ITEM:
TOTAL:
Raymond "What We're Drinking" Archive
Instinct Hawke’s Bay Cabernet/Merlot/Malbec 2007
I have it on good authority that this wine is the CJ Pask Gimblett Road Cabernet/Merlot/Malbec 2007. Both are made by Kate Radburnd, and the two are priced pretty much identically. However, I detect a difference in taste. Not that one is better than the other, but more the fact they taste a little apart. Taking a step back, the similarity is stronger than any perceived difference though. They both share intense, deep and strong blackcurrant and dark plum flavours, on an excellently structured palate that offers great freshness and liveliness. They’ll both make great drinking with any roasted red meat dish. But the CJ Pask has a nuance of savouriness and a touch of leather. Secondary complexity? The Instinct seems to be darker fruited and a touch more primary. Was it bottled later? I don’t know that, but just for now, I’ll choose the latter – by a whisker.  August 2010

Mt Beautiful Cheviot Hills Pinot Gris 2009
As a first release of a Pinot Gris, this could not be better for Mt Beautiful’s owners David and Leigh Teece, and it is a credit to winemaker Sam Weaver in interpreting the fruit. The wine is full and rich and the nose and palate is laden with rich, ripe pear characters with the essential spiciness to make it more than just "white paint on a white canvas”, the denigrating description of the many soulless versions of this grape variety. At 14.5% alc, it’s very satisfying, and the fruit depth makes the wine seem more than the 5.4 g/L residual sugar – technically dry to taste. The Cheviot Hills is a bit in no-man’s land it seems, between the Awatere in Marlborough and Waipara in North Canterbury. This excellent wine will help people take note of the region and the label. It’s that much of a star.  August 2010

d’Arenberg ‘d’Arry’s Original’ Shiraz/Grenache 2006
This is a bit of a ‘warts and all’ type of wine. It’s got a few ugly things about it, but it’s worth getting past the detail on first impressions. Okay, it’s a bit reductive – that’s sulphide compounds – showing as inky-stinky. But behind it is something warm, solid, gutsy and a decent Aussie, drinking red wine. It’s 50/50 Shiraz and Grenache from the McLaren Vale and given a bit of time in oak to help it meld together. Big black fruit flavours spiced with pepper and with a good backbone behind it all. It’ll handle big meaty dishes now, but I know it’ll keep well for a decade and a half, becoming more at peace with itself on the way, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out quite a classy number at the end of it all. The Osborn family bottled it as a special to commemorate d’Arry’s 80 years in the McLaren Vale. They wouldn’t dare make it a bad one… July 2010

Konrad ‘Sigrun Noble Two’ Riesling/Sauvignon Blanc 2008
Stickies are something special to bring out to share with good friends after a lovely meal…or else something to treat yourself with a small sip of decadence, but only if the wine is a good one with noble botrytis and balance. The Konrad delivers, and without fanfare. Konrad Hengstler isn’t a showy man, but he is proud of his sweet wines and justifiably so. He has a bit of a track record with the style, not intending to make the stuff originally. The 2001 and 2007 wines were out of this world and this 2008 is heading the right way. He’ll be up there with John Forrest and the Villa Maria team in the consistency and quality, but Konrad’s wine is so affordable. Light golden yellow, slight VA lift, but this can be forgiven; lush honey and florals with limey notes, marmalade, all kept from cloying with spot-on acidity. This is great now, but will be greater in a couple of years.  July 2010

Drouhin Montrachet 'Marquis de Laguiche' 2007
I'm not really drinking this at present! But rather, I've just tasted it recently, and would love to have it to drink in 10-15 years time. When Alexander Dumas said Montrachet should be drank with one's head bared and on one's knees, the respect for the wine was not over the top. This is truly magnificent. Too young at present, but the promise is astounding. The wine is restrained and brooding, yet is enormous in power, richness, oak and depth. I know it'll come right and show superbly. I've been lucky to try several vintages of the Marquis de Lagiche Montrachet from Drouhin over the last five years, the 2001, 2000, 1997, 1985 and 1983. Each one was remarkable and totally memorable. I'm going to save my dollars and fork out for it. I hope no-one beats me to it before I accumulate the dosh. Sometimes, you've just got to go for it.  June 2010

Peter Lehmann Barossa Shiraz 2008
It’s easy to not like an Aussie wine right now. They’re doing it all wrong over there and they’ve ruined their image. And we’ve got to be careful we don’t do the same with our Sauvignon Blanc. Make too much, undersell it, devalue the brand and ruin it for all the industry. Thank God for determined, quality oriented producers who do it properly all the time – like Peter Lehmann, everybody’s friend from the Barossa Valley. Though owned by the Hess Corporation, they run the show based on Barossa Valley grower ethics. Good grapes for good, honest wine. That’s what this wine is. From a top vintage, it’s got a dark colour, ripe blackberry, liquorice and peppery fruit laced with sweet and spicy oak, on a plump, easy and super-smooth lush palate. It’s what the Barossa does best, and no-one else can match it. For one of the best Lehmann Barossa Shiraz wines in quite a while, and at just over $20.00 a bottle, it’s unbeatable value. It’s one Aussie that you can’t help like.  June 2010

Mondillo Central Otago Pinot Noir 2008
You can’t go wrong when you think a Champion Wine of the Show is something pretty smart. And that’s the case with the Mondillo Central Otago Pinot Noir 2008, which was the top trophy winner at this year’s Royal Easter Show Wine Awards. It embodies everything that one could want in a Kiwi Pinot Noir, and shows Central Otago to a tee with its dark cherry aromas and flavours and subtle thyme herb notes. Being from the Bendigo region, and made by superstar ‘thinking’ winemaker Rudi Bauer, it will be a keeper, though it’s so lush, juicy and succulent – in the nicest way, of course. Beautifully aromatic, and with good body at 14.5% alc, the oaking, 11 months in 30% new French barrels, is perfectly managed. The award has come at the right time for Domenic and Ally Mondillo, who have been growing for many years. Domenic was the viticulturist at one of Central Otago’s bigger wineries and was made redundant after long service. It is a sign of the times, for sure. But it’s given the Mondillos real confidence and belief in their own worth. Very much as their Pinot Noir does for showing the value of top competition awards.  May 2010

Concha y Toro ‘Casillero del Diablo’ Camenère 2008
Sometimes you hanker for a red wine that’s up-front, honest, gusty and flavoursome, something you can share with a bit of interest, and won’t cost too much. This Chilean red fits the bill perfectly. The Carmenere variety has become the ‘indigenous’ red for Chile, having been transplanted from Bordeaux, where it has practically disappeared. It is unique, making Chile’s choice a good one. Its like a herb-infused Cabernet Sauvignon, with a belt of cassis, and moderated acidity and tannin, and really a big, friendly mouthful that will suit pizzas, pasta, casseroles and any hearty fare. Storytellers can continue the tale that Concha y Toro’s founder, Don Melchor, spread the word that his private cellar had ‘The Devil’ living there, hence the brand name ‘Casillero del Diablo’. For the technically minded, you can quote its 14.0% alc, and make-up of 85% Camenère, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and 5% Syrah from the Rapel Valley, the wine aged 8 months in 70% U.S. oak. Even the wine geeks should love it once they take in the facts and figures. However the best fact and figure is that it’s on special at $15.95!  May 2010

Antinori 'Marchesi' Chianti Classico 'Marchesi' 2005
It's been my privilege to follow this wine label over the last 30 or so years, following its changes and evolution. Of course Antinori have been doing it for much longer, their vinous history going back 26 generations! The 'Marchesi' is the company's flagship Chianti Classico and a Riserva at that. So it's had the best Sangiovese fruit from the start. Since the modern Tuscan era, the white varieties have gone, substituted by 10% Cabernet (along with some other varieties) and is pretty well influenced by barrique. But it's all for the good. It has real depth and ripeness of the bitter cherry fruit, and the international touch just makes it flashier and more shiny. For a tough year, Antinori pulled one out of the hat for this 2005, and a room full of discerning and critical tasters all agreed that this is a beauty that will keep for a decade, while all the time providing a serious accompaniement to any serious red meat dish. I love this wine.  April 2010

Redmetal Merlot/Franc 2008
There are classic styles of wine that do something that no other style can do. And the claret or red Bordeaux wine style has no alternative. At present, the world seems fixated on Pinot Noir and Syrah. And in some ways, quite rightly too, as these varieties offer bright aromatic fruit and can be instantly accessible, while superbly matching modern fusion cuisine. But there’s nothing like Cabernet or Merlot. Wines made from these varieties have a concentration, solidness, density and structure that lends them to drinking with fine, textured red meats that have subtlety, nuance and style. Lamb, beef, venison, can be match no better than Merlot or one of the Cabernets. And these wines when made well can last and last, developing unique cedary complexities. But you don’t need to buy a Stonyridge ‘Larose’, Penfolds ‘Bin 707’ of Chateau Lynch Bages to enjoy this style. You can do it on an everyday basis with Grant and Sue Edmonds’ wee Redmetal Merlot/Franc 2008. It’s 78% Merlot and 22% Cab Franc, aged in barrel for a year, and it delivers ripe plum and dark berry flavours on a supple, but undeniably well-structured palate. It’s not exuberant, but has a degree of restraint and class, missing the tight austerity that necessitates bottle-aging that super-serious claret styles can require. And it goes well with those red meats that can be overwhelmed by sweetly aromatic wines or undermatched by wines without enough grip. As with life, there is a tolerance which should be allowed to be, and here, this little cracker red goes with pastas, pizzas and anything Mediterranean too. At only $14.95 a bottle, you need a case on hand.  April 2010

Astrolabe Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2009
Sort of against the trend, I'm a lover of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.  Critics of the variety say they bore of the flavour after a glass, and that the wine style is simple and acidic.  Maybe I'm a bit simplistic, but the wines are vibrant and nervy.  They make a statement and don't have any 'hidden agenda'.  They're simply refreshing and easy to appreciate.  In the right context, they come into their own.  Seafood - shellfish in particular, citrus dressings, salads and vegetables, creamy sauce poultry and pasta, most Asian and Mediterranean cuisine works well.  Well heck, that's what most of us eat most of the time.  Making my top five Sauvignon list annually is Simon and Jane Waghorn's Astrolabe.  The Marlborough blend is from Awatere and Wairau fruit sources.  And those sources are first class.  The wine has power and great precision and definition of fruit.  Not quite tropical, a touch of gooseberry, red capsicums, minerals, lime juice, all on a zingy palate and with a finish to die for.  There's no reliance on residual sugar for richness either.  This is quality Sauvignon Blanc and hard to pass.  March 2010

Brown Brothers Zibibbo
With the so-called summer now turning into a bit of a glorious autumn, it’s still a good time to have something light, simple, slightly sweeter and a wine that you can share with anyone, anywhere. Not many wines have that sort of versatility, but the low alcohol sparkling numbers made from Muscat do. I just love this sort of no-nonsense wine that you can open up in the morning, sip throughout the day without any side-effects, and give a glass to the younger ones who are a bit jealous of you having fun. It’s only 6.0% alcohol and its 99 g/l residual sugar doesn’t cloy, because the fruity, musky, grape aromas and flavours need the sweetness to enhance them. Chill it down, open it up. You can enjoy it over breakfast, or as a mid afternoon thirst-quencher, alongside fruit and cheese, or as a soft, gentle night-cap. And it’s extremely good value at $17.05! March 2010

Schoffit Alsace Gewurztraminer ‘Cuvee Caroline’ Lieu-Dit ‘Harth’ 2007
I've been a fan of Gewuztraminer from my first wine drinking days.  I was bowled over by the outrageous and easily identifiable flavours.  New Zealand in the 1970s did it well, if you recall Denis Irwin's Matawhero wonders.  But it didn't take me long to cotton on to the genuine article from Alsace.  Schlumberger 'Cuvee Christine' and Leon Beyer's 'Comtes d'Eguisheim' were benchmarks.  Zind-Humbrecht and now Domaine Weinbach figure at the top of the pecking order, but I can't drink these all the time.  They're a little bit expensive!  However, the wines from Schoffit have answered my call for hedonism.  The 'basic' 'Cuvee Caroline - Lieu-dit Harth' is exceptionally smart and delivers way above its price, as well as way above the expected terroir of the flat land just out of Colmar.  The 'Harth' vineyard is special.  The wine is amazingly luscious and decadent, oozing honey and spices with the classic 'creaming soda' character I love.  In reality, it is only slightly sweet, the 14.9% alcohol is integral with the wine and allows it to match all sorts of Asian food that I eat regularly - funny, that! February 2010

CUNE Rioja 'Imperial' Reserva 2001
I've come back to this Spanish wine several times in the last few months. It's something different from the normal fare I taste and drink, and that's one of the reasons it is so appealing. You see another side of the winemaking world with this wine. It's not bright and fruity, nor is it spotlessly clean and super-ripe; and it is not braced with shiny new nutty oak. It's quite the opposite. The red berry Tempranillo fruit is muddled with loads of American oak; it's savoury, spicy and gamey and so cedary it'd be marked down in a wine judging here. But wow, it's got concentration, structure and substance. Great with any kind of meaty food. It gets better in the glass, and looks great over a couple of nights. It's got the legs to go another decade or two. Not surprising really, as 2001 was an outstanding Rioja vintage. I guess I just love all kinds of wines that show some sign of quality. It's easy to forgive oneself for being too focussed on our own wines when you drink something like this.  February 2010

Leeuwin Estate ‘Art Series’ Margaret River Chardonnay 2006
It’s imperative that you try a benchmark wine on a regular basis. Otherwise you find yourself in a rut of predictable wine drinking. While if the wines are decent, there’s no problem, but a superlative wine will wake you up and remind you of the joys of why you like to sip on something special that enhances your life. One such wine is the Leeuwin Estate ‘Art Series’ Chardonnay from Margaret River. It’s in a class of its own and is one of Australia’s and the world’s great wines, along with other Aussie icon Penfolds ‘Grange’. On nosing and tasting the 2006, it is plain as the nose in front of you that this is something else. Masses of concentrated, ripe mealy fruit with tropical and citrus notes, along with powerful, but integrated oak. The complexities unfold, but they are in extraordinary harmony. Such is the quality that it is balance rather than overwhelming power that comes through. It works so well with all sorts of foods- poultry, textural seafood, ham and cured meats, cheeses – and it is majestic to admire on its own; a true ‘meditation’ wine. At just over $100.00 a bottle, it’s a steal, and such a treat. You owe it to yourself!  January 2010

Sileni Estates 'The Lodge' Chardonnay 2007
Grant Edmonds is a master of understatement, in all aspects, and with making Chardonnay, it is very apparent.  His approach to making the restrained, classy style originated in the early 1990s when he was chief winemaker at Villa Maria, where he made some of the most elegant wines under that label at a time when 'big and bold' was the norm.  We all know that those statement wines of yesteryear fell over too quickly, and Grant's way was the way of the future.  The Sileni Estates 'Lodge' is an example of Grant's well-thought out construction.  Tight and restrained on opening (it's screw cap sealed, which Grant sees as a major factor in its beauty), the wine slowly unfolds its complexity from oak fermentation and maturation and lees stirring plus subtle malo conversion.  The purity and cleanliness of fruit is startling, a result of the whole bunch pressing.  If for some strange reason you don't finish the bottle, it is better the next day, and in fact it keeps for several days once opened - a sure sign of its ageworthiness.  The wine is gorgeous with grilled seafood and poultry dishes.  January 2010

Starborough Pinot Gris 2009
Winemaker James Jones has subtlely increased the complexity of this Pinot Gris for 2009. Now a blend of 70% O'Dwyers Road and 30% Awatere fruit, this has added a little more zip and lift to the aromas and flavours. The 2009 is also 0.5 g/l less in residual sugar, but only a 'super-taster' could tell the difference. And there's a touch of barrel-ferment too. However, overall, the wine is improved a little. It's my all-purpose wine, good for those who want a more subtle flavour than Savvy, but not needing food to help it go down as with a big oaky Chardonnay. The 2008 is drinking superbly now, and the 2009 will be just that much better when it has a year in bottle. The new 2009 has already won a gold at the International Aromatics Competition judged earlier this year.  December 2009

Pond Paddock Martinborough Pinot Noir 2008
Jeff Barber and Christine Barnett have consistently made one of Martinborough’s most supple and elegant Pinot Noirs. Jeff keeps the maceration and extraction to a minimum, which allows the more subtle aromatic and floral fruit characters of Pinot Noir to be expressed. The palate and mouthfeel of the Pond Paddock Pinot Noirs is always supple and gentle – ‘refined’ is probably the best word to describe it. The new 2008 Pond Paddock Pinot Noir captures that elusive ethereal nature so difficult to find in true Pinot expression. While delicate and nuanced, it is true Martinborough in style, with its ripe, savoury and mushroom notes and proper backbone. Te Muna Road has certainly come to the fore as of late, and this 2008 Pond Paddock with its gold medal award at this years Air N.Z. Wine Awards competition just adds to the credibility of the area as one capable of great things. I can see it as ideal with just-seared tuna.  December 2009

Terrace Edge Waipara Riesling 2008
Riesling is a proven performer in the Waipara Valley in North Canterbury.  There is a subtle exotic floral lift which many see as jasmine, to the classical lime varietal character.  When made with a touch of botrytis-affected fruit, the result can be stunning.  The Chapman family have supplied grapes to some of the big names in the past, but have decided to have a label of their own.  This beauty was made by Belinda Gould, winemaker at the Muddy Water winery.  She's a fan of wild yeasts which impart a delicate smokey note, and along with the honied elements from the 5% botrytis, this is a complex wine that seduces you to drinking it.  Medium at 18 g/l residual sugar and carries 13.1% alc.  It sits comfortably along the likes of its famous neighbour from Pegasus Bay, and adds credibility to the region's success with Riesling. November 2009

Spade Oak Gisborne Viognier 2007
Viognier is one of the world's most intriguing white wine varieties. It truly is exotic in character, with its musky apricot and orange zest aromas and flavours, and also for its relative rarity. There's not much planted anywhere despite the growing media buzz about this 'Rhone Ranger' grape. in New Zealand, it hardly figures in the official statistics, because its that scarce. However, the successful versions come from the regions that have sufficient heat to fully ripen it. Gisborne and Hawke's Bay have done well. I'm very impressed with Eileen and Steve Voysey's 2007 Spade Oak Gisborne Viognier. The Voysey's have grown grapes for more than 15 years and Steve's been making wine for around 25 years, so they know what they're doing. The Spade Oak achieves in capturing great texture, the hallmark of top Viognier. That's what makes them great food wines. i haven't come across many with this much mouthfeel. And as with the best Viogniers, it blossoms in the glass.  If you don't finish the bottle, it's better the next day. - November 2009
Staff Recommendations

DUNCAN

'Just like a chocolate milkshake only silky', with the addition of vanilla pods and chocolate this years brew of Craftsman is a must try.

CHRIS

A bottle of 'San Zio', from the Cantine Leonardo da Vinci co-operative, was enjoyed with Risotto one recent chilly evening.
Breaking News
08-Sep-2010 - Congrats Kathleen Moffit & David Hunt who won the 2 bottles of Astrolabe wine and the book by purchasing wine at Saturday's instore tasting
07-Sep-2010 - The new 2009 #Mondillo Pinot Noir is in. It may be better than the Champion Trophy winning 2008 Click Here
05-Sep-2010 - Quake Fails To Dampen Christchurch Brewing Success ...Click Here
03-Sep-2010 - This Saturday we have free tasting of Astrolabe wines at Regional from 11-4. Go on. Click Here
View More...
Sign-up   below to be the first in the know on everything from tastings to specials...
Tuatara American Pale Ale Release
Friday September 10th, 4.30pm to 7.00pm, in-store at Regional Wines, The Basin Reserve, NO CHARGE

Clos Henri
Saturday September 11th, 11.00 am to 4.00 pm, in-store at Regional Wines, The Basin Reserve, NO

Pegasus Bay
Saturday September 18th, 11.00 am to 4.00 pm, in-store at Regional Wines, The Basin Reserve, NO CHARGE

Isabel
Saturday September 25th, 11.00 am to 4.00 pm, in-store at Regional Wines, The Basin Reserve, NO CHARGE.

Contact & Enquiries
Main Line: - 04 3856952

Orders Line: 04 3849735

Fax Line: 04 3828488

Hours: Mon – Sat 9am –10pm
Sunday & Public Holidays
11am - 7.30pm
Need Help?
Try our FAQ Section

If you can't find what you are after, give us a call or pop into the store!
People! Who we are
We're a talented mix of people who love what we do, and we've been doing it for over 20 years! Click here to find out more
Copyright © 2010 Regional Wines Limited
Website by: Slice Of HAM   Design by: Plastic Studio