Stockist/Retailer: Corney & Barrow

(2020) Tank sample. Beautifully creamy nose, hinting at custard, with a melon skin and lemon rind touch of waxiness and subtle lanolin quality, a hint of something more tropical too. A lovely blast of orange fruit on the palate, really juicy and citrussy, but more orange than lemon, the little bit of vanillin barrel rounding the picture. Beautifully balanced into a long, taut finish showing a little spice and a touch of saline quality. Not yet on the market, and will develop more from its primary fruit characte. Lovely and full of potential, my score a touch cautious because this was a tank sample. Price and stockist is for a previous vintage at time of review.

(2020) Sulphides notes turned down a little compared to some, but fresh and fragrant, a floral character, plenty of light, fresh and tangy fruit. Clean and delicately oaked in a Chablis style, but orange and peach comes through.

(2020) Salinity, flint and creamy minerality to spare in this lovely Chardonnay, smokiness and a little mint humbug buttery quality. The palate is beautiful, ripe pear and apple, a big thrust of lime and tangerine acidity into a long, balanced finish.

(2020) Majority of the Chardonnay grapes came from the Te Awanga vineyard, with 17% from Bridge Pa. Matured in French oak, 34% new. A little more toastiness and buttery/oatmeally quality than the Reserve, a little Jack Daniels note, there is a fat lemony fruit and acid quality, and the phenolic grip and acid gives it fine presence and length, finishing with spice and nuttiness.

(2020) Inspired by the coastal vineyards of Te Awanga, 50% was fermented in 500-litre oak puncheons and 50% in stainless steel. Peaches and stone fruits, passion fruit and star fruit, talcumy notes and then a big blast of orange and pink grapefruit on the palate with mouth-filling, ripe acidity. Price and stockist quoted are for the previous vintage at time of review.

(2020) Stone, represents the Gimblet Gravels, the source of the fruit for this Syrah, which has a lovely bold and plush appeal, ripe blackcurrant fruit with great juiciness, a hint of floral and peppery lift. Fruit is rich, tannins are silky, and the acidity balanced. Price and stockist quoted are for the previous vintage at time of review.

(2020) From a great vintage, this is 99% Syrah with 1% Viognier, fruit coming from Gimblet Gravels and the coastal Te Awanga vineyards. Creamy ripe black fruit on the nose, though plenty of pepper and spice, a crack of black pepper. The silkiness of the tannins and plush fruit gives a smooth, dense mouthfeel and great presence. Price quoted is for the 2015 vintage at time of review.

(2020) In 2017 this is all Gimblet Gravels fruit, though still with 1% Viognier in the blend. This was a bottled, but pre-release tasting of this vintage. Lifted violet and florals, more than the 2013 in this very young wine, such an intense kirsch-like fruit. On the palate it still has that cherry and red plum succulence, but there is cocoa and smokiness and good balancing acid. Price quoted is for the 2015 vintage at time of review.

(2020) A lovely ashy note to this, dry with a lifted floral character and that lovely hint of volatility that sits so well. Sweet and so juicy on the palate, the rush of sweet cherry fruit and acidity, backed up by the more chocolate and earthy notes, long and spicy tobacco-like, the fruity extract persisting. An approximate bottle price is given: most retailers at time of review are offering this by the case.

(2019) From Lodovico Antinori’s estate in the Upper Maremma, only 40% of this blend of Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc and Petit Verdot spent a short time in French oak barrels. What a beautifully perfumed wine this is, crushed raspberry and incense floating from the glass, a touch of darker blackberry and a hint of spice. On the palate it combines plush, sweet and dense, ripe fruit with great agility, a breezy freshness to the acidity and the oak adding just a sheen of nutty breadth to the crisp, fruity finish. Delightful. Watch the video for more information and food matching ideas.