Keeping the love in the Hawke's Bay, we have a bit of a sweet treat today with the Askerne Late-Harvest Semillon. Askerne are one of the very few producers in NZ making Semillon - and in my sweet-toothed opinion, it is the dessert wines that are the stars. This wine has some age, and being in a clear bottle, that ageing process has been advanced by ultra-violet light. Consequently, we have something much akin to golden syrup in the glass, with intense aromas of caramel, grapefruit, marmalade and lemon, as well as more savoury notes of nutmeg, baked fruit skins, and rasins-in-the-little-Sunmaid-box-in-your-lunch-box-at-school. Actually - those lunch-box rasins spill into the mouth, with a kind-of Canadian maple syrup and lhome-made lemonade after-glow. I rather think I like this - but it's only a small bottle !
Sparkling & Fortified
This section includes sparkling wines (including Cava, Prosecco, and Champagne), dessert wines, and other fortified wines as well as Sherry, Port, Cognac and Brandy.
Gold Medal and Trophy winner at the 2011 Air NZ Wine Awards/ 5 Stars - Raymond Chan: Lush stone-fruit (apricots and nectarine), fresh melon and honey make up the delicate, slightly floral nose. The lingering palate is unctuous yet fresh showing more sweet stone-fruit, honey and beautifully integrated botrytis notes. Made by Rebecca Wiffen, this yellow golden dessert wine is superb! 154g/L residual sugar.
This Blanc de Blancs is bright, crisp, and refreshing. Due to a cancelled export order we have this cleanskin available for our customers at the great price of $15. This is only available for a limited time so come in to try today.
This is classy Methode Traditionnelle with toasty, nutty notes from time on yeast. Baked apple and brioche on the palate and lovely creamy texture make this a dream. Buy a bottle for Mothers Day, receive a free box of chocolates (while stocks last) and go into the draw to win two Riedel champagne flutes!
This traditional style method Chardonnay shows distinct yeast characteristics on the nose with toast and grapefruit marmalade mid palate. Light carbonation and a velvety mid-dry finish round out this little celebration in a bottle!
Ah well, it's Christmas, and by Wineseeker tradition we have our lovely Jean Marc Vigreux Frere Champagne on 'tasting' today. This is probably best described as Wineseeker's house Champagne. At under $55 a bottle, we sell SO much of it - as what you are paying for is what is INSIDE the bottle, not what is on the label - and dare I say it, this wine in blind tastings ALWAYS stands head and shoulders above the likes of Veuve Cliquot and Moet. Lots of apple, citrus and biscotti notes on both the nose and aroma, this is a great Christmas crowd-pleaser! Tasted regularly by Nicola
Johanneshof 'Emmi' is an elegant, yeasty wine with a touch of European class.
Sultry, slightly smoky, unctuous, sweet but clean, this is the perfect accompaniment for cheese, nuts, dried fruit and, of course, dessert. There's a weight in the palate from a bit of maturity and a fleshiness that many of its ilk never achieve. Pure indulgence.