Reds
Roll over: All the Amen Break wines are made with minimal winemaker intervention and a healthy dose of soul.
Amen Break are by brothers Matt and Steve Harrop.
We work with the rhythm of each vintage to find fruit that best expresses the season. Our Pinot Noir was grown at Zebra Vineyard on the northern elevations of the Bendigo area in Central Otago.
All the Amen Break wines are made with minimal winemaker intervention and a healthy dose of soul. To that we say Amen, Brother.
The Amen Break is a legendary six second, four bar drum solo performed by Gregory Sylvester “G. C.”. Coleman in the song “Amen, Brother” performed by the 1960s funk and soul outfit The Winstons.
The Amen Break has become the most sampled drum beat in musical history. It is considered the foundation rhythmic beat for the much of the electronic musical genre (Trip Hop, Drum ’n Bass, Jungle, Psych Trance etc.) that exploded in the late 80’s and early 90s of last century.
Roll over: 100% Hawkes Bay Syrah
Helio is the side project put together by talented Clearview winemakers Sarah & Matt Kirby and wine entrepreneur Dave Nash.
Roll over: Leeuwin Estate is one of the five founding wineries in the Margaret River
Aromatic and extremely complex, a big wine with many nuances. Green olive, cedar, blueberry and wild blackberry flavors are at the core of this dense, succulent red, with velvety, polished tannins. Complexity only gains on the finish, where nuances of tobacco, thyme, sarsaparilla and Earl Grey tea linger. Drink now through 2037. WS94
Roll over: An exclusive partnership of two extraordinary men who are passionate about producing wines of exceptional quality
Full, ruby-red with an inky core, lighter on the rim. The bouquet is elegantly expressive, enticing nuances of black plums, blackberries interweave cloves and nutmeg, cedar, vanilla and violet. Full-bodied, aromas of plums, cassis and blackberries have purity and depth, savoury mushroom, cedar unfolds, along with violets, nutmeg, cloves barrel spices, linger to a long, satisfying finish. The fruit is the star, pristine with great flavour and depth; quality oak used to elevate and enrich the complexity, added savoury mealiness, fine barrel spices, cedar details, left a velvety mouthfeel contributed by finely extracted tannins. The wine is broody and flavoursome; black fruit enriched by elegant oak details flows harmoniously on a velvety palate. Match with braised short ribs and Perigord truffle over the next 10-15 years. A blend of Merlot 57%, Cabernet Sauvignon 35%, Cabernet Franc 5% & 3% Malbec. Handpicked, hand-sorted, destemmed, cold-soaked for 3 days, fermented to 13.6% alc, aged in 100% French oak for 12-14 months, 28% new and 72% one-year-old barrels. Egg white fined and filtered before bottling. 1,200 bottles produced. 19+/20 pts (96 pts) Sept 2021 Raymond Chan Wine Reviews
Roll over: This is an elegant and immensely pleasurable vintage.
"Our old vines are over 35 years old and produce an exceptionally intense and aromatic wine that reflects the unique character of its terroir. With its deep, clear ruby red hue, it reveals notes of black fruits and excellent strength and concentration. As with all Gevrey-Chambertin, it requires a few years of patience before reaching its full potential." - Domaine Faiveley
Roll over: Rich and Intense.
Deep ruby. Pungent red and blue fruit and floral scents are complemented by suggestions of succulent herbs and white pepper. Lively, penetrating and appealingly sweet, showing good depth as well as detail to the black raspberry, cherry and floral pastille flavors. Finishes long and smoky, with supple tannins coming in late. Vinous
Roll over: This carefully cellared reserve wine is only released a minimum of five years after harvest.
Prophet’s Rock know that great wines begin in the vineyard. That’s why they embrace an approach to winemaking that shares the splendour of the place rather than pronounced winemaking characteristics. The result Iconic wines that invoke Central Otago’s striking, unforgettable beauty.
Roll over: Described by Nicholas Bryant (National Business Review) as "the best red wines produced in this country."
Fine "old world" wine of first growth quality from a single vineyard planted in the 1970s at Matakana, Northland, New Zealand. The Antipodean -- "New Zealand's Lafite" -- is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and malbec, with harmony, fragrance, length and seamless integration of character.
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Roll over: Rich and Intense.
Using roughly 10% whole-clusters during fermentation, the 2021 Saint-Joseph offers a red-fruited profile paired with earthy gradations and leafy undertones. Medium-bodied and well balanced by bright acidity, the seamlessly sculpted 2021 comes with absolutely no hard edges and concludes with a clean finish. Chave bottled the 2021 slightly earlier than usual in order to help maintain its freshness. 91pts Nicolas Greinacher – Vinous
In an amazing example of vinous lineage, the Chave family has been growing grapes on the hill of Hermitage since 1481. Today the estate is run by Gerard Chave and his son Jean-Louis and they produce some of the regions finest wines including a red & white Hermitage, a St-Joseph and a Côtes du Rhône Mon Coeur. Superb vineyard holdings including prime slices of Bessards, L'Hermite, Peleat and Meal in Hermitage, and incredibly high standards in both the vineyard and cellar, the wines are made in a very hands-off fashion and show great detail, nuance and regional typicity.
Roll over: Rich and Intense.
Bottled in late July 2021, Chave's 2019 Saint Joseph boasts copious floral scents of violets and lavender set against a backdrop of purple raspberries. In the mouth, it's medium to full-bodied, with a wonderfully rich yet silky feel and plenty of airy, refreshing length on the finish. It should drink well on release and for at least a decade after that. RP94 Robert Parker.com
In an amazing example of vinous lineage, the Chave family has been growing grapes on the hill of Hermitage since 1481. Today the estate is run by Gerard Chave and his son Jean-Louis and they produce some of the regions finest wines including a red & white Hermitage, a St-Joseph and a Côtes du Rhône Mon Coeur. Superb vineyard holdings including prime slices of Bessards, L'Hermite, Peleat and Meal in Hermitage, and incredibly high standards in both the vineyard and cellar, the wines are made in a very hands-off fashion and show great detail, nuance and regional typicity.
Roll over: Rich and Intense.
The rating and review of the 2020 Saint Joseph is a composite based on tasting several lots—Chalaix, Dardouilles and Bechasson—from barrel. With aromas that range from violets to rose petals, garrigue and licorice, plus fruit notes from raspberries to blueberries and cassis, it should prove remarkably complex, backed by ample concentration and ripe, silky tannins. 94-96 Robert Parker.com
In an amazing example of vinous lineage, the Chave family has been growing grapes on the hill of Hermitage since 1481. Today the estate is run by Gerard Chave and his son Jean-Louis and they produce some of the regions finest wines including a red & white Hermitage, a St-Joseph and a Côtes du Rhône Mon Coeur. Superb vineyard holdings including prime slices of Bessards, L'Hermite, Peleat and Meal in Hermitage, and incredibly high standards in both the vineyard and cellar, the wines are made in a very hands-off fashion and show great detail, nuance and regional typicity.
Roll over: “The first real red wine to come out of New Zealand” - wine writer Nicholas Faith
Fine "old world" wine of first growth quality from a single vineyard planted in the 1970s at Matakana, Northland, New Zealand. The Antipodean -- "New Zealand's Lafite" -- is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and malbec, with harmony, fragrance, length and seamless integration of character.
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Roll over: Hailed as "New Zealand's Lafite" by French Count Jean De St Charles
Fine "old world" wine of first growth quality from a single vineyard planted in the 1970s at Matakana, Northland, New Zealand. The Antipodean -- "New Zealand's Lafite" -- is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and malbec, with harmony, fragrance, length and seamless integration of character.
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Roll over: “The first real red wine to come out of New Zealand” - wine writer Nicholas Faith
Fine "old world" wine of first growth quality from a single vineyard planted in the 1970s at Matakana, Northland, New Zealand. The Antipodean -- "New Zealand's Lafite" -- is a blend of cabernet sauvignon, merlot and malbec, with harmony, fragrance, length and seamless integration of character.
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Roll over: From a huge 3.78 ha holding of 40+ year old vines planted in shallow, high clay content soil sitting above a bed of solid limestone
Here the nose is firmly reduced and revealing nothing. Otherwise there is good punch on the lighter weight flavors that possess lovely delineation while displaying focused power on the firm, serious and austere finale. This is an excellent example of 'power without weight' and a wine that should repay up to a decade of keeping. 90-92 pts Burghound
Roll over: Bold and structured.
The refined 2021 L'Hermitage was cropped at 37 hL/ha and bottled in early September 2023. It is laced with finely delineated orange rind, raspberry, red cherry, red plum, dried herbs, pencil shavings, black cherry, crushed violet and cedar. Showing excellent tension on the medium-bodied palate, the 2021 brings it home with clarity and freshness. That being said, it won’t be as long lived as either the 2020 or 2022. 94 pts Nicolas Greinacher - Vinous
