In-House (semi-secret) Tasting Notes.
Wildsong Rosé 2022
Ripe strawberry and mandarin with loads of sherbet on the nose. Bright and floral in the mouth with flavours of strawberry and cranberry. A nice bright acidity carries the flavours long in the mouth, with excellent fruit concentration but dry – not overly sweet – and oh so delicious!
Try with a pile of fresh pasta gently cooked then doused in EV olive oil loaded with slowly cooked garlic + chilli, topped with Italian parsley + parmesan. Keepers put away for up to 3 years.
Wildsong Pinot Gris 2022
89/100 NZ Wine Rater.
All the good things in life align in one glass – lychees, ripe stone fruit with a hint of sherbet on the nose (I didn’t say that, Hayden did!). Beautifully textured, a hint of floral and peach, bright, vibrant and…oh my soul!
~ vegan.
Try with a coconut-creamy chickpea tikka masala on rice, crispy popadoms + mango chutney or put away for up to 4 years.
Wildsong Sauvignon Blanc 2021
90/100 Sam Kim, Wine Orbit.
Think long summer days of sunshine in a glass! Grapes from two distinctly different vineyards – Mangatahi and Te Awanga – harvested early in the morning. Chalky, juicy and a lovely long, (mighty) fine finish!
Try with fresh, grilled octopus, doused in olive oil, coriander, lemon and thinly sliced capsicum, or put away for up to 4 years.
Wildsong Syrah 2021
Bright and vibrant with aromas of raspberries, violets and nutmeg followed with blueberry and cocoa flavours. A balanced palate and a silky finish. Ahh Syrah how we love you.
Try with traditional crispy falafel dipped into a garlicy, lemony hummus, or put away for up to 7 years.
Wildsong 2022 Chardonnay
From our Mangatahi vineyard at the base of the Ruahine Ranges, one of the highest growing areas in Hawke’s Bay. Punchy stonefruit with lychee and lifted floral notes on the nose. A weighted palate with loads of citrus and baked stonefruit. Praise be Hawke’s Bay Chardy!
~ vegan.
Try with a creamy pea + parmesan wild rice risotto with a generous squeeze of lemon, or put away for up to 5 years.
Quarter Acre 2019 Syrah
Bob Campbell MW, 93 points.
A Syrah with super-star pedigree (the world-beating 2015 Quarter Acre Syrah won the trophy at London’s International Wine Competition for Best Red Wine of Show). Aromas of rich Black Doris plum, violet, fragrant spice and bramble (yes, bramble!). Flavours of black cherry, cocoa and tobacco. 100% Syrah power.
Try smokey bbq sauce pulled jackfruit tacos topped with cashew cream and micro greens, or put away for up to 6 years.
Quarter Acre 2019 Section
Blend it like Rod! 70% Merlot, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, 12% Malbec + 1% Cabernet Franc….see if you can taste that smidge! Full + plush this red wine will only get better with a little time. Dark cherry and plum, herbal and a soft cushy finish!
Try with miso marinated + grilled tofu steaks topped with salty edamame puree and roasted baby carrots, or put away for up to 10+ years
Quarter Acre 2020 Chardonnay
Grapes from Doc’s Block (20 years old) by the sea with a splash from both our Mangatahi and Te Awanga vineyards. Flinty gun smoke with ripe peach and nectarine on the nose with underlying fresh biscuit and popcorn tones. (Yep, popcorn). Rich + textural.
~ vegan.
Try smoked kingfish with vegan aioli and a mixed herb salad, or put away for up to 6 years.
Quarter Acre 2019 Sauvignon Blanc
Michael Cooper, 4.5 stars.
Sauvignon Blanc dreams leap out at you with lime juice, grapefruit pith and lemongrass – this wine has a chalkiness balanced by a richness and complexity. Go HB Sauv!
Try with fresh smoked kahawai, slow roasted fennel and a dill aioli, or put away for up to 5 years.
The Loom 2019 Syrah
Bob Campbell MW, 91 points.
Violet, lifted spice and dried herbs on the nose. Medium weight with great concentration and texture and a little tightness which promises a long life and gathering complexity (don’t we all?!). Dark plum, spice and earthy characters all layer across soft, supple tannin and balanced acidity. High-powered stuff.
~ vegan.
Try briefly cooked venison with a thyme, juniper, cracked pepper jus and mashed potatoes on the side, or put away for up to 10 years.
The Loom 2021 Chardonnay
A coastal Chardonnay from the home block a stones-throw away from the sea. Popped into French oak barriques. Stone fruit and citrus (nose), biscotti + spice (palate), mineral + complex (all over!).
Try with a pot full of mussels gently cooked in white wine, lemon, coriander and butter, or put away for up to 7 years.
One Off Fashionable Bunch Organic Pinot Noir 2021
Old-school but oh so fashionable right now! For generations the French have been using whole bunches of Pinot Noir in fermenters – it makes the wine spicier on the nose, more complex and it changes the mouthfeel. Beautifully textured on the palate, boysenberry + hints of lingering salty oyster shell…Hawke’s Bay 100% does Pinot!
~ vegan
Try with BBQ organic chicken thighs with lightly browned + gently pan fried/steamed chicory along with an onion and mushroom sauce, or put away for up to 5 years.
One Off On the Fly Field Blend 2020
A blend of Pinot Gris, Viognier + Gewürztraminer, mixed in the field which is a less exacting proposition than blending after ferment with time to dabble. Exotic and perfumed, ginger, nashi, with nectarine at its heart. It’s fleshy, chalky with a smooth, plump finish. 100% seat of the pants and on the fly!
~ vegan.
Try with a plate of fresh mozzarella loaded with thinly sliced pears, olive oil and honey, or put away for up to 4 years.
One Off Beginning to End Cabernet Franc 2019
Rod gets asked all the time for a straight Cabernet Franc, but being honest, he says it’s not an easy thing to do well with this grape, balancing the wine from beginning to end. This is done well! Deep in colour with raspberry and floral perfume, a silky palate with a little tobacco and black pepper spice. Front to back delicious!
~ vegan.
Try with grilled artichoke heads basted with lemon, garlic, olive oil, S+P, then dipped into vegan aioli, or put away for up to 7 years.
One Off Silky Smooth Organic 2018 Sangiovese Cabernet Sauvignon
Gold medal 2020 NZ Organic Wine Awards.
Drink by the fireside or gently chilled on a hot summer’s day (yes, really). Organic, perfumed yet earthy, flowers and tobacco, powerful and so silky smooth.
Try field mushrooms sautéed in e.v. olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and plenty of parsley atop some crusty French bread, or put away for up to 5 years.
One Off Smoke & Mirrors Organic 2018 Sauvignon Blanc
A Hawke’s Bay Sauv Blanc with a little age: limey, grapefruity, chalky, salty, layered and down-right delicious! No full-frontal fruity sucker punch here, it’s opulent in texture and complex on the palate.
~ vegan.
Try with the tried-and-true dozen oysters, either from Mahurangi or Coromandel, or put away for up to 3 years.
One Off Dark Night Organic 2018 Syrah
Sam Kim Wine Orbit, 5 Stars (93/100)
This smooth little Syrah snuck into the One Off stable before we moved on to our next series, it’s a lovely drop with a heart-warming back story about a tiny kitten and a little boy named Dario. Vibrant and silky with aromas of raspberries, violets and nutmeg.
Try a rack of lamb with star anise and thyme jus, crispy parsnips, honey + balsamic yams, or put away for up to 5 years.
Rogue 2021 Pinot Gris
Only sold at the Cellar Door and to Drinkers+Keepers. Ripe, perfumed, arresting aromas of pear, honeysuckle + a flutter of ginger. A rich, textured palate, coolly crisp + a lovely long Roguish finish!
~ vegan
Try with a bowl of pea dip using cooked peas (frozen is 100% acceptable), cool and pop in blender with garlic, E.V. olive oil, S+P, lemon juice, mint and a tablespoon of coconut yogurt. Devour with warm pita, or put away for up to 1 year.
Rogue 2017 Syrah
Only sold at the Cellar Door and to Drinkers+Keepers. Deeply crimson with aromas of berries, violets and a crack of pepper. Plums, fruit spice and wild, crazy herbs on the palate, it’s silky smooth + Roguishly supple.
Try with a flat bread loaded with falafel, tabouleh + a garlicy, herby coconut yoghurt sauce, or put away for up to 2 years