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2008 Blackenbrook Nelson Chardonnay

Nelson - Other, Nelson, New Zealand

'A seductively supple and luscious wine with elegant butterscotch, bran biscuit and toasted nut flavours adding complexity to citrus fruit and pineapple characters." Great value well made chardonnay

2008 Gaba do Xil Godello

SPAIN OTHER, Spain

Normally $26.99! Godello is a relatively rare Spanish white grape. Though often overshadowed by the more well-known Albarino, Godello arguably produces some of Spain's best white wines, which can be remarkably complex, yet crisp, refreshing and extremely versatile with food. This version is made by Telmo Rodriguez, one of Spain's top modern producers. "Classic pears, freshly cut hay and a touch of guava and hot wax are all there. Very robust and tight for a white wine, kind of like white burgundy in structure, but nothing like it in flavour. Crunchy minerals and an acid laden finish. A little fleshy, the texture is silky and fine."

2009 Blackenbrook Nelson Sauvignon Blanc

Nelson - Other, Nelson, New Zealand

"Blackenbrook is small ( 4 hectares ) and new ( first wine from 2004 ), so its hardly surprising it's little known outside Nelson. Swiss owners Daniel and Ursula Schwarzenbach have the meticulous approach to winemaking for which their countrymen are famous, while Daniel has some serious winemaking experience under his belt. He has worked for top producers in Austria, Germany, Switzerland and France, and has judged wine at competitions in tSwitzerland, France, Germany and China. Its greatest strengths are pinot gris, gewurztraminer, riesling, sauvignon blanc and chardonnay. Quality has crept up in recent years and if it continues, Blackenbrook has a very bright future." Bob Campbell

2004 Pinzale Brunello di Montalcino

Vinea Familiae, Tuscany, Italy

In an age of instant satisfaction its nice to find wines where traditionally they have been aged before release. Here's an excellent value brunello we've brought in where increasingly the prices of Brunellos are starting close to $100.00 for the same quality. This Brunello comes from the best central positions of the vineyards of the family Nardi in Montalcino (Tuscany ) and is made from 100% Sangiovese grown on slate. The wine spent two years in oak followed by storage in bottles prior to its release last year. Ruby-red colour with garnet reflexes, intensive and multilayered bouquet of red berries, black pepper and carnations, strong structure with soft tannin and great length. It is still showing youthfulness and should age for another 5 years easily wherupon it will become even suppler and rounder.

2007 Peregrine Charcoal Creek Riesling

Much in the style of the Pegasus Bay Aria ( but a lot cheaper! ) the 2007 Peregrine Charcoal Creek Riesling is made in a late harvest style and comes from John and Barbara Hosie's Charcoal Creek vineyard in the Lowburn Valley just north of Cromwell. This Riesling was left on the vines well past the traditional end of harvest and has produced some wonderful flavours developed through the combination of hang time and the influence of 15% botrytis infection at the time of harvest. The resulting wine is not an over the top cloying sticky monster but a melting pot of honey, apricot, grapefruit marmalade beautifully presented by its elegant structure. Charcoal Creek Riesling is a delicate sweet wine that has a perfect combination of flavour complexity, fruit sweetness and superbly balanced acidity. A snip for a full bottle of late harvest riesling.

2007 Matakana Chardonnay

Auckland - Other, Auckland, New Zealand

4 1/2 Stars from Michael Cooper and produced from 100% Matakana fruit. The grapes were whole-bunch pressed and then barrique-fermented.Thirty percent of the wine underwent malolactic fermentation. Barrel-matured on yeast lees for eleven months, in new French oak barriques (40% new) with regular lees-stirring by hand (or batonnage) helped to add richness and complexity of flavour. "Matakana Estate Chardonnay 2007 is also immaculate. Barrel-fermented, with rich stonefruit and biscuity oak flavours and a slightly creamy texture, it's a generous wine, already delicious." 4 1/2 stars - Michael Cooper. Good value buying.

2009 River Farm Godfrey Rd Marlborough Pinot Gris

Marlborough - Other, Marlborough, New Zealand

4 1/2 Stars in the Cuisine Pinot Gris tasting ( 104 gris's tasted and only five scored 4 1/2 stars or above ) Normally $20 this is a lovely, dry pinot gris made by the hugely rated Brian Bignell ( ex Seresin winemaker and owner of Mahi Wines ). The grapes for this wine come from their Godfrey Road vineyard. The stony, alluvial soils of this vineyard are ideal for producing low-yielding, full flavoured grapes. 'Its a brunette- a lot of the other pinot gris are a bit blonde," said Anna Flowerday ( judge ). Made by the experienced Brian Bicknell, this is a singular- even controversial- drop. Its ffuit is wrapped in fascinating, funky, herbal minerality and the texture is beautifully wrought. The perfect match for Thai prawns with chilli and coriander." A steal. Cuisine

2004 Conde de Valdemar Crianza Rioja

Rioja - Other, Rioja, Spain

Bodegas Valdemar is a family company whose roots date back to 1889. Jesús Martínez Bujanda, the owner, started its construction in 1982. Its modern facilities and innovative winemaking methods have been its trademark features from the outset. Bodegas Valdemar has become a point of reference in Rioja wines, for its know-how of a long winemaking tradition combined with a constant, ongoing commitment to research and investigate in order always to achieve the finest quality in its wines. The wines of this winery are exclusively made from grapes from their own vineyards, allowing them to oversee the whole process from the vine itself and make a prior selection of the best grapes for each type of wine. Bodegas Valdemar has always been a pioneer in the use of the latest technological advances, which have allowed us to improve quality and obtain excellent wines. For example, it was one of the first wineries in Europe to use temperature control in the fermentation vats.

2007 Heartland Shiraz

Glaetzer Wines, The Barrosa, Australia

100 % Shiraz from Langhorne Creek and Limestone Coast where the soils at Langhorne Creek are sandy loam and the Limestone Coast are grey marl over deep limestone. The wine was fermented with Rhone isolate yeast and extended maceration resulted in savoury, long-chain tannins which gives a soft, approachable palate and enables mid-term cellaring. The wine spent 12 months in oak, and was bottled early to maintain the fresh, lifted fruit character on the nose which comes from the Langhorne Creek component. "A rich, dark purple colour. This delicious shiraz has hints of chocolate, truffle and tobacco leaf on the nose. Plums, blackcurrant and spice flavours abound on the palate and are perfectly balanced by fine, supple tannins." Quality wine from the maestro Ben Glaetzer.

2008 Astrolabe Kekerengu Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc

Astrolabe, Marlborough, New Zealand

We have a tiny tiny quantity of this absolute stunner. One of Bob Campbells top scorers in his "Top 12" 2008 tasting. Made by Simon Waghorn from the relatively new Kekerengu area, this little microclimte is located south of Blenheim heading down the coast towards Kaikoura- ( the famous Kekerengu store is a landmark in the area ). "Limestone-rich soils give it a distinctive signature and it has strong minerality with herbal and green capsicum flavours in the background. It also has an attractive balance with a suggestion of sweetness neatly matched by tangy acidity to give a pleasantly drying finish. An understated wine with a lingering finish." 93/100 Bob Campbell