Just back from my first game of football in a while, so it’s time for a glass of wine. Tonight’s tipple is a good one – my comfort drinking –…
Esk Valley: a lovely Bordeaux blend from New Zealand
New Zealand reds are fast becoming their most exciting wines. Here’s a good one from a producer I visited a few years back, and it’s not overly expensive, at just…
Cherry blossom, moss, liverworts and The Ned
A lovely spring day here. The cherry blossom outside our house is out, and it’s beautiful. We took RTL and FFS down to Windsor Great Park, where they had a…
Squawking Magpie: a serious Kiwi Syrah
Now this is good. Another superb Syrah from the Gimblett Gravels subregion of Hawkes Bay in New Zealand. Squawking Magpie ‘The Stoned Crow’ Syrah 2008 Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay A…
Serious NZ Bordeaux blend from Hawkes Bay: The Quarry
Lest we forget that Hawkes Bay (and, more specifically, the Gimblett Gravels) is just about Syrah, here’s a serious Bordeaux blend from Craggy Range. Craggy Range ‘The Quarry’ 2008 Gimblett…
Another brilliant New Zealand Syrah
Really like this: yet another superb New Zealand Syrah, from the Gimblett Gravels district of Hawkes Bay. Kiwi Syrah has a distinct personality. Sacred Hill Deerstalkers Syrah 2008 Hawkes Bay,…
Morton Estate: serious New Zealand fizz
This is a top class Kiwi fizz that I’ve never tried before. It has gained some proper complexity from long ageing on the lees, and it’s delicious. Morton Blanc de…
The remarkable viticulture of Dry River, Martinborough, New Zealand
I have just published an extended write-up of a visit to one of New Zealand’s most exciting producers: Dry River, Martinborough. Here, I want to focus on one aspect of…
Two good Kiwi wines from Villa Maria
Very impressed by this pair by Villa Maria, one of New Zealand’s most consistent producers. Villa Maria Cellar Selection Pinot Noir 2009 Marlborough Seriously seductive Pinot. Sweet cherry and berry…