Davies makes tiny quantities of just the one wine (so tiny that when Steve once opened up the shipping container behind his house to reveal all 14 barrels, I felt almost embarrassed to be withdrawing any wine for tasting).
Pleasures old and new – 2014 Felton Road Bannockburn Chardonnay
As someone who cannot resist adding yet another book to already teetering piles, the creeping fear of needing to live to 500 to read them all is very real. The pleasure then of rereading a favourite book is an infrequent one, but when it occurs it is a very real pleasure indeed. It reminds me in many ways of drinking a favourite wine – the comfort of familiarity alongside the discovery of new and enjoyable facets.
Jules Taylor Rosé
According to the 2020 NZ Winegrowers Annual Report, rosé is now New Zealand’s fourth most exported wine style, behind perennial favourites sauvignon blanc, pinot noir and pinot gris.
Huntress wines
Winemaker Jannine Rickard’s Instagram is not for the faint-hearted but does give very good insight into why her personal label has been called Huntress. This is her second release of wines under this label, a subtle, smart trio that is well-formed and food-friendly. Fruit is sourced from a number of vineyards in Gladstone and Wairarapa.
Domain Road : new releases
Established in 2002, Domain Road is a reliable, no nonsense producer making a range of intelligent wines. At a time when everyone seems to be experimenting and pushing boundaries, owners Graeme and Gillian Crosbie are content to leave the winemaking to Pete Bartle, who adds just the right amount of character.
Seifried Estate : new releases
Established in 1973 by Hermann and Agnes Seifried, over the last 40-odd years the family (children Heidi, Christopher and Anna are now part of Team Seifried too) has crafted a range of strongly varietal wines that reflect their Nelson origins. NZ’s only producer of wurzer, the winery is a quiet achiever scooping the Champion Sauvignon…
2018 Matawhero ‘Irwin’ Chardonnay
It has turned out to be a little run on chardonnay at the IWM; this time round a wine from a region where it is the dominant variety. Gisborne can often seem to get the short end of the straw in the NZ wine industry.
Kumeu River Winery : 2019s
posted by Jane Michael Brajkovich is not a man given to hyperbole. So when, at the launch of the Kumeu River 2018s last year, he said ‘wait for the 2019s’ and accompanied this statement with a very slight raising of his eyebrows, I took that to mean he thought the ‘19s would be something special….
The Landing and Helio Chardonnays
posted by Emma It’s always fun when new faces and places cross one’s path. This week, the Landing Chardonnay made for the first entry of a Bay of Islands wine into my tasting spreadsheet, and Hawke’s Bay producer Helio was also a new name to me. The 2019 Landing ‘Boathouse’ Bay of Islands Chardonnay ($27.00,…
Quartz Reef duo
Bendigo is a tricky subregion to get right, its (relative) heat and exposure can render it chunky and charmless at times but Rudi is very much amongst the safest of Bendigo hands. The alignment of his experience on his site and winemaking skill have delivered a fitting tribute to the vineyard that put the subregion on the map.
Etna-tastic
Wine remains one of a few products transparently connected to its place of origin, telling that story via its soil, climate and the people who coax it from vine to bottle. This link from producer to consumer can get overlooked even by those of us who love and obsess over wine – maybe we buy for the kudos of a label, or perhaps we just drink a glass without thought after a busy day. When this happens, it easy to overlook the most wonderfully fascinating aspect of wine: it’s a window into other worlds.
Must try harder
Given the choice and budget, most of her friends prefer to buy one of the hard seltzers such as White Rhino instead of wine. However whilst tidying up some magazines and press releases she read out a tasting note for a newly released wine and was incredulous that a paragraph of flowery prose seemed to be the only information offered to entice a consumer to purchase.