New Zealand

• Central Otago
• Hawkes Bay
• Marlborough
• Martinborough

We are big fans of Kirkland (Costco) products including their wines.  They contract with quality vendors to makes legitimate wines at a fair price.  This is no exception.  A straight down the middle New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.  Light gold/green in color.  The nose has grapefruits, gooseberry and slight herbal notes.  Light to medium bodied.  Slightly viscous.  On the palate, this is dry but has good bright fruit.  Gooseberries and some grapefruits.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  While it is likely most of this is drunk on its own, it will work with lighter foods.  A nice choice for a tuna s

From an Oregon winery/winemaker, Peter Rosback, who can't sit still, he make New Zealand Pinot Noir in the wintertime here.  Garnet in color, mostly clear and bright.  The nose is bright with cherries and some black cherries with spice and char.  Medium to full bodied.  Light tannins.  Good acidity.  On the palate, this is tasty.  Showing some development, but probably not at peak.  Lovely semi-plush texture.  Cherries, black cherries, slight herbal note and char.  Long finish.  drink over the next ten years.  Good on its own, this will work well with roasted chicken.

One of the truly GREAT Chardonnays in the world.  This is very young right now, but still showed quite well.  Light gold in color with a bit of a green hue, clear and  bright.  The nose is great with lemons, slight pineapple, and spices.  Full bodied.  Energetic.  Great acidity.  On the palate, this is crisp and delicious.  Pineapple, slight vanilla and spice.  Long finish.  This took and hour or so to really open.  It could use another five to ten years in the cellar, but no real harm opening now.  Drink over the  next twenty years.  Great on its own but better with food.  This will work w

This is 100% sparkling Chardonnay from New Zealand.  Silvery/gold in color, clear and bright.  A good amount of medium to small sized bubbles.  The nose peach with toast.  Medium bodied.  On the palate, this is concentrated and tight.  It took some time to open showing peach with some yeasty  notes and underlying char.  Good finish.  This drinks well on its own and should be very foo friendly.  A nice wine with a BLT or a Veggie Burger.  Drink over the next five years.

Another wonderful Chardonnay from this producer in New Zealand.  These are world class Chardonnays.  Golden in color, clear and bright.  Enticing nose of char/smoke with grapefruit and great minerality.  Medium to full bodied.  Sleek but muscular texture.  On the palate, this is very concentrated, but unwinds in the glass.  Citrus; yellow grapefruits with some lemon/lime notes but also great underlying minerality.  Perfect balance.  Long finish.  While this could certainly use a few more years of cellaring, it is delicious now.  Drink over the next twenty years.  Great on its own, this will

Another excellent world class Chardonnay from this New Zealand producer. Light golden in color, clear and bright. The nose is very nice with lemons, slight peach and slight tropical fruit. Medium bodied. Crisp. On the palate, this is young but plenty of depth. Lemon and peaches with some minerality. Long finish. This is drinking well now but should improve a bit. Drink over the next ten to fifteen years. Great on its own, this will work well with lobster.

Really one of the best Chardonnay's in the world and a great value (although not inexpensive).  Light golden in color, clear and bright.  The nose has lemons and slight peach with just a bit of minerality.  Very tight.  On the palate, this is delicious.  More peach with some lemon tartness and underlying minerality.  Good acidity.  Long finish.  This has a deep complexity to it.  Still has ten to fifteen years left of great drinking.  It drinks great on its own and would be a nice with seafood such as Tuna. 

This is a reasonably priced New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.  Light silvery gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose has a steely minerality with some grapefruit.  Light bodied.  On the palate, this is a bit restrained on the fruit.  Refreshing minerality.  Nice finish.  This drinks ok on its own and will work well with lighter foods.  A fruit salad would be a nice match.  Drink over the next year,  

This is not your typical New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc!  If served blind, I would probably guess the Loire Valley in France (the ancestral home to the grape).  Light green/gold in color, clear and bright.  The nose is great with lots of yellow grapefruits along with a bit of peach and minerality.  Light to medium bodied.  Nice balance.  On the palate, again, lots of yellow grapefruits with some peach and underlying minerality.  Very clean and refreshing finish.  This drinks great on its own and will work well with lighter foods and especially sea food.  Drink over the next few years.