This complex and affordable Chianti Classico is a full bodied, ripe and powerful wine made from a blend of 90% Sangiovese, 5% Colorino and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon, each grape contributing depth, body and balance to the wine. 

This brand was traditionally produced by a well known cooperative with over 60 different grape growers contributing to the blend but the brand has now been acquired by Tenute Piccini, which employs the highly respected consultant oenologist, Riccardo Cotarella.

THE CHIANTI CLASSICO APPELLATION

Chianti Classico is the heart of the wider Chianti production zone and its wines are distinguished by a trademarked black rooster on their labels. The wines of Chianti Classico are higher in quality and noticeably so in taste than wines labelled Chianti, which come from a broader area in Tuscany. The wines taste better because the vines are planted on hillsides with a higher degree of  iron rich soils and a greater diurnal temperature range, which provides more powerful, riper fruit flavours, which are balanced by higher acidity thanks to the cooler night time temperatures. 

The Sangiovese grape must make up 80% of all wines labelled Chianti Classico compared to 70% Sangiovese for wines labelled Chianti. 

Chianti was first defined as a wine producing sub region within Tuscany in 1716 by the Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo III, whose wanted to protect the integrity of the wines and prevent fraud. The Chianti Classico Wine Consortium was formed in 1924 with the distinctive Black Rooster trademark chosen to feature on the labels. 

Premium Cava made from carefully selected organic Xarel·lo, Macabeu, Parellada, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir grapes, which are then worked manually to achieve the best result.

In the glass this is a lively and bright cava with balanced aromas of white fruit, citrus and green almonds. 

Acustic is an old vines blend of Carignan and Garnatxa from the Montsant region in Spain. This is a somewhat Rhone-like wine with red fruit flavours complemented by balanced spice and herbal notes. This expressive wine is bottled without fining or filtration.

Sourced exclusively from 2 family farms that are increasingly practicing sustainable farming. Most of the fruit is sourced from the right bank of the Rhone River. This blend of Grenache and Syrah offers aromas of wild berries, white pepper and cherries. Rich red fruit on the palate. Medium-bodied with a lightly textured style.

Veuve Clicquot is one of the world's biggest selling champagnes and is produced by Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessey in a range of styles and packaging. 

Veuve is named after the late, great Widow Clicquot, who was left not only a widow aged 27 but also in charge of running a champagne house. Her legacy is to have left both the brand and the region in better condition than she found them, mostly famously by inventing riddling; the turning of the bottle to remove the yeast sediment into its neck, prior to disgorgement. This resulted in higher quality, cleaner, fresher bubbles in both look and taste. Her quest was quality and she is widely credited with having raised it significantly in the Champagne region and in the bottles it produces.

This magnum of yellow label non vintage (NV) champagne is typically made up of 55% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay and 15% Pinot Meunier.

Lovely crisp structure and fleshy mouthfeel from a superb Chablis producer in a wine that reveals white fruit notes such as peach, and has a persistent mineral structure. In the mouth, a stony sensation which is so typical of Chablis makes this a round and pure wine.

Chablis is the northernmost wine region in Burgundy, which produces only Chardonnay. The cooler climate gives these wines crispness, acidity and a flinty minerality.

Clearview Winery was founded by wine lover and winemaker Tim Turvey, who was the first to plant grapes on the coast at Te Awanga, south of Napier; it's a beautiful, if windy, site, and home to a tasty fruit salad of reds with Chardonnay his leading white.

This affordable full bodied Hawke's Bay red over delivers with soft, plush Merlot playing the lead role and balanced by a robust, spicy 12% Malbec, which adds oomph and power to the wine. 

About Clearview Estate

Clearview Estate is one of oldest, most well established wineries in Hawke's Bay and is situated on the Te Awanga Coast, south of Napier. It's a great place to visit for tastings at the cellar door as well as lunch in the dappled shade of the established courtyard area. The winery was founded by Tim Turvey, winemaker and co-owner. The current winemaker is the multi talented Matt Kirby.

Ethereal aromas of exotic spice and sandalwood set the mood for this luscious aromatic wine. The flavours of rosewater, ginger and marzipan are opulent and rich. This unctuous, full bodied Gewürztraminer finishes with a powerful but elegant finish.

Plush, smooth and full of ripe red plum flavours, this wine is made with grapes grown a vineyard formed on the ancient riverbed of a river that once carried rock from the steep Ruahine ranges and deposited masses of free-draining gravel which is locally known as red metal. This is a plush wine from a very good vintage and punches well above its weight. Juicy ripe berry flavours from the Merlot are balanced by grunty darker earthy elements from the Franc.

100% hand-picked Chardonnay, crushed and pressed into old Burgundian French oak barrels for wild yeast fermentation until dry. The wine was matured in barrel for 14-16 months during which time it underwent full malolactic fermentation.

This is a complex Chardonnay with multiple layers of ripe fruit and richness, along with a chalky minerality on the nose. The palate combines fruit weight and balanced acidity with a tight yet generous structure. This is followed by a long lingering pithy citrus finish with and hints of savouriness.

Impressive powerful Shiraz made from 150 year old vines in the Barossa Valley. This rich and elegant wine has  complex aromas of red fruit, chocolate and herbs, complemented by an underlying savoury note. The palate is juicy and fruity, with a good dose of sweet spice. The fruit character in this expressive wine is balanced by the fine grained tannins and a long finish.

Langmeil is owned by the Lindner family, which has been making wine for six generations in the Barossa Valley.

This is a deep-maroon red wine. The nose is refreshing and complex with herb and spice coupled with savoury earthy notes of mushroom, dark chocolate and toasted wood. The palate is concentrated in flavour but well resolved in structure with an excellent silky texture. Dark berry and herb and licorice notes on the palate meet cedar and light smoke, with gentle mouth-coating tannins.

Dry, delicious dark black fruit flavours with a spicy twist in this modern Portuguese red blend of Castelão, Tinta Roriz and Pinot Noir. This is a stunning combo of two local red grapes with one of the world's most popular French red grapes (Pinot Noir). 

Great drinking now and over the next three to four years. Excellent value for money.

Made from 100% Tempranillo fruit aged for 36 months in American oak and held for five years before release and now with some decent age under its belt - what's not to like. Bold and powerful with spicy fruit and mellow tannins Rioja Reservas really are a law unto themselves and given half a chance the oak just melts into the aged tertiary flavours harmoniously.