Vinopalooza

The seasonal Tsunami of wine trade samples has arrived on PHIL PARKER’s door. Season’s greetings!

Here we go, folks. Everything sampled, appraised and annotated for your reading and drinking pleasure. Go hard! (Or easy, or whatever).

Main Divide North Canterbury Rosé $22
Pale blush pink. Hints of sauvignon crispness and ripe gooseberry, with a strawberries and cream medium sweet mid-palate and a clean crisp finish.
Available: Herne Bay Cellars blackmarket.co.nz

Folium Marlborough Rosé 2020 $35
Bone dry and crisp in the Provence style. Salmon pink colour, with cranberry, sour cherry, rhubarb and umami savoury. Creamy mid-palate and a crisp finish.
Available: Dhall & Nash

Loveblock Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc (vegan) 2021 $27
A lovely, subtle take on sauvignon blanc. Fragrant, mineral and herbal, with freshly squeezed black currant, rock melon, and a dash of passionfruit and gooseberry. A clean lime citrus finish.
Available: Fine O Wine, Herne Bay Cellars, Pt Chev Organic Wines

Main Divide North Canterbury Sauvignon Blanc 2022 $22
Lashings of gooseberry, tomato leaf, and ripe passionfruit with a hint of roasted green capsicum. Medium acids and a lengthy finish.
Available: pegasusbay.com blackmarket.co.nz

Astrolabe Southern Valleys Sec Marlborough Chenin Blanc 2022 $28
Dry and elegant, with a mineral crisp palate. Lemon, nougat, quinine and zingy fresh cut pineapple and a clean, crisp finish.
Available: Caros

Astrolabe Wrekin Vineyard Marlborough Organic Chenin Blanc 2021 $33
Delicious! Fragrant and full-bodied style with some partial barrel fermentation. Pear, fresh-cut pineapple, jasmine and lime squash with a hint of sweetness.
Available: Caros astrolabewines.co.nz

Knappstein Clare Valley Riesling 2021 $23
Crisp, dry and fruity. Lime, lemon and raisiny fresh grape flavours with a backbone of flinty minerality. Tangy and lengthy finish.
Available: blackmarket.co.nz Dhall & Nash

Main Divide North Canterbury Gewürztraminer 2022 $22
Sweet and spicy. An unctuous palate of Turkish Delight, hint of lychee and ginger. 13.5% alcohol. Time on skins during ferment contributes a complex and funky palate.
Available: Fine O Wine, Pt Chev Organic Wines pegasusbay.com

Pegasus Bay North Canterbury Muscat 2018 $27
Just nudging dry, this wine is intense, concentrated and flavour-packed. Fragrant muscat grapes give grapefruit, marmalade, wine gums, Christmas muscatel raisins, ripe pear, and passionfruit.
Available: pegasusbay.com

Knappstein Clare Valley Chardonnay 2021 $23
Crisp and elegant with minimal oak. Could almost pass for an older riesling. Not your typical OTT Aus chardonnay by any means. Flavours of lemon, peach, and zingy pineapple, with a hint of toasted hazelnut oak.
Available: blackmarket.co.nz Dhall & Nash

Astrolabe Marlborough Chardonnay 2020 $29
Flinty and slightly funky. Another restrained style with creamy yeast, hazelnut, ripe grapefruit, Roses Lime Juice, soft acids and tangy, lengthy finish.
Available: Caros, Glengarry

Saint Clair Pioneer Block 14 Doctor’s Creek Marlborough Pinot Noir 2019 $40
Ripe black cherry, cassis and plums. A hint of savoury spice and dark chocolate with soft tannins.
Available: widely

Main Divide North Canterbury Te Hau Reserve Pinot Noir 2021 $33
Silky, perfumed, and floral. Medium tannins with earthy savoury umami, poached plum and black cherry.
Available: Fine Wine Delivery Company pegasusbay.com

Mollydooker McLaren Vale The Scooter Merlot 2021 $39.20
Highly awarded wines, Mollydooker are renowned for excellence and extremely good value. These four are at around 15% alcohol and a must for fans of big Aussie reds. The Scooter is dark red, with spiced plum, a hint of herbs, dark chocolate and creme de cassis. Soft integrated tannins.
Available: Fine O Wine, Herne Bay Cellars, Pt Chev Organic Wines

Mollydooker McLaren Vale, The Boxer Shiraz 2021 $39.20
Aged in 100% American oak. Classic South Australian shiraz, with Black Doris Plum, cassis, black pepper, toasty oak and liquorice. Soft tannic mouthfeel and lengthy palate.
Available: Fine O Wine, Pt Chev Organic Wines

Mollydooker McLaren Vale, The Maitre D’ Cabernet Sauvignon $39.20
Deep purple red, rich and lusciously ripe, with dark plum mocha, cigar box, black cherry and typical herbal cabernet notes. Silky smooth tannins and a lengthy finish.
Available: Fine O Wine, Pt Chev Organic Wines

Mollydooker McLaren Vale, Two Left Feet Blend $39.50
A seamless blend of the above three wines. (70% Boxer, 15% Scooter and 15% The Maitre D’). Ripe, silky and sweetly fruity, with some floral note, a hint smokiness, raspberry, black cherry, spiced plum.
Available: Fine O Wine, Pt Chev Organic Wines blackmarket.co.nz