Allan Scott 'The Wallops' Marlborough Chardonnay 2006
Single vineyard with full barrel ferment and malolactic fermentation, this wine expresses power and flavour with an aura of elegance and class. Full-bodied and mealy with citrus and tropical fruit and a gorgeous caress of smoky oak, it expands on the palate with consummate ease.

Bouldevines Dogpoint Road Marlborough Chardonnay 2006
More medium-bodied in style, this radiates luscious fruit, balance and harmony. Creamy oak with just a hint of toast and an underlying mealy richness support the delicious and juicy, fresh peach and fruit salad flavours. Very impressive.

Charles Wiffen Marlborough Chardonnay 2005
Light gold in colour with apricots galore in this juicy fruit driven style that has a nectar-like feel to the slippery texture with underlying oak and spicy lees flavours adding flamboyance. It's long, rich, toasty and utterly decadent. Drinking well right now.

Church Road Reserve Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2005
A sophisticated savoury style with polished French oak and a mealy, nutty depth. It's creamy, elegant and delicately spicy although subtle to start, it opens up beautifully to reveal an orchard of stonefruit and oaky flavours in a most appealing way. Stylish.

CJ Pask Declaration Chardonnay Hawkes Bay 2006
Full of deliciously ripe stonefruit, spice and savoury oak with a little bready yeastiness and butterscotch on the finish, this is a class act. It's so creamy, ripe and harmonious, it draws you in and seduces you.

Clearview Reserve Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006
Curvaceous and buxom with a golden colour, a rich creamy aroma and ripe, grilled peach and toasty oak flavours. It's opulent and full-flavoured with a spicy, mealy richness and underlying nuttiness and an expansive, mouthfilling finish that simply goes on and on.

Evans & Tate Wildberry Springs Margaret River Chardonnay 2005
A single vineyard wine with barrel fermentation in French oak barriques, it's smoky with hints of pineapple on the nose and tasty flavours full of citrus, pineapple and melon with lashings of savoury oak and an orange zest brightness to the long toasty finish. Still quite tight with evolution ahead of it.

Goldwater Marlborough Chardonnay 2006
Light, fresh and fruity with creamy oak, tropical fruit, hints of stonefruit and spice, integration is the key to its success. Lightly smoky with a savoury undercurrent and a long, clean and refreshingly dry finish. Very appealing.

Ingoldby McLaren Vale Chardonnay 2006 - South Australia
Smoky, creamy, harmonious in its silky textured flow, it's powerful and intense with toasty oak, tropical fruit and stonefruit then citrus and pineapple adding brightness to the sweet yet savoury and well integrated finish. It's all about balance and charm.

Kim Crawford SP Dolly Gisborne Chardonnay 2006
From the 'Small Parcels' range, this wine is savoury and spice and all things nice. It's dry, rich and toasty with sweet yet savoury French oak, grilled stonefruits and pineapple and a harmonious flow. Powerful and long.

Lonestone Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006
Integration and harmony are the words to describe this flinty, grainy textured, savoury wine. With citrus, pear , hints of nectarine, little influence of oak and a lingering, juicy afterplay, it's a summer style of Chardonnay. Great value too.

Marsden Black Rocks Northland Chardonnay 2006
Rich, ripe, creamy and peachy with harmonious texture and flow, this is crammed with opulent oily oak and decadent, powerful flavours of apricot, oatmeal, spice and cream. Full-bodied and long with a refined sophistication and harmony to the finish where tantalising tropical fruit flavours linger.

Montana 'O' Ormond Gisborne Chardonnay 2004
Smoky aromas and subtle, savoury oak and tropical fruit flavours on a sweet creamy palate with underlying juiciness and richness. It shows integration and silkiness of texture and harmony of fruit and oak with a spicy mealiness that lingers with an intriguing savoury tang.

Oakridge Yarra Valley Chardonnay 2006 - Victoria, Australia
Rich yet lean, subtle and elegant with a flinty element to the taste, the spicy French oak seems rounded and integrated but asserts its spicy, smoky presence on the clean, citrussy, mealy finish where all sorts of tropical fruit comes into play.

Orlando St Hilary Padthaway Chardonnay 2004 - South Australia
Dry and flinty with a slightly salty, lime zest tang and a sweet fruit infusion of apricot, citrus and green melon playing on a nutty, spicy, integrated French oak backbone. Despite being one of the older wines, it's lighter in colour with a tight, youthful veneer and bodes well for long term aging.

Ponder Olive Grove Marlborough Chardonnay 2006
A 'Burgundian' imitator with partial malolactic fermentation and 9 months in new and older French oak, it's lighter in colour and shows its youth in its tight flinty expression but blossoms with citrus and peaches and cream on the long toasty finish.

Saint Clair Pioneer Block 11 Cell Block Marlborough Chardonnay 2006
Spicy, fragrant, floral and bready, it's fruity yet savoury with ripe, rich, toasty oak and a creamy, seamless palate where peach and hints of grapefruit combine with cedar, nougat and a glimmer of caramel crème. A delicious wine that builds in power and the finish is opulent and long.

Seifried Estate Winemakers Collection Barrique Fermented Chardonnay 2006
Deliciously opulent with glamour and style, this radiates class with creamy oak, spice, richness and power. It's all about flavour intensity with juicy stonefruit, citrus, potent oak and a mouthfilling butterscotch finish presented in the most harmonious way.

Squawking Magpie Gimblett Gravels Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2005
Dry, nutty and sophisticated with toasty oak and a creamy, spicy, yeast lees influence, it's fattens out beautifully on the palate with a stonefruit sweetness and a smoky, savoury richness and hints of pineapple and citrus that add brightness to the finish.

Taylors Estate Clare Valley Chardonnay 2006
Spice and toast and creamy French oak combine with golden tropical fruit in a most lavish and mouthfilling way but be prepared for the power surge and explosion of juiciness that carries the finish a mile. Quality and value.

Te Whare Ra Marlborough Chardonnay 2006
Oily, powerful and rich with toasty aromas and 'peaches and cream' flavours, hints of citrus, an underlying juiciness and a coating of butterscotch caramel that lingers with flawless length. Chardonnay hedonists will love this beauty.

Villa Maria Single Vineyard Waikahu Vineyard Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006
A mealy, yeast-driven aroma leads into a full-flavoured palate crammed with peach, citrus, melon and creamy oak with a tight, nutty, smoky underlay. A single vineyard wine from the Maraekakaho sub-region, it's deliciously long with savoury nuances adding intrigue. 14% alc.

Villa Maria Cellar Selection Hawkes Bay Chardonnay 2006
Inviting fruit, spice and smoky aromas and a juicy, flavoursome fruit-laden palate saturated with peach and tropical fruit underpinned by a creamy, mealy, and deliciously integrated savoury, nutty oak backbone that emanates power, flavour, richness and length.

Wolf Blass Gold Label Adelaide Hills Chardonnay 2005 - South Australia
A repeat winner from 2006 with additional complexity from an extra year of age. A fragrant, spiced oak and blossomy nose and a fat, fleshy palate where peach, citrus, pineapple and melon meld beautifully with butter caramel and mealy flavours and opulent French oak. Subtle, powerful, spicy and long.

Blackenbrook Vineyard Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Daniel and Ursula's Schwarzenbach's passion has resulted in this truly remarkable Nelson sauvignon Blanc. It's spicy and smoky with a tinge of grapefruit zest, capsicum and tomato on a juicy fruit palate of richness and power. There's the slightest hint of sweat with musk and pineapple on a tropical finish with bright acidity and balance all the way through.

Boatshed by Goldwater Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Tantalisingly juicy, spicy and musky with oodles of tropical fruit, a crisp apple freshness, citrus zestiness, freshly cut grass and a pungent coriander leaf and basil herbaceous tang. It's delicately oily and drinking beautifully.

Brightwater Vineyards Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Tropical fruit aromas and grassy herbaceous flavours that reveal exotic fruits like banana passionfruit and pawpaw. Ripe zesty and powerful with a fine grainy texture and a pungent aftertaste.

Drylands Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Quintessential Marlborough with a punchy, 'leap out of the glass' aroma and bright fruit flavours filled with gooseberry, limes, grass and summer herbs with a crisp grainy texture and a long, tropical fruit finish that simply goes on and on.

Redwood Pass by Vavasour Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Lovely lime, herb, capsicum, dried grass and tropical fruit aromas and loads of juicy fruit flavours in the palate that's crammed with lime, green melon, spice, tropical fruit and a powerfully long, toasty finish. A wine of texture and richness.

Saint Clair Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Light in colour, vibrantly aromatic and juicy in flavour with a purity and freshness to the lively tropical fruit that's tinged with gooseberry, herbs and citrus and layered with banana passionfruit. Tasty and long. Another superb wine from Saint Clair.

Saint Clair Pioneer Block 2 'Swamp Block' Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007
A softer, slightly sweeter style with limes, beans, gooseberries and herbs on the nose and myriads of tropical fruit flavours with a touch of melon, lime, greengage plums, passionfruit and a little suggestion of sweat on the pungent, flavoursome, almost toasty finish.

Saint Clair Pioneer Block 3 '43 Degrees' Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Named 43 Degrees because of the south east to north west orientation of the vines, this Single Vineyard savvie is all sweetness and brightness with classic flavours of grass, gooseberry, lime, tropical fruit, spice and zest with power and intensity. It's just delicious.

Saint Clair Pioneer Block 6 'Ohl Block' Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Vibrantly perfumed with tangy flavours spearheaded by racy acidity that lifts the gooseberry pungency and herbaceousness of this powerful wine. Pineapple and passionfruit lingers with green melon and lime on the vivaciously pungent and powerful finish. Outstanding.

Saint Clair Wairau Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007
A subtle wine with a delicate perfume but builds in power and flavour and delicious juiciness with a medley of citrus, passionfruit, tropical guava and mangosteen with Marlborough's classic 'greens' emerging and fill the finish with gooseberry, cut grass and limes. Dry, silky and powerfully long.

Stoneleigh Rapaura Series Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007
A myriad of grapefruit, lime, gooseberry and stonefruit on the nose and juicy, fresh flavours of citrus and apples in a intensely focussed palate that garners power and headiness with underlying gooseberry and tobacco and a sweetly pungent finish.

Sugar Loaf Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Gooseberry and nectarine aromas and creamy flavours with a crisp, grainy undercurrent and racy acidity, it's a dry tangy wine that exudes richness and flavour with melons, herbs, citrus and a surge of tropical fruit.

Sugar Loaf Founders Reserve Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Dry and focussed with a fresh, steely purity, tropical guavas tease the nose and gooseberry, limes and tropical fruit fall on a carpet of freshly mown grass. The zesty, citrussy, herbaceous finish is pungent and long.

Villa Maria Gravel Lane Single Vineyard Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007
From a single vineyard site in the Southern Wairau Valley, this is a striking expression of savvie with pungent passionfruit and gooseberry aromas and vibrant, sweet fruit flavours with a honeyed texture, richness of fruit, a spicy undercurrent and a long toasty finish.

Whitehaven 'Greg' Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007
Dedicated to Whitehaven's founder, Greg White, this expressive savvie is from the Rapaura, Brancott and Kekerengu Vineyards, the latter being halfway between Blenheim and Kaikoura. It's smoky and pungent with deliciously tangy vibrant citrus, gooseberry and tropical fruit, a steely undercurrent and a lasting finish.

Charles Wiffen Marlborough Riesling 2006
A powerful Riesling with a lemon honey aroma and crisp citrus and apple flavours with a steeliness balancing the honeyed richness of the finish. There's a touch of sweetness but the racy acidity makes it seem dry.

Forrest Estate "The Doctor's" Marlborough Riesling 2006
This Riesling is just what 'The Doctor' ordered because of its low, 8.5% alcohol content. It comes together in harmony with high sugar and high acid on a lightly textured palate with green apples, limes and mandarin flavours.

Framingham Classic Marlborough Riesling 2006
A full-flavoured Riesling with a honeysuckle and lime blossom aroma and a powerful citrussy flavour with just enough sweetness to balance the juicy apple and lime acidity. It's mouthwatering, tantalising, refreshing and long.

Orlando St Helga Eden Valley Riesling 2004
Light golden coloured, dried hay and lemon biscuit tempt the nose and the lime curd and zest in the lightly oily palate has a blossomy allure. Bright and focussed with clean apple acidity and a creamy richness. Beautiful now but made to age.

Whitehaven Marlborough Riesling 2007
Made in a just 'off dry' style, it's delicately floral on the nose and has a crisp flavoured palate with limes and apples and a juicy richness with just a hint of tangelo marmalade on the finish. Beautifully fresh and ready to go.

Forrest Estate Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2007
Water pale, youthful, with a delicate florals joining pepper and ginger and other intriguing spices, it's medium sweet, smooth and flawless with incredible length and flow and a delicious taste of lychee, mandarin and honeysuckle.

Kemblefield 'The Distinction' Hawkes Bay Gewurztraminer 2006
Lychee, rose petal and violet aromas and reasonably dry, spicy, tangy flavours with hints of liquorice, anise, white pepper and ginger. It's spicy, powerful and long yet has an aura of delicacy with an intriguing finish and Turkish Delight complements the package.

Seifried Winemakers Collection Nelson Gewurztraminer 2007
Exotically perfumed like a Persian boudoir full of rose petals and essential oil scents, it's delicately coloured and opulently flavoured with spice, flower, pink musk and a touch of orange zest adding brightness to the totally delicious, powerful finish.

Morton Estate Private Reserve Viognier 2007
Exotically perfumed with rich, stonefruit flavours, a nectar-like texture and a vibrant and powerful, mouth-awakening finish, it's ripe, rich, spicy and spritzy with a savoury and nougat undercurrent.

Villa Maria Omahu Gravels Hawkes Bay Viognier 2006
Delicately beckoning aromas of apricot and pear and pure clean flavours of apricots and spice with a perfect level of alcoholic warmth. Light and ethereal in its fragrant nature, it's seductive and enticing with great length and persistence and a rose petal intrigue.

Yalumba Eden Valley Viognier 2006
Young, fresh, spicy and zest with bright citrus aromatics and rich flavours of apricot, spice, musk and all things exotic and nice. It's dry on the finish with just a touch of peach adding a fleshy richness while a mealy savouriness adds a spicy warmth.

Greystone Waipara Pinot Gris 2007
Pear and melon and a delicate hint of rose petal tease the nose. Just off dry with sweet pear, melon and tropical fruit, there's a strudel spice infusion and the finish is long.

Johanneshof Trocken / Dry Marlborough Pinot Gris 2007
Extravagantly scented with passionfruit, apple and pear and full of pear and spicy apple strudel flavours, it's oily, powerful and long. Trocken is the German word for 'dry', and this wine is almost bone dry but the power, flavour and richness of the fruit add a delicious balancing sweetness.

Johanneshof Medium Marlborough Pinot Gris 2007
Opulently scented and richly flavoured, this sweeter of the two Johanneshof wines is perfectly balanced and focussed. It's vibrant and fruity with passionfruit, honey and a touch of apricot and the lasting baked apple and musky spiced flavour has elegance and power. Delicious, unctuous and a dead ringer for an Alsace wine.

Koura Sharkstooth Awatere Valley Marlborough Pinot Gris 2007
Tantalising aromas of passionfruit, apple and pear carry through to the ripe juicy palate where fleshy stonefruit adds to the fruity expression. Deliciously fleshy with a dry, tangy finish and citrus blossom, honeysuckle and rose petal adding a spicy, floral brightness.

Mt Rosa Central Otago Pinot Gris 2006
There's a flicker of yellow gold to the hue of this year-older wine which has honeyed melon aromas and deliciously juicy, fruit salad flavours with cherimoya and apricot, honey, spice and rose musk. Long and powerful, bright and clean with flavour, richness and lingering sweetness.

Spy Valley Marlborough Pinot Gris 2007
Light lemon gold, fragrant and fruity, spicy and even a little savoury with ripe pear and stewed apple infused with a touch of mandarin on a creamy texture with a long finish, perfectly balanced tropical fruit sweetness and additional complexity from yeast lees aging.

Terrace Heights Estate Marlborough Pinot Gris 2007
Fresh, spicy and full of tangy lemon biscuit aromas, the ripe pear, baked apple and citrus fruit expands in the deliciously fruity palate which finishes dry with a touch of ginger and a flourish of strudel spice.

Triplebank Awatere Valley Marlborough Pinot Gris 2007
A striking pinot gris from Marlborough's more southern valley, this radiates pear and honeysuckle aromas and spicy, pear, peach and honeyed melon flavours. It's clean and long with a crisp, dry finish and a fruity aftertaste that has power in its length.

Villa Maria Private Bin East Coast Pinot Gris 2007
Grapes from several 'east coast' vineyard regions have resulted in this lightly spicy off-dry gris with pear drop aromas and juicy apple and pear flavours on a perfectly oily texture. Its subtle beginnings expand to a rich, clean, warm finish with a mouth pleasing lusciousness and hints of musk. The bargain buy in Pinot Gris this year.

Beverford Gold Botrytis Semillon 2006 - Victoria, Australia
Bright, lustrous, light lemon gold with a hint of smoky oak to the rich botrytis and toffee aromas and a mellow oak complexity to the sweet rich flavours. It's like lemon meringue pie with a crème brulee topping and the delicious, clean aftertaste is rich with honeycomb and spice.

d'Arenberg 'The Noble' McLaren Vale Chardonnay Semillon 2006 - South Australia
Deep burnished gold, it's fragrant, floral and ctirussy scented with luscious, juicy flavours full of fennel pollen, toffee, apricot, honey and peach. Rich, concentrated and moreish with underlying orange juice acidity keeping the focus bright and clean.

Forrest Estate Botrytised Marlborough Riesling 2006
Clear, bright, 24 carat gold with deliciously inviting aromas of golden spun sugar and pure, focussed, nectar-like flavours. Juicy and clean with a zesty fruit brightness, dried apricot, candied citrus, peach and honey and an orange toffee richness to the racy, long finish. Irresistible.

Kim Crawford Reka SP Noble Marlborough Riesling 2006
All sweetness and finesse, like comb honey on toast with a lime orange marmalade adding an attractive tang. Powerful but not overpowering, just beautifully balanced sweetness and acidity, smooth in its flow with dried apricot and honey cream on the deliciously long finish.

Lawson Dry Hills Late Harvest Marlborough Riesling 2005
Bright yellow gold with honey, botrytis, toffee and beeswax aromas and a rich, viscous and intense flavour with cutting Riesling acidity, flower nectar and rose petals and a long lingering finish crammed with citrus, marmalade and toffee apple.

Matariki Late Harvest Hawkes Bay Riesling 2006
Golden bright with honey and beeswax aromas and thick, viscous, toffee-like flavours with delicious peach, candied pineapple and orange honey flavours that penetrate right through. 50% Botrytis adds exactly the right amount of lusciousness to this gorgeously balanced, sweet tasty wine.

Seifried 'Sweet Agnes' Nelson Riesling Ice Wine 2006
Pale citrine with a lustrous glow, honey and apricot scents tantalise the nose and the bright honeyed flavour tingles with ginger and white pepper. It's clean, light and refreshing with lime sherbet, orange marmalade and a toffee apple brightness to the lingering, luscious finish.

Seifried Nelson Riesling Ice Wine 2006
Very light gold with a gemstone brilliance, honeysuckle and rose petal aromas radiate from this light, fresh sweetie that's full of scintillating racy flavours with juicy tangelo, apricot, limes, honey, brulee custard and caramelised brown sugar. Pungent and lasting.

Waimea Bolitho SV Noble Nelson Chardonnay 2006
Deep gold coloured with 24 carat glints, this wine is thick, sticky, rich and intense with candied orange, apricot and beeswax aromas and deep, rich creamy flavours with candied tropical fruit, judiciously proportioned mellow oak and an everlasting liquid toffee finish.

Champagne Henriot Brut Soverain NV
Class and elegance from the outset. Rich, toasty, yeasty and marmitey with creamy richness and power, a subtle citrussy intrigue adding brightness to the dancing bubbly texture and the finish is crisp and dry.

Champagne Jacquesson Cuvee No. 730 Brut NV
Golden coloured with a fine persistent bead, a tantalising peach bread and cream aroma leads into a fig, date and raisin bread. Rich and toasty with a steely undercurrent to keep it ever fresh. Grand Premier Cru vineyards in Grande Valle de la Marne and Cotes des Blanc. 48% Chardonnay, 32% Pinot Noir and 20% PM.

Champagne Lanson Black Label Champagne Brut NV
Golden coloured with a creamy attack of fine fizzy mousse, a refined bready richness, lifted light florals, underlying sweetness and a delicate poise to its length.

Champagne Lanson Gold Label Brut 1996
From an outstanding vintage year in Champagne, it's rounded and full with baked brioche and citrus zest aromas and a rich creamy texture with a fine attack of bubbles and underlying acidity still keeping the wine amazingly fresh.

Champagne Lanvin & Fils Brut NV
Bright, crisp and steely, like a breath of spring with a toasty nutty richness, it's extremely elegant and long with a finesse to the bubbly texture, an earthy depth and lingering cashew and fig.

Champagne Louis Roederer Brut Premier NV
A very fine Champagne made from predominantly Pinot Noir, it's crisp, fresh and nutty with a citrussy tang, a fine bubbly texture and a creamy richness to the lasting finish. Restrained yet classy.

Champagne Jacquart Brut Mosaique NV
Oozing freshness and class, it's tingly, bright and nutty with a creamy texture and a long, crisp, extra dry, nutty finish with richness and depth.

Champagne Pol Roger Chardonnay 1998
Rich, broad and yeasty with plenty of bubbles and a marmite richness - it's creamy, powerful and decadent with a hint of peach blossom on the tangy finish. Totally delicious.

Champagne Veuve Clicquot Brut NV
From the lovely head of bubbly mousse when poured, it radiates fresh, biscuity, yeasty aromas and fulfils with it's toast and marmite flavours in the powerful and creamy palate with a ‘spring in the air’ vibrancy, a nutty richness and excellent length.

Esk Valley Hawkes Bay Rose 2007
A blend of Merlot and Malbec gives depth to the ruby pink colour. Cherry and spice with a rich, creamy texture, this deliciously juicy Rosé is consistently NZ's best.

Fernwood Gisborne / Hawkes Bay Rosé 2007
Made from 100% Malbec, hence the deep, clear ruby hue, this is a strikingly rich, savoury 'pink' with a fragrant scent and a dry, spicy flavour with cherry fruit and just a little bit of grip.

Barossa Valley Estate Ebenezer Cabernet Merlot 2001 - South Australia
Still vivid in colour despite being six years of age, this impressive wine tastes remarkably youthful too. Delicious cassis and cherry fruit, chocolate, hints of mint and velvety tannins combine with smoky oak and bottle aged characters to add further complexity to the powerfully long, savoury finish.

Chapel Hill McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - South Australia
Spicy, smoky, tarry, succulent and savoury with concentrated fruit, cigar box, meaty tannins and a suggestion of mint. A powerful, grunter of a wine in every way with richness, structure and length.

Church Road Reserve Hawkes Bay Cabernet Merlot 2005 - Hawkes Bay
A deep, rich, full-bodied red packed with blackcurrants, plums, spice and fragrant smoky oak. There's a savoury, earthy undercurrent and a firm tannin structure with hints of chocolate and fruit sweetness lingering in the mouth for ages. Matured in French oak for 20 months.

Elderton Ashmead Single Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - South Australia
Sourced from the oldest vines on the Barossa Valley estate and matured in French oak for 22 months and then for some time in the bottle before release this beautifully integrated wine allures from the outset. Deep in colour, fragrantly scented and deliciously flavoured with spice, red and black fruits and chocolately oak, the silky tannins add to the seductive attraction. A sumptuous wine that is hard to resist.

Fox Creek Pethick Road McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon Merlot 2006 - South Australia
Rich, ripe and savoury with mocha, red fruits, spicy oak and powerful fine-grained tannins, this exciting young wine is striking already yet will evolve even more with cellaring. Long and juicy with hints of mint and chocolate lingering on the bright, peppy finish.

Jacobs Creek Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - South Australia
Deep in colour, medium to full-bodied in style, crammed with creamy oak and juicy fruit with smoky oak, peppery spice and grippy tannins the palate fills out with Black Doris plums, hints of violets and a suggestion of musk.

Murray Street Cabernets 2004 - South Australia
A blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon from the Barossa Valley and 44% Cabernet Franc from the Adelaide Hills, this rich, juicy, fragrant full-bodied red is jam-packed with ripe red fruits, chocolatey oak, smooth integrated tannins and hints of mint. Matured for just 8 months in French and American oak, it's long, succulent and spicy.

Rosemount Show Reserve Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - South Australia
With it's trendy new diamond shaped bottle, this wine tastes as attractive as it looks. Smoky and savoury with hints of tobacco and chicory and an underpinning of dried herbs, the succulent fruit, chocolate and oak sweetness balance the savouriness beautifully. Powerful and concentrated with a long, lasting finish.

Shingleback D Block Reserve McLaren Vale Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - South Australia
Rich and juicy with ripe plummy fruit and a burst of black currants; chocolate and violets provide an intriguing contrast. There's a dense, earthy undercurrent with hints of dried herbs while spicy oak and velvety tannins complete the picture, but it's not a snapshot, it's a movie and the concentrated finish just keeps on going.

St John's Road Barossa Valley The Dog Walker Greenock Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 - South Australia
Lovely and focussed with delicious blackcurrant and cherry fruit, spicy French oak and hints of liquorice chocolate, this outstanding red commands attention. Smooth, delicious, juicy and lasting with a sweet smoky overlay.

Taltarni Pyrenees Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - Victoria, Australia
Peppery with noticeable tannins but there's a lovely juiciness to the finish with violets and redcurrant and hints of mint and a purity to the cabernet sauvignon fruit. Still tight and young with plenty to offer as it develops. Classy.

Church Road Reserve Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 - Hawkes Bay
A classy, smooth, silky textured red with a smoky cedar aroma and a robust flavour of blackcurrant, plum, cigar box, chocolate, leather and dried herbs. Concentrated, harmonious and long with sweetness on the finish.

Clearview Old Olive Block Merlot Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - Hawkes Bay
A blend of 44% Merlot, 28% Cabernet Sauvignon, 23% Cabernet Franc and 5% Malbec with 18 months in French and American oak, this fragrant and concentrated blend has a lovely balance of fruit, oak and tannins with wild berries, blackcurrant, plum, chocolate and spice. Harmonious and integrated with a savoury depth.

Esk Valley Reserve Merlot Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 - Hawkes Bay
Deep, dark and cedary with concentrated aromas and rich, rounded flavours of savoury oak, opulent red and black fruits, dried herbs and leather. Fine silky tannins provide harmony to the flow and the fleshy finish is voluptuous and spicy. One of New Zealand's most respected Merlot dominant wines.

Kominos Winemaker's Reserve Merlot 2005 -Queensland
Last year's Trophy winner in the Merlot class and now with gold again, this Granite Belt wine is no one trick wonder. Deep and rich, juicy plum and raisin fruit, liquorice, spice, hints of chocolate box and a harmony of French oak and fine-textured tannins.

Shakespeare Cliff Merlot 2005 - Coromandel Peninsula
From a beautifully situated east coast vineyard overlooking Cook's Beach and Shakespeare Cliff , it's deep in colour and smoky in character with cherries, blackcurrants and fruit cake spices balancing the French oak and cigar box savouriness. Juicy, concentrated, fleshy and long.

Brokenwood Beechworth Shiraz Viognier 2005 - Victoria
Juicy, fragrant and spicy with a fleshy overlay to the tight grained texture, there's an exotic allure to the spices with cherry, bitter chocolate, sweet oak, nutmeg and pepper and the bright toasty finish is lifted and long.

Grant Burge Filsell Shiraz 2005 - South Australia
Radiating fragrance and flavour with seductive chocolatey oak and spice. It's sumptuous and mouthfilling with chocolate, cherry, a hint of mint, spice, beautifully integrated savoury oak and fine grained tannins. Classic 'old vine' Barossa Valley Shiraz.

Gemtree McLaren Vale Uncut Shiraz 2006 - South Australia
Fragrant sweet oak, violet and spice aromas and rich, powerful, succulent oak, ripe cherry and blackberry flavours with chocolate, spice, earth, dried herbs, pepper and liquorice. Deep and concentrated with fine-grained tannins and a long creamy finish.

Henry’s Drive Padthaway Shiraz 2005 - South Australia
Peppery aroma and bright spicy flavours with opulently creamy oak, juicy red and black fruit and a chocolatey finish. Massive, meaty and powerful, succulent and long with fruit brightness to the lingering spicy aftertaste.

Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz 2004 - South Australia
Juicy from the outset with spicy aromas and dark chocolatey flavours combing deliciously with red cherry and blackberry fruit and creamy oak with velvety tannins and a spicy, lifted finish. A ripe, tasty, medium-bodied style.

Marlargo Fingers Crossed Red 2006 - South Australia A regional blend of Shiraz and 13% Petit Verdot, this super ripe, concentrated, full-bodied wine is fleshy and rich with fine tannins, fruit cake spices, pepper and hints of tobacco. As the striking label says, "surprising and exceptional".

Manara Rock Barossa Shiraz 2005 - South Australia
Juicy, fruity medium-bodied Shiraz with fine light tannins, dark juicy fruit, raspberry, chocolate and liquorice with just a touch of jaffa adding brightness and lift. Amazing value.

Passage Rock Reserve Waiheke Island Syrah 2006 - New Zealand
Cool climate characters add elegance to this block buster from the 'Island of Wine'. Opulently spicy with savoury oak, nutmeg, luscious purple fruit, liquorice and black pepper heat, it is rich, sumptuous and long.

Petaluma Shiraz 2005 - South Australia
From the higher Adelaide Hills, east of the city, this appealing fragrant Shiraz is enhanced by 7% Viognier in the blend, this powerful dry red is rich in colour with a seamless delivery of mocha-like oak, red fruits, fruit cake spice, pepper and a long, dry tingly finish.

Peter Lehmann Futures Shiraz 2005 - South Australia
Smelling of pepper and spice, this is a big, tight wine with powerful tannins, sweet oak and juicy blackberry fruits. Oak makes a statement on the finish of this impressive package.

Pirathon Barossa Shiraz 2005 - South Australia
Made by Kalleske from a number of Barossa sites, this old vine Shiraz is all class and finesse. Beautifully fine tannins, sweet toasted oak, purple and black fruits, chocolate, nutmeg and black pepper spice - it’s multi-layered and complex with texture and power.

Rolling Shiraz 2005 - New South Wales
From the high rolling slopes of the Central Ranges, this radiates cool climate charm of pepper and exotic spices with succulent raspberry and redcurrant fruits and a brightness to the savoury, integrated, dark oak finish. Smooth in delivery and long in flavour.

Sandalford Estate Reserve Shiraz 2004 - Western Australia
From the Margaret River region, this is juicy and fragrant with lavender, dried roses, cherry and spice. A multi-layered, complex, concentrated, tight grained Shiraz with allspice adding allure to the sweet-fruited, smoky, chocolatey depth.

Saltram Mamre Brook Barossa Shiraz 2005 - South Australia
Juicy and generous with cherry and redcurrant fruit, pepper, vanilla, chocolate and sweet spice, it’s rich and succulent, dark and toasty, savoury and long. Another winner from this most consistent label.

Shingleback McLaren Vale Show Reserve Shiraz 2005 - South Australia
With delicious red fruits, savoury oak and a creamy texture, this wine screams 'class' all the way through. Gorgeously balanced and refined with chocolate, liquorice, leather and even a hint of tar, it has a lovely spicy lift and the finish is long.

St John’s Road Blood and Courage Shiraz 2006 - South Australia
Vividly coloured, with concentrated aroma of blueberry and blackberry with a hint of liquorice, a smattering of black pepper and smoky oak. Red and black fruits fill the juicy palate together with creamy French oak, fruit cake spices, grainy tannins and smoke with an underlying savouriness and red fruit acidity pointing to its cellaring potential. But why wait? It's seems a little softer and sweeter than last year's Champion wine and with chocolate, cherry, liquorice and mocha lingering on the rounded aftertaste, this powerful wine is very seductive already

Tapestry ‘The Vincent’ Shiraz 2004 - South Australia
A multi-layered expression of classy McLaren Vale Shiraz, the iron stone soils deliver a tight earthy depth to this powerful, yet elegant wine. Fine textured tannins, blue and black fruit, succulent sweet oak and a spicy aftertaste add to the delicious experience.

Thorn-Clarke Sandpiper Shiraz 2005
Chocolate raisins, spiced plums and berries make a forward fruit statement to this juicy, ripe Barossa wine. Just the lighter side of full-bodied, it's a soft, uncomplicated style with toasty oak and underlying savouriness. Already drinking well.

Thorn-Clarke William Randell Shiraz 2004 - South Australia
Opulent from the outset with a heady sweet oak and spice aroma, this Barossa Shiraz tastes ripe, rich and fleshy with spice, chocolate, creamy oak and an underlying savouriness. It all comes together with beautifully integrated tannins and lingers in the most harmonious and seductive way.

Tolley Elite Shiraz 2005 - Australia
An old name of Australian wine back at the top with this intriguing blend of Barossa, McLaren Vale and Bendigo grapes. Pepper, mocha, liquorice and dried herbs combine with juicy blackberry, plum and blackcurrant fruit. It's spicy and savoury with succulent tannins and perfectly proportioned fragrant oak.

Viu Manent Secreto Syrah 2006 - Colchagua Valley, Chile
Vividly coloured and fragrantly scented, it's deep, dark and savoury yet fruity and ripe with jammy red and black fruits, fine velvety tannins, a rich meaty finish and a succulent aftertaste.

Wolf Blass Grey Label Shiraz 2005 - South Australia
A sumptuous, powerful McLaren Vale Shiraz with ripe, nutty flavours, peppery spice, creamy oak, blackberries, chocolate and a savoury richness. Matured in American and French oak for 18 months, it’s a veritable blockbuster in the best possible way.

Xabregas Shiraz 2005 - Western Australia
There’s a point of difference to this wine from Mt Barker near the southern-most coast of W.A. Hints of violets and rose petals add to the white pepper fragrance and the bright spicy flavour has considerable depth. With red and blue fruits, dried herbs, velvety tannins and warm vanillin oak, it's long, succulent and savoury.

Bannock Brae Barrel Selection Central Otago Pinot Noir 2006
Big, rich and savoury and meaty, this is powerful and grunty with immediate oomph and appeal. Ripe red and black fruit, musky spice, mocha and sweet oak with plush velvety tannins and an earthy, savoury depth - it completely seduces the palate. Terrific wine.

De Vine Central Otago Pinot Noir 2006
Savoury, spice, plum and black cherry fruit with smoky oak and a silky textured finish. From the cooler Gibbston region of Central Otago, this seduces the palate with its chocolatey richness.

Foxes Island Marlborough Pinot Noir 2005
Opulent and expressive with a plush, velvet-edged silky texture, layers of fruit, spice and oak, and an intriguing earthy, savoury depth. With its attractive spice scent and full-bodied flavours, it radiates richness and class.

Gibbston Valley Reserve Central Otago Pinot Noir 2006
One of the most vividly coloured wines in the line-up, alluring cherry and spice aromas lead into a spicy, earthy, savoury palate with a firm tannin structure that will assist its ability to age. Sweet fruited with hints of musk, smoky vanillin oak and a long, succulent finish, it's a big wine yet has a classy elegance.

Gibbston Valley Central Otago Pinot Noir 2006
Savoury aromas with hints of smoke and wild thyme and a ripe, juicy, well-integrated palate with cherry and plum fruit and hints of chocolate. It's spicy and delicious with refined silky tannins and lasting flavour. A complete package.

Julicher Martinborough Pinot Noir 2006
Appealingly scented, floral yet meaty with intriguing red guava, cherry and meaty flavours with a velvety texture and a sweet chocolate richness to the succulent yet savoury finish. Hints of rose petals and a spicy cherry aftertaste complement a very classy wine.

Kathy Lynskey Wines Casto Reserve Marlborough Pinot Noir 2006
Meaty, earthy and savoury with nutty oak, ripe cherry and spice. There's a lush sweetness to the savoury earthy flavours with powerful tannins, intriguing exotic spices and hints of rose petal adding allure to the finish.

Kiritea Pinot Noir 2006
Made by Te Hera Estate in Martinborough, this juicy fruit-forward wine is sure to appeal. Lashings of maraschino cherry, with smoky oak, spice, hints of violet and a gamey, savoury depth. Excellent value.

Northrow Marlborough Pinot Noir 2005
Lovely rich savoury nose and a spicy, savoury palate, it's concentrated, pure and long with a meaty / savoury / spritzy floral and spice lift to finish where the guava and red cherry fruit emerges with abundance. A more medium-bodied style with balance and flow.

Montana Terroir Series Forgotten Valley Marlborough Pinot Noir 2006
Rich, meaty, dense and savoury with silky tannins and a harmonious flow. A wine of depth and elegance with smoky bacon, tamarillo, bittersweet cherries and woody herbs balancing the opulent fruit sweetness with a hint of chocolate on the dry, lingering finish.

Mondillo Central Otago Pinot Noir 2006
100% estate grown fruit from the warmer Bendigo sub region of Central Otago has resulted in a dense, rich, savoury mouthful with plush, lush blackberry and plum emerging from behind the tightness of the youthful, silk-lined velvety tannins. Long and savoury with lashing of sweet spices, it looks a long term prosect.

Mud House Swan Clearvue Vineyard Central Otago Pinot Noir 2006
Dense in appearance, aromatic and perfumed with fine silky tannins and an earthy gamey depth to the sweet red fruits with exotic spices adding intrigue. A citrussy note adds a bright flourish to the savoury finish.

Stoneleigh Rapaura Series Marlborough Pinot Noir 2006
Smoky with cherry and hints of chocolate on the nose, it's sweet-fruited and silky textured with a harmonious flow. More medium-bodied and beautifully balanced with a brightness of fruit and a savoury depth. Ready now.

Thornbury Marlborough Pinot Noir 2006
Ripe and expressive with cherry fruit sweetness and spice, it's long rich and savoury with hints of marmite while underlying acidity adds brightness to the tasty finish and excellent length.

The Crater Rim Omihi Rise Waipara Pinot Noir 2006
Savoury, meaty aromas and dense, firm-textured flavours with smoky oak, sweet leather, earth and game. Powerful and tight with black cherry and spiced plum fruit and a long, rich, savoury finish.

The Crater Rim Central Otago Pinot Noir 2006
Perfumed and alluring with smoke, leather and a hint of orange pomander, it's all sweetness and light in the palate with a silky tannin structure, red and black cherries, hints of chocolate, smoke and anise-like spice.

Villa Maria Single Vineyard Seddon Pinot Noir 2006
From Marlborough's Awatere Valley, this is a charismatic rendition of a more elegant style. Long, pure and savoury with silky tannins and savouriness balancing fruitiness, a smoky intrigue and abundant Pinot Noir charm. Red and black fruit expands on the palate and lingers with a tantalising persistence.

Villa Maria Single Vineyard Taylors Pass Pinot Noir 2005
From Marlborough's Awatere Valley, this deep rich red has a spicy, meaty aromas and earthy, savoury gamey flavours bound together by powerful meaty tannins. Delicious red guava and cherry fruits emerge with a hint of rose spice and chocolate on the long, succulent finish. A class act.

Wild Earth Central Otago Pinot Noir 2006
A blend of Lowburn and Bannockburn fruit, this is full of fruit cake cherries with just a hint of citrus that adds almost a jaffa-like nuance to the spicy, chocolatey finish. Lighted and bright with firm silky tannins, underlying earthiness and an intriguing nuance of Central Otago wild thyme.

Wild Rock Wine Company Strugglers Flat Martinborough Pinot Noir 2006
Dense, meaty and savoury with hints of chocolate and leather on the nose, the complexity carries through to the firm-textured palate where succulent ripe cherry fruit emerges and a flourish of sweet oak and spice lingers on the lasting finish with velvety tannins, spice and power. Outstanding value.

d’Arenberg The Cadenzia Grenache Shiraz Mourvedre 2006
From vineyards in the McLaren Vale, there's abundant sweet oak and cherry on the nose and a chocolate richness to the creamy, red berry flavour with pepper and spice, firm succulent tannins and a long juicy finish.

Kalleske Clarry’s Grenache Shiraz 2006
Ripe and juicy with currants, spice, creamy oak, liquorice and a fruit cake richness. A savoury undercurrent balances the porty, raisiny flavours of this full-bodied red and the finish is smoky and long.

Murray Street 'The Barossa' 2005
A blend of Shiraz, Grenache, Cinsault and Mataro, this concentrated, powerful and opulent red has spicy red fruits, vanillin oak, beautifully integrated tannins and a juicy sweetness. It's multi-layered in its pepper flavours with a savoury, earthy, leathery depth and just a suggestion of mint.

Carchelo Monastrell Syrah 2006 - Jumilla, Spain
Smoky and fragrant with a hint of cassis, this deep coloured red is succulent, savoury and spicy with soft tannins, a creamy texture and multi-layered, mouthfilling flavours. It's ripe and jammy with a powerful rusticity and amazing length.

Frescobaldi Nipozzano Riserva Chianti Ruffina 2004 - Italy
From the famous Tuscany region and made from 100% Sangiovese grapes, this deep coloured red exudes dried cherries and savoury oak flavours with a wild berry rusticity, firm tannins and plenty of underlying acidity to drive it along.

Sessantanni Old Vines Primitivo di Manduria 2004 - Italy
In the biggest, heaviest bottle you can imagine, the wine is massive too. Vivid purple red, prune and raisin aromas and huge black and red fruit flavours with a mouthfilling ripeness, a touch of liquorice, smooth flowing tannins and a sweet spicy finish.

Terriero Negroamaro 2006 - Puglia, Italy
From Italy's 'heel', this deeply coloured and juicy, fruit tea-scented red is full of peppery spice, cured meats and savoury oak on bed of soft velvety tannins with rustic wild berries and a long musky finish.

Yalumba Handpicked Tempranillo Grenache 2006 - Barossa Valley, South Australia
Deep rich red with a sweet smoky fragrance, it's dense, earthy and tarry with savoury oak, smoke, tobacco, sweet black and red currant fruit, a hint of mint and a juicy succulence to the powerful, long finish.

Chanamuyo Estate Petit Verdot 2006 - Argentina
Inky saturated purple black - vivid and bright. Fruitcake aromas and sweet red and black currant flavours with fine nutty oak, hints of sweet leather, robust tannins, spice, violets, liquorice and tar. Earthy and rustic, succulent, juicy and long.

Cono Sur Reserva Carmenere 2006 - Colchagua Valley, Chile
Smoky, leathery, sweet oak and tobacco aromas and dark, tarry, dense savoury flavours with a meaty richness, robust tannins, dried herbs, juicy wild blackcurrant and boysenberry fruit and a fruitcake spice flourish to the sweet creamy finish.

Viu Manent Secreto Malbec 2006 - Chile
Vivid purple in colour and dense in appearance. Rich, jammy, concentrated and powerful with big gobs of sweet juicy purple fruit, liquorice, chocolate, anise-like spices and an earthy, savoury, sweet leather element. Amazing intensity and flavour with deliciously supple tannins.

Sandeman Vintage Port 2000
Deep black red, dense in appearance, the heady aromas smell rich, spicy and decadent and the sweet, spirity, porty taste is even more so. Full of liquorice, cassis, wild berries, raisin and spicy oak, it's deliciously warm with a lingering finish which is sumptuously satisfying.