Novelist and Hawera luminary Ronald Hugh Morrieson was a big wrestling fan. His idol was Lofty Blomfield, a lion of the ring whose sickest move was the Octopus Clamp. He and his mates used to drink a brew from the Hawera Brewery called “O.C.” which Ron promptly dubbed Octopus Clamp. We’re going the rest of the way and making it for real as a chocolatey Schwarzbier with stone fruit and caramel flavours.

5.2%ABV

Certified organic 100% Cabernet Franc picked from 35+ year old vines at the bottom section of the Butte hillside at the northern sector of Bourgueil – the best part of Bourgeuil. Fab southerly exposure with clay and silex soil over limestone.

De-stemmed and fermented with Indigenous yeast and then aged in a mix of cement and older barrels before being bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Luscious, deep-fruit aromas of red cherries and raspberries rise from the glass. The palate is crisply layered and mouth filling with fine tannins. Ripe red fruit obtains complexity from hints of spicy characters, tea leaf and earth. The texture has sophistication and elegance, being sumptuous and refreshing at the same time.

The Cuvée Royale Brut is a superbly intense champagne with depth of flavour and complex tastes of white peach, floral notes of white flowers giving way to the fruity ones and dialled up yeasty freshness, derived from 36 months aging with 20% reserve wines in the blend. The cepage is 35% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Meunier and grapes come from over 20 different top ranking vineyards, including at Cumières, Damery, Hautvillers and Verneuil.

What the critics say

“Vanilla shortbread seems seductive on the nose. Slender but fine palate majors on the lemon, spice, and hints of honey in a soothing and gentle fashion. Lovely aperitif. Drinking Window 2020 to 2025.” 

Decanter - 90 Points

Fruit aromas of blackcurrant, dark cherries and plums unfold from the glass, combined with hints of dried herbs. The palate is very complex and enticing with a beautiful, smooth texture and a firm structure. Flavours of very ripe fruit, minerals, subtle leafiness and rosewood. The supporting role of the oak intensifies underlying dark chocolate and toasty characters.

Koakoa - This Limoncello is koakoas signature offering.  We select the best quality New Zealand fruit and handcraft a liqueur which is described as bright, zesty citrus with a hint of sherbet lemons and bonbons.  It has a soft, creamy lemon start with a flash of citrus blossom and lemon meringue pie.

Cantine Pellegrino has been a family operation since 1880, producing Marsala and a few select other specialty styles of the region. Amber in color with toffee, nutty aromas. On the palate this wine is rich and smooth with intense dry fruit flavors. This marsala is dry by DOC standards, but retains a small amount of residual sugar from the fermentation process prior to fortification with eau du vie. Aged for at least 2 years in French oak barrels. 

This is a semi-dry, complex dessert wine. The palate offers notes of orange peel, quince and raisin. 

If you're looking for next level Sauvignon Blanc, here it is.

Framingham is one of Marlborough's oldest, most established wineries and this Sauvignon Blanc is a classic from the region's (and this country's) most popular and widely planted grape variety. Five per cent of this wine was fermented on skins to add texture and weight. This provides delicious balance and texture to Sauvignon Blanc's innate refreshing and zesty acidity. 

The great white Greek grape Assyrtiko is having a new lease of life around the world, thanks to interest from winemakers as far flung as Australia (Peter Barry is one of its biggest fans) and drinkers on both sides of The Atlantic. It's original home is the stunning Greek island of Santorini where, despite the hot climate, it has adapted to retain relatively high acidity, which gives its fresh taste when youthful and preserves it as a great wine to age too. If you're looking for the ideal white to drink with seafood, here it is. Also a great aperitif white.

The Tempranillo (78%) comes from 30-year-old vines in our Cuesta (Cenicero) and Montecillo (Fuenmayor) vineyards. The Garnacha (22%) comes from La Pedriza vineyard in Tudelilla (Rioja Oriental). This 70 hectare property offers unbeatable conditions for growing this variety. Its nutrient-poor soil, covered with boulders, results in great varietal typicity, rich in aromas, with a pleasant, elegant structure. We started picking these plots in mid-October. 

The grapes were harvested manually and transported to the winery in refrigerated vehicles. Alcoholic fermentation took place spontaneously. Malolactic fermentation concluded at the end of the year. In March 2013, the selected wines were put in barrels to start ageing separately: the Tempranillo for 36 months with six manual rackings, in American oak barrels averaging 4 years in age and the Garnacha for 30 months with five manual rackings, in barrels with two and three wines. The final blend was bottled in March 2016.

Outstandingly bright, lively and intense garnet red, with an incipient cherry red rim. The first nose is very intense, with spicy, balsamic and ripe fruit notes. After swirling, aromas of black pepper, sweet liquorice, nutmeg, coffee, vanilla and cinnamon make their appearance. Mouth full of flavours, with a pleasant acidity and balance, and very polished tannins that enhance the harmonious structure. Complex and elegant aftertaste with spicy and balsamic hints. 

To enjoy right now, but with a long life ahead.

If Cotes du Rhone reds haven't made their way onto your wine drinking radar yet, then now's the perfect time because many of the 2016 wines are still available on the market and it's a vintage that rocks. This wine is made by the Sabon family, who have carved a name for themselves as high quality producers of great Châteauneuf-du-Pape. This red is made from the hills of the surrounding southern Rhone Valley from a blend of 80% Grenache, 10% Mourvèdre and 10% Syrah.
This crowd pleaser drinks beautifully now but undoubtedly has eight to nine years of aging and evolution up its vinous sleeve.

GRAPE VARIETIES:
– Cabernet Sauvignon 84%,
– Pinot Noir 5%,
– Merlot 2%,
– Petit Verdot 2%,
– Tannat 2%,
– Cabernet Franc 2%,
– Rare varieties 3 %: Nielluccio, Montepulciano (Italy), Saperavi (Georgia), Carménère (France), Templo (Emphasis) (France).

Name:
IGP St Guilhem-le-Désert - City of Aniane
HARVEST:
100% Manual
HARVEST DATES:
16 – 24 September 2021 (6 days)
Vinification:
Slow extraction, delicate pump-over and soft infusion vinification, long fermentation and maceration, no filtration

TYPE OF SOIL:
Red Glacial deposits
Average age of the vines:
43 years old
MATURING:
12 to 15 months in oak barrel (1 to 7 years old barrels)