Grapefruit pith, peach and struck match all show up on the nose and provide perfect alignment with the butterscotch and …
→ moreElegant, ripe white-peach stonefruit and lime notes balanced fantastically against the nuances of oak spice. Smart oak handling by the …
→ moreA knife edge on the sulphide characters – are they funky or flinty? Who can say? It comes down to …
→ moreBright and light in the glass this is an elegant chardonnay with some very smart oak and intriguing secondary notes …
→ moreQuite a bit of struck match up front on the nose, but leads onto a palate rich in flavours of …
→ moreA masterful example of the winemaker harnessing and exemplifying cooler-climate fruit. Nectarine stone and flesh, citrus with lemon curd and …
→ moreBeautiful brioche with toasty spice provides a smart level of complexity around the ripe stonefruit aromas and flavours. An elegant …
→ moreRipe-fruit flavours of peach, nectarine and fig combine into a fantastic compote of aromas and flavours on the nose and …
→ moreAra is Ma?ori for pathway and the name seeks to capture the journey from the vineyard to the glass. In …
→ moreCONSIDERING THE international popularity of prosecco is a relatively new phenomenon it can be easy to forget that it has …
→ moreVery different in style from its Hawke’s Bay cousin of the same vintage, this wine’s cooler origins come through in …
→ moreGrown at various sites, mostly in the Wairau Valley, this presents quite a different style to its Hawke’s Bay cousin …
→ moreBony structure with a touch of white pepper in an understated style shows exemplary restraint. Dry and moderately rich on …
→ moreThis engaging wine has so much going for it. After an appealing floral overture, apple and lime notes join the …
→ moreThere are few (if any) better riesling buys in the country than the Villa Maria Cellar Selection. This version is a …
→ morePerennially a label that punches well above its asking price, this Cellar Selection release is looking very smart. Tangy green …
→ moreVilla’s Cellar Selection range once again shows the way when it comes to great value. This is a superb wine …
→ moreThis winery’s move towards organic farming practices continues apace. Fresh dill and coriander scents give way to a settled, textural …
→ moreVery lovable and drinkable, this is a juicy, fresh expression. Lifted ginger and ripe nashi pear flavours are underscored by …
→ moreVilla Maria’s budget credentials get yet another fillip from this young merlot/cabernet blend. It’s an aromatic, fresh drop, with blueberry, …
→ moreGlossy in the glass with a dark core and attractive purple rim. Juicy red and black fruits abound on the …
→ moreVilla’s increased commitment to organics is to be applauded, and wines like this also indicate a payoff in terms of …
→ moreThere’s plenty of flavour to be had here – layers of pear, apple, spice and savoury complexity, presented in a medium-dry …
→ moreDelightful tropical mango, juicy melon and ripe pear with a touch of spice teem through the nose followed by a …
→ moreVilla Maria is shining bright with both the best and the second best pinot gris this year. Their record as …
→ moreThis one is firmly in the green, herbal camp. Earthy, tomato vine scents set the tone. In the mouth lime …
→ moreA wine with powerful aromas of tropical fruits and soft green herbs. A long and flowing palate provides enough complexity …
→ morePungent forest green, pea and mint on the nose with fleshy flavour and length. Balancing box hedge and green stalkiness with concentration and …
→ moreAn inky, young syrah to serve with a hearty daube of lamb. Complex floral, blueberry, boysenberry, anise and vanillin aromas …
→ moreThe nose here is very ripe but without being overdone. Aromas of ripe Asian pear, apricots, apples and spice gives …
→ moreA stunning wine that could very easily be compared to the top wine as a sassy little syrah sister. Where …
→ moreGrapefruit pith, peach and struck match all show up on the nose and provide perfect alignment with the butterscotch and …
→ moreYou don’t get much better value than this. It’s full, rich, ripe with attractive flintiness and great balance. There’s a …
→ moreYet another excellent-value buy from the Villa Maria stable. This wine mixes stone-fruit flavours with an overt Rose’s lime juice …
→ moreThis is fantastic value. Get ready for love at first sniff – the nose is delightfully out there and floral. …
→ moreAn energetic style with fresh basil and tangerine aromas. The palate shows peach and ripe bartlett pear notes with sufficient …
→ moreThis low-alcohol version (10%) is made predominantly from pinot noir. Pale pink in the glass, it offers a riot of …
→ moreModelled after the Italian ‘frizzante’ wines, which are only slightly effervescent, this is also a low-alcohol expression. It is light …
→ moreReach for this wine if you are ever in doubt over which riesling to buy – it will never let …
→ moreThe excellent-value Villa Private Bin comes up trumps yet again. Wonderfulfruit flavours – citrus verging on stonefruit – are writ …
→ moreJust how “private” is Villa Maria’s Private Bin? It’s seen everywhere – but in quality terms it’s the equal of …
→ moreThis attractive style proudly declares its Awatere Valley origins with scents akin to flint, lime and nettle. Once in the …
→ moreThe primary nose is ripe and plump alongside expressive florals which add perfume. The well-weighted palate is fresh and bright …
→ moreGrown on a sloping site at Kina, in Nelson’s Upper Moutere, this wine has lovely delicacy and tension. It is …
→ moreThis is a fresh and lively expression. After a juicy, sweetish entry, a wave of crunchy acidity takes over. Appley, …
→ moreAromatically lively (passionfruit notes tempered with a little flintiness), this Nelson wine is totally seductive. Green herbal and yellow Mirabelle …
→ moreA complex aromatic profile with rich dark fruits, herbs, spicy clove and toasty oak combined on the deep and concentrated …
→ moreOn the nose, apple and peach aromas sit alongside citrus and spice. These characters segue through to the palate which, …
→ more“A subtle, elegant palate,” noted Ben Glover. This expression is a quiet achiever with no extroverted aromatics. It builds interest …
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