Beach House Wines is a family owned and run winery in Hawke's Bay, founded by winemaker Chris Harrison, who produces three outstanding Chardonnays, including The Tracks - his top wine. 

Full bodied, creamy flavours and all the bells and whistles are present and counted in this wine, which we think over delivers massively on its price. 

Prophet's Rock winemaker Paul Pujol produced precious little of this Chardonnay - just six barrels were made from hand picked grapes grown at Lowburn in Central Otago. The wine was fermented with wild yeasts and all up it received 15% new oak, with the remainder being older barrels. This wine is set to become a collector's piece, not least because it was inspired by and made in collaboration with a French winemaker. Prophet's Rock winemaker Paul Pujol and Burgundy winemaker, Francois Millet of Comptes de Vogue in Chambolle-Musigny joined forces to produce this fitting match to the outstanding Pinots from this wine brand.

This wine was hand harvested and whole bunch pressed followed by an extended time ageing on the lees. The wine is a rich straw gold colour, with floral aromas and apricot and orange notes on the nose. Extended lees ageing adds complex creamy, toasty qualities and nuttiness on the palate. This is supported by an underlying stony minerality and balanced acidity. This is a highly rated wine which will benefit from ageing.

It's easy to taste why this is the top white from Te Kairanga winery in Martinborough each year. Dry, smooth and complex flavours of roasted nuts, stone fruit and fresh white peach combine with citrus purity in a deeply flavoursome wine.

John Martin is named after the late founder of the Martinborough township. This wine is made mostly Mendoza clone Chardonnay grapes, grown on the winery's Home Vineyard. All grapes are whole-bunch pressed and fermented with wild yeasts with 10 months maturation in French oak puncheons, which are 500 litre barrels. This wine goes through 100% malolactic fermentation, providing structure and length to what is a complex and refined wine.

Aglianico is one of the most commanding red grapes and powerful red wines traditionally found in the south of Italy - and here's an interestingly delicious version made in Australia. This wine was fermented and aged in 800 litre Tuscan hand made amphora for 11 months. The aromas and flavours here span the gamut of blueberries and spice in a full bodied wine with staunch tannins held in great balance with this wine's fresh acidity which cuts through the backbone of the wine, adding tension and length. 

Production was 1333 bottles.

One of the great pink champagnes, combining toasted red fruit flavours and the freshness of a great, complex wine with long lees ageing. This outstanding rose champagne that is made intentionally as a pink hued wine that gains richness and flavour from being a 100% Pinot Noir sparkling wine made from 10 different crus located mainly in the South and North areas of the Montagne de Reims, which is home mostly to Pinot grapes.

The grapes from carefully selected plots are sorted and destemmed before vatting
and maceration lasts from 48 to 72 hours depending on the harvest, helping to reveal all the richness of Pinot Noir.

The result is an elegant salmon pink in the glass offering a precise nose of extraordinary freshness and a wide range of red fruits: raspberry, redcurrant, strawberry and black cherry. The palate is supple and rounded with flavours of freshly picked red berries.

Champagne Laurent-Perrier was founded in 1812 by Andre Michel Pierlot and took the name Vve Laurent-Perrier when Mathilde Emilie Perrier, the widow of Eugène Laurent, combined the two family names after she decided to expand the business.

Eugenie Hortense Laurent, her daughter, inherited the House in 1925 and sold it to Marie-Louise Lanson de Nonancourt in 1939.

95/100 Wine Enthusiast, Kerin O'Keefe

"Underbrush, camphor, cedar and mature dark-skinned fruit aromas come to the forefront along with spicy notes. Full-bodied and firmly structured but also boasting a surprising weightlessness, the palate features dried cherry, steeped prune, licorice and tobacco set against a firm backbone of tightly knit, close-grained tannins. It's still youthfully austere so give it time to fully develop. Drink 2027–2037. " Drink 2027 - 2037

94+/100 Parker's wine Advocate, Monica Larner

"Considering the untimely passing of Renato Vacca in March of 2020, there is a lot of emotion coming back to this wine: It has always been an expression of Barbaresco nostalgia and romanticism, even when its creator was alive and well, working in these vines located directly under his family house. The Cantina del Pino 2017 Barbaresco Ovello bears his winemaking imprint with balance and elegance that never misses a beat. This vintage offers more density and concentration for sure, and the positioning of the Ovello cru overlooking the Tanaro River Valley sets the wine up for open-knit characteristics and suave softness. Those impressions are amplified in this vintage but are not overblown. Some 6,000 bottles were released and you get terrific value in this bottle. The wine is set to hit the market in September 2021." Drink 2023 - 2038

94/100 Vinous, Antonio Galloni

"The 2017 Barbaresco Ovello is a superb effort for the year. Bright, aromatic and effusive, the 2017 is so expressive right out of the bottle. It has the vintage 2017 power found in all the wines here, but also the cut and verve that make Ovello one of the most distinctive sites in all of Barbaresco. It is such a gorgeous wine." Drink 2025 - 2037

Legal academic, property dealer and vigneron, Rene Rostaing crafts some of the finest Cote Roties on the market today. He has owned 2 hectares in the Côte Blonde and La Landone since the 1970s but fortune has blessed him through his inheritance of four hectares of superbly sited vineyards from his father in law Albert Dervieux and another 1.4 hectares of particularly old vines from his uncle Marius Gentaz. He now has 7.4 hectares which in Cote Rotie terms is a significant holding. Rostaing is firmly in the modernist camp of Cote Rôtie producers, destemming the majority of his fruit and being one of the first producers to ferment using vinomatics (horizontal automatic vinifiers). However he dislikes the overt taste of new oak and uses a maximum of 15% in the maturation process. All the wines are bottled unfiltered.

A delicious and quirky southern French red with a super smooth velvety mouthfeel. This wine is biodynamically certified and lives up to this noble credential. It's a blend of Braucol, Duras and Syrah blend with another couple of red French grapes thrown in for good measure. This wine is medium ruby in colour with soft and fleshy flavours mid palate followed by firm tannins on an impressively structured finish.

The baby brother of La Crau from Vieux Télégraphe, made using fruit from vines that are less than 30 yeas old and fruit from sites other than La Crau and Piedlong. This spends its first 10 month sin stainless steel before spending 7 months in small format oak. Ripe dark and red berry fruits are delivered in a wonderfully supple mouthful.

Stunning full bodied red blend from Spain, made from 70% Carignan and 30% Garnacha from 60 to 80 year old vines, which were planted on stony vineyard sites at high altitude. Grapes were destemmed and macerated for 15 days. The wine was aged for 13 months in new and one year old, low toast French oak barriques. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered.

The word Braó is Catalan for strength, courage and valour; three qualities this wine encapsulates beautifully. 

Vegan friendly.

What the critics say

Josh Raynolds Vinous Media - 92 Points 

"Deep, shimmering violet. Intense dark berry, cherry cola and floral pastille aromas are complicated by baking spice and smoky mineral flourishes. Sappy and energetic on the palate, offering bitter cherry and blackberry flavors that show spicy back-end lift. Smooth, well-knit tannins frame the persistent finish, which features lingering mineral and floral notes."

The story of Alpha Domus began in 1989 when the Ham Family, Anthonius and Leonarda, along with their sons purchased 20 hectares of bare land in an area of the Western Heretaunga plains, later to become known as the Bridge Pa Triangle Wine District.

Pioneers in the area they established one of the first wineries and were instrumental in the formation of The Bridge Pa Triangle Wine District, giving the sub-region an identity as a premium wine growing area of Hawke’s Bay.

This wine is made using both fully and patially botryised Semillon grapes, harvested from original plantings. Fermentation took three to six weeks and was stopped once the perfect balance of alcohol, acidity and sweetness had been achieved. 

The luscious palate of orange blossom, apricot and honey flavurs are completed by a zesty citrus finish. Ideal as an aperitif, or to complete your evening.

Two of our favourite things; Chardonnay and great champagne combine in this beautiful bubbly from Laurent-Perrier. 

Champagne Laurent-Perrier was founded in 1812 by Andr? Michel Pierlot and took the name Vve Laurent-Perrier when Mathilde Emilie Perrier, the widow of Eug?ne Laurent, combined the two family names after she decided to expand the business.

Eug?nie Hortense Laurent, her daughter, inherited the House in 1925 and sold it to Marie-Louise Lanson de Nonancourt in 1939.

What the critics say...

Decanter World Wine Awards 2021 ? 95 points

?A briary salty and floral nose kicks off anticipation; elegant and ethereal. There?s line and precision and an impressive use of reserves to give gravity. Superb!?

James Suckling - 94 points 
?A dense and flavorful chardonnay with creamy texture and flavor. Lots of citrus and grapefruit and very vinous. A blanc de blancs with weight yet freshness. Pure chardonnay with no dosage. A new wine. Lovely finish. 40% 2009 and 60% 2012.?