Clearview Enigma 2015 $55
I'm not one to tease, but in this case I kind of have to, because if I don't give you a heads-up on how good it is, then when it's released in a couple of months you may miss out and the wine will remain an enigma. With its glossy, inky, crimson-black colour, seductive perfume of dark berries, vanilla and cocoa characters, this beautifully balanced melange of merlot, cabernet franc and malbec is absolutely divine.
Sip with: braised beef cheek bourguignon.
Sacred Hill Riflemans Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2015 $69.95
I've often said that when I die I want this wine piped into my veins instead of embalming fluid. I want to take it with me to the grave, it's that good. The superb growing conditions of 2015 in Hawke's Bay, the third exceptional year in a row, meant this national treasure vineyard could shine. The lift of butterscotch, creme brulee, soft grapefruit and peach layers lead to a perfectly pitched palate of elongated, caramelised, spicy oak, succulent citrus and too many other gorgeous things to mention. Say no more.
Sip with: a steaming plate of seared scallops, tossed with chorizo.
Available at bitewine.co.nz for a limited time.
Te Mata Estate Hawke's Bay Coleraine 2015 $129
The March 1 release of Coleraine, New Zealand's most famous red wine, marked its 35th anniversary. Designed to age not across years, but across generations, it's an assemblage ("assom-blarge", if you're struggling) of cabernet and merlot from Te Mata's oldest vineyards in the Havelock North hills. Left for a minute or seven in the glass, it unfurls layers of complex spices and bouquet-garni notes. Boasting a core of dark boysenberry, cocoa, fruitwood smoke and florals, the tannins are expansive and muscular, yet it boasts a lovely sophisticated silhouette. This wine needs to lay down somewhere cool and dark for at least a decade, and I mean "at least". Drinking this vintage any earlier, is basically committing infanticide.
Sip with: rare eye fillet steak sometime in the 2030s.
Available at bitewine.co.nz for a limited time.