June 3rd
Valli Old Vine Central Otago Riesling 2011 RRP $28
Made from 30 year-old vines grown at Alexandra, this is a cracker. Full of fresh limes and citrus zest on the nose, it broadens out on the palate with a lovely lime marmalade effect. Almost dry with deep fruit flavours and enough acid to preserve it for several years as it unfolds into a thing of rare beauty. One for the riesling lovers and well worth checking out for riesling dabblers, too.
June 10th
Tironui Malbec Merlot Cabernet 2008 RRP $29.90
From a relatively new vineyard in Hawke's Bay overlooking the Mission, this is a nice reminder of how great Hawke's Bay reds are. Soft and supple on the nose with lovely plum and berryfruit notes, the flavours are more pronounced on the palate, with ripe black- berry, plum and even a touch of black cherry, all backed up by a nice seasoning of oak. Long and lovely on the finish, well-made and well-priced wine.
June 17th
Morton Estate Coniglio 2010 RRP $89.95
Okay, this isn't cheap, but with production limited to the low thousands, that's unsurprising. However, what the Coniglio ("rabbit" in Italian) offers is longevity, with a good six years of life left in this utterly beautiful wine. Think of falling into hazelnut and lemon-infused cream and you're halfway there. On the palate it goes on forever, with lovely hints of orange, apricot, peach and nuttiness rolled into a ball of fruit on your tongue. Exquisite wine.
June 24th
Haha 2011 Sauvignon Blanc RRP $15.99
I've mentioned before that I'm sick of paint-by-numbers savvy, so it's good to see some new ones with real oomph. This Marlborough wine (from Hawkes Bay) has a lifted nose, is full of passionfruit and gooseberry, but minus the sweaty armpit effect. On the palate it's the texture that does it for me, with a vibrant lime acidity giving it a real impact. This is lovely stuff that won't break the bank.