Review Date: 12-12-2012

This wine is made from a blend of 48% Shiraz, 31% Grenache and 21% Mourvedre from old vine material throughout the Barossa Valley including old bush vine Mourvedre from the Krondorf and Light Pass sub-regions that are over 100 years old. The Plexus is 100% barrel matured for 15 months with just 10% new French oak hogsheads. John feels that while in 2009 the Shiraz was very good, the Grenache and Mourvedre was some of the best fruit he's worked with in years. The bouquet brings a combination of red and black fruits with cedar and spice that soar from the glass. On the palate, the intense core of fruit is framed by fine tannins with integrated oak offering structure and a layered long finish.

Review Date: 12-12-2012

Without a doubt, John Duval is making some of the most exciting wines in the Barossa Valley. That said, it's not much of a suprise when you consider he made 16 vintages of Penfolds Grange, THE iconic wine of Australia. He also is part of the Long Shadows project in Washigton where they choose a winemaker from anywhere in the world to make the best expression of a particular varietal (in his case, Shiraz) joining Randy Dunn (Cabernet Sauvignon) and Michel Rolland (Merlot) among others as a "tip of the hat" to their international respect. So, his 30 years in Barossa have given tremendous insight into the terroir in the valley (including the cooler Eden Valley) and use those components to compose a classic but elegantly styled Barossa wine. Aromas of blackberry, blueberry, spice, new leather and a hint of roasted coffee abound on the nose. On the palate, these elements come together with good acidity and a cloak of fine tannins that add a nice structure to the wine with very fine length.

Review Date: 12-12-2012

Flat out, Mike Brajkovich makes some of the best Chardonnay in the world. In blind tasting, his wines are consistently thought to be Premier Cru White Burgundy, at least, if not Grand Cru.They have been awarded top scores from the Wine Spectataor for years, making The Top 100 five times. Everything is done meticulously with the vines on a "Lyre" trellis system to optimise exposure to light for ripeness, yields that are kept low, they harvest by hand, and all whole bunch pressed. Only indigenous yeast is used for the wine and is 100% barrel fermented and goes through 100% malolactic fermentation. The nose offers notes of pear, quince, green apple, lemon blossom, flint, minerals, honey and spice. On the palate there is superb balance with incredibly precise, pure flavors that have a Puligny laser-like beam shining through to a long finish. The wine now with a little bottle age is drinking superbly and a great example of what a little patience can do, and all for $20!

Review Date: 12-7-2012

When winemaker Rudi Bauer was looking at the site for his own winery in the Bendigo sub-region after working at Rippon in Central Otago they had to consider the question, "what if the Pinot Noir might not ripen?" So, the thought of Sparkling wine was born. Clotilde Chauvet with family ties to Champagne followed Rudi as winemaker at Rippon and was one of the original shaeholders in Quartz Reef. Workshops with Jacques Peters from Veuve Cliquot followed with visits to Champagne helped Quartz Reef to become a specialist in Sparkling wine from New Zealand. Made from a blend of 58% Pinot Noir and 42% Chardonnay the wine is still hand riddled and disgorged and aged for a minimun of two years on the lees. Pear, apple, lime and brioche abound in the aromatics with a fine bead and texture that add up to a wine of real finesse and tremendous length.

Review Date: 7-11-2012

This is a new addition to our growing Kiwi portfolio and without a doubt, one you should try. The nose shows raspberry, dark cherry, plum, earth, Asian spices, forest floor and dried orange peel. On the palate these flavors combine with juicy acidity and fine silky tannins that form one lovely Pinot Noir with superb balance and length.

Review Date: 5-16-2012

This is just a gorgeous, elegant expression of Syrah. The bouquet shows floral notes of dusty rose and carnation with raspberry and boysenberry fruit character enhanced by minerals and black pepper spice. On the palate a light mocha note emerges with superb balancing acidity and length.If you haven't had a Syrah from New Zealand,this is one of the best, and a must try.

Review Date: 5-15-2012

The "Coleraine" is the flagship Bordeaux blend in the Te Mata lineup and represents a benchmark for the style that is produced in Hawkes Bay on the Gimblett Gravels sub-region. The wine is more deep, dark and brooding than it's sibling, the "Awatea". The nose offers dark berry,black cherry,currant,violets,minerals,earth and a touch of mocha. The wine is an infant with a pure core of fruit that is framed by a profound structure. This is a wine to decant for an hour or if you're patient, you will be rewared for time in the cellar. Stunning.

Review Date: 5-15-2012

I remember spending time with Nicholas Buck, the Sales and Marketing Director and son of Te Mata's owner John Buck three years ago about finding the right people to sell their wines in the States. Thanks to some cyber-sleuthing on my cohort Ryan Woodhouse’s part, we found the wines here and promtly secured them. We were both fully aware of their quality and iconic status in New Zealand, and excited to bring back to the market. The “Awatea” is the little brother if you will to the flagship “Coleraine” and represents a more accessible stlye. The bouquet shows bright notes of plum, red currant, cedar, “red whip” licorice, mineral and a hint of tobacco. On the palate, these components come together in an elegant package with fine grained tannins and excellent balance and length.

Review Date: 1-4-2012

Lovely aromatics abound in this seductive 100% Cabernet Sauvignon from South Africa. Smoky blueberry notes mingle with dark cherry, herbs, cassis, violets and vanilla creme soda. On the palate there are ripe supple tannins that lead to a fine finish with a hint of mint. Decant this for an hour to let all the components come together and enjoy.