Franziskus Haas is the fifth generation to run his family’s winery, and here I got to try three of his Pinot Noirs, a variety he planted in the 1980s. Haas…
Two superb Central Otago Pinot Noirs from Akitu
A relatively new arrival on the Central Otago Pinot circuit is Akitu. Andrew Donaldson planted this vineyard in Wanaka back in 2002 on old schist, and the wines are made at…
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand (5) Sileni and their Pinot Noirs
It’s all change at Sileni, which has just been bought by New Zealand financial service company Booster. Booster have also recently purchased Waimea Estate (Nelson) and Bannockbrae (Central Otago), and…
Greystone Vineyard Ferment Pinot Noir 2016 Waipara Valley, New Zealand
This is the first release of this new wine from Greystone: the vineyard ferment Pinot Noir. They have been talking about their vineyard fermentations for a while: keen to make…
The Hermit Ram Pinot Noir Whole Bunch 2017 North Canterbury, New Zealand
I’ve talked about the wines of Theo Coles here before on this blog. His brand is The Hermit Ram (although he also works on other projects), and the other night…
Domaine Arnoux-Lachaux, with Charles Lachaux, one of Burgundy’s rising stars
Charles Lachaux is just 29, but he’s got the responsibility of running the family domaine, Arnoux-Lachaux (previously known as Robert Arnoux), with 14 hectares of vines spread across some of…
Dinner at Arbour with lovely wines: Felton Road, Vieux Telegraphe, Kumeu River and Quartz Reef
Arbour is widely regarded to be the best fine dining option in the Marlborough region. I visited with friends yesterday evening and we had a really good time. The kitchen…
Crystallum: some of South Africa’s most compelling Chardonnay and Pinot Noir
Crystallum is the wine label of Peter-Allan Finlayson (above), who set up in partnership with his brother (Andrew, a Hermanus-based architect) and his Dad (Peter, who was the first winemaker…
Winemaking at Gabrielskloof: pressing Chenin Blanc and sorting Pinot Noir
My first day in the cellar at Gabrielskloof was a busy one. This cellar is shared by Peter-Allan Finlayson (who makes Crystallum wines, and also Gabrielskloof, his wife Nicolene’s family…