Outstanding dry, spicy and super concentrated flavoursome Gewurtztraminer from Zephyr Wines in Marlborough whose winemaker Ben Glover is a great champion of this intensely aromatic white grape and the wines it makes.

Balance is king in this great Gewurz' - a must try.  

Winemaker's note:

"2015 was an exceptional vintage and the weather was consistent which allowed us to grow and ripen grapes to optimum quality. This blend is made of 72% Merlot, 20% Malbec and 8% Cabernet Sauvignon from grapes hand-picked off our Gimblett Vineyard (58%) and Triangle Vineyard (42%). 

After fermentation the wine was aged for 24 months in French oak (42% new), then blended and had a further 3 months on lees in tank. There was no racking which allow the wine to have great volume and weight.

This is a concentrated, medium to full bodied blend. With ripe blackberry and plum characters, fine grained tannins and a fresh acidity all giving the wine a wonderful balance. It will age well and improve for 10 years from vintage."

Crisp and creamy, full bodied and elegant, this wine has great complexity thanks to being made from 21 year old vines, which are now coming into their own - as this lovely refreshing dry white shows. This is the first Masters Chardonnay from winemaker Helen and her partner Ben Masters' vineyard, four kilometres south of Martinborough. 

It's a beautiful wine now and will continue to develop in flavour and age well for the next four to five years+.

The most flavoursome Chardonnay barrels are selected after a year of aging and then blended together to make this pinnacle of Seresin's dry, full bodied white wines, the Reserve Chardonnay. The reserve wine spends another six months in old oak puncheons, gaining depth, complexity and integration of flavour thanks to this additional maturation. 

Organic certification

The organic story at Seresin

One of the greatest things about Seresin Estate is the organic certification. This came relatively early on for Seresin, who was dismayed by the amount used and the impacts of man made chemicals, which were routinely and frequently sprayed on vines. His early adopting philosophy of organic certification paved a positive path for the integrity of the wines as well as leading others to follow suit.

South Island Chardonnay is on a roll as this tasty drop from Mt Maude in Central Otago shows. Winemakers Sarah Kate and Dan Dineen use hand picked grapes from 27 years old vines to make this dry full bodied, creamy smooth wine. 

The grapes are foot stomped, basket pressed, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and the wine is aged in seasoned French oak to produce what they describe as a seamless wine. We agree. 

Try it. 

Joven means young in Spanish and refers to red wines with low to no oak, like this lush, fruity Spanish red made from the most popular grape in Spain, Tempranillo. This wine is full of dark plum flavours in this firmly textured red wine. 

It offers exceptional value for money and is certified organic.

Bottled in 2021, this retsina from Gaia has a screw cap to preserve freshness. Retsina dates back to the Greece of ancient times and is made with the addition of resin from the pine tree Pinus halepensis during fermentation. 

European wine legislation has recognized it as a "traditional appellation" wine that can only be produced in Greece. Although in the past Retsina has been associated with bad oxidized and resin-exaggerated wines that many tourists have experienced during their holidays in Greece, today Retsina is a completely different delicate taste experience. Gaia decided to create a "new wave" or style around Retsina, RITINITIS NOBILIS, to redefine and reposition the quality context of their traditional wine.

Gaia produces Ritinitis Nobilis using modern winemaking technology and by adding a very carefully calculated amount of pine resin as fermenting "must" from selected grapes of the Roditis variety growing on the hills around Corinth in the Peloponnese. The result is an elegant and refreshing wine with a perfect balance between pine and grapes. Ritinitis Nobilis is a lovely partner for Greek dishes and Spanish tapas and is best enjoyed chilled to around 8?-10?C.

Domaine Pattes Loup is a 24 hectare certified organic vineyard owned by Thomas Pico in the village of Courgis in Burgundy's northern outpost, Chablis. This creamy and crisp Chablis is an excellent example of what happens when small scale meets lofty ambitions of making full bodied, beautifully balanced, complex Chablis using organically certified grapes. 

Pattes Loup, which means 'wolf's paw'.

Powerful, dry, lemony and richly full bodied. This is one of two exceptionally tasty, characterful Greek wines made from the Robola grape variety. These are exciting whites made entirely from the Robola, which grown mostly on the Ionian Islands in Greece, particularly Kefalonia (the fifth largest of all Greek islands), Zakynthos, Kerkyra (Corfu) and others. 

The best Robolas are full bodied wines with  naturally high acidity which provides beautiful balance. With aging, this wine will develop complex flavours of chamomile, caramelized pear, fresh almond and honey with a long aftertaste of mineral sage and celery.

Kefalonia is just south of the more famous island of Corfu to the west of the Pelopponese peninsula and the soils combined with the altitude (up to 900 metres above sea level) are diverse, resulting in a range of different styles of wines. 

About the Petrakopoulos winery

Petrakopoulos winery is located near to Thiramonas in the south of Kefalonia. Its grapes are grown on Mt Ainos and nearby and the winery is housed in a small villa, run by winemaker Kiki Siameli. 

This is an outstanding white and we also have a lower priced, exceptionally nice Robola, a younger sibling to this wine. 

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

This is a very refined sake with flavors and aromas that are subtle and soothing. It's wonderful near a warm fireplace in the evening after a long day on the ski slopes. Subtle aromas reminiscent of French vanilla ice cream and cardamom lead into a soft, creamy palate with silky texture and flavors of lightly seasoned cream of wheat and honeydew. At room temperature, baking spice aromas and flavors become prominent and the palate is even creamier.

13.9% ABV.