Textural chardonnay with grapefruit, sizzled butter, struck flint, vanilla, green apple, hazelnut and spicy oak characters. Full-flavoured wine that is approachable now but promises to develop with bottle age (03 NOV 2022).

Awarded by Corkscrew.

Off-dry, clean, quite youthful. Restrained floral and tree fruit/apricot/quince flavours. Some phenolics but nicely woven into the fruit giving a good texture and helping promote a reasonably dry finish. Good purity and complexity. Botrytis influence? A tad herbal and slightly tough. 21 OCT 2009

Luscious medium-med/dry Gewurz with classic lychee, rose, and talcum powder characters. Fleshy, opulent, generous, long. 23 FEB 2005

Sweeter than the 2004. Moderately tannic. Concentrated and more luscious. Fine-grained tannins. A hint of spice and wild herbs with tropical and tree fruit 21 OCT 2009

This vintage of Dry River's Gewürz is almost tropical in style, with mango and pineapple elements accented by gingery spice and a dash of white pepper. It's off dry in style, with plenty of body without being at all blowsy. Drink it over the next few years.

Mineral and taut but with lovely rich, grapey texture. Very smooth and textured with some complexity. Nice, spicy finish. Real interest here. Deliciously ripe with good complexity. 92/100

Dry River's 2009 Gewürztraminer is a lush, off-dry rendering of the variety, with notes of superripe melon and pear accented by hints of peppery-gingery spice. Approachable now. — Joe Czerwinski

Re-packed into plastic test tube. Intense and tangy pinot gris with ripe pear, tree fruits and spice characters. Difficult to define individual flavours because the wine has integrated with bottle age. A rich, textural wine with an appealing sweet-and-sour tension and drying finish. 10 JUL 2020

A big, brooding wine with intense flavours suggesting exotic fruits/lychee and spice/anise plus an array of toasty, savoury characters that add complexity but also restrain primary fruit flavours. The wine really opened up in the glass - decanting might be a good option. 22 APR 2013

Rich, mouth-filling Gewurztraminer made in a medium style with concentrated dried fruit and spice flavours including pineapple, mango, Turkish delight, lychee, star anise, ginger and clove. Impressively weighty wine that’s silken-smooth. I can say with absolute certainty that, given good storage conditions and a sound cork, the wine will develop magnificently 12 APR 2014 

Medium to light yellow colour. The nose is rich and spicy with honey and tropical flower aromas. The palate is off-dry, rich and slightly heavy, with a slightly oily texture augmenting the sweetness and some alcohol heat to finish. This doesn't seem very varietal: I wonder if some gewurztraminer has found its way in? Increasingly lychee-like in the glass. Whatever, it's a clean and fragrant, if slightly clumsy wine. 22 NOV 2013

Bricky garnet. Delicate and inviting undergrowth complexity. Some sweetness of fruit as well as a bit of polished wood. Herbs, too, and coffee. Then still such lovely sweet gentle red fruit on the palate. Silky and long and wonderfully fresh and still balanced. Youthful on the palate. (JH)

Martinborough Terrace,  Wairarapa,  New Zealand:  13%;  [ Cork,  44mm,  ullage 23 mm;  weight bottle and cork,  552 g;  release price c.$55;  Amaranth signifies particularly suited to extended cellaring;  Robinson,  2012:  Light, sweet, relatively delicate mature Pinot aromas. Not that burgundian but very slightly dusty and much gentler and more evolved than most other Dry River Pinots I have tasted. Fresh, zesty finish, 17;  Cooper,  2000:  … hugely concentrated, with super-ripe fruit characters of cherries, raspberries, even liquorice. Fleshy and supple, its already approachable, but should be cellared until at least 2003, *****; Garnet and ruby,  younger than the 2000 Pinot Noir,  just below midway in depth (for the 12).  There is quite a volume of bouquet,  but it is over-ripe,  malty and biscuitty,  almost going on leathery,  the fruit well-browning now.  In mouth the wine is texturally rich pinot noir,  but the flavours again are raisiny,  baked and severely over-ripe,  no florals,  no varietal charm.  Oak comes in on the tanniny finish,  so the nett impression is like rich brown raisin (not sultana) fruitcake.  No votes for favourites.  In the vintage comparison,  second to the 1999 Syrah.  Fully mature,  but will hold in its style for some time.  Unless by some not-apparent chance this wine has suffered oxidation from a defective cork (to close inspection,  it appeared perfect),  this 1999 has not fulfilled the  promise of its Amaranth classification,  as varietal pinot noir.  Many people will find it very pleasant as rich red wine with a roast dinner,  however.  GK 05/19

Terribly tricky vintage without leaves but it worked! Some evolution at the rim. Actually even a little too old for my taste. Mushrooms and violets, with some sweetness. Dusty finish.

Very dense ripe fruits with a sweet, soft texture. Long, accessible. Mod complex. Delicious wine - miles away from Burgundy. 16 JUL 2004

This still looks a very youthful crimson. Very definitely Martinborough not Musigny. Sweet start and smooth texture. Relatively low acidity (2003 was a particularly hot vintage, as in Europe oddly enough.) Seems a bit frozen in terms of development, without much subtlety and with a pretty drying finish. No charmer.

This, one of New Zealand's cult wines, should retail for about $85 when it hits a select few retailers' shelves this fall. Although not perhaps the strongest vintage in Martinborough, the 2004 Dry River Pinot Noir features incredibly kaleidoscopic forward fruit that ranges from cherry to plum to mixed berries and back again. It's lush and round, yet still structured to age, with a long, silky finish.

After several variously challenging seasons,  2006 gave a settled spring,  good flowering and set,  followed by a near-ideal summer and autumn.  Reds showed classical varietal expression,  coupled with better than average volume.  Presented as wines 9 (PN) and 10 (Sy),  the syrah ahead,  a huge wine for the cellar,  high tannins in both.

Dry River's 2007 Pinot Noir reveals a slight herbal tinge to its dark fruit aromas and flavors, but it's a nuance that adds complexity and should develop into hints of tea and spice with additional bottle age. As always, it's not overly big or richly textured, but it is concentrated and intense. Drink 2012–2020. — Joe Czerwinski

12.5% alcohol. Beautifully focused nose is very fine and expressive showing dark fruits, spicy and minerals. The palate is super-elegant with lovely dark, pure cherry fruit, some spice and a hint of meatiness. Very expressive with good acidity and freshness. 95/100

Serine (Alan Limmer) clone fruit from the ‘Lovat' vineyard from vines c. 20 y.o., fully destemmed and fermented to 12.3% alc., the wine aged 12 months in French oak of sizes ranging from 225 L – 350 L, 20% new. Very dark, deep, saturated, purple-hued ruby-red colour. Ethereal perfumes of black roses and violets intermingle with aromas of dark berry fruits, spices, pepper and reduction to form a deep core on the nose. Medium-bodied, this is well-concentrated with deep flavours of dark plums with spices and florals interwoven with reductive elements. The fruit is enlivened by bright and slippery acidity, and is framed by soft, supple tannins, resulting in a rounded, but racy mouthfeel that has approachability. The flavours flow with energy and a fine textural grip to a long crisp finish with a nuance of sulphide bitterness. This is a medium-bodied, softly supple and approachable Syrah with racy acidity. Match with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fare over the next 5-6 years. 17.5+/20 Sep 2012

The 2011 vintage (5*) is a very classy red, matured in French oak casks (20 per cent new). From a warm growing season, it is densely coloured, rich and supple, with deep plum and black-pepper flavours, fine-grained tannins, and lovely texture and harmony. Youthful, with excellent concentration and complexity, it’s an elegant, rather blockbuster, style, likely to be at its best 2015+.

A classic cool climate syrah here, drinking very well now. I love the white pepper, the firm acids, the savoriness but also the dark, fresh fruit and long finish. This bridges the gap between general appeal and the estates restrained, uncompromising philosophy. 96 Points. Tasted July 2019

Pale Gold colour, this wine has a lively nose of pink grapefruit aromas mixed with a mineral-chalky scent that lends intrigue to its juicy start. In the mouth it is a rush of lemon zest citrus flavour buoyed on a wave of fantastic bright acidity that makes the mouth sit up and take notice as more mineral notes emerge across the palate through to a nice finish. Vinography, Alder Yarrow, January 2007, USA

Light straw with a glimmer of lime, this delicious tasting Riesling has tantalising aromas of citrus zest and wet potter's clay and juicy, sherbetty, mouthwatering flavours of limes and tangelo with a touch of orange water, a suggestion of ginger and a piercingly pure and seemingly dry finish. But this beautifully balanced wine is actually off dry and imparts a honeyed, nectar-like nuance on the lingering, moreish aftertaste.Sue Courtney, Wine of the Week, Aug 07, NZ

A wonderfully pure, taut expression of Riesling with an exquisite balance of sweetness against fine acidity giving subtle tension and a lingering, “juicy” finish. Fine slate/mineral and citrus/floral flavours. Superb wine that’s remarkably accessible now but has assured potential for bottle age. 12 JAN 2010

Felton Road's Riesling perfectly balances sugars and acids in a sweet, delicate style centered on limes, green apples and crushed stones. The finish is crisp and racy, leaving behind a lingering sensation of sweetness. — Joe Czerwinski

I recently tasted every vintage of Block1 Riesling and as a result regard it as one of, if not ""the"" greatest New Zealand Riesling. Although technically quite sweet it tastes (to me at least) only moderately sweet and has a reasonably drying (and extremely lengthy) finish. The wine has a glorious thread of tension which lifts it above the crowd. Taut, concentrated wine with impressive mineral, floral and lime/citrus flavours. It will age extremely well 24 FEB 2011

Based on low-yielding vines in schisty soils at Bannockburn, in Central Otago, this wine is hand-picked and fermented with indigenous yeasts. The 2010 vintage (4*), grown in The Elms and Calvert vineyards, is full-bodied (12.5 per cent alcohol) and dry, with good weight and crisp, citrusy, appley, spicy flavours, poised and minerally. It needs time to unfold; open mid-2012+.

This remarkable wine appears to be medium/dry but in fact is technically moderately sweet. In my view this is New Zealand's consistently best Riesling label. It has power and achieves an exquisite tension between sweetness and acidity. Classic mineral, citrus/lime and subtle floral characters. A national treasure. 02 FEB 2012

The 2012 Block 1 Riesling presents a nose that is a little youthfully mute yet still offers delicate wafts of peach blossoms, fresh grapefruit and lemongrass, plus hints of jasmine and lime zest. Medium-sweet and light-bodied in style with a lower level of alcohol (8.5%), it is beautifully concentrated on the palate with a long, honeyed-lemon finish. Drink it now to 2020+. 91. Tasted October 2013 points

Estate-grown in The Elms Vineyard, on a ‘steeper slope’ which yields ‘riper fruit’ without noble rot, this Bannockburn wine is made in a style ‘similar to a late-harvest, Mosel spätlese’. The 2012 (*****) is very rich, with intense, citrusy, peachy flavours and a racy, lasting finish. Tasted 2014

Velvety, with outstanding depth to ripe black cherry, black plum and cinnamon flavors. Stone, tobacco and cedar nuances highlight the fruit, with bright acidity and graceful tannins that sashay through the finish. Drink now through 2011.Daniel Sogg, Wine Spectator - April 07. USA

A big, voluptuous wine with tannins just holding it back from the ""fruit bomb"" label. Intense and lengthy wine with a great mouth feel. 16 SEP 2010

Good colour and a slightly subdued nose, with good aromas and just a little restrained, the palate is tight and delicate. A more restrained vintage with modest length and doesn't quite satisfy like the best do. Still a very good pinot.

(2020) More density to the colour compared to the 2015, more flesh and more density aromatically too, lots of ripeness and opulence, coffee, chocolate and spice. Blair thinks a sight Portiness to the overripe character, but it is so pleasurable. Weighty and creamy on the palate too, and pure. - Tom Cannavan

Plush and rich, exhibiting dried lavender, black cherry and plum flavors that show details of white pepper and notes of forest floor, even a touch of pine. Supple, smooth details of Earl Grey tea chime in on the long finish. Drink now through 2020. 35 cases imported.

Already complex, this luscious blend of fruity and savory nuances features black cherries and smoked meat notes that are wrapped in a silky glove of dusty tannins. It's approachable now, but it should age easily for another 5–7 years.

Medium ruby-purple-colored, the 2012 Block 3 Pinot Noir is a little closed at this youthful moment yet reveals subtle notes of mulberries and black cherries with underlying suggestions of damp earth, aniseed, cloves and cedar. Medium-bodied and very taut at this stage, it delivers a great intensity of fruit while remaining elegantly styled by a lively acid backbone and low to medium level of fine tannins. It finishes with great length. Drink it 2015 to 2022+. 93+ (LPB) (10/2013)

Aromatic and very spicy, with clove, cinnamon and nutmeg details that lend plenty of intrigue to the core of fleshy plum and blackberry flavors. Fresh and vibrant, but with some brooding earth and forest floor notes that gain momentum on the velvety finish. Drink now through 2030.

Pale ruby-purple colored, the 2014 Pinot Noir Calvert has pronounced, youthful aromas of Bing cherries, black raspberries and mulberries with hints of earth, menthol and sage. Medium-bodied, elegant, fresh and lively on the palate, it offers layers of bramble berry and earthy flavors, finishing with good length and chewy texture. December 2015

Pale to medium ruby colored with a hint of purple, the 2015 Block 3 Pinot Noir opens with some earthy/stem notes, which soon give way to a core of red and black cherries, mulberries and violets, plus hints of black tea and tree bark. Medium-bodied, the black berry and earth flavors fill the mouth supported by a frame of ripe, fine grained tannins and just enough freshness, finishing long.

After trailing Block 5 in price since its first release, Block 3 now carries the same price tag as Block 5. Block 3 has always appeared to me to be a little more precocious than Block 5. I haven't yet tasted the 2015 Block 5 (which is released later than Block 3) but this year's Block 3 does appear to have a little more structure than usual. Dark cherry, layers of spice, a suggestion of fresh herbs and subtle oak. It's an elegant wine showing restrained power.

(2020) Pale, translusecent, much more developed truffle and briar character than the 2017, lovely wild herb notes - quite garrique-like. The palate has a beautifully cool, pure fruit quality. The elegance is striking here, pure and delicate in comparison, a touch of toffee apple, a lovely edge to this, finesse and fine tannins and cool acidity add to that impression of elegance. Tom Cannavan January 2020

Felton Road's entry level pinot noir is an elegant blend of several vineyards with a mix of savoury, earthy, herbal and coffee flavours with cherry, floral and spice characters. It's a supple and complex wine that reveals power through a lengthy finish.

Felton Road's most expensive pinot noir is a supremely elegant wine layers of coffee, violet, fresh herb, dark cherry and mixed spice flavours. It's long and linear, with a fine and slightly peppery texture. Can be enjoyed now but will deliver much more in time.

Slightly lighter in colour but with the usual Block 5 elegance and power delivered with great subtlety. Floral, spice and cherry flavours, with a savoury influence and a background of smoky oak. Good now, better later.

Supple, fruity pinot noir with distinct violet, red rose, dark cherry, spice, anise and thyme characters. A silken-textured wine with a long and seamless finish. Very approachable now but promises to develop well with bottle age.

Elegant, fresh and vibrant, this red starts off wonderfully perfumed, with lavender, white pepper and green tea notes that accentuate the purity of the cherry and raspberry flavors. Polished tannins still provide some grip on the finish, where white truffle and forest floor details linger

Aromatic pinot noir with spice, plum and violet aromas that are joined by liquorice, prune and subtle nutty oak on the palate. Dense, intense wine with strong sweet fruit restrained by subtle tannins. A rich, almost chewy wine, with impressive underlying power. Best served slightly chilled to temper fruit sweetness.

Plenty of fresh green details and peppery sage and thyme hints lead the way up front, with gunpowder tea, nutmeg and toasted rye notes mingling with strawberry and cranberry flavors. The tannins are muscular, but never get in the way. The fresh green accents linger. Drink now through 2028. 

This a terrific example of one of the country's consistently best wines. I find the silken, seamless texture totally seductive. It's challenging to identify individual flavours because there are so many of them, this wine defines complexity. Floral, herb, berry fruit and an array of hard-to-describe savoury elements suggesting baked earth, wood smoke and the sort of scents you might encounter in sniffing distance of a Turkish spice stall.

Lush and vibrant, with blackberry and blueberry flavors that are intense and powerful, yet still showing restraint and delicacy, with details of Earl Grey tea, white pepper, loam and cinnamon, lingering effortlessly on the long, expressive finish. 

The biodynamic Felton Road is one of Central Otago's most highly respected estates. The Calvert Vineyard is one of their warmest and earliest ripening sites, therefore this is one of the brand's more structured Pinots. It starts with a heady perfume of brambly red and black berries, flowers on their stalks, warm stony mineral notes and a good helping of spicy, slightly mealy oak influence. The fruit in the mouth is tangy, smudged with charcoal tannins and wearing a girdle of oak. Still a baby, this should age with grace and beauty until 2030 or longer. Christina Pickard

Medium crimson garnet, ochre reflections, broad brightening on the rim. Delicately floral nose with blackberry, black cherry, a hint of liquorice and candied orange zest in the background. Juicy and elegant with fine fruit sweetness, fine, well-integrated tannins, a touch of nougat on the finish, mineral and long. A versatile food wine.

Juicy flavors of maraschino cherry, strawberry preserves and black cherry compote are fleshy and forward, but more complex nuances of spice, herb, forest floor and white pepper emerge slowly, creating a tremendous sense of harmony on the finish, which goes on and on. The tannins are velvety, imparting an appealing sense of traction. Drink now through 2031. 589 cases made

A little bit smoky on the nose. Dark-red fruit and pretty closed at the moment. Closed like a rocky cave. Gorgeously dry texture, such fine tannins but bone dry. A very long-term wine but beautifully in balance even now. (JH)

 The 2018 Calvert Pinot Noir displays intertwined briary notes of red raspberries and resinous herbs. It's medium-bodied, with supple, slightly dusty tannins, but there's also a wiry backbone of acidity that further brightens the wine and imparts terrific length on the mocha-tinged finish. (JC) (2/2020)

The blended wine—Felton Road's 2019 Pinot Noir—includes components from four vineyards. It ended up comprising 20% whole clusters, with 27% of the blend matured in new oak. Scents of cedar and wintergreen accent black cherries and blackberries on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate adds some cola-like notes. For all the "dark" flavors, it's lively and vibrant, supported by silky-textured tannins and mouthwatering acidity on the long finish. (6/2021)

Grown at Bannockburn, on a north-facing slope 270 metres above sea level, this is a majestic Central Otago wine, among the finest Pinot Noirs in the country. The mature vines are cultivated in front of the winery, in a section of the vineyard where the clay content is relatively high, giving ‘dried-herbs and ripe fruit characters’. The wine is matured for about a year in Burgundy oak barrels (30 per cent new in 2019), and bottled without fining or filtration. The 2019 vintage (5*) is a bright ruby, powerful wine, still very youthful, with obvious long-term potential. Sweet-fruited, it has highly concentrated, vibrant cherry and spice flavours, complex and savoury, and a very harmonious finish. A lovely young red, it should be at its best 2024+.

Refined, dense pinot noir with floral, violet, dark cherry and berry, spice and cedar wood flavours that are restrained by plum, ripe tannins. A very classy Felton Road pinot noir that clearly shows plenty of cellaring potential. It has a seductively lengthy finish. August 2020

Intensely aromatic with a mix of plum, violet, cherry, dried herb, wet slate and mixed spice flavours. A complex, harmonious wine that gives equal prominence to all of its flavours without allowing one to dominate. Needs time to fully express its potential. September 2021

Deep, dense, rich wine with atractive ripe berry and cedar flavours plus the beginning of some forest floor development. Long, beautifully structured - if anything a tad too soft. Complex, rich and warming. 23 February 2005.

Soft, broad, a tad blousy. Oak very evident. Quite grippy on the finish. Slightly green, herbal characters with berryish flavours. Drying out? 23 February 2005

Soft, rich and broad. Quite oaky and slightly disjointed. Grippy tannins. Blackberry. slightly musty on the finish - could be slightly corked. 23 February 2005.

A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot, the opaque, dark-colored 2000 Cabernets Larose is a tannic, concentrated, extracted wine for those with patience. Its mouth-watering nose of sweet blueberries, jammy blackberries, and licorice leads to a medium-bodied core of peppery black fruits intermingled with asphalt. (PR) (10/2003)

Attractive cedary Cabernet based wine. Solidly structured - needs food. Quite elegant and has power. Subtle complexity, nice acidity, long and balanced. Fine blackberry, spice and cedar. (BC) (2/2005)

Reasonably light, raw and slightly green. A tad bitter. Lightweight red.

Deep, lush, accessible, fleshy. Quite soft -verging on jammy. Shorter than 03. Velvet textured wine that doesn’t suggest great long term potential. Very appealing right now. Quite oaky with some Cabernet cedar character.

Stonyridge Larose is one of the country' more expensive and iconic red wines. It' a Cabernet Sauvignon-dominant blend with four of the other Bordeaux grape varieties; Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Petit Syrah. This is a typical Larose - an attractive mix of berry flavours with cedar, spice and classy oak. It' a pleasant, supple, ripe and sustained red from a relatively light vintage. 23 February 2005.

A Bordeaux blend of predominately Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2005 Larose gives a deep garnet color and has quite a lot of red and black fruit remaining on the complex nose, with spice box and meaty notes plus some dried herbs. The palate is glorious with tons of elegant, youthful fruit in the mouth supported by firm, ripe, grainy tannins and refreshing acid, finishing long and multi-layered. January 2015

A Bordeaux blend of predominately Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2006 Larose offers a deep garnet color going a lt brick at the edge. Earthy, meaty gamey notes waft from the nose with hints of beef drippings, dried black berries and Chinese plums plus a whiff of leather. Drying out slightly in the mouth, it nonetheless has a good amount of interesting fruit remaining, finishing with slightly puckering tannins. January 2015

A Bordeaux blend of predominately Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2007 Larose has a medium garnet colored and is profoundly minty on the nose with a core of warm cassis and hints of dark chocolate and cinnamon stick. The palate is medium-bodied with a highly structured backbone of firm chewy tannins and crisp acid, finishing long.

A Bordeaux blend of predominately Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2008 Larose displays a medium to deep garnet color and lovely mature notes of prunes, kirsch and red currant jelly with nuances of sandalwood, leather and aged meat. Tons of fruit flavor remains on the palate lifted by lively acid and framed by firm tannins, finishing with great length.

A Bordeaux blend of predominately Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2009 Larose offers a medium garnet color and slight sweaty saddles, iodine and bandaid characters over a core of preserved black berries and black forest cake plus a cedary undercurrent. Medium-bodied with plenty of mature fruit remaining on the palate and firm, chewy tannins, it has good persistence.

A Bordeaux blend of predominately Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2010 Larose is medium garnet colored with a hint of purple. The nose is maturing beautifully into classic Bordeaux Blend notes of blackberry preserves, crème de cassis, cigar boxes and incense plus a touch of potpourri. Medium to full-bodied with loads of mid-palate fruit and firm, chewy tannins, it finishes long.

A Bordeaux blend of predominately Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2011 Larose displays a medium garnet color. The nose is evolving into a meaty / gamey character with a sweaty leather quality and notes of kirsch and plum preserves. Medium-bodied with stewed tea notes in the mouth and a medium to firm level of astringent tannins, it nonetheless finishes long and multi-layered.

A Bordeaux blend of predominately Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2012 Larose offers a medium to deep garnet-purple color. It's still a little closed at the moment showing notes of red plums and blackberries with hints of dried Mediterranean herbs, tree bark and earth. Medium-bodied and more elegantly styled than usual, it' just a little light on mid-palate fruit and the tannins a little astringent, though finishes long and complex.

A Bordeaux blend of predominately Cabernet Sauvignon, the 2013 Larose has a deep garnet-purple color and a youthfully mute nose revealing delicate notes of red and blackcurrants, mulberries and plums with hints of cedar, pencil lead, earth and violets plus a hint of cloves. Quite solid and muscular in the mouth with tons of densely packed fruit supported by a solid foundation of firm grainy tannins and lively acid, it has a very long finish. January 2015.

Deep garnet-purple colored, the 2014 Cabernets Larose opens with crushed black currants, fragrant blackberries and mulberries on the nose with hints of bay leaves, forest floor, loam and pencil shavings. Medium-bodied and packed with taut, muscular black fruits, it has a solid frame of chewy tannins and lively acid, finishing with lingering earth and herbal layers. March 2017

Medium to deep garnet-purple colored, the 2015 Cabernets Larose exudes ripe red and black currants on the nose with a lovely floral undercurrent of violets and lavender plus earth and cedar hints. Medium-bodied and firmly structured with ripe, grainy tannins and lively acid, it gives a great intensity of red and black fruits flavors, leading to a very long, earthy finish. March 2017

Produced in much smaller volume than usual, the 2016 Larose is a somewhat light, delicate wine, with notes of black currants and cherries. It's medium-bodied, framed by some dusty, ashy tannins, but shows decent persistence and fruit on the finish. I'd still opt for drinking it over the near term, while waiting for the superb Larose trio of 2013–2015 to mature. March 2019

Attractive, neat, well integrated package on the nose. Then slightly syrupy on the palate with the acidity sticking out unintegrated with the worked tannins or the vestige of fruit clinging on in the middle. Good effort but not quite together – and not just because it’s young, I feel. This was the first producer to earn a reputation for their Bordeaux style reds in NZ.

Coleraine has maintained a deserved reputation as one of this country’s top red wines since it was first made in 1982. This remarkably Bordeaux-like wine is a restrained and complex blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot with good density and an impressively rich and silken texture 12 APR 2005

Fleshier than Awatea and more complex with very fine tannins, red fruits, spice and oak. 30 MAR 2006

Tangy, with very good intensity to the black pepper, black cherry, green tea and generous toasty oak flavors that are framed by the tart structure.  imported.

(2020) Softening colour, bloody, ripe, dried blood and oxide, but all the sweet and ripe character of fruit is beneath. Big creamy mouthful of Syrah, all the sweetness and plushness you cold want, but creamy and softly spicy, a generous acidity in the finish to give it terrific length. Possibly not for long ageing now, but In a lovely place. Price and stockist is for the most recent vintage at time of review. Tom Cannavan January 2020.

Deep garnet colored with a touch of brick, the 2005 Coleraine Cabernet / Merlot has notes of ripe cassis / black currant cordial, fruit cake, leather, sandalwood, fenugreek and Provence herbs with touches of menthol and mulberries. Ripe and rich with firm tannins and a good amount of fruit, it has crisp acidity and a long finish with some savory chocolate coming through. Delicious now, it should continue to drink to 2017+.

Dark, deep ruby-red colour with slight garnet hues, a little lighter on the edge. The nose is beautifully integrated and harmoniously expressed with intense aromas of dark-red and black berry fruit and plums, interwoven with layers of fresh and dried herbs, cedary and pencilly oak. Some earthy detail unfolds, and this is showing the beginnings of lovely secondary development and complexity. Very rich, powerful and well-concentrated on palate, this has densely packed flavour of vibrant blackcurrant and plum fruit melded with savoury, secondary dried herb and earthy notes. The mouthfeel is fresh, alive and bright with plenty of acidity, along with fine-grained tannin structure. The freshness, vitality and youthful firmness on the palate will see this keep well, and grow in complexity over the next 10+ years. 45% Me, 37% CS, 18% CF. 13.5% alc. 19.5-/20 Aug 2017 Release Price $75.00 Full ruby-red with garnet hues, this is elegant but intense with an iron core to the bouquet, showing lively secondary complexities of game, dried herbs, cooked meat and earth. On palate, a medium-weighted wine at 13.5% alc., with rich and fleshy savoury fruit flavours, still definably blackcurranty, the tannin grip taking control and suppressing the fruit a little. This has another 6-9+ years ahead of it. A blend of 37% Cabernet Sauvignon, 45% Merlot and 18% Cabernet Franc.  Mar 2011

The magnificent 2006 Coleraine (43% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Cabernet Franc and 43% Merlot) is blessed with a complex nose of macerated cherries, wild strawberry with touches of hung game and leather developing with aeration, the palate full-bodied with an irresistible cashmere texture, a wine that will age effortlessly over 10-15 years. Tasted January 2008.

Very dark, deep, black-red, near-impenetrable, some garnet on edge. The nose is very deep and intense with aromas of fresh, lively black fruits, iron-earth and dark florals, along with complexing secondary elements just appearing. Medium-full bodied, dark plum and berry fruit flavours show with excellent freshness and brightness, enlivened by the acidity. Subtle savoury secondary development flavours also show, and the fruit is underscored by very fine-grained, reasonably firm tannins forming depth and length. A very well-balanced with with plenty of rich fruit, extract and structure to handle 7-9+ years of aging. 49% Merlot, 43% Cabernet Sauvignon and 8% Cabernet Franc. 13.5% alc. 18.5/20 Mar 2012

Lovely soft fleshy fruit, supple youthful appealing velvety tannins on finish.

The 2007 Coleraine (52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 14% Cabernet Franc and 34% Merlot) had been recently bottled, it is no wonder the nose is rather sulky, but there is patently a lot of intense cedar-infused Cabernet fruit in this Coleraine. The palate is full-bodied with fully ripe tannins, good grip, cedar, blackberry, pain grille, sous-bois coming through. Great persistency towards the viscous finish. Superb. Tasted 2009.

Dark, deep, ruby-red colour with garnet hues, a little lighter on the edge. The nose is very full with youthfully fresh aromas of black and red currants, along with fresh and dried herb note. The fruit is ripe and sweetly aromatic, and grows in depth and density in the glass. Complexing earth and cedary oak notes emerge with aeration. The palate is fresh and lively, with tightly concentrated blackcurrant, cassis and fresh herb flavours at the core. The fruit aromatics are enlivened by bright acidity. The mouthfeel has energy and vitality, and is underlined by very fine-grained tannin grip and extraction. Though showing some aromatic development, the palate is decidedly youthful, with the potential to develop over the next 15+ years. 52% CS, 34% Me, 14% CF. 14.0% alc. 19.0-/20 Aug 2017 Release Price $72.00 A majestic, massive wine. Saturated purple hued ruby red, this has a youthful bouquet of densely concentrated black fruits with hints of minerals, liquorice and spicy oak. The palate combines great richness and concentration of fruit with immense extraction in extraordinary balance and style. At 14.0% alc., this is 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 38% Merlot and 14% Cabernet Franc. Brooding and primary, it will cellar 10-15+ years.  Mar 2011

A blend of 53% Cabernet Sauvignon, 28% Merlot and 19% Cabernet Franc, the 2008 Coleraine took some coaxing on the nose and remained quite broody and introspective, with blackberry, melted tar, autumn leaves, black pepper with the green bell pepper more noticeable than the 2007. The palate is medium-bodied with a spicy entry, very Bordeaux-like, surfeit with energy but perhaps just lacking the final knock-out punch on the finish. Yet there is still breeding here: austere but graceful. Drink 2011-2020. Tasted 2010.

Dense and lively red with layers of berryfruit/blackcurrant together with a more subtle influence of floral, dried spice and cedar flavours. Supple, elegant wine from a vintage that obviously achieved good physiological ripeness. The best Coleraine I’ve tasted for a while and better, in my view, than the highly rated 2007 17 MAR 2010

Right in its drinking window, the 2009 Coleraine is a blend of 52% Cabernet Sauvignon, 43% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Franc, matured in mostly new French oak. Damp earth, cigar box, vanilla and cassis all appear on the nose, while the medium to full-bodied palate remains richly textured and velvety, finishing long, with a hint of dark chocolate. Where well-stored and sound of cork, it should drink well for another decade. Tasted 2021

Breed, rather than brute power, is the hallmark of Coleraine, which since its first vintage in 1982 has carved out an illustrious reputation among New Zealand’s claret-style reds. Since the 2005 vintage, it is no longer labelled as a Cabernet/Merlot, but simply as Coleraine (and in some recent vintages has contained more Merlot than Cabernet Sauvignon). At its best, it is a magical Hawke’s Bay wine, with a depth, complexity and subtlety on the level of a top-class Bordeaux. The grapes are grown in the Havelock North hills, in the company’s warm, north-facing Buck and 1892 vineyards, and the wine is matured for 18 to 20 months in French oak barriques, predominantly new. Cabernet Sauvignon in 2009 accounted for 52 per cent of the blend, Merlot 43 per cent and Cabernet Franc 5 per cent (Malbec is definitely not in the recipe). Sturdy (14 per cent alcohol) and dense, it has highly concentrated, ripe blackcurrant, spice, plum and nut flavours, very elegant, lithe and finely poised, in a style that reminds me of a fine Margaux. Yet to really unfold, it should be at its best for drinking around 2020.

An excellent vintage of Coleraine, now into maturity (but still having plenty of life ahead of it), the 2010 Coleraine is a blend of 58% Cabernet Sauvignon, 36% Merlot, and 6% Cabernet Franc. There's an earthy, grilled-meat edge to the nose, but the medium to full-bodied palate is richly fruited and velvety in texture, with hints of brown sugar and dried spices framing dense cassis fruit. Long and still dusty on the finish, this is delicious now and should last through 2030. One of New Zealand's top wineries, Te Mata, under the leadership of chief executive Nick Buck and veteran winemaker Phil Brodie, continues to set the pace in Hawke's Bay. While Coleraine—the winery's flagship red blend—deservedly gets most of the headlines, the Bullnose Syrah and the deftly wooded white wines are also near the top of the heap.

Dense, savoury red with a fantastic texture. Long and layered with fascinating berry, floral, savoury and herb characters. Vibrant wine with great potential. Accessible but will age. Highest proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in ten years. Elegant yet powerful red 12 MAR 2012

Fine, elegant and quite tight red with layers of flavour. 72% Cabernet gives the wine a cedarwood, blackberry and olive character and fine backbone of ripe tannins. More vinous than fruity. A distinctive and restrained wine from what was a challenging vintage. Great length. 13 MAR 2013

Closed and serious on the nose and palate – a tightly wrapped package. Firm, grainy, long soy and iodine persistence. Touch of leafy character and bitter olive note. Still in its first flush.

It's fresh and floral on the nose, with hints of green herbs and dark chocolate both complementing vibrant cassis fruit. Medium to full-bodied, it's richly textured and actually a bit chunky in its youth, possessing a slight excess of flesh that will require age to ameliorate. Of course, that also makes it relatively approachable young, for folks who don't mind a bit of tannin. Long and concentrated on the finish, this looks to be another very successful vintage of Coleraine.

Te Mata's top wine comes mostly from the Havelock Hills, the first legally protected vineyards in New Zealand. This vintage is a strong one, showcasing the power and ageability of a world-class red with the precision of this traditional estate. Notes of black currant, plum, black olive, baking spice, dried green herbs, vanilla and chocolate are present throughout. The chalky tannins are taut and powerful but well-integrated, hinting at a long life ahead. 

The 2019 Coleraine was the first year in a string of great vintages, a trio, or a hat trick, if you will. The wine is brooding and textured, with a black heart of berry fruit wrapped by savory spice. It pulses with blackberry, mulberry, black cherry, cassis, brunette tobacco, coal dust, graphite, licorice, star anise and cracked fennel. It's sensational. I love the personality of this vintage. It's black, almost midnight, and extraterrestrial in its expanse, but the thing is, it just tastes so much like Hawke's Bay. It is capacious and spooling and unfurling too, long, excellent and totally on form. It's tempting to drink these in youth, but given how gracefully they unfold over time, I can confirm that your patience (if you have any) will be rewarded. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under cork.

Made from 59% cabernet sauvignon with merlot and cabernet franc. Ripe, cassis and berry flavours with a seasoning of spice. This wine represents elegance on a grand scale and is on one of the best vintage I've tasted. It has plushness and power with great potential 03 FEB 2021. 2021–2039

Tasted with a vertical of five vintages of Homage. Rich and intense syrah with violet, black pepper, dark berry, plum and oak flavours. Dense, sweet fruit nicely balances a solid backbone of ripe, round tannins. A youthful, intense and potentially complex red that promises to age well.

The Rare series has achieved perfection frequently in these pages. Happily nothing has changed. The Non-Vintage Rare Muscadelle is amber/brown approaching black. It offers an ethereal perfume of fig, graham cracker, coconut, caramel, and spice box. Thick, rich, and concentrated, it goes on and on in the finish. Chambers Rosewood Vineyards makes my short list of greatest fortified wine producers. The winery was started in 1858 and continues to be owned by the Chambers family. Some of the material for these blends is over 100 years old. As Robert Parker noted in Issue 168, these wines are the product of solera systems so there is very little, if any, difference from release to release.

Deep garnet/purple the 2012 Shiraz Piggott Range Vineyard is youthfully closed with notes of cassis, black plums and mulberries accented by hints of licorice, cedar, black pepper and meaty notes. Full bodied, it has lovely, fine, rounded tannins along with tons of tightly wound, youthful fruit and a long, mineral and earthy finish. Drink 2017 - 2028.

The Polish Hill Riesling is muscular and defined in its structure and is routinely possessed of an authority and grace straight off the bat. This 2022 Polish Hill Riesling is mineral and fine, but phenolic and taut, too. The acidity creates tension and life in the mouth, and despite the wine being pristine, it is chalky and pithy, too. The Polish Hill Riesling has a decorated legacy and is prized for its longevity in the cellar. There have been mutterings of similarities between 2022 and the great and fabled 2002 vintage, boding very well indeed for the future of this wine. Riesling mainlines the dirt and takes us to place. This is why we gravitate toward great wine, to be taken to dirt, vineyard and region. Drink 2022-2042.

Awarded top rank, 5 stars. Jeffrey Grosset reckons 2022 is an even better vintage for him thank 2021, which is some statement as 2021 was a cracker. This wine is always reserved when very young, and so it is with 2022. Pale colour, creamy yeasty, waxy, lemon-pith and blossom aromas, discreet and refined, tense and delicate in mouth. Built beautiful perfumes with time in the glass. Racy and lean. Tension is high, the wine is dry but supple and balanced. Harmonious. Long finish, needs time.

The Mayor's vineyard was planted by a former Mayor of Adelaide in 1969, at 500 meters in elevation on the eastern ridge of Clare Valley. Red loam and slate define the soils here, and that ferrous grunt and minerality go hand in hand in the glass. This 2020 The Mayor's Vineyard Shiraz is an exceptionally savory, layered Shiraz with red dirt, hung deli meat, some oolong tea and salted mulberries at the fore. This is a wonderful wine, at the beginning of its life.''Reviewed Sep 16, 2022

It's full of flavourful with layers of fruit and polished tannins. Serious Shiraz!

  Machine-picked, crushed, destemmed, cultured yeast, maturation in French (60%) and American (40%) oak with 40% new. It’s a joy to see a 4yo shiraz being released from one of the country’s unsung shiraz regions, Coonawarra. It’s a wake-up call, if one was needed, to the excitement that the region and the grape can deliver. A youthful four year old built to last a long time with tight, close-knitted black fruits, high spice and toasted vanilla oak. Coonawarra earth, a mineral clarity of the soil, resides throughout. A beauty in the making.