Villa Maria Braided Gravels Hawke’s Bay Albariño 2019 $29 Reviewed in dish Magazine July/Aug 2020 and paired with Chicken, leek and thyme pie Hand on heart, if you do not do everything you can to nab yourself a bottle of the Villa Maria Braided Gravels Hawke’s Bay Albariño 2019 ($29) to sip and swirl with […]
Nautilus Estate Marlborough Albariño 2019 ($29) Paired with Gazpacho by Annabel Langbein Canvas Dec 7th 2019 One of the greatest food and wine combos to ever occur is that of this superlatively lovely Spanish soup and a sip or seven of Spain’s signature white wine, albariño. Happily, Clive Jones and his scarily talented team in […]
Smith & Sheth Cru Heretaunga Albariño 2018 $28 This is New Zealand’s version of the best of what Spain can offer, incredibly focused, pure and dry and heaving with lemon and oyster shells. Sourced from the Bridge Pa region, in their iron-rich, red gravels, the acidity is like all the cutty-grass (or pampas grass if […]
Made from a blend of albariño, caino and loureiro grapes, this kick-in-the-chops Spanish white made in the Rías Baixas (ree-ass bye-sass) tradition put me firmly in my happy place. I love the crash of lemon blossom, lime zest and white peach across the palate, the smash of rain-on-hot-rocks minerality and the gentle, tastebud exfoliating character […]
Grown on a limestone-laden block WAY south in Kekerengu by Albarino-obsessives Chris and Lynne Wilson, this local version of a Spanish favourite has ‘Spring 2018’ written all over it. Clean white peach, lemon blossom, a dusting of almond and a long, soft, citrus-stacked finish will make you feel like you’ve just stepped out of a […]
The name ‘Aronui’ derives from ancient Māori mythology about the pursuit of knowledge and after a glass or two, you’ll definitely be schooled up on albariño’s awesomeness. Widely planted in northwest Spain and Portugal, it’s recognised as their best and most fashionable white grape – similar to sauvignon blanc for us I guess. I love […]
Guillaume Thomas & Esther Smith are two of the nicest new wine growers I’ve had the pleasure of meeting. They’re young, ultra-industrious and always gun for the best. They’ve planted a tiny little vineyard high up on the Waimarama Road and turn out stunning examples of wine like this local incarnation of the spanish classic. […]
Spade Oak were one of New Zealand’s early Albarino adopters, with owners Steve and Eileen Voysey opting to aim towards a lean, lemony, elegantly European-styled example from their Gisborne vineyards. I like the subtle citrus blossom aromas and the quartz dust minerality on the palate. Consume super-chilled with prawn, pork and coriander dumplings – yummo! […]
Intoxicating initial aromas of wildflower pollen and sunbaked limestone are followed by an intensely juicy, citrus-forward series of flavours in this local version of a Spanish classic. I love the deliciously chalky layers on the finish and it’s lipsmackingly fresh length of flavour. Organically grown and created with excellent attention to detail – it’s a […]
Rod McDonald Wines One Off Gisborne Albariño 2015 $23 ★★★★ There’s a whiff of gunflint and smashed river rocks, watercress, lemongrass and salty seabreeze happening on the nose, followed by a tsunami of steely acidity, bony minerality and crunchy green apple characters. There’s a smoky tone to the finish which is long and zesty and […]