Lawson's Dry Hills Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2018 
Flamboyantly scented with passionfruit, lime, mango and fragrant summer herbs. Juicy and quenching to the taste with vibrant zesty citrus and peppery pawpaw seed vibes, moderate palate weight with a pleasing lightly oily texture, and lingering tropical fruit salad, tangelo and passionfruit underpinned by an exciting savoury complexity. Gold NZIWS. 13% alc. Screwcap.
First Glass Price: $21.99.
 
Whitehaven Marlborough Chardonnay 2017
Glorious scents of vanilla, hazelnut, lemon-scented oak and cream then powerful and flavoursome in the flavour-packed palate with a touch of gunflint to start then bursts of juicy grilled peach, touches of melon and an oaky, savoury finish with underlying orange zest and grapefruit acidity. A crowd pleaser on the night. Gold NZIWS. 13.5% alc. Screwcap.
First Glass Price: $22.99.
 
Starborough Single Vineyard Marlborough Chardonnay 2016
From grapes grown in the Awatere Valley, the nutty bouquet has delicate hints of peach and it’s dry on entry to the nutty savoury palate which is super smooth with a seamless flow. Subtle peach and hokey pokey notes are embellished with harmonious oak spices and the underlying youthful acidity is balanced by the wine’s creaminess. Gold NZIWS. 13.5% alc. Screwcap.
First Glass Price: $24.99.
 
Clearview Reserve Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2017
There’s a sunshine glow to this enticing wine with the bouquet emanating nougat, white chocolate, lemon biscuits, toasted nuts and vanilla cream. Mouthfilling and savoury with lovely flinty gun smoke tones abating to let the harmonious flavours of creamed nuts, peaches, vanilla and toasty oak sing. Concentrated and powerful with an irresistible spicy vibrancy. Gold NZIWS. 13.5% alc. Screwcap.
First Glass Price: $42.99.
 
Two Rivers Juliet Marlborough Riesling 2018 
Evocatively scented with hints of lemon and butter poached apple. An off dry style that served chilled is mouth watering and quenching with crisp, refreshing acidity, a slippery slatey texture, vibrant citrus and granny smith apple vibes and accents of pineapple on the lingering finish. Gold and Trophy at both NZIWS and NZWotY Awards. 12% alc. Screwcap.
First Glass Price: $19.99.
 
Farnese Fantini Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2017 - Italy
Intensely coloured with touches of crimson to the deep red hue. The bouquet offers up chocolate-coated cherries with an underlying leathery vibe and the taste is youthful and refreshing with tingly acidity, touches of pepper and profuse brambly fruit together with plums and prunes. It’s juicy and drinkable with smooth rounded tannins and a sweet jammy finish where the chocolate detected on the bouquet lingers. Gold NZIWS. 13% alc. Screwcap.
First Glass Price: $16.99.
 
Paulett's Polish Hill River Clare Valley Cabernet Merlot 2014 – South Australia
A fruit-filled Aussie red that’s dark red in hue with a deep core and bricking emerging on the edges. There’s a hint of mint to the bouquet together with beautifully balanced oak and sweet juicy cherry, plum and blackcurrant fruit that all flow through to the velvety smooth palate that’s accented with spicy oak, berry pie and after dinner chocolate-coated mints with lashings of pepper, velvety smooth tannins and a long creamy finish. Delivers for the price, ready to go. Gold NZIWS. 14.4% alc. Screwcap.
First Glass Price: $18.99.
 
Villa Maria Reserve Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay Merlot 2015
Intense purple red, vibrant and youthful in appearance. Deep and dark on the nose with suggestions of chocolate, plum, vanilla, pencil box and cacao. Beautifully structured in the seemingly still youthful palate where refreshing acidity balances out the power of the tannins that succumb to the intensity of the dark red and black fruit framed by the lovely savoury tones of cigar box, sweet leather and spicy cedar with lift and length to the long dry finish. Gold NZIWS. 13.5% alc. Screwcap.
First Glass Price: $42.99.
 
d'Arenberg The High Trellis McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 – South Australia
Inky red black in hue. A little brooding on the nose slowly revealing cigar box, leather, dark blackcurrant fruit and the most faintest hint of menthol that adds fragrance and vibrancy. Moderately firm in the palate with earthy tones enhanced by the brightness of the underlying acidity and the waves of concentrated sweet juicy plum, black cherry and black currant fruit with lingering hints of chocolate and mint. Gold NZIWS. 14.5% alc. Screwcap.
Sold out - for now.
 
Don't Tell Gary Shiraz 2017 – Grampians, Victoria, Australia 
Light purple with youthful resplendence. The bouquet is redolent of crushed mint chocolate biscuits together with savoury leather tones and concentrated bursts of freeze dried plum and raspberry. The palate is crammed with juicy berry fruit on a cushion of soft, plump, smooth flowing tannins with creamy oak, cake spices, crushed pepper and menthol tobacco. Gold NZIWS. 14% alc. Screwcap.
First Glass Price: $19.99.
 
Vigne Vecchie Leggenda Primitivo di Manduria 2016 – Italy 
Youthful deep red with a pinky glow. A muscular wine on the nose with a suggestion of iron wafting through the prune-like scent. Concentrated, powerful, sumptuous and spicy in the dense, full-bodied palate with plush voluptuous tannins that dissolve into the dark berry fruit with touches of musk and spice and chocolate emerging on the long creamy and very gratifying finish. Gold NZIWS. 14.5% alc. Cork.
First Glass Price: $52.99.
 
Kirrihill Vineyard Selection Clare Valley Shiraz 2016 – South Australia
Bright black red. Creamy chocolate on the nose with a hint of jaffa and the most subtle yet delightfully alluring suggestion of mint. Rich and concentrated in the palate that’s brimming with juicy, plump redcurrant, raspberry and cherry fruit that’s beautifully magnified by the moderately firm tannins with underlying spices and savoury oak and a long smooth creamy finish with touches of tobacco and rosehip. Gold NZIWS. 14.5% alc. Screwcap.
First Glass Price: $24.99.
 

Following three days of judging over 1300 wines, 77 gold medals have been awarded in the inaugural New Zealand Wine of the Year™ Awards.

Chair of the New Zealand Wine of the Year™ Awards Warren Gibson says he was very pleased to see a spread of gold medals throughout the majority of the New Zealand’s wine regions. The larger areas of Marlborough, Hawke’s Bay and Central Otago took out the lion’s share of the awards but golds were also given to Gisborne, Martinborough, Nelson, Canterbury and North Otago.

“The gold medal list shows that our maturing and evolving wine industry begins to display a very strong relationship between variety, style and wine region. This link appears far more dramatic than in past awards and suggests we are beginning to find a true sense of place.”

Marlborough dominated the Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Sparkling and aromatics classes. Central Otago similarly was prominent in Riesling and Pinot Noir, as has been the recent norm. Chardonnay was shared between Hawke’s Bay and Marlborough and the full-bodied red classes were very strong and as expected, dominated by Hawke’s Bay.

“The average quality of the wines was very high, particularly considering the recent challenging vintages in a number of regions”, said Mr Gibson.

In addition to the 77 gold medals, 236 silver medals and 601 bronze medals were awarded by a team of 29 judges. There was a total of 914 medals awarded across 16 classes, including the newly introduced Provenance Class, in which wines were judged over three vintages.

The 77 gold medal winning wines are now vying for the 13 varietal trophies and 11 regional trophies with the winners of these trophies announced on Wednesday 24 October.

The final act will be the awarding of the eight major trophies for the New Zealand Wine of the Year™ Awards. These will be announced at the New Zealand Wine Awards dinner on Saturday 3 November and include; New Zealand Wine of the Year™ Champion, Best Single Vineyard White Wine, Best Single Vineyard Red Wine, Best Open White Wine, Best Open Red Wine, Best Organic White Wine, Best Organic Red Wine and Best Wine of Provenance.

More information on New Zealand Wine of the Year™ Awards can be found at https://www.nzwine.com/en/events/new-zealand-wine-of-the-year-awards/

This week’s line-up included descriptions by Sue Courtney and Sam Kim.
 
Charles Wiffen Marlborough Chardonnay 2016 $19.99.
Sweet nutty oak and subtle orange zest fills the bouquet and its full of juicy peach and nectarine in the rich, creamy palate with a delectable nutty oak undercurrent that lets the vibrant fruit sing.
 
Clearview Beachhead Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2017 $25.99
The bouquet is nutty and toasty with touches of vanilla and the seamless creamy nutty flavours are crammed with juicy peach and nectarine with a touch of oak spice and orange zest.
 
Mills Reef Elspeth Hawke’s Bay Chardonnay 2015 $35.99
Beautifully harmonious with alluring scents of vanilla pod, hazelnut, gentle oak spice and sandalwood joining poached peach in the creamy, smoky, rounded, complex and mouthfilling palate.
 
Domain Road Defiance Central Otago Pinot Gris 2018 $21.99
A little steely on the nose with aromas of apple and pear and honeysuckle flowing through the creamy apple and peach flavours with the beautifully rounded lingering taste accented with orange zest.
 
Johanneshof Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2017 $27.99
Super concentrated flower nectar and beeswax scents and expressive flavours of violet, hokey pokey, orange toffee, lychee and peach with tingly five spice and ginger infusing the lightly viscous flow.
 
 
Domain Road Central Otago Pinot Noir Rosé 2018 $21.99
Delectably dry with plum and nectarine scents and zingy fresh summer berry flavours melding beautifully. Tasty, juicy and deliciously refreshing with a soft creamy flow.
 
El Burro Kickass Garnacha 2017 – Spain $16.99.
A full-flavoured Garnacha, showing ripe plum, dark cherry, warm spice and subtle chocolate notes, backed by juicy and rounded palate that’s delightfully smooth and sweetly tasty. Great value.
 
Varvaglione Linea Oro Papale Primitivo Di Manduria 2015 $45.99
Powerful and sturdy, this substantial red delivers loads of black/blueberry, chocolate tart, spice and vanilla flavours with a firmly structured palate. It’s engaging with gratifying fruit flavours and an impressively long energetic finish.
 
Farmers Leap Random Shot Padthaway Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 $16.99
True to variety, exhibiting blackcurrant, juicy bramble, cigar box and spicy oak notes with succulent palate that’s flavoursome and filled with dark fruit flavours and rounded mouthfeel, well structured by chalky tannins. Very drinkable.
 
Alpha Crucis Titan McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2016 $29.99.
Captivating aromas of crème de cassis, plum jam, cigar and toasty oak lead to a superbly ripe and silky palate that offers outstanding depth and punchy flavours. Solid and persistent with dazzling richness. An outstanding Cabernet. Cellar 5-8 years.
 
Shingleback Davey Estate McLaren Vale Shiraz 2016 $22.99
Perfumed and compelling, this gratifying Shiraz displays gorgeous dark fruit, cranberry jelly, toasty oak and mixed spice notes with a concentrated and plush palate, finishing impressively long and sturdy. Drink now or cellar 5 years.
 

 
Robert Mondavi Private Selection Chardonnay 2017 – California, USA
Lightly toasted nutty oak fills the bouquet and it's full of caramel and citrus in the creamy, lightly honeyed palate that has a nice little savoury twist and a lingering butterscotch taste. Value plus. 13.5% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $14.99.
 
Villa Maria Reserve Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2016 – Hawkes Bay
Grilled peaches and cream tantalise the nose and toasty oak and creamed nut flavours fill the warm, rounded, mouthfilling palate. It's savoury, spicy and zesty with nicely balanced peach and nectarine fruit and a tangy and satisfying finish.  13.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $32.99.
 
Aronui Single Vineyard Nelson Albarino 2016
The bouquet radiates pear and tropical fruit, and there's mouthwatering pineapple-laced tropical fruit and honeydew melon in the palate with a touch of honey and beeswax to the just off dry and slightly salty and salivating finish. Refreshing and summery and while seemingly light to start there’s increasing complexity to the texture. Gold Medal Sydney Top 100. 13.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $17.99.
 
Millton Riverpoint Vineyard Gisborne Viognier 2015 
Moderately gold in hue with a bouquet of apricot and honey following through to the rich, oily palate with a bees-waxy sweetness beautifully balanced by a nutty savouriness, a zing of exotic spices and a juicy green melon aftertaste. 13.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $24.99.
 
Conde Valdemar Rioja Reserva 2010 – Rioja, Spain 
Starting to show bricking to the burgundy hue, this has spiced cherries and vanillin oak on the soft bouquet and an edgy bite and slightly furry tannins to the upfront savoury taste, then cherry and blueberry fruit comes to the fore and the mellow finish is creamy and satisfying with touches of cake spices, oak and anise.  13.5% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $35.99.
 
Chateau Loudenne Medoc Cru Bourgeois 2012 – Bordeaux, France 
Dark red in the glass with signs of bricking. Smoky and brambly on the nose and strong and moderately tannic to the taste. A savoury wine embellished with smoke, spices, pencil box and leather with a refreshing undercurrent of acidity and a juicy berry sweetness on the velvety, almost creamy finish. A blend of Merlot and Cabernet. 13.5 % alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $38.99.
 
Paritua Hawkes Bay Syrah 2014
Black red with crimson edges. Dark berry fruit wafts through the savoury bouquet that has a faint suggestion of barnyard and game. Full-bodied and mouthfilling in the silky palate crammed with dark berry fruit and layered with Black Doris plum chocolate with a sprinkling of cake spice and pepper and a savoury oak frame. Soft and velvety as the flavours linger. 13.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $41.99.
 
Matua Single Vineyard Matheson Hawkes Bay Syrah 2014
Purple red with crimson edges. Hints of Black Forest chocolate on the nose and nicely honed peppery notes in the palate with plump plum and berry fruit, harmonious nutty savoury oak and sweet spices.  Velvety and long with enveloping fruit sweetness. Drinking beautifully. 13.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $49.99.
 
Cape Barren Native Goose McLaren Vale Shiraz 2016
Purple red with crimson edges. The bouquet is reminiscent of chocolate chip biscuits and the taste is rich and smooth with a savoury spine, a vibrancy of pepper and spice, mulberry and plum fruit and touches of menthol emerging as the wine lingers. A juicy wine with a velvety flow. 14% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $19.99.
 
Grant Burge Barossa Ink Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Inky black red. Dusty on the nose with concentrated cherry jam and blackcurrant fruit, hints of tar and leather. Deep and dark at first in the soft juicy palate, the brambly fruit infusing almost milk chocolate-like notes with touches of praline and brightness to the lingering finish with subtle nuances of mint. 14% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $16.99.
 
Linke Barossa Valley Shiraz 2015
Inky black red in the glass. Crushed chocolate biscuits, plum, cherry and savoury vanillin oak laced with mint fill the bouquet and there is all this and more in the velvet cloaked palate. This is a massive wine, a heady wine, an opulent wine with a smooth seamless flow, raisined cherry fruit, pepper, anise, nut chocolate, cedar and vanilla with a touch of mint adding to the bright lifted finish. Kapow! 15.7% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $19.99.

Vigna Nuova Prosecco DOC Brut NV - Treviso, Italy
White gold in the glass with a lemon cream biscuit scent and a crisp, fresh, lightly foamy taste with steely acidity underpinning hints of vanilla and creaming soda, and a fine dry finish with a soft and pleasing lingering taste of dehydrated apple.  11% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $16.99.
 
TED by Mount Edward Otago Pinot Gris 2017
Straw gold in hue with a delicate fragrance and a touch of salinity to the lightly zingy and fairly crisp taste with satisfying, food-friendly palate weight and tropical guava-like notes complementing out the sucking-on-a-peach-stone finish and just a hint of herbaceousness. Elegant and not a run of the mill style. 14% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $21.99.
 
Vidal Hawkes Bay Soler Chardonnay 2017
Light yellow gold. Evocatively fragrant with delicate hints of peach, apricot kernel and almond blossom. Full-bodied in the palate with restrained spicy oak, an almost oily richness to the flow, underlying gunflint and lingering nuances of lemon and gauva. Exhibiting elegant Burgundian restraint rather than flamboyant fruit at this youthful stage of its life yet hints of stonefruit flesh out nicely as the flavours linger. 13% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $31.99.
 
Paritua Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2014
Light yellow gold with a bouquet reminiscent of salted caramel popcorn before it has popped, and full and fat in the spicy oak palate with sizzled butter, butterscotch and more salted popcorn suggestions with fruit playing a supporting role. There’s a mellow savoury impression as the wine lingers softly yet persistently with a touch of pineapple lifting the rounded and more-ish finish. 14% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $38.99.
 
Wooing Tree 'Blondie' Central Otago 2017
There’s the merest wash of baby pink to the glassy hue of this Blanc de Noir made from pinot noir.  Cherry and subtle nuances of musk float on the scent and strawberry and pepper fill the taste with a lightly viscous mouthfeel and lingering touches of salinity that make you want to have another sip. Dry to off dry in style with a succulence to the cherry-filled finish. 13.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $24.99.
 
Casa Santos Lima Colossal Reserva  2016 – Portugal
Made from a blend of Touriga Nacional, Syrah, Tinta Roria and Alicant Bouschet, this is vivid purple black in the glass with vibrant magenta edges.The bouquet is awash with dark plums, prunes, tar and polished oak and it is immediately seamless in the spicy, savoury, oaky, medium to full-bodied palate filled with succulent dark berry fruit and accents of baking spices and pepper. Terrifically tasty with lovely balance of fruit and savouriness and tannins more noticeable on the long dry finish. 14% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $27.99.
 
Tenuta Ulisse Amaranta di Ulisse Montepulciano d'Abruzzo 2015 – Italy 
Inky black red with crimson edges. Dark, dense, smoky and tarry with a wafting fragrance of plum jam cooking in the kitchen. A massive wine to the taste with bright berry fruit, powerful tannins, tar, spice, leather and fruit cake. It’s a rich, meaty, dry-styled red with touches of liquorice on the velvety and almost creamy finish. Very very tasty with loads of flavour. 14% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $34.99.
 
Beresford Barrel Select McLaren Vale GSM 2016 – South Australia
Deep dark cherry red, more translucent than opaque. Attractive rosehip and milk chocolate bouquet. Seemingly medium-bodied in the fruit driven palate with early season plums, glace cherries, blueberries and cake spices, a touch of toffee apple and creaminess to the mouthfeel as the flavours linger. An approachable blend of Grenache, Shiraz and Mouverdre with fine tannins, vanillin oak playing a supporting role and a pretty finish. 14% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $21.99.
 
Beresford McLaren Vale Shiraz 2016 – South Australia
Bright purple red with crimson edges. The fragrant bouquet is reminiscent of berry pie with a suggestion of chocolate box and tar. Immediately spicy and peppery in the silky palate with succulent purple plum, cherry and mulberry fruit, dry savoury oak, strawberry chocolate in the background and a long bright creamy finish with lingering juicy oomph. 14% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $21.99.
 
Beresford McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 – South Australia
Blackish red in the glass with dark red edges. Nut chocolate, vanilla and cedar fill the bouquet and there’s bright berry fruit balancing out the meaty rustic depth of the palate with oak spice and cabernet’s classic brambly acidity. The tannins have a firm teeth-coating exterior with a plump bouncy centre and a touch of cigar box lingers on the even-toned finish with a subtle nuance of mint. 14.6% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $21.99.
 
Galway Pipe Grand Tawny Aged 12 Years – South Australia
This fortified wine is a transparent amber hue with golden edges. The bouquet radiates raisins and brandy-soaked muscatels and the taste is heady, viscous and mouthcoating with candied orange peel and raisin flavours with the fruity succulence beautifully balanced by a pleasing nutty, rancio, mellow oak savouriness. Sweet yet not sweet with touches of orange toffee. Delicious. 17.8% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $41.99.

 
Rapaura Springs Reserve Marlborough Pinot Gris 2017
Light gold with an attractive fragrant aroma of poached pear and a soft citrussy zing to the off dry flavours that are full of delicious honey poached pear.  
Choc match: Whittaker’s Nelson Pear and Manuka Honey in Milk Chocolate. Enhances the freshness of the wine but the sweet milky creamy chocolate is the overall lingering taste.
13% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $14.99.
 
Main Divide North Canterbury Gewurztraminer 2016 
Crisp, dry and oily smelling and strong and spicy to the taste with tingles of ginger and candied lime with abundant musk flavours in a full-bodied, off dry style. 
Choc match: Cadbury Dairy Milk Turkish Delight. A sweet sugary chocolate that needs the wine to balance it out, which it does with a peppery vibe and the musky taste of Turkish Delight lingers.
14% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $17.99.
 
Archangel Central Otago Pinot Noir 2013
Rich ruby red in the glass with an alluring earthy savoury scent infused with leather and spice yet surprisingly fruity to the taste with still fresh acidity, lightly firm tannins, spiced tamarillo and bittersweet berries.  
Choc match: Whittaker’s West Coast Buttermilk Caramelised White Chocolate. The chocolate is quite sweet and cloying on its own but makes the wine seem silky smooth and rich with a lingering creamy caramel taste. A winning match.
14% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $35.99.
 
Zolla Primitivo Di Manduria 2016 – Salento, Italy 
A vibrant black red. The bouquet is rich and ripe with wisps of cocoa powder and black cherries and the taste is sweet, ripe, gutsy and full-bodied with prunes and cherries, an earthy savoury undercurrent and smooth tannins that make it seem almost seamless in its flow.
Choc match: Cadbury Dairy Milk - Milk Chocolate. This old favourite seems dry on its own compared to the voluptuous wine but it balances the wine’s sweetness beautifully and introduces a fresh acid zing. 
14% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $28.99.
 
McManis  Family Vineyards Petite Sirah 2016 – California, USA 
Vibrant purple red with crimson edges. The leathery bouquet hints of a savoury wine but there's a juicy plum and mulberry sweetness to the taste with earth, straps of leather and a sprinkle of pepper on a bed of fine tannins.
Choc match: Cadbury Old Gold Roasted Almond Dark Chocolate. Makes the wine seem full, smooth and seamless. Good match. 
13.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $18.99.
 
Chocoholic Pinotage 2016 – Darling, South Africa
Dark ruby red with garnet edges. Aromas of cherry jam and spice and quite peppery in the savoury palate with lightly firm tannins and a smoky touch to the finish.   
Choc match: Cadbury Dairy Milk Black Forest. The chocolate is milky and sweet but the sweetness is toned down by the wine and the glace cherry in the chocolate is the lingering taste. Good match.
14% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $15.99.
 
Mister Riggs The Truant McLaren Vale Shiraz 2015 – South Australia
Deep dark red. Ripe and fruity smelling with touches of vanillin oak, chocolate and cherry then spicy and peppery to the taste with velvety tannins, plums and cherries, irresistibly smooth in its flow. 
Choc match: Cadbury Dairy Milk packed with Crunchie. This is a milky chocolate and not overly sweet, but makes the wine seem a little more earthy and savoury and drier than it seemed on its own. 
14.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $18.99.
 
Chocolate Box Dark Chocolate Barossa Shiraz 2016 – South Australia 
Inky black red. Deep intense scent of cedar and leather with hints of red berries.  Beautiful fine tannin structure, fresh acidity, purity of plum and raspberry fruit, a tingle of pepper and a silky chocolate-like smoothness to the finish.   
Choc match: Cadbury Dark Milk with Roasted and Caramelised Hazelnuts. The nut flavours are strong and the match brings out a bitterness in the wine. Not a good match.
15% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $20.99.
 
Grant Burge Barossa Ink Shiraz 2016 – South Australia
Inky black red with vibrant crimson edges. The chocolate and plum bouquet is cloaked with vanilla and the taste is ripe and voluptuous with fine velvet tannins, juicy plum, prune and bottled cherry fruit, a sprinkle of pepper and a well-balanced nutty oak note to the creamy finish. 
Choc match: Whittaker’s Black Doris Plum and Roasted Almonds in Dark Chocolate. This is a silky smooth chocolate, not overly sweet, not overpoweringly nutty, nice on its own and an excellent match to this wine.
14.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $19.99.
 
St Hugo Coonawara Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 – South Australia
Deep dark red hinting of a little age. There's mint wafting through the bouquet and heaps more in the taste. A firmly structured wine, quite dry with savoury oak and plum and cassis fruit that is starting to fade as bottle developed earthy leathery characters take over yet the cabernet fruit sweetness still signs off the finish.  
Choc match: Cadbury Old Gold Dark Chocolate with Peppermint. While the mint is complimentary, the chocolate brings out a bitterness in the wine. 
14.1% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $33.99.
 
Villa Maria Reserve Noble Riesling Botrytis Selection 2016
Sunshine gold. Candied orange fills the bouquet and the sticky, delicious, nectar-like taste is crammed with luscious liquid honey and candied tropical fruit with a vibrant and beautifully balanced citrussy zing.
Choc match: Whittaker’s Fijian Ginger and Kerikeri Mandarin in Dark Chocolate. This is a excellent chocolate on its own and goes beautifully with the wine, foiling the sweetness a little. The chocolate is subtle in the match, the ginger and mandarin flavours are complimentary and the wine’s flavours are the lasting memory. Excellent combo.
10% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $28.99. 375ml.

 
 
Goldwater Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017 
Lustrous straw gold. Aromas of peach oil and cape gooseberry with more peach together with tropical fruit in the fresh lively palate that's overflowing with juicy citrus acidity and a quenching tangy finish where a delightful touch of Thai basil emerges. Trophy Winner Air NZ Wine Awards 2017. 12.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $17.99.
 
Tiki Single Vineyard Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2017
Light yellow gold. Aromas of spicy oak, nuts and peach and boldly flavoured in the silky palate with bright sweet citrus underpinning the savoury oak with touches of  gunflint, butterscotch and spice, becoming quite creamy and peachy as the flavours linger. 14% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $18.99.
 
Ra Nui Marlborough Chardonnay  2014
Moderate gold in hue. Soft nutty aromas fill the bouquet with a suggestion of honeydew melon that recurs in the rounded, mellow, seamless flowing palate with lingering nutty oak, touches of nashi pear and mandarin brightening the finish. Nicely developed and ready to go. 13.8% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $17.99.
 
Mount Riley Marlborough Pinot Gris 2018 
Straw gold in hue with a bright fruity aroma and refreshing flavours full of gooseberry, lime, tropical guava and Packham pears poached in wine framed by soft acidity with a tickle of ginger and slivers of sweetness. 13.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $12.99.
 
Bond Block Wines Ormond Gisborne Gewurztraminer 2017
Light gold in hue. Fragrant scents of old fashioned roses and candied violets and a light spritzy, spicy upfront feel to the texture like tingles of white pepper and ginger yet mouthcoating and long in an off dry style with rose oil and orange water and touches of Turkish delight. 13% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $14.99.
 
Mount Riley The Bonnie Marlborough Pinot Rosé 2018 
Like a spinel gemstone in hue, this blend of Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris is fragrant and fruity with a bright spritzy texture and just off dry flavours reminiscent of early season plums and cherries with lingering flavours of tarragon and watermelon. Juicy and refreshing and verging on irresistible even on a cold winters night. 12.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $12.99.
 
Summerhouse Central Otago Pinot Noir 2017
This is an intense ruby / magenta with a deep aroma of earth and herbs and chocolate-coated black cherries. Showing its youth as it is quite firm in the initially earthy savoury palate with classical herbaceous tones, then a bittersweet berry sweetness ripples through with hints of rosehips and smoky bacon. 13.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $19.99.
 
Doctors Flat Central Otago Pinot Noir 2015 
Bright translucent ruby with pinky edges. The shy bouquet is floral yet meaty and it’s silky in its flow across the palate with a juicy sweetness to the bright cherry and strawberry fruit that’s underpinned by a beautifully balanced savouriness, a salivating salinity, and a long rounded mouthcoating finish with increasing complexity and touches of anise. Tasty and totally on song at the tasting. 13.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $44.99.
 
Pesquera Crianza Ribera del Duero Tempranillo 2014
This is a shiny blackish red in the glass. The slightly charry, cedary bouquet has intensity and depth of fruit with wafts of barnyard and leather and it’s dark and dusty in the savoury meaty palate where succulent and opulent prune-like fruit ripples through with touches of peppery spices and slightly chalky tannins that impart a very dry finish yet all the while refreshing underlying acidity. True to the region but does need food. 14.5% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $33.99.
 
Aramis White Label McLaren Vale Shiraz 2015
Dark blackish red with chocolate and spiced berry aromatics and succulent plum and raspberry flavours with an underlying earthy, leathery savouriness, moderately firm tannins, peppery spices, touches of cacao and a dry yet fruity finish. 14.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $19.99.
 
Sandalford Reserve Margaret River Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
Bright red black with crimson edges, the bouquet of this big oaky wine is laced with vanilla and mint that's a little more discreet in the dark, brooding, firmly structured, chewy palate that has lashings of leather, tar and smoke with touches of chocolate and a berry fruit brightness to the lifted and lingering finish. 14.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $24.99.
 

 
 
d'Arenberg The Money Spider Roussanne 2017
Light citrine in hue with delicate tropical fruit aromas and an intriguing touch of spearmint infusing the warm oily taste with a hint of apricot and yellow guava and a peppery papaya seed heat. Mouthfilling and textural but also bright, flinty, dry and tangy. Oysters would be a terrific match. 
12.9% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $17.99.
 
d'Arenberg The Hermit Crab Viognier Marsanne  2016
There's a citrine brightness to the hue and a sense of honeyed apricot both to the aroma and the taste together with peach and a tingle of ginger juice that’s nicely honed by refreshing acidity and an underlying savouriness. Mouthcoating and textural with a subtle smoky nuance to the long warm, lingering finish.  
13.3% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $15.99.
 
d'Arenberg The Peppermint Paddock Sparkling Red
A blend of Chambourcin, Shiraz and Graciano grapes, this is an intensely vivid purple crimson in the glass with a lacy foam when poured. It radiates boysenberry and mulberry scents and the full-bodied, juicy taste is crammed with plums, prunes, chocolate coated raisins, cinnamon and leather finishing with a flourish of freshly crushed mint.
13.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $31.99.
 
d'Arenberg The Custodian Grenache 2014
Deep burgundy hued with touches of ruby in the core and garnet edges. Cedary aromatics with hints of mint, plums and cherries. Tight knit and tannic driven at first in the finely textured savoury palate that’s lifted with mint – like after milk chocolate-coated dinner mints – and red berries and finishes with a juicy sweetness that counteracts the initial dryness and leaves a smile. A Grenache that can be cellared for years. 
14.4% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $17.99.
 
d'Arenberg The High Trellis Cabernet Sauvignon 2015
Inky black red with crimson edges. Profoundly savoury and leathery on the nose at first then fragrant blackcurrant scents waft through. A classic dry red with upfront dry, slightly mouth-puckery, chalky tannins and intense cassis / blackcurrant / black Doris plum fruit with lingering savoury oak and subtle nuances of cacao, tobacco, mint and leather. The fruit overwhelms the tannins and the incredibly long finish is vibrant and lively.
14.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $ 17.99.
 
d'Arenberg The Galvo Garage 2013
This blend of Cabernet, Petit Verdot and Merlot is inky in the glass with a minty infusion to the bright berry and cedar scent and it tastes deliciously juicy from the outset with supple tannins and sappy minty cedary notes framing the succulent plum, mulberry and black cherry fruit with a firm earthy leathery savouriness underpinning it all. Totally on song with lingering berry and mint chocolate notes.
14.4% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $24.99.
 
d'Arenberg The Footbolt Shiraz 2015
Purple red. Berry pie, spiced tobacco and chocolate-coated red liquorice scents. Mouthfilling, lifted and minty with sappy oak and upfront red berry fruits underpinned by chewy, crushed velvet tannins that seem more fine and silky on the long, ripe, juicy finish with touches of vanilla and cake spices, and lingering menthol tobacco.
14.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $17.99.
 
d'Arenberg The Love Grass Shiraz 2015
Inky crimson black. Intense aromas of dark smoky cedar, mint, blackberry and woody herbs. A profoundly savoury wine with earth, graphite and coal – a wine that evokes a warm winter fire toasting marshmallows over the embers – the sensual brooding savouriness lifted by juicy black plums, mulberries and cherries with a smattering of pepper and black liquorice while refreshing underlying acidity balances out the jammy sweetness on the deliciously long mouthfilling finish. Value for money buy of the night. 
14.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $17.99.
 
d'Arenberg The Laughing Magpie Shiraz Viognier 2013
Inky black red. Aromatic and perfumed with wafts of apricot, milk chocolate, mulberry and mint. At first it seems velvety smooth then the tannins kick in mid-palate and it’s smooth flowing on the finish again. There’s a lovely depth of succulent fruit and vinous sweetness to the creamy finish with an underlying woody, stalky, sappy character and lingering floral / rose petal notes.  ‘Soft yet seriously structured,’ said Jack.
14.6% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $24.99.
 
d'Arenberg The Wild Pixie Shiraz 2014
Inky black red. Black forest chocolate, earth, leather and vanilla fill the bouquet. A dark, brooding, firmly structured wine with enchanting earthy, savoury, mushroomy notes – magic mushrooms – meaty mushrooms – and very intense berry fruit together with vanilla, spice, pepper and a bright flourish of mint chocolate making the finish very moreish. 
14.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $31.99.
 
d'Arenberg The Dead Arm Shiraz 2015
Inky purple / black red – fine in appearance.  Dark sappy oak on the nose and while at first it seems super fine in the palate this is a deceptive veneer as the tannins are firm and teeth-coating. Wonderful intensity of lightly jammy cherry, mulberry, raspberry, plum and blackberry fruit with nutty oak, toasted hazelnut chocolate, lifted mint and sensuous vanilla tones on a bed of sweet earth, herbs and pepper, and a dark mint chocolate finish. A monumental wine that really should be cellared at this stage of its life.
14.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $49.99.

 
 
San Lorenzo Verdicchio Dei Castelli Di Jesi 2016 – Puglia, Italy 
Golden in hue with at first a slight buttery touch to the nutty aroma and later bright tropical fruit delights. The taste is bright, fresh and tangy with peach and apricot fruit, oiliness to the texture and softness to the finish. A touch of almond and lime zest adds to the intrigue. Tasty unoaked apertif style.
13% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $19.99.
 
Escarpment Martinborough Pinot Blanc 2016
Golden hued with a flinty sense to the shy tropical fruit scent and a touch of spritz to the texture that makes it seem so bright and fresh, yet this is a wine of Chardonnay-like body and weight and as the spritz subsides flavours of lime and white peach emerge and the finish is lightly savoury.
13.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $21.99.
 
Crossroads Winemakers Collection Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2015
Golden in colour with a struck match smell to the scent and a gunflint feel to the initially grapefruit driven taste but under that is some lovely nectarine fruit and oak spice and as the wine warms up stone fruit, mealy notes and savoury oak emerge.  A big bold dry wine with an exceptionally long and alluring finish but still seems youthful wanting further time to unfold. Gold NZIWS.  
14% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $26.99.
 
Leone De Castris II Medaglione Negroamaro 2106 – Salento, Italy
Deep ruby, moderately opaque with pinky edges. Very appealing aroma of summer berries then firm yet fresh in the mouth with vibrancy of fruit and a lovely underlying savouriness and a lingering touch of anise. Gutsy, juicy and salivating fruit driven wine.   
14% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $15.99.
 
Leone De Castris Salice Salentino Riserva Negroamaro 2015 – Salento, Italy
A dark black red with the edges suggesting a little age. Currants and fruit cake on the nose and rich, ripe and sweet in the fleshy palate with juicy berries and touches of vanilla-tinged spice underpinned with dark savoury leathery tones and finishing reasonably dry – the fruit masks the tannins until the end. 
13.5% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $24.99.
 
Masseria Li Veli Orion Primitivo 2016 – Salento, Italy
Deep rich red with pinky edges. The bouquet is ripe and vinous with fruit cake nuances and a spicy flare. Concentrated and mouthfilling in the palate with a peppery vibe, deliciously juicy fruit and leather savoury tones simmering along in the background then vanilla and tobacco come to the fore with a spicy brightness as the wine lingers.
14% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $21.99.
 
Leone Du Castris Villa Santera Primitivo Di Manduria 2016 – Manduria, Italy
Dark red with moderate opacity and youthful pinky edges. Perfumed yet slightly rustic with a nuance of violet and a waft of menthol tobacco and cedar. Bright in the palate with a touch of musk / chocolate-coated Turkish delight, fresh acidity, juicy plum and cherry fruit and a tingle of spice shimmying through the background. Fine and silky with the tannins more obvious on the finish. A crowd favourite on the night.
14.5% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $25.99.
 
Fatalone Giola Del Colle Fatalone Primitivo 2015 – Puglia, Italy
A moderately deep red black in the core of the glass. Perfumed with a sensual savouriness and red berry fruit. Savoury and spicy in the palate with firm tannins quickly making themselves known yet at the same time radiating a plum and dark berry fruit succulence with oak-infused peppery spices, underlying boot leather and savoury cigar box-like notes. The tannins melt away on the deliciously long dry finish. It hides its high alcohol well.
15% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $28.99.
 
Brazin Cellars Old Vine Zinfandel 2015 – Lodi, California
Deep red black with a creamy, spicy, cedary, bright, lifted berry scent and flavours that overflow with vanillin oak, smoky oak, sappy oak, oily oak and sweet, ripe, succulent berry fruit. It's ripe, luscious, full-bodied, meaty and chocolatey. Sweet and ripe with appealing bright flavours lingering for ages and while some will find the oak overpowering, others will love it. As someone said on the night, "A wine to drink with a knife and fork.".
14.5% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $30.99.
 
The Prisoner Wine Company Saldo Zinfandel 2015 – California
Bright pinky/red black. Concentrated and fruity on the nose with vanilla and spice and touches of leather.  A high alcohol opulent wine brimming with bright berry fruit and jam biscuit notes yet with a well-balanced underling savouriness, juicy acidity and tannins that seem silky and seamless yet assert their presence on the finish.  A blend of 85% Zinfandel and 15% Petite Sirah and Syrah matured in French and American oak, 25% new, this is a powerful wine that as someone said, ‘needs a buffalo to accompany it.”
15.9% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $40.99.
 
The Prisoner Wine Company Napa Valley Red 2015 – California 
A deep purple red with a profoundly vinous bouquet with a waft of chocolate biscuits. A big wine, a creamy wine, a spicy wine, a fruity yet savoury wine with obvious high alcohol that masks the immense tannins. This blend of Zinfandel, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah, Syrah and Charbono matured in French and American oak, 30% new, is overwhelming at this stage of its life and really should be cellared. Patience will reward.
15.2% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $45.99.

 
Simonnet Febvre Petite Chablis 2013 - France 
The fresh, steely, orchard fruit bouquet of this light matte gold hued wine hints of Chardonnay, which indeed it is and the taste is crisp, malic, earthy and lemony with a suggestion of mountain pawpaw and honeydew melon. It's unoaked yet pleasingly textural with a chalky dryness and a long lasting finish. 12.5% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $25.99.
 
Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2017
Light yellow gold in the glass. Inviting aromas of ripe peach, toasty oak, and vanilla. Tasty, mouthfilling, malty, mealy flavours with gunsmoke, spicy oak, underlying flint and gobs of juicy tropical fruit that lingers tantalisingly. Exudes class all the way through. 13% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $31.99.
 
Sebastiani North Coast Chardonnay 2015 – California, USA
Citrine gold. Restrained at first on the nose but later tropical fruit rises to the fore. Full, fat and juicy in the palate with sizzled butter, vanillin oak, caramel and cream brûlée. Mouthfilling, easy to open with the screwcap and easy to drink. 13.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $19.99.
 
Framingham Classic Marlborough Riesling 2016
Light gold hued with an initial whiff of rubber band that succumbs to more intensely aromatic yellow citrus, heritage apple and delicate floral scents. Bright and zesty in the palate with refreshing tart apple acidity that's tempered by a touch of sweetness on the juicy quenching finish. 12.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $19.99.
 
Kerpen Alte Reben Wehlener Sonnenhur Spatlese Feinherb Riesling 2015 – Mosel, Germany 
Light gold in the glass. The fragrant bouquet of honey and botrytis has a fascinating earthy aura like wet potters clay and flavours full of tropical and citrus fruits with a tickle of spritz to the texture and only moderate sweetness. A classic example of the great wines of this region. 10.5% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $33.99.
 
Guigal Côte du Rhône 2014 – Rhone, France
Dark tamarillo skin red. The bouquet is earthy, a little rustic and slightly metallic with  a hint of cranberry, liquorice and tobacco. Fine flowing and vinous in the mouth with silky tannins, a suggestion of leather and a long savoury finish underpinned by well balanced acidity with fruit sweetness lingering. Made from predominantly Syrah with Garnacha and Mourvedre, this is excellent value. 14% alc. Cork. First Glass Price: $20.99.
 
Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Hawks Bay Syrah 2016
Deep crimson black. Warm comforting chocolate cake and cherry bouquet. Full-bodied, mouthfilling, spicy and peppery with juicy blackberry, mulberry and cherry fruit framed by savoury oak. The firmly structured tannins are still tight and youthful but the potential is clearly there. Patience will reward. 13% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $30.99.
 
Pepperjack Barossa Shiraz 2016 – South Australia
Inky black red with crimson edges. A rich berry chocolate nose and more chocolate in the sweet-fruited, creamy, silky-tannined, succulent palate together with cherry, vanilla, mocha, liquorice and hazelnut that meld into a mouthfilling delight. The firm finish is accented with spice and pepper and dry savoury notes linger. 14.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $19.99.
 
Rockbare Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2013 – South Australia  
Dark pinky red with moderate density. Eucalypt and chocolate dust fill the bouquet and there's a warm fine chocolatey coating to the texture with fine tannins, mint, leather, cedar, vanilla and ripe blackberry and blackcurrant fruit underpinned by nicely balanced acidity. Smooth and velvety all the way through. 14.5% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $19.99.
 
Crossroads Talisman 2014 – Hawkes Bay
Glossy rich dark red with an intense and attractive bouquet of cedar and brambles laced with chocolate and cherry. Beautifully poised as it floats across the palate. Finely structured tannins, concentrated red and black berries, savoury oak and cake spice are some of the descriptors that come to mind. A classy wine made from a secret blend of classic and rare red varieties that grow in Hawkes Bay. 14% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $44.99.
 
Beach House Noble Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2016 
Deep yellow gold. Citrus blossom and honeysuckle nectar fill the bouquet and sweet honeyed citrus of the mandarin / orange spectrum in the palate with grapey muscat-like notes and a zingy brightness. A sweet yet refreshing desert wine that’s lightly viscous with a silky smooth flow. 12% alc. Screwcap. First Glass Price: $16.99.