Clearview Enigma 2015
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
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
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.
Yvonne Lorkin is co-founder and chief tasting officer of winefriend.co.nz and a Wine Writers of NZ member.
