Waipara Springs Pinot Noir 2004 Waipara, New Zealand
Hand harvested, destemmed, cold soaked, hand plunged, gently pressed and aged in French oak - a classic recipe for Pinot Noir, and here it has worked brilliantly well. This wine has a lovely perfumed nose of sweet, lush dark cherry and berry fruit, with a hint of spiciness. It is elegant, ripe and lush. The palate is dense and spicy with smooth, concentrated, rich fruit. Ripe and full with lovely weight: it's certainly a big style of Pinot, a bit like a modern-styled Grand Cru Burgundy. Delicious stuff. Very good/excellent 94/100 (£13.50 Hellion Wines) 07/06

Ranui Pinot Noir Wairau Valley 2005 Marlborough, New Zealand
Hand-picked and hand-plunged before ageing in French oak. Sweet rounded cherr and berry fruit nose with just a hint of stewed fruit. There's a sweet liqueur-like edge to the dark cherry and berry fruit. The palate is smooth with alluring dark cherry fruit. Not at all overdone: delicious stuff. Very good/excellent 91/100 (£9.95 Hellion Wines) 07/06

Lowburn Ferry Skeleton Creek Pinot Noir 2004 Central Otago, New Zealand
Perfumed, fresh black cherry nose is quite subtle, and has a pleasant, subtly green character in the background. There's a nice, spicy tang to the sweet black cherry fruit on the palate. Quite a rich, juicy, vibrant style. Tasty. Very good/excellent 90/100 (£12.95 Hellion Wines) 07/06  

Mount Riley Pinot Noir 2004 Nelson, New Zealand
Light coloured. Open, quite perfumed nose of cherries and red fruits with a slightly herbal tang. There’s some sweetness. The palate is fresh with good acid and bright fruit. A hint of complexity just about justifies the purchase price. It’s one of those Pinot Noirs that verges on being a bit simple and fruity. Very good+ 88/100 (£13.99 Wine Rack, Thresher, £9.99 if you buy three) 01/06

Mount Riley Sauvignon Blanc 2004 Marlborough, New Zealand
A really striking example of this variety with pungent green pepper and herbs dominant. The palate is herby and fresh with some gooseberry character. An intense style. Rounded and concentrated. Very good+ 87/100 (£11.99 Wine Rack, £7.99 if you buy 3) 01/06

Two Paddocks The Last Chance Pinot Noir 2004 Central Otago, New Zealand
This is a celebrity wine, in that it comes from actor Sam Neill’s vineyard in Central Otago. And it’s a ripper, mate. A palish cherry red colour it has a smooth aromatic nose of cherries, herbs, a bit of spice and a subtle green character. The palate has some warmth to the ripe red fruit which is nicely defined by the grippy, spicy tannic structure lurking underneath the sweetness. A delicious balanced Pinot Noir that combines fruit and structure to good effect. Very good/excellent 92/100 (Haynes, Hanson & Clark £14.99) 06/06

Carrick Pinot Gris 2004 Central Otago, New Zealand
Nice bright fresh Pinot Gris with good acidity. There’s a bit of weight to the melony grapefruity palate but it doesn’t get heavy. Sophisticated. Very good+ 89/100 (£12.95 Great Western Wine) 07/06

Muddy Waters James Hardwick Riesling 2004 Wairapa, New Zealand
A thrilling Riesling with an open perfumed nose and a palate of melon and pear fruit, with a racy, citrussy edge. It’s dry but the little residual sugar present provides a nice texture. A really complete wine. Very good/excellent 92/100 (Corney & Barrow) 07/06

Framingham Pinot Noir 2004 Marlborough, New Zealand
Cherry and herb nose is a little tangy with some coca cola notes. The palate is bright and fruity with a herbal note and some spice. There’s a bit of sweet and sour fruit here. Nice but not elegant. Very good+ 86/100 (£12.49 Les Caves de Pyrene, Naked Grape, Wimbeldon Wine Cellar) 07/06

Framingham Classic Riesling 2005 Marlborough, New Zealand
Quite a tight complex nose of intense lime with a honeyed sweetness behind it. The palate is concentrated and rich with lovely citrussy Riesling flavours well backed up by some residual sugar, which fattens things up and is in nice tension with the acidity. Fairly serious and great with cheese. Very good/excellent 90/100 (£9.99 Carrington [Manchester], Ex-Cellar, Les Caves de Pyrene, Bedales, Le Pont de la Tour Wineshop, Wimbledon Wine Cellar) 07/06

Redmetal Vineyards Basket Press Merlot/Cabernet Franc 2004 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
A striking wine. Perfumed sweet dark cherry nose with a pronounced spicy character and some subtle tarry oak. The palate is richly fruited but has a savoury tang and good acid, together with some tannic structure and a bit of tarry supporting oak. A big wine kitted out for the long haul. Very good/excellent 90/100 (Hellion Wines) 07/06

Redmetal Vineyards Merlot/Cabernet Franc 2004 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
There’s a fruity brightness here, along with a subtle greenness, but overall this is a deliciously ripe mid-bodied red with vibrant red berry fruits and a hint of spice. Nicely proportioned and softly structured. Very good+ 88/100 (Hellion Wines) 07/06

Waipara Springs Riesling 2004 Waipara, New Zealand
Very pretty limey, flowery nose, which is fruity with just a hint of sweetness. The palate has bracing acidity and nicely concentrated lime-tinged fruit. Just a hint of sweetness adding weight, but it’s dry in character. Very good+ 88/100 (Hellion Wines) 07/06

Waipara Springs Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Waipara, Canterbury, New Zealand
A lovely bright, fresh peppery nose with a lovely expressive nature. It’s a bit like a Grüner Veltliner. Ripe on the palate but very fresh without any heavy greenness to it. A delcious stylish Sauvignon with real balance. Very good/excellent 92/100 (Hellion Wines) 08/06

Montana Reserve Pinot Noir 2004 Marlborough, New Zealand
Bright and fruity with sweet cherryish fruit underlain by some spicy structure, and accompanied by some fresh green herbal notes. It tastes like Pinot but it’s a bit simple and fruity. Very good+ 87/100 08/06

Blind River Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Marlborough, New Zealand
This is one of the most complex and enjoyable Sauvignons I’ve had in a long time. It has a forward nose that’s grassy and herby with some tropical fruit richness. Nice balance here. The palate is rich and full with lovely fresh fruit and a spicy herbal edge. Quite complex. One one hand we have the slightly sweet-edged tropical fruit, and on the other there’s fresh grassiness. A striking, complete wine. Very good/excellent 93/100 (£9.99 Oddbins) 02/06

Peacock Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon/Malbec/Merlot/Cabernet Franc 2002 Waiheke Island, New Zealand
Intense dark nose of tar, green herbal notes and black fruits with a pungent, spicy, almost medicinal character. There’s something wild about this. The palate is dense and tarry with a spicy, medicinal undercurrent to the herb-tinged black fruits. There’s a tannic finish and an almost animal-like edge to this wine which makes me suspect brett. Unusual and not for the faint hearted. Very good+ 88/100 (Hellion Wines) 08/05

Three Miners Pinot Noir 2003 Earnscleugh Valley, Central Otago, New Zealand
Rounded berry fruit nose with a hint of tar and spice. The palate is rounded and quite elegant, showing a smooth, midweight character with a cola-like spicy tang on the finish and plenty of supple red berry fruit. Reasonably elegant and thoughtful. Enjoyable but could perhaps do with just a touch more complexity. Very good+ 89/100 (Hellion Wines) 08/05

Staete Landt Sauvignon Blanc 2004 Marlborough, New Zealand
New Zealand Sauvignon can get a bit monotonous, so it’s really nice to catch one like this that makes you take a step back, because it’s just so good. It’s beautifully perfumed and sophisticated with great balance. There’s gently herby, grassy, gooseberry fruit with lovely weight on the palate and sophisticated, complex fruit. A brilliant effort. Very good/excellent 93/100 (Lay & Wheeler) 04/06

Peacock Ridge Reserve Merlot 2002 Waiheke Island, New Zealand
Dark coloured. Ripe sweet blackcurrant fruit dominates with a nice, spicy, tarry, subtly gravelly character. Good concentration here and a smooth yet firm structure, coming in part from the noticeable (but reasonably integrated) oak. A good wine: rich, in a new world style, but still showing some sort of balance. Very good/excellent 90/100 (Hellion Wines) 06/06

Montana Sauvignon Blanc 2005 Marlborough, New Zealand
There’s some nice richness here to the classic grassy, gooseberry fruit. Plenty of concentration of flavour with bright acidity keeping things fresh. A very successful interpretation of the classic Marlborough style. Very good+ 87/100 (£5.99 widely available) 11/05

Lowburn Ferry Skeleton Creek Pinot Noir 2004 Central Otago, New Zealand
Open, sweet red and black fruits nose with some spiciness and a hint of chocolate. The palate is sweetly fruited (dark cherry, blackberry) and spicy, but with nice smooth tannic structure. There’s a hint of vanilla underneath the spiciness. A sophisticated Pinot showing elegance and balance. Very good/excellent 91/100  06/06

Cloudy Bay Te Koko Sauvignon Blanc 2002 Marlborough, New Zealand
Yield 9.5 tons/hectare, Scott-Henry trellising, fermented in French oak, total acidity 6.2 g/l, pH 3.12. Incredible bold, herby grassy nose. The palate is rich and rounded with a lovely herbal edge to the sweet fruit. Very broad and plush. Very good/excellent 92/100 (£17.99 Waitrose) 04/05  

Lindauer Special Select Brut NV
This isn’t a rosé, but it has a hint of pink – it’s a pale salmon colour. Very fresh aromatic lemony edge to the nose which has intriguing notes of herbs and seaside (!). The palate is savoury and bright with good acid and some strawberry sweetness to the fruit. Delicious. Very good/excellent 90/100 (£7.99 Waitrose, Oddbins) 12/05

Villa Maria Sauvignon Blanc 2006 Marlborough, New Zealand
It’s a bit easy to get bored with Sauvignon Blanc because it’s sometimes a one-trick pony—so many of them taste similar. I was pretty impressed with this, though: it’s a wonderfully bright, intense, fruity Sauvignon Blanc that is deliciously full-on, with piercing fresh acidity. It’s as if they’ve taken a regular Sauvignon and turned the volume knob up to 11. Very good+ 89/100 (£7.99 Waitrose) 11/06

Craggy Range Le Sol Syrah 2002 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Dark coloured, this has a sweet, intense nose that’s well defined. The palate is ripe with supersmooth, concentrated supple dark fruits showing a spicy edge. Elegant and delicious. Very good/excellent 92/100 (£29.99 Waitrose) 10/05 

Cloudy Bay Pinot Noir 2003 Marlborough, New Zealand
Open spicy, meaty nose with red fruits and a subtle undergrowthy edge. The palate is quite concentrated and dense with a chewy, spicy edge to the ripe red fruits. A nice wine that is quite savoury and restrained. Very good/excellent 90/100 (£15.99 Waitrose) 04/05

Cairnbrae ‘The Stones’ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2004 Marlborough, New Zealand
Really vivid, piercing, grassy Sauvignon, but the nose shows a bit of restraint, with a rounded grassy character that is half-way to Sancerre. On the palate there’s some rounded blackcurrant and gooseberry fruit. It’s a nice Sauvignon. Very good+ 88/100 (£7.99 H&H Bancroft Wines) 11/05

Craggy Range Le Sol Syrah 2002 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
New Zealand is best known for its fabulous white wines, but in recent years the reds have been improving rapidly. This delicious Syrah is a striking, elegant red wine that will blow you away with its concentrated, super-smooth red fruits, backed up by nice spiciness. It’s a powerful wine, but it achieves its impact efforletlessly. Not at all over-the-top. Very good/excellent 92/100 (£29.99 Waitrose) 10/05

Villa Maria Private Bin Riesling 2004 Marlborough, New Zealand
New Zealand is better known for its exuberant Sauvignon Blancs, but it also makes some impressive Riesling. This is a bit fuller bodied than the Palandri, with quite rich melony fruit backing up Riesling’s trademark liminess. Perfect for sipping on its own and also a versatile partner for a wide range of dishes. Very good/excellent 90/100 (Waitrose £7.99) 10/05

Vidal Syrah 2003 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Beautifully packaged. This is an impressive new world Syrah, and at this price a cracking bargain. There’s tight, dark savoury fruit on the nose, which is also a bit minerally. The palate has delicious savoury freshness to the fruit. Beautifully poised, expressive and minerally, with good acid. Very good/excellent 92/100 (£10.99 Sainsbury, www.sainsbury.co.uk) 09/05

Stonecroft Old Vines Gewürztraminer 2004 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
A fantastic example of this variety: it’s aromatic with lovely rich, fat grapey, lychee and floral aromas (rose petal), but it isn’t cloying. The palate is quite viscous with good concentration and nice balance between the fat, rounded, slightly sweet fruit and the cleansing acidity. Finishes just off-dry. Very good/excellent 92/100 10/05

Stonecroft Syrah 2002 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Dark coloured. Quite a tight, intense dark fruits nose with some freshness and spicy, tarry notes in the background.There’s a hint of minerality, too. The palate has wonderful acidity providing a savoury, tarry minerality to the dark fruits. A pretty serious effort with the bright dark fruits emphasized by the acidity. A really good food wine, and possibly one for the future. Very good/excellent 92/100 (£14.99 Oddbins) 05/05

Stonecroft Syrah 2003 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
2003 was a short vintage, with half the usual crop. Really appealing pefumed nose: predominantly red fruits with a subtle herby edge and distinctive pepperiness. Hints of tar. The Palate is savoury and fresh with lovely spiciness and structure. Quite old world and expressive in style. Fine, fresh and almost Burgundian! Very good/excellent 92/100 06/05

Stonecroft Chardonnay 2004 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
This is a fantastic wine if you like the style: a big, powerful Chardonnay. Very intense, full direct nose of rich, spicy tropical fruits with some well-integrated oak. Both mesh well. The palate is concentrated and intense with powerful melon and tropical fruit, combined with a rich, spicy streak. Powerful and complex with fantastic concentration and class. Very good/excellent 92/100 06/05

Montana Sauvignon Blanc 2004 Marlborough, New Zealand
Remarkably engaging fresh, in-yer-face grassy Sauvignon with benchmark nose of aromatic gooseberry fruit. The palate is savoury, acidic and has some green herbal notes. It’s delicious: how do they do this for £5? Very good+ 88/100 (On offer at Tesco for £4.99; normally £5.99)  12/04

Woollaston Estates Rosé 2004 Nelson, New Zealand
A light salmon pink colour, this has a bright fruity nose of lemon and blackcurrant, leading to a fresh fruity palate. Nice stuff with good acidity – a really good rosé. Very good+ 88/100 10/04

Woollaston Estates Riesling 2003 Nelson, New Zealand
Lovely nose: rounded with smooth limey fruit. The palate has great balance with savoury, crisp limey fruit and good acidity that is checked by the roundness contributed by the residual sugar (7g/l). A very refined food friendly Riesling. Very good/excellent 90/100 10/04

Wollaston Estates Sauvignon Blanc 2004 Nelson, New Zealand
Really lively open nose of bright grapey blackcurrant-laced fruit. Intense and rounded. The palate is concentrated with powerful grassy fruit flavours. High acidity is mouthwatering: a big, impactful Sauvignon. Very good+ 89/100 10/04

Drystone Pinot Noir Berridge Vineyard Estates 2002 Central Otago, New Zealand
Lovely open nose with forward sweet cherry and red fruits and some deeper, slightly meaty spicy complexity. The palate shows forwardfruit: sweet cherries with some damson-like notes contributing a slightly sour tang. Great concentration and balance. Very good/excellent 91/100 09/04

Greenhough Hope Vineyard Chardonnay 2002 Nelson, New Zealand
This is a big old Chardonnay: massive aromatic nose with vanilla, coconut and coffee notes, together with some herby fruit and spice. The palate is structured and full with the oak currently dominating. Concentrated, with a savoury finish, this might work with the right foods. Very good+ 87/100 (Lay & Wheeler) 08/04

Greenhough Hope Vineyard Pinot Noir 2002 Nelson, New Zealand
Varietally true nose with some sweet red fruits, a touch of herbiness and some undergrowthy notes. The palate shows a nice balance between the ripe fruit and the spicy, herb-tinged, tannic structure. Pleasant, ripe and quite elegant. Very good/excellent 90/100 (Lay & Wheeler) 08/04

Carrick Sauvignon Blanc 2003 Central Otago, New Zealand
This is pretty serious. Aromatic yet taut grassy, slightly herbal nose. Assertive, savoury and quite intense. The palate is concentrated and full. It’s not showy but intense and grassy. Subtly herbaceous with good acidity. Almost lean and even minerally; a very useful food wine. Very good/excellent 91/100 (£12.50 Hellion Wines, www.hellionwines.com - a small retailer specializing in boutique NZ wines) 10/04

Babich Gimblett Gravels Chardonnay 2000 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
A good quality new world Chardonnay with lots to offer. Very rich, opulent nose of tropical fruit with a bit of herbiness and some subtle oak. The palate shows some minerally acidity backing up the rich, figgy fruit, with some spicy oak, too. Full flavoured and quite classy. Very good/excellent 90/100 (£7.99 Unwins) 07/04

Babich Sauvignon Blanc 2004 Marlborough, New Zealand
Very appealing rounded, rich nose with some tropical fruit notes accompanying the gooseberry and grassy Sauvignon character. The palate is rounded and quite full with good richness of fruit and the freshness typical of this variety. Very good+ 88/100 (£6.99 Booths, Budgens, £7.49 Unwins) 09/04

Greenhough Sauvignon Blanc 2003 Nelson, New Zealand
Marlborough is the New Zealand region most associated with Sauvignon, but this one from Nelson is worth checking out. Enticing, rich grassy nose with some sweetness, hints of tropical fruit and an appealing grassiness. The palate shows good complexity: it is crisp and herby with nice fruit. A textbook, concentrated rich style of Sauvignon with good balance. Very good/excellent 90/100 (Around £12 - I'll double check - Lay & Wheeler) 08/04

Babich Gimblett Gravels Cabernet Merlot 2000 Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Brooding dark blackcurranty fruits on the nose with a tarry, spicy edge. The palate is deep and spicy with nice acidity. Quite a substantial wine: bold and ripe with prominent but classy oaking. New world in style. Very good+ 88/100 (£7.99 Unwins) 06/04

Fromm La Strada Pinot Noir 2001 Marlborough, New Zealand
Impressive balance. There’s a hint of chocolatey richness to the ripe cherry and berry fruit nose, with some savoury complexity. The palate is midweight with a savoury, slightly spicy edge to the fruit. Smooth, ripe tannins add structure. Will no doubt develop over 5 years. Very good/excellent 91 (Lay & Wheeler) 11/03

Montana Reserve Gewürztraminer 2002 East Coast, New Zealand
Pretty, grapey nose with a musky floral edge. The palate is rich textured and finishes almost medium dry with plenty of residual sugar. Nice balance and good varietal character. Very good+ 87/100 (£7.99 Waitrose) 04/03  

The Crossings Sauvignon Blanc 2002 Marlborough, New Zealand
From Awatare Valley vineyards, this is a powerful, striking example of Marlborough Sauvignon. It has a full nose of leafy blackcurrant and gooseberry fruit with just a hint of tropical richness. There’s a delicate slightly green leafy edge. The palate shows a good concentration of rich yet fresh fruit with a rounded texture and good acidity. A high quality effort and a useful food match with the good acidity. Very good+ 89/100 (Tesco £6.99) 04/04

Dry River Craighall ‘Amaranth’ Riesling 1998 Marlborough, New Zealand
Named after the unfading flower of Greek mythology. Quite a deep yellow/gold colour. Intensely limey, toasty petrolly nose is quite evolved with some honey notes. The palate is concentrated, rich and quite minerally. A dry style – very savoury and whether you like this will depend on what you think of the petrolly character. Very good+ 04/03  

Wither Hills Chardonnay 2001 Marlborough, New Zealand
Screwcapped, this is an extremely impressive New Zealand Chardonnay. Lovely intense nose with ripe, tropical figgy fruit and some toasty, slightly coconutty oak influence. The palate is fruity and concentrated with some spicy, savoury oak. Brilliant balance and concentration of flavour is the key here. Very good/excellent 91 (£8.99 Oddbins)  05/03

Villa Maria Riesling Reserve 2000 Marlborough, New Zealand
Ripe, almost exotic citrussy nose, with floral hints and a touch of melon. The palate shows brilliant balance between the ripe concentrated citrus fruit with a rounded texture. Quite structured, with just a hint of residual sugar. Brilliantly intense and drinking well now. Superb balance. Very good/excellent (£9.99 Oddbins) 03/03

Montana Riesling 2000 Marlborough
Quite an appealing limey nose. Rounded palate with a touch of honey to the apple and lemon fruit. Just a touch of residual sugar? Attractive. Very good 02/03

Montana Merlot Reserve 2000 Marlborough, New Zealand
Interesting leafy, herby edge to the nose which shows red berry fruits and some delicacy. On the palate the herby fruit dominates with some firm mouth-drying tannins. Slight caramel edge. Good varietal character. Very good+ 10/02

Montana Lindauer Brut NV, New Zealand
This bottle-fermented fizz with a subtle slightly yeasty nose. The palate is clean and crisp, lean and savoury and not too much fruit. Fine mousse. I like it. Very good+ (£6.49 First Quench) 05/02

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2000, Marlborough, New Zealand
Aromatic ripe, fruity nose is quite grassy and displays a blackcurranty, slightly honeyed edge. The palate is lean and quite acidic, on the grassy end of the Sauvignon spectrum. Good concentration, with lots of flavour, and finishes with crisp acidity. An impressive Sauvignon Blanc that’s good with food. Very good/excellent 05/02

Montana East Coast Pinotage 2000, New Zealand
Pinotage from New Zealand? Yes, and presumably in substantial quantities, if Montana are making it. This wine has a slightly bizarre sweet herby chemical-edged nose, which I guess you could call varietally true. The palate is mid weight with good acidity and a slightly cheesy, animal edge to the strawberry and cherry fruit on the palate. Spicy finish. Interesting and unusual, but perhaps a bit flawed? Don’t blame the producer, though. Very good (£5.99 Tesco) 06/02

Mount Edward Pinot Noir 2001, Central Otago, New Zealand
A stunning New Zealand interpretation of Pinot Noir. Deep coloured. Lovely herbal nose is slightly medicinal with some almost animal-like complexity. The palate shows chunky, chewy fruit and good herbal complexity. Great balance. Very good/excellent (£21 Waitrose) 10/02  

Oyster Bay Pinot Noir 2001, Marlborough, New Zealand
Deep coloured sweet edge to the berry fruit nose. Chewy herby fruit on the palate is ripe and rich with a spicy, tarry edge. A bold interpretation of Pinot Noir. Very good+ (£9.99 Majestic) 10/02

Wither Hills Pinot Noir 2001, Marlborough, New Zealand
Quite lovely nose: smoky, herby complexity to the fruit, which shows good depth. Juicy fruit on the palate with a spicy edge and a hint of savoury medicinal character. Oak is there but not too prominent. Brilliant new world Pinot Noir. Very good/excellent (£13.99 Majestic) 10/02

Nautilus Pinot Noir 2000, Marlborough, New Zealand
Open sweet herby nose with vivid berry fruit. The palate shows good concentration and lovely herby complexity to the nicely balanced fruit. Good acidity. Harmonious and expressive. Very good/excellent (£14.99 Majestic) 10/02

Felton Road Chardonnay 2000, Central Otago, New Zealand
Winemaker Blair Walter has experience in Burgundy and Otago, and aims to produce wines of elegance and complexity. This wine is deep yellow in colour with very rich, complex herby fruit on the nose, a slight tinned pea character and some smokiness. The palate is very rich and complex with lots of herbal fruit and a caramel-like edge. Unusual and quite ambitious. Very good+ (£10.95 Berry Bros) 04/02

Alana Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2001, Martinborough, New Zealand
A fruity, forward wine with a nose displaying sweet notes of boiled sweets, gooseberry and blackcurrant. The rich fruity palate is very approachable, with sweet berry flavours. Very good+ (£7.95 Berry Bros 04/02)

Cloudy Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2001, Marlborough, New Zealand
(Tasted blind, note as written) There’s quite an attractive sweetness to the fruit on the modern nose, which shows aromatic, slightly grassy fruit, a touch of elderflower and some boiled sweets character. The palate has a lovely texture: quite rounded, savoury, slightly waxy and grassy. Finishes dry. It’s almost certainly a full flavoured, new world Sauvignon Blanc. Very good/excellent (£14.99 Handford) 11/01

Palliser Estate Pinot Noir 1996 Martinborough, New Zealand
This is really expressive Pinot Noir that's ageing very well. The sweet herby nose has some spicy, undergrowthy complexity with a hint of 'animal' about it. The palate is lovely and savoury with some cherry fruit, herby complexity and a spicy finish. It's ripe, but carries the 14.5% alcohol very well. Wouldn't hold it much longer, but a delightful drop now. Very good/excellent (current release is c. £12) 12/01

Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir 1996, Martinborough, New Zealand
Evolved, quite fragrant nose is sweetly herbal with lifted acidity. Palate is drying out a bit with some savoury herbal fruit and a firm spicy finish. There's quite a bit of acid and some alcoholic warmth. Nice stuff but it is drying out on the palate and needs to be drunk soon. Would have been nicer a couple of years ago when it had more fruit. Very good (current release is c. £14) 01/02

Lawson Dry Hills Sauvignon Blanc 2001, Marlborough
Sealed with a screwcap. Very lively aromatic nose of tropical fruit with a grassy, gooseberry edge -- very striking. The palate is bone dry, and if I'm going to be critical there's a bit of hollowness and alcoholic burn on the finish. High acidity. Very dramatic, but a bit manufactured. Very good (£7.99 Majestic) 11/01

Te Kairanga Pinot Noir 2000, Martinborough, New Zealand
Martinborough has established a reputation as one of New Zealand's best regions for Pinot Noir. Quite pale coloured, this has a nice herby nose with some toasty notes (from the oak?) and dark berry fruit. Primary berry fruit dominates the bright palate, which is underpinned with more oak. Quite 'square' now, but with the potential to develop. Very good (£10.77 Bibendum) 11/01

Wither Hills Vineyards Pinot Noir 1999, Marlborough, New Zealand
Lovely open nose showing pungent, herbal cherry fruit with notes of undergrowth. Lovely palate is richly fruited with a savoury, herbal edge. Lovely stuff: expressive and complex. Excellent (c. £12) 08/01

Matariki Wines Pinot Noir 1999, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
There's a smoky, earthy edge to the distinctive nose, which has a spicy edge. Powerful, ripe, full spicy palate with some sweet, spicy oak notes and a long, savoury finish. Quite a full, ripe new-world-style Pinot Noir, but lovely nonetheless. Very good/excellent (c. £13) 08/01

Huia Sauvignon Blanc 2001, Marlborough, New Zealand
With an over-the-top aromatic nose of grassy, ripe fruit, this is a wine that shouts its varietal origins. The palate is intense with cutting acidity. Quite refreshing and a very modern, archetypally Marlborough style of Sauvignon. Very good (£9.01 Bibendum) 11/01

Montana Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2001, New Zealand
The striking, modern nose is grassy, ripe and rounded, with a blackcurrant edge. Palate is fresh, tight and acidic: this is quite a lean wine. May open out a little more; a good food-compatible Sauvignon. Very good (£5.99 Tesco) 09/01

Montana Reserve Chardonnay 2000, Marlborough, New Zealand
Lovely nose shows ripe peach and tropical fruit, combined well with toasty, nutty oak. The palate is deep, rich and nutty, with lots of fruit and quite a dash of oak influence. There's also a herbal edge and a bit of spice and coconut in the background. Great concentration of flavour. Very good/excellent (£8.99 Tesco) 09/01

Ngatarawa Glazebrook Chardonnay 2000, Gisborne, New Zealand
This has a full-on ripe, tropical fruit flavoured palate with a touch of herbaceousness. Impressive, unoaked style with lots of flavour. Very good+ 10/01

Cloudy Bay Chardonnay 1995, Marlborough, New Zealand
I found it hard to make my mind up about this wine. I could have been fooled by the nose into thinking that this was a fairly serious Burgundy, but the intense, slightly harsh palate made this hard work to drink. A deep yellow colour, the pungent nose shows smoky, herby, burnt cabbage notes. The intense palate shows bitter papaya fruit, with firm acidity and complex, savoury bready and coffee notes. A powerful, interesting wine that is still very much alive, but one that certainly needs food to offset the bitterness on the palate. Very good 02/01

Isabel Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2000, Marlborough, New Zealand
It's inevitable that the gold standard against which all Marlborough Sauvignon's are compared is Cloudy Bay, but this is one of the select NZ Sauvignons that has the reputation of being BTCB ('better than Cloudy Bay'). Is it? Well, it's certainly an excellent example of the genre, but I have to admit to being a tiny bit disappointed. It has an aromatic, herbaceous, gooseberry-laced nose, and the palate is slightly spritzy, with herby grapefruit notes and high acidity. The overall impression is of a wine that is intense and quite taut. Not as extreme and strongly flavoured as some Marlborough Sauvignons, but still Very good+ (Fortnum & Masons £10) 03/01

Babich Winemakers Reserve Syrah 1998, Cimblett Road Vineyard, Hawkes Bay, NZ
Deep red/black colour, this brightly flavoured medium-bodied wine shows prominent spicy oak on the nose, along with raspberry fruit and a nice smoky edge. The palate is quite light, but there's attractive berry fruit and more spicy oak. It’s a hard call: the oak is a little too prominent at present but the youthfulness of the wine suggests it may evolve nicely, with the oak integrating further. Very good (£7.49 Tesco) 03/01

Alana Estate Pinot Noir 1999, Martinborough, New Zealand
A restrained, classy new world Pinot Noir, from a region in New Zealand that specializes in this grape. Deep cherry colour, with a nose of sweet fruit, some herbs and a touch of smokiness. The palate shows sweet cherry fruit with a nice balance of tannin and acidity, and some spice and vanilla. Good varietal character here. Very good + (£14.95 Berry Bros) 2/01

Ngatarawa Stables Sauvignon Blanc 1996, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
This is unusual in that it's an oaked Sauvignon. It shows a smoky, ripe, tropical fruit nose with a slight vegetal character. On the palate it is full flavoured with more tropical fruit and a slightly off-putting hint of tinned peas, together with firm acidity. As it warms up it develops pronounced grassy aromas. Unusual, but quite nice with food I suspect. Very good. 12/00

Goldwater Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc 1999, Marlborough, New Zealand
This is a well made, balanced Sauvignon Blanc, which just lacks some of the excitement and intensity for which examples of this grape from Marlborough have become so well known for. It has a ripe, intense nose with tropical fruit and a touch of elderflower character. On the palate it is ripe and herby, with a bit of the Marlborough gooseberry character but not too much. A nice wine, but not one to plump for if you are looking for that full-on NZ Sauvignon rush. Very good + (£7.99 Majestic) 1/01

Forrest Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2000, Marlborough, New Zealand
Wild, exotic nose, grassy and aromatic. This is a huge Sauvignon with masses of ripe fruit, nice texture, and good balance of fruit and acid. Stunning stuff in the classic Cloudy Bay/Marlborough style. Very good/excellent (Adnams £7.95) 11/00

Millton Barrel Fermented Chardonnay 1998, Gisborne
From a New Zealand's best known biodynamic producer, this is quite restrained on the nose, but it has a great impact on the palate, showing flavours of rich, nutty, bready flavours. Complex and seamless, this is a very classy Chardonnay: subtle and restrained. Very good/excellent (£8.99 Tesco) 11/00

Villa Maria Private Bin Chardonnay 1998, East Coast
Very attractive full-flavoured and thick-textured Chardonnay. It's ripe and spicy, with toasty oak well integrated with the buttery tropical fruit flavours. Great balance. Very good+ (£6.99 Sainsbury) 11/00

Selaks Premium Selection Sauvignon Blanc 1999, Marlborough, New Zealand
Lean, fresh and acidic, this is a rather disappointing New Zealand Sauvignon. It's quite austere, and while there's some of the characteristic gooseberry and grapefruit character, there's also an odd broccoli-like flavour. OK/good. (£6.99 Oddbins) 10/00

Fairleigh Estate Sauvignon Blanc 2000, Marlborough, New Zealand
Familiarity does indeed breed contempt, and its easy to overlook just how remarkable Marlborough Sauvignon Blancs can be -- this was a wine style that didn't exist until the 1980s. This is another top-notch example, with a striking nose of gooseberry and citrus, a super savoury palate and knockout concentration and intensity. Very good/excellent (Majestic £6.99) 10/00

Delegats Reserve Chardonnay 1999, Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
Rich toasty, oaky nose leads into a soft, buttery palate. Good concentration, but very similar to many hundreds of other new world Chardonnays. Good/very good. (Majestic £8.99) 10/00

Hawkesbridge Willowbank Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 1999 Marlborough
Delicious rounded Marlborough Sauvignon, with good intensity, soft fruit and great balance. Aromatic, grassy, ripe gooseberry fruit dominates. A really super example. Very good/excellent. (Oddbins £6.00) 8/00

Shingle Peak Pinot Noir 1998, Marlborough, New Zealand
Sweet nose of cherries and herbs. On the palate it is quite simple and youthful, with some fruit and a touch of petillance on the tongue. A glugger; nothing to get excited about. OK (Sainsburys £6.99) 7/00

Palliser Estate Sauvignon Blanc 1999, Martinborough, New Zealand
A cracking wine. Intense varietal nose of gooseberries, elderflower and green pepper, with a bit of cut grass thrown in for good measure. Huge wine of dramatic proportions. On the palate it is quite fat with herbal notes and good acidity. Top notch New Zealand Sauvignon, but this extreme style may be off-putting to traditionalists. Very good/excellent. Yes, it is as good as Cloudy Bay, if you must make that comparison. (£9.99, Thresher) 7/00

Montana Chardonnay 1999, Marlborough, New Zealand
Nicely balanced Chardonnay with buttery, peachy fruit, good concentration and some oak character. This is backed up by reasonable citrus-like acidity. Not a groundbreaking wine, but one of the better examples of its genre. (£5.99, Safeway) 5/00

Canterbury House Show Reserve Chardonnay 1998, Waipara, New Zealand
Quite an unusual cool-climate, biscuitty Chardonnay with lean, honeyed, biscuitty, nutty and butterscotch character. There is a touch of oxidation to this wine, and it owes more to grapes than oak. Unusual; not a mainstream wine. It is a bit like a still Champagne. Faulty? (£5.49, Morrisons) 5/00