April 7th
Villa Maria Cellar Selection Grenache 2010 RRP $31.99
Grenache isn't a big variety here, but this wine shows why it could be. It has some malbec and syrah added to it for balance and it's a gorgeous wine, with lovely black cherry and violet aromas and even a hint of liquorice on the nose. The flavours are predominantly blackberry, with echoes of cherry and peppery oak. This is a beautifully integrated and immediately appealing as a food wine or simply to enjoy by the glass.
April 14th
Te Awa Chardonnay 2010 RRP $29.99
The words elegant and classy tend to crop up a lot with Te Awa wines, right back to their first commercial vintage in 1994, and this is no exception. Toasty, rich and sophisticated, this positively resounds with big vanilla and toast aromas, before broadening out on the palate to include lovely touches of tropical fruit, pear and hazelnuts. Typically generous Hawke's Bay chardonnay, but with an extra helping of wow-factor.
April 21st
Brancott Estate B Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc 2011 RRP $35.99
It's not just riesling that makes great dessert wines, sauvignon blanc can produce some spectacular examples, too. This little beauty is as seductive as a well-trained courtesan, but with much better manners. It is luscious and ripe, packed with almost creamy tropical fruit notes, overlaid with a lovely honeyed smoothness. It's a gorgeous, exhilarating wine and, while it's not cheap, it's well worth it.
April 28th
Brookfields Back Block Syrah 2012 RRP $19.99
This is one of the best- value syrahs around and, even at this young age, the 2012 is a fantastic example of bang-for-your-buck. Dark and brooding in the glass, it has a seductive nose of violets and blackberry and plum with a touch of pepper. That pepper emerges more on the palate, giving a lovely savoury touch to the luscious plum flavours.
