Top drops | New releases | Wine reviews
2024 Craggy Gimblett Gravels Te Kahu RRP $34.95
Reviewed 13 April 2026
Tasting note
2024 Craggy Gimblett Gravels Te Kahu RRP $34.95
Te Kahu is te reo Māori for 'the cloak' and is a reference to the mist that wraps itself around Craggy Range winery in the Tukituki Valley, Hawke's Bay.
It's an evocative name for a powerful red blend from the warm, dry 2024 vintage, with Merlot leading the palate with its plush soft berry aromas. Both Cabernet Franc (adding perfumed lift) and Cabernet Sauvignon (bringing firm tannins to the table) add complexity. This wine is youthful now and begs for time to unfold its layers of flavour but it delivers a surprising smoothness and approachability too, with oak woven into the wine. I like the subtle layering that oak maturation brings to this young red.
Te Kahu has always delivered an X-factor when it comes to depth of flavour, offering very good value for money - for lovers of Bordeaux-styled reds to drink now (make sure to decant) or in years to come.
Origin - Gimblett Gravels, Hawke's Bay
The first grapes to be planted on the Gimblett Gravels in Hawke's Bay were in 1981 and the area - officially known as the Gimblett Gravels Winegrowing District (GGWD) now has over 800 hectares of grapes, the vast majority (approximately 90%) of it devoted to mid-season to late-ripening red grapes. The balance is Chardonnay and a little Viognier.
GGWD is a sub-region of Hawke's Bay and has developed a reputation for excellent red wines, with a top 12 being selected independently every year by Master of Wine Andrew Caillard.
Craggy Range often features in the top 12.
2020 Astrolabe Wrekin Chardonnay
Reviewed 20 March 2026
Tasting note
This outstanding Chardonnay made by Simon Waghorn is my wine of the week as it shines a bold light on the unexpectedly high quality of Marlborough Chardonnay. It's made from hand picked grapes from Wrekin Vineyard on the sunny slopes of the southern hills in Marlborough's Wairau Valley. Warm days and cool nights bring rich citrusy depth and a twist of ripe grapefruit to this lush and creamy, full bodied Chardonnay.
Fresh acidity underpins each sip, bringing a long memorable finish to the wine.
All grapes were hand picked, barrel fermented in whole clusters in French oak puncheons; larger sized barrels, which reduces overt oak influence, offering up spicy nuances and layers of savouriness.
Certified organic with BioGro NZ.
Origin - Marlborough, Southern Valleys
The Southern Valleys are in Marlborough's Wairau Valley and home to sloping sites that both aid ripening and drainage, due to their north facing aspect, high sunshine hours and slopes. Clay soils here are valued.
2020 Astrolabe Wrekin Chardonnay
Reviewed 20 March 2026
Tasting note
This outstanding Chardonnay made by Simon Waghorn is my wine of the week as it shines a bold light on the unexpectedly high quality of Marlborough Chardonnay. It's made from hand picked grapes from Wrekin Vineyard on the sunny slopes of the southern hills in Marlborough's Wairau Valley. Warm days and cool nights bring rich citrusy depth and a twist of ripe grapefruit to this lush and creamy, full bodied Chardonnay.
Fresh acidity underpins each sip, bringing a long memorable finish to the wine.
All grapes were hand picked, barrel fermented in whole clusters in French oak puncheons; larger sized barrels, which reduces overt oak influence, offering up spicy nuances and layers of savouriness.
Certified organic with BioGro NZ.
Origin - Marlborough, Southern Valleys
The Southern Valleys are in Marlborough's Wairau Valley and home to sloping sites that both aid ripening and drainage, due to their north facing aspect, high sunshine hours and slopes. Clay soils here are valued.
2020 Astrolabe Wrekin Chardonnay
Reviewed 20 March 2026
Tasting note
This outstanding Chardonnay made by Simon Waghorn is my wine of the week as it shines a bold light on the unexpectedly high quality of Marlborough Chardonnay. It's made from hand picked grapes from Wrekin Vineyard on the sunny slopes of the southern hills in Marlborough's Wairau Valley. Warm days and cool nights bring rich citrusy depth and a twist of ripe grapefruit to this lush and creamy, full bodied Chardonnay.
Fresh acidity underpins each sip, bringing a long memorable finish to the wine.
All grapes were hand picked, barrel fermented in whole clusters in French oak puncheons; larger sized barrels, which reduces overt oak influence, offering up spicy nuances and layers of savouriness.
Certified organic with BioGro NZ.
Origin - Marlborough, Southern Valleys
The Southern Valleys are in Marlborough's Wairau Valley and home to sloping sites that both aid ripening and drainage, due to their north facing aspect, high sunshine hours and slopes. Clay soils here are valued.
2023 Pegasus Bay Minuetto Semillon Sauvignon RRP $40
Reviewed 13 April 2026
Tasting note
2023 Pegasus Bay Minuetto Semillon Sauvignon RRP $40
It's no surprise that winemakers in the South Island of New Zealand are pretty adept at turning their talents to Sauvignon Blanc but here's a wine that turns that notion on its head. Here's a blend of 70% Semillon (all fermented in oak puncheons) with a relatively (for New Zealand) modest 30% Sauvignon Blanc (all fermented in stainless steel tanks), giving this wine far more in common with a dry white from Bordeaux, France. Except, there's a maverickness about this full bodied, almost Chablisien style with its beautiful integration of rich yeast lees ageing (for 10 months) bringing real depths of flavour and layers of complexity.
Once blended, the wine aged for 18 months in bottle prior to release.
It's two years young right now and already has a wow factor. History suggests that blends like this from North Canterbury can last the distance of 10+ years.
As to what to drink it with? Simple classic risotto with a little fresh lemon zest, lots of parmagiano-reggiano and a great extra virgin olive oil. More wow factor...
Origin - Waipara Valley, North Canterbury
Waipara Valley in North Canterbury is 40 minutes' drive north of Christchurch city and a world away in climate with hot summers, dry winds and a semi-continental flavour to the wines made here, even though it is only nine kilometres from the coast.
Sheltered by the Teviotdale Hills to the east, its springs are typically windy, its summers are usually arid and its winters are cool. This is a classic climate for great Pinot Noirs and aromatic white wines, both of which excel in this region in the South Island of new Zealand.
Joelle Thomson... Savouring and shaping meaningful narratives about wine.
Email: mailme@joellethomson.com
