. 91pts
Alpha Domus ‘The Wingwalker’ Viognier 2025 is a new wine for me to try. This Bridge Pa, Hawke’s Bay label makes some excellent, and long-lived wines, but I’ve not had their Viognier before. A pale green-gold in the glass. Quite floral on the nose, with jasmine and orchid scents – so quite exotic. Add in ripe nectarine, red apple and quince fruit notes and it is very enticing. Dry, with a prickle of phenolic and tannin on the entry to the palate. Quite textural too – waxy and creamy, and despite that generous roundness, the finish is tight and pithy. ‘“Rich, generous and nicely balanced with classic Viognier spice” wrote one fan of this wine. 91pts
Around this point the next step of the food is delivered – ‘Carnitas taco’ – Confit Pork Belly, onion, coriander and salsamole. I’m still not tempted to try the home-made hot sauce that’s on the table – I think I’ll save that for later in the evening. No-one wants me turning purple just yet.
Greywacke Chardonnay 2023 is rightly lauded as a NZ classic. It made the list in our last Top 10 Tasting of Chardonnay here on WineFolio. There’s a flinty struck-match note to the bouquet, alongside citrus, stone fruit and cashew nut. One taster was keen – “The reductive nose makes this a Love/Hate wine… I love it!!” Not shy, it is filled with character and personality – a great balance of fruit, toasty oak, silken texture and brisk acid. “Good structure, minerality, salinity and still has very pure fruit – seriously good” But, balance overall. Savoury elements of fennel, tarragon and green olive come through towards the back of the palate too. A fine finish with good persistence rounds it out. Another of the guests commented “I would like to try this again after a few years cellaring”. 93pts
Dicey Gamay 2024 is produced by the Dicey brothers (Matt and James). A single vineyard wine from The Inlet vineyard in the Bannockburn sub-region of Central Otago. Gamay offers an lighter, juicy alternative to the region’s classic Pinot Noir, although there are distinctly similar characters at play here. Using 25% whole-bunch fermentation – one taster noted that “The whole bunch is the point of difference here to regular gamey I’ve tried” – it has a floral, savoury, peppery spiciness to the perfume. It is also quite textural, featuring velvety tannins (“more tannin than I had expected” showed in the notes) which offset the light to medium weight through the palate. 90pts
I’ve not had Tamales before, so when I saw it was an option, I asked if we could have it on the menu for our evening – and here it is. Tamale with Birria beef. And now I do try the hot sauce. It’s a bit like a mexican dumpling! And solid. In a good way. Ready for our reds. The sauce isn’t too hot by the way – just a delicious warmth. I’m kind of pink, not purple.
Mason ‘Hidden Vineyard’ Pinot Noir 2024 A new boutique label from the southern end of the Te Muna Valley in Martinborough. It is a personal project by Paul Mason, who has taken over winemaking at Nga Waka, after 20 years at Martinborough vineyards. The 2025 vintage yielded just 1,058 bottles, which equates to less than a single bottle per vine from their one hectare of vines. A medium density ruby colour in the glass. Quite rich and structured into the palate, it has a little of that savoury, meaty personality you get from the region. A good balance between ripe cherry and cranberry fruits and dustier, drier tannins. It was one guest’s favourite – saying “ Fruit forward and generous but with power and depth”. 92pts
Askerne Syrah 2024 A single-vineyard red wine from Hawke’s Bay – grown on the vineyard’s stony, lower terrace. Crafted from 100% MS Clone Syrah, using 15% whole-bunch component and 20% new oak, for added complexity. The perfume leads with violet florals, sweet berries and dark liquorice, and a touch of white pepper, salami and tapenade. One person’s notes had this to say “Wow – what a nose – perfumed, elegant but serious”. The palate reveals more fruit – plum, boysenberry and red cherry fruits and a fairly complex structure (and value) for the price. “A definitive cool-climate Syrah”. 93pts
Te Motu Kokoro 2021 comes from the pioneering winery located in the Onetangi Valley on Waiheke Island, in an excellent vintage. “Kokoro” translates to “the patriarch” in Māori (honouring the vineyard’s founding patriarch, Terry Dunleavy) and “the heart of things” in Japanese. A Merlot-dominant Bordeaux-style red, blended with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Syrah. A medium garnet red colour in the glass. Quite forward and fruity in style – this is drinking well already, but as anyone who has tried the range will know, the pedigree here suggests a long life ahead if cellared too. An intoxicating and inviting aroma flows into a palate that is plush, with soft tannins. Smoky oak adds richness and there’s a gorgeous swaddle of texture. “A smooth heart-warming wine with classic Bordeaux flavours” added one fan. 94pts
There’s one last edible treat – Chocolate Masa cake, which isn’t what I would think to pair the last wine with, but it is what we have and to be honest it isn’t a disaster. The tiny cake is delicious, so I just ate that and then had the riesling.
Seifried ‘Sweet Agnes’ Riesling 2024 is the latest in a long line of wines that have swept the board at wine competitions locally for years. Its last win was the Trophy for Champion Sweet Wine at The Easter Show in 2025. Named after the estate’s co-founder and matriarch, Agnes Seifried it is a late-harvest wine that has a plush and oily texture. The perfume is packed with lime, marmalade, baked apricot and ginger spice. Just enough acidity is kept to stop it from being cloying, but make no mistake this is “a sticky”. It was a hit – “A sweet and luscious finish to the evening” and “Crisp and clean with a long finish”. 93pts
The next evening will be in early September, and feature another eclectic range of New Zealand wines. Look out for social media and reports on that one. Until next time.
