2014 Tiki Estate Marlborough Pinot Gris
The 2014 season marks the fifth vintage for Tiki wine and vineyards. Winemaker Evan Ward was delighted with the 2014 harvest, which benefited from ideal weather conditions. The fruit is from the upper Wairau Valley and, according to Ward, "was packed with flavour". This pinot gris certainly is a stand-out, with flavours of apple, pear and quince with a nice acid and sugar balance. A medium-bodied wine and perfect drinking now.
Price: $20
2014 Tohu SingleVineyard Marlborough Pinot Rosé
The first vintage of this wine and a most impressive debut. Early-picked pinot noir grapes from Tohu's Waihopai Valley vineyard, in Marlborough's southern valleys sub-region. It is characterised by stony gravels and interspersed with high levels of clays - it's an area highly suited for growing pinot noir vines for both red and rosé wines. The wine has a ripe red berry sweetness, fresh, pure and tending dry with that summer sensation of strawberries and cream.
Price: $22
Available at heraldwine.co.nz for a limited time.
2013 Matua Hawkes Bay Merlot/Malbec
The perfect red wine for alfresco/barbecue dining. A blend of grapes you don't see too often, which is a shame because when it comes together it is a showstopper. And this is one of those times. It's a left hook-cum-uppercut wine that combines a powerful knockout, yet manages to smile sweetly as your jaw drops at the mix of flavours. And the flavours are black red fruits, cocoa bean, vanilla and mulberry. Steak, chops and sausages are a sublime match.
Price: $60
Available at heraldwine.co.nz for a limited time.
