Look out for the Taste Top Wine Award stickers on these bottles at supermarkets and selected liquor retailers.
White wines
Margrain 2017 Chenin Blanc, Martinborough $38
Fresh, tangy chenin blanc with green apple and citrus/lime flavours. Moderate sweetness is balanced by precise acidity.
Greenhough 2015 Hope Vineyard Pinot Blanc, Nelson $46
Weighty, textural wine in a bone-dry style with green apple, mineral/oyster shell and lime/citrus flavours. Pure and quite concentrated wine.
Jules Taylor 2016 Gruner Veltliner, Marlborough $21.90
Fermented in French oak barrels to build texture and complexity. Unusually rich and rather mellow with citrus and green tea flavours. Appealing wine with a character of its own.
Lime Rock 2017 Gruner Veltliner, Central Hawke’s Bay $28
Tight, taut gruner veltliner with attractive mineral, tea and spice flavours. Dry but not excessively austere. Could become fairly interesting with bottle age.
Stanley Estates 2016 Awatere Valley Albarino, Marlborough $22.99
Delicately scented albarino with citrus/orange peel and honeysuckle/floral flavours. Fresh and tangy wine with bright acidity and a crisp dry finish.
Red wines
De la Terre 2015 Grand Reserve Tannat, Hawke’s Bay $65
Aromatic wine with liquorice on the nose while the dense palate reveals Christmas cake, blue/black fruits with black currant and an ink-like character.
De la Terre 2015 Montepulciano, Hawke’s Bay $45
A dense and slightly rustic montepulciano with a mix of dark fruits, liquorice, spice and oak flavours. Sweet fruit is nicely balanced by fine tannins to give a pleasantly drying finish.
Te Mata 2016 Estate Gamay Noir, Hawke’s Bay $32
Light, bright and fresh red with cherry and raspberry flavours together with a suggestion of fresh herbs. Offers freshness and easy drinking.
Obsidian 2016 Estate Montepulciano, Waiheke $39.50
Quite a rich and savoury montepulciano with floral, pepper, liquorice, dark berry and spicy oak flavours. Moderately complex and pleasingly rustic red that’s best enjoyed with food.
Decibel 2016 Gimblett Gravels Malbec, Hawke’s Bay $32
Bright, fresh and peppery/spicy red with crisp acidity giving it plenty of energy.
