Waipara West N Block Chardonnay 2018
A stripped-back Chardonnay style that showcases the fruit from our site while still being rich in subtle complexities. We achieve this using large, berried Chardonnay clones, whole bunch pressing, minimal use of old oak barrels, extended time on yeast lees and no malolactic fermentation.
Three qualities define this wine - above all else, the first being the fruit aroma/flavour, which we want to be subtle and pure. Acid structure is the second propping up the wine and giving it a salt crunch. Yeast derived aroma/flavours and mouthfeel provide balance.
Color: Pale golden kiwifruit in colour with hues of green and silver.
Aroma: On the nose, this wine is truly multi-layered however, all of them are understated. Fresh pineapple and sea salted cracker at first, perfumed white flower and white tea in the centre, all sitting on a base of malt toffee. These aromas combine and evolve into a vast number of flavours in the mouth.
Palate: Ripe peach and lemon meringue define the taste, due to a combination of full-bodied mouthfeel, cleansing acidity and a bite on the finish. A rich complex wine.
Food Pairing: Pork. Rich Fish (salmon, tuna, etc...), Vegetarian, Poultry
Residual Sugar: 0.52 g/L
pH: 3.51
Acidity: 6.75 g/L
Akarua Pinot Noir 2022
WINEMAKING
Carefully hand harvested grapes were batch fermented. Mostly destemmed with two batches with a small portion of whole cluster component. Fermented on skins for around three weeks. The resulting wine was gently pressed to French oak barrels for maturation.
AGEING
In French barrels, including 20% new barrels, medium-plus toast, from the Alliers and the Vosges forests.
AGEING DURATION
9 months
Vilmart & Cie Grand Cellier d’Or 2019
Its deep gold colour is defined by a fine and magnificent effervescence. These pearls create a white cordon on the surface.
The powerful bouquet reveals aromas of coco powder and exotic wood. Shortly after, this cuvée reveals all of its character with vine peaches, pear, rhubarb and frangipane.
A remarkable attack with the right balance of freshness and richness. A touch of acidity is enhancing notes of butter and dried fruit. The aromatic persistence is underlined by a tangy finish.
Wine and food pairing
Too complex food pairing should be avoided to keep the wine balance. It texture and mature aromatic profile, will lead the wine to seek products preferably like caviar or with dishes with firm texture (lobster, white meats) and reduced sauces.
Louis M. Martini Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Our 2018 Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is a layered wine with notes of black cherry, blackberry and plum are complemented by hits of toasted oak, dried currant and baking spice. Fine grained tannins and ample brightness on the palate give way to a polished mouthfeel and exceptionally long finish.
Upon arrival at the winery, the grapes were carefully destemmed and transferred to upright tanks for a two-day cold soak. To build its round, elegant mouthfeel, the wine saw 15 to 20 days of maceration time and was pumped over two to three times daily. Each lot was aged and meticulously evaluated separately, with the final blend taking place in May 2019. In total, the wine aged for 16 months in a combination of French and American oak barrels (40% new).
Varietal: 100% Cabernet Sauvignon
"A slightly high-toned red with walnut, berry, chocolate and spice on the nose and palate. Medium-to full-bodied with chewy tannins and a rich finish. A little firmer and tighter than in the past, which equates to a more serious red. A touch of petit sirah in this. Drink or hold." - 93 points, James Suckling
Gonzalez Byass Tio Pepe Fino Sherry
A crisp and dry fino sherry from Gonzalez Byass. This is made using Palomino grapes and the wine is aged for around 5 years. Best served chilled.
Serve ice cold in a small wine glass to accompany all kinds of food, particularly nuts, olives, cured ham and sushi. Or serve as they do on hot days in Jerez, over ice or even 'Rebujito'; a generous splash of Tio Pepe served in a tall ice-filled glass topped with 7-Up.
"This is the prototypical fino sherry with all the salty and yeasty character you expect. Also dried-apple, pear and lemon-zest character. Generous, but very dry and salty on the palate with a refreshing touch of austerity. Where are the olives? Drink now, if possible from a freshly opened bottle." - 90 points, James Suckling
Handpicked Regional Selection Sauvignon Blanc 2019
Tasting Notes
- A mouth-watering combination of juicy fruits, passionfruit, bright acidity and herbal lift. Pure Marlborough.
Season
- It was a warm and dry season in Marlborough with low yields as a result of unsettled weather around flowering in spring coupled with very dry weather after Christmas. There are advantages to such a season – low disease pressure and excellent fruit intensity among them.
Winemaking
Region
- This wine is made to preserve and highlight its fresh fruit flavours and refreshing acidity. The fruit is pressed to a temperature-controlled stainless-steel tank and the juice is vinified at low temperatures over a long fermentation. It is bottled within months of harvest and is best enjoyed when youthful and fresh.
- This wine is from select vineyards in Marlborough, where warm daytime temperatures, high sunshine hours, low rainfall and cool nights encourage the development of the intense aromas and flavours that are the hallmark of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The wine region is centred on two river valleys in the north east of New Zealand’s South Island – the Wairau River and the Awatere River valleys. Soils are alluvial and free draining silty shingles intermingled with stones and rocks. Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc is an internationally recognised wine style and accounts for about two thirds of the total vineyard in New Zealand, more than 70% of the country’s wine production and about 85% of its wine exports.
- Green salads, Asian-style salads, and slaws, goats' cheese, fried calamari seasoned with pepper or chilli.
- Crisp & Refreshing
Cockburn’s 20 Years Old Tawny
Twenty Year Old tawnies are made from wines of the very highest quality, blended and subsequently aged in oak cask for an average of twenty years, until they strike the correct balance between the delicacy and elegance that come from prolonged cask-ageing, and the rich fruit character that lends these old tawnies their structure, freshness and longevity. Cockburn’s 20 Year Old Tawny is pale, complex and delicate with hints of cedar and crystallised fruits. Perfect served lightly chilled to enjoy with good friends.
Cockburn’s 20 Year Old Tawny has a lovely bright amber tawny colour. On the nose with an amazingly delicate and complex bouquet of fruitcake, honey and nuts combined with notes of orange peel. On the palate smooth and polished, wonderfully balanced, with rich and warm nutty flavours leading to a long and lingering finish.
Cockburn’s 20 Year Old pairs extremely well with nuts, dried fruits and fruitcake, but is also
delicious with vanilla ice cream or crème brûlée. Serve lightly chilled to enjoy at its finest.
Handpicked Capella Vineyard Pinot Noir 2018
Mornington Peninsula, Australia
The Mornington Peninsula is famous for its Pinot Noir wines and this is a fine example of a great vintage: deep colour, spicy berry aromas, a silky-smooth palate and fine tannin to finish.
Elegant & Refined
Food Pairing: Peking Duck, Roasted Quail, Mushroom Risotto
"A boldly spicy pinot that has ripe red cherries and a layer of charcuterie, as well as sappy, first-wood aromas. The palate has boldly spicy, red and dark-berry flavors with assertive tannin grain. Drink or hold. Screw cap." - 92 points, James Suckling
Orin Swift Blank Stare 2019
A glowing pale straw with a striking touch of chartreuse sits in the glass. Aromatically, the wine pops with lime zest, gooseberries, ripe passionfruit, fresh cut grass and lemon bars. On the entry, the acidity acts like a belt, constraining the voluptuousness; similar taste profiles to the nose plus crispy green apples and the faintest hint of fresh sage abound. The finish is reminiscent of ripe kiwi and limoncello, teetering on a beam of lingering acidity.
Varietal: Sauvignon Blanc
"Expressive and fragrant, with honeysuckle, candied ginger, tangerine and lemon curd flavors on a full, fleshy frame. A fresh thread of acidity keeps the flavors bright and focused, with accents of matcha green tea, dried white flowers and spice lingering on the finish. Drink now. 3,000 cases made." - 92 points, MaryAnn Worobiec, Senior Editor and Napa Bureau Chief at Wine Spectator
*Receive a complimentary pack of drop stoppers with any order of Orin Swift wines above $200. While stocks last.