‘Escaroth’ Pinot Noir, Blank Canvas
Blank Canvas is a winery owned by international jet-setting winemaker Matt Thomson and his Master of Wine wife Sophie. Here they produce some of New Zealand's most exciting wines from vineyards in Marlborough and Hawkes Bay. This is an organic, single-vineyard Pinot Noir which, while very light in colour, has bucket loads of flavour! Very classy Pinot.
Perfect with roast lamb or pork, or game, or mushroom dishes. Delicious with most things...
Kekerengu Coast Sauvignon Blanc, Astrolabe, Marlborough, NZ
Simon Waghorn is one of New Zealand's most respected winemakers. He is a real perfectionist and his Sauvignons have amazing purity and depth of flavour. The Kekerengu Coast is my favourite, showing a lovely crunchy, mineral texture alongside the bright, zingy fruit and a really long finish. Classic Marlborough Sauvignon of the highest order.
Holdaway Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc, Blank Canvas
Blank Canvas is the vinous studio of award-winning international winemaking consultant Matt Thomson and Master of Wine Sophie Parker-Thomson. With over 40 years of collective experience in the global wine industry, Matt and Sophie produce small batch fine wines from exceptional single vineyard sites throughout New Zealand under their art-meets-science project, Blank Canvas.All vineyards are certified sustainable and all the growers live on their vineyardsA single vineyard Sauvignon Blanc from the Dillons Point sub-region of Marlborough, showing complexity of texture and mineral drive; intense blackcurrant, guava and passionfruit notes accompany lemongrass, with a touch of salinity on the finish.Becoming known as one of New Zealand's best Sauvignon's, this is definitely a step up from the norm. If you're a bit fed up with Kiwi S/B give this a go and you'll see things differently.
‘Rua’ Pinot Noir, Akarua
The Skeggs family were among the first people to buy and plant vineyard land in Central Otago in the mid 1990s, so were lucky enough to acquire a superb north-facing site in Bannockburn.'Rua' is Akarua's 'entry level' Pinot Noir! Drinking perfectly now, this offers loads of Pinot quality for the price. Ripe and juicy and full of that rich Central Otago Pinot character. Early drinking maybe, and perhaps slightly less structured and complex than their top wine, this is none the less impressive stuff.Delicious with BBQ, lamb chops, pork belly (Chinese spice), or game birds.
Stonecroft, Undressed Syrah
‘Undressed’ refers to the natural nature of this Syrah – no sulphur added. The wine has all the rich, meaty flavours you could ask for in Kiwi Syrah combined with just a touch of the black pepper flavour for which Hawkes Bay is known (many wines have too much of this for my liking but this is just spot on). Balanced and not too heavy with supple tannins, this a lovely food wine – think juicy ribeye steaks on the barbecue…
Trinity Hill Hawkes Bay Syrah
Founded in 1993 by winemaker John Hancock together with Robert and Robyn Wilson, owners of The Bleeding Heart and The Don in London, Trinity Hill has become a byword for quality and consistency. Winemaker Warren Gibson has been with Trinity Hill since 1997. He is also in charge of the 80 hectares of vineyard owned by Trinity Hill and knows Hawkes Bay and the Gimblett Gravels exceptionally well. The wines reflect this. Warren and his team make wines that show the best of what Hawkes Bay and the Gimblett Gravels can produce. The wines have an elegance, balance, drinkability and precision of flavour that makes them a joy to drink.
Noble Riesling 37.5cl, Framingham
Framingham are Riesling specialists and this is a beautiful example in the Beerenauslese style. Light and beautifully fragrant, with rich lime and honey flavours and a long, elegant finish. The purity they get in their wines is astonishing and goes some way to explain why they have been named Winery of the Year for the last two years (The Real Review - New Zealand's top wine publication). This will age spectacularly if you can be bothered to keep it...it's so delicious right now.
Lovely on it's own, or perfect with fruit desserts or rind-washed and blue cheeses.
Te Whare Ra Sauvignon Blanc
Te Whare Ra (TWR), pronounced Te Faré Rha (House of the Sun), is the oldest little winery & vineyard in Marlborough, being first established in 1979 in the sub-region of Renwick. Since 2003 it has been owned and operated by Anna & Jason Flowerday. She’s an Aussie from South Australia and he’s a Kiwi from Marlborough.
Anna and Jason firmly believe that biodiversity is the key to maintaining a good vineyard. They plant between the vines and plough alternate rows. To combat pests, they use natural methods such as buckwheat, and fertilize the vineyard using their own home-made composts and manure. In the cellar they practice a hands-off approach as they seek to express the nature of their individual vineyards and sites. The TWR wines are truly hand-made. Everything is hand-picked, hand-sorted and the attention to detail is meticulous. Anna and Jason are dedicated to making delicious authentic wines that showcase the very best of Marlborough not the mass-produced version.A food-friendly Kiwi Sauvignon - great with grilled fish with olive oil and herbs
Classic Riesling, Framingham
Framingham are widely regarded a the top producer of Riesling in New Zealand. They make several different styles from very dry to very sweet. This ‘Classic’ Riesling is very much inspired by the great wines of the Mosel; a wine with a touch of sweetness but with crisp acidity and juicy citrus flavours perfectly balanced. This is sooo drinkable and refreshing and perfect with Thai food or any salads (especially on a sunny day in the garden…). Organic
Sauvignon Blanc, Framingham
Framingham has been named winery of the year by The Real Review (New Zealand’s top wine publication) for the last two years. They make stunning wines! This Sauvignon is a little bit different to most, with the wine seeing extra skin contact and some ageing in old barrels; this gives the wine a lovely texture and a savoury edge alongside those classic Sauvignon flavours. A very ‘food-friendly’ version of Kiwi Savvy Blanc!
Framingham Pinot Gris
Framingham are without doubt one of the leading wineries in New Zealand, and their wines offer amazing value for the quality.This Pinot Gris is rich gold in colour with mellow aromatics, which are reminiscent of pear, apple, quince, dough and cream, with a touch of wood smoke. On the palate, it has generous flavours of baked apple, quince, cream, nuts and pastry. The intense, complex and rich palate balances acidity with good weight and a silky texture.A versatile food wine that pairs well with spicy food and a good all-rounder with a cheese board (especially good with washed-rind cheeses)
Blank Canvas Gruner Veltliner
A wine of wonderful and pure aromatics, this Grüner Veltliner shows classic notes of mandarin and ripe peach with an underlying trace of white pepper. The oak featuring in this wine is only obvious if you are told about it – it is there to provide richness and weight to the mid-palate, which is why Matt Thomson (owner/winemaker) uses large French oak puncheons to do the job. The result is a well-structured, luscious rendition of an Austrian classic.