How the other half drinks

by Matt Walls
Is there a quicker way to get to know someone than by flicking through their music collection or browsing their bookshelves? Both feel like a little glimpse into their soul....
91

2013 Esk Valley Winemakers Reserve Syrah, Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay

( £15, 14% )

Winemaker Gordon Russell is better known for his skills with Bordeaux than Rhône varieties, but he’s very bit as adept at both. This is a classic Kiwi Syrah, combining intensity with freshness, perfume with fruit weight. Pepper spicy, firm and focused, it’s more Cornas than Crozes-Hermitage in style, with the structure to age. 

BuyDrinking window: 2016-20Similar Wines: £10-£20, 91-95, New Zealand, Red, Syrah/Shiraz
91

2013 Trinity Hill The Gimblett, Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay

( £17, 13.5% )

An impressive, four-way blend of mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, assisted by Merlot, Cabernet Franc and a dash of Petit Verdot, that nods towards the Médoc as much as its native New World. Floral, refined and well balanced with stylish, savoury oak, a solid backbone of tannin and a tangy, refreshing finish. A wien that slides over the tongue. 

BuyDrinking window: 2017-21Similar Wines: £10-£20, 91-95, New Zealand, Red, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon
90

2013 Newton Forrest Estate Cornerstone, Gimblett Gravels, Hawkes Bay

( N/A, 13.5% )

Inky, youthful and richly oaked, this is an impressive Gimblett Gravels blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Malbec that needs a year or two to marry in bottle. Spicy, vanilla-scented notes are complemented by flavours of graphite, dark plums and cassis with bright, underlying freshness. 

Drinking window: 2018-20Similar Wines: £10-£20, 86-90, New Zealand, Red, Cabernet Sauvignon

On wine and wondering

Even though I spend a lot of time wandering in and wondering about nature, I confess I felt foolish being dropped in a vineyard in Marlborough, New Zealand, so I...

Marlborough: The Fear of France?

by Matt Walls
If you like Sauvignon Blanc, you’ll love Marlborough in New Zealand. Of its 22,903 hectares of vineyards, 19,639 of them are planted with it. Undoubtedly this feels like an awful...
95

2010 Seresin Sun & Moon Pinot Noir, Marlborough

( £52.99, 14%, Armit Wines )

Sun & Moon is the top Pinot from Seresin (made in this instance from the Raupo Creek vineyard) with a price tag to match. It is consistently among the best New Zealand reds and that’s the case here with this outstanding 2010, which is maturing with grace and elegance. Concentrated, savoury, yet also refreshing this combines structure with succulence, sustained by acidity and not afraid of tannin. A wine that will age for another ten years. 

BuyDrinking window: 2015-20Similar Wines: £50-£100, 91-95, New Zealand, Red, Pinot Noir

Braver New World

by Matt Walls
“Sorry I’m late sir. Ignore the bandage, I had an unexpected visit to the hospital to get my ear seen to. Anyway – I understand you’d like me to paint...
92

2011 Seresin, Leah Pinot Noir, Marlborough

( £20.99, 14%, Armit Wines )

Leah is a blend of the three Seresin estate vineyards (Home, Tatou and Raupo Creek) and is often the most forward of the Pinots from this outstanding Marlborough producer. 2011 was a tricky vintage for Pinot in New Zealand, but this top-notch biodynamic producer has excelled. This is concentrated, spicy and textured with notes of white pepper and red fruits, plenty of concentration, well integrated oak and a complex, earthy finish. 

BuyDrinking window: 2015-20Similar Wines: £20-£30, 91-95, New Zealand, Red, Pinot Noir
93

2011 Pegasus Bay, Bel Canto Dry Riesling, Waipara Valley

( £13-£17, 14%, New Generation Wines )

An evocative name for a delicious wine. This full-bodied “dry” Riesling from the Waipara Valley is actually off-dry, but it’s none the worse for that. This is exotic and rich, with old vine complexity and flavours of lime, peach and nectarine. It’s especially good with spicy food, but is also delicious as an aperitif. 

BuyDrinking window: 2015-18Similar Wines: £10-£20, 91-95, New Zealand, White, Riesling
92

2012 Pegasus Bay, Sauvignon Blanc Semillon, Waipara Valley

( £15, 14.5%, New Generation Wines )

There aren’t many producers around the world who can make Bordeaux blends to rival the stuff that’s made in Pessac-Léognan, but Pegasus Bay is one of them. This delicately oaked, full-bodied cuvée is rich and sumptuous, with waxy, herbal flavours, a hint of vanilla and a tangy, refeshing finish. On past form, this should age well too. 

BuyDrinking window: 2015-18Similar Wines: £10-£20, 91-95, New Zealand, White, Sauvignon Blanc, Semillon