Spade Oak and Heart of Gold – Archive - Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

31-Dec-2010

Brilliant straw-yellow with lemon-gold hues. The nose is softly fresh and well-packed with a complex amalgam of white stonefruits, white florals, fresh and pungent herbs, and nutty, mineral elements that build in depth. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate features a complex core of white stonefruits, florals and pungent herbs, infused with flint and mineral interest. The mouthfeel is fresh and crisp with fine and soft phenolic textures underlining the fruit. This has a fine, concentrated, rounded heart balanced by mouthwatering, lacy acidity to leads to a herb-nuanced, minerally finish. This s a complex Albarino with stonefruit and pungent herb flavours and a fresh, fine-textured mouthfeel. Serve with herb-marinated seafood over the next 3+ years. 100% Albarino from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, hand-picked and cool-fermented in stainless-steel to 12.5% alc. and 6.7 g/L RS, TA 7.6 g/L and pH 3.35. 125 dozen made. 16.5+/20 Jul 2016 RRP $24.95

An archive of Spade Oak and Heart of Gold wines from the Wine2Trade portfolio no longer available

FEATURED WINES IN THIS REVIEW

Spade Oak Gisborne Methode Traditionnelle Blanc de Blancs 2009
Sparkling Wine from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 16-Jul-2012
☆☆☆☆☆
100% Chardonnay from the ‘Spade Oak' vineyard, fermented in seasoned French oak with 100% MLF to 12.5% alc. The wine has 10.0 g/L dosage and spend 24 months on lees, being disgorged 7 May 2012. Bright, light golden-straw colour, lighter on edge, with moderately persistent, fine bead. The nose is very fresh with ripe yellow floral and light citrus fruit aromas along with fine, bready yeast autolysis, hints of nuts and toast interwoven with the fruit. This has depth and concentration. Dry to taste with moderate mousse, rich and firm flavours of white and yellow stonefruits form a deep core, complexed with citrus, bread and nutty elements. While the textures are creamy and the acidity is balanced, there is an underlying firm, thirst-quenching dryness to the palate line. The wine finishes with attractively delicate stonefruit, mineral and yeasty notes. This is a fulsome Blanc de Blanc with the potential to develop greater interest over the next 4-5+ years. Serve as an aperitif and with seafood. 18.0/20 Jun 2012 RRP $44.95 (TBC) Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates
Spade Oak Gisborne Methode Traditionnelle Blanc de Noirs 2009
Sparkling Wine from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 16-Jul-2012
☆☆☆☆☆
Straw-yellow colour with some light golden hues, light on edge. This has a light bead with fine bubbles. This has a very full, rich and weighty bouquet with ripe yellow stonefruit and nutty aromas that form a dense amalgam on the nose, that reveals notes of toast, smoke and bready elements. This shows good autolysis and Pinot Noir character. Dry to taste, rich and lush flavours of ripe stonefruits and nuts merge seamlessly with yeasty, bready flavours. The mousse is lively and creamy, and the mouthfeel very fine-textured and vibrant. The Pinot Noir depth is the feature, but autolysis interest emerges in the glass. The flavours are driven to a very long, mouthwatering and crisp finish with detailed nuances. This is a complex and full flavoured Blanc de Noirs with excellent freshness and balance. Match with seafood, poultry and pork over the next 4-5+ years. A blend of 95% clone 5 Pinot Noir and 5% Chardonnay from the ‘Spade Oak' vineyard, fermented in seasoned French oak with 100% MLF to 12.5% alc. The wine has 6.0 g/L dosage and spend 24 months on lees, being disgorged 7 May 2012 18.5/20 Jun 2012 RRP $39.95 TBC A blend of 95% Clone 5 Pinot Noir and 5% Chardonnay from the ‘Spade Oak' vineyard, totally fermented in seasoned French oak with 100% MLF to 12.5% alc., and carrying a dosage of 6.0 g/L, the wine on lees 12 months, disgorged in October 2011. Light golden yellow colour with a pale edge and a fine bead. This has a soft, full nose, very gentle, with layers of densely packed aromas of yellow stonefruits, toast, nuts, and a little buttery MLF, forming a complex amalgam. Dry to taste, the palate is soft, open and broad, with fine, even effervescence. The flavours of ripe, dark yellow stonefruits intermingle with citrus, nuts, subtle aldehydes and toasty bread, and are seamlessly presented with restrained richness and smooth textures. The mid-palate blossoms with layers of interest, and soft acidity enhances the immediacy of the wine. This is ‘stonefruit heaven' and will be a match with rich seafood, poultry and pork over the next 3-4+ years. 18.0/20 Nov 2011 RRP TBA Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates
Spade Oak Gisborne Methode Traditionnelle Blanc de Blancs 2014
Sparkling Wine from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 27-Apr-2016
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright yellow colour with light golden hues, paler on the rim with persistent, moderately fine bubbles. This has a fresh, up-front, vigorous and vibrant bouquet with fruit aromas of white stonefruits and white florals expressed with clarity and purity, and entwined with fie bready yeast autolysis, unfolding subtle nuances of nuts and citrus fruits. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate is elegant in proportion with pure and clear flavours of white stonefruits, white florals and citrus fruits melded with fine, intense, bready autolysis. The mouthfeel is bright and refreshing with creamy mousse enlivening the depth of the autolytic expression. The wine follows a fine phenolic line, and the crisp acidity carries the wine to a lingering, dry, textured finish with some grip, and stonefruit and bready flavours. This is a crisp, refreshing, pure Blanc de Blancs Methode Traditionnelle with intense, bready autolysis. Serve as an aperitif, and with seafood over the next 3+ years. 100% Mendoza clone Chardonnay from the Turanganui block of the ‘Ashwood' vineyard, fermented in 2,500 L cuve and seasoned French oak with 100% MLF to 12.5% alc. The wine has 8.0 g/L dosage and spent 14 months on lees, being disgorged March 2016. 18.0+/20 Apr 2016 RRP $44.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak Gisborne Chardonnay 2007
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 14-Feb-2011
☆☆☆☆☆
The first release of Chardonnay under the Spade Oak label. It includes 10% Viognier and was wild yeast fermented to 13.4% alc., then spent 16 months in 20% new French oak equivalence. Bright light golden yellow in colour, this is somewhat reductive on opening, but a complex nutty amalgam with mealy, tropical fruit emerges with breathing. Dry, full-bodied with rich textures, this is rounded and creamy, with complex ripe tropical fruit flavours underlying the nuttiness. It is in a tunnel now, but is sure to emerge with harmony over the next 12-18 months. 17.5+/20 Oct 2010 RRP $34.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates
Spade Oak ‘Vigneron’ Gisborne Chardonnay 2012
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 09-Aug-2013
☆☆☆☆☆
A barrel selection wine. Rua 1 clone Chardonnay fruit from 14 y.o. vines, with 5% Viognier, WBP and fully barrel-fermented with indigenous yeasts to 12.8% alc., the wine aged 11 months in second fill French oak, undergoing batonnage and 100% MLF. Bright straw-yellow colour with light golden hues, light-edged. The bouquet is tightly bound and elegant with fine, poised and detailed aromas of yellow stonefruits, nuts and flinty minerals that grow in interest. Medium-bodied, tightly concentrated and very refined flavours of stonefruits, nuts, oak and minerals are underlined by real power and drive. This has startling intensity, revealing subtle layers of richness and great depth. The fruit, oak and complex, intricate flavours grow with energy, and are carried along a very fine textural line with fresh, lacy acidity. This has a very long, lingering finish featuring citrus, nuts and cream. This is a classically elegant, but powerful Chardonnay with layers of subtle complexities. Match with roasted white meat dishes over the next 4-6 years. 100 cases made. 19.0/20 Aug 2013 RRP $34.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Heart of Gold Gisborne Chardonnay/Viognier 2009
Blended White from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 18-Jul-2011
☆☆☆☆☆
The blend of Chardonnay and Viognier seems very compatible. This is 60% Chardonnay and 40% Viognier, wild yeast barrel fermented to 13.7% alc. and 2.9 g/L rs., given 50% MLF, then aged in 30% new French oak equivalence. Bright, light golden straw colour, this has a ripe tropical and peach fruited nose lifted with apricotty notes, quite dense, solid, voluminous and textured on nose. Dry, but with real richness and interest on palate, the interaction of ripe tropical fruits some exotic lift, spicy oak all comes together with an oily, unctuous mouthfeel. A full-bodied number. 130 cases made. 18.0-/20 Oct 2010 RRP $28.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates
Heart of Gold Gisborne Gruner Veltliner 2010
Gruner Veltliner from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 21-Feb-2013
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, light-golden-hued straw-yellow colour, pale on rim. This has a full and deep nose with concentrated aromas of herbs, white stonefruit and nuts, well integrated and compact. Dry to taste and medium-full bodied, this is well-packed with fruit flavours of white stonefruit, herbs and pepper, the wine showing clarity with weight and vinous presence. The palate has linearity and drive, and is starting to round out, showing some richness and luscious nuances. The palate carries through to a crisp, clean and moderately long finish. .Fruit from the ‘Spade Oak' vineyard fermented to 13.0% alc. and 1 g/L rs, the wine spending 3 months on lees. This Gruner Veltliner has put on weight and richness, and shows good body and linear drive, with herb and stonefruit flavours clearly defined. Drink with seafood and poultry over the next 2+ years. 75 cases made. 17.5+/20 Apr 2012 RRP $24.95 This wine joins the new and small brigade of wineries that are playing with this Austrian white variety. The Voyseys have played it safe, without incorporating a heavy winemaker's hand, the wine spending 3 months on lees. Pale edged, light straw yellow in colour, this is youthful in appearance. This has a fresh, lightly herbal nose with white peach, mineral and peppery aromas, akin a subtle Sauvignon Blanc. This has 13.0% alc. and is dry on palate, with 1.0 g/L rs, but it has good fruit sweetness, and is soft and gentle, yet fresh, with good acidity. It has light herb and pepper notes and is very approachable, drink now - 2 years. 75 cases made. 16.5+/20 Oct 2010 RRP $28.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne Gruner Veltliner 2011
Gruner Veltliner from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 21-Feb-2013
☆☆☆☆☆
Fruit from the ‘Spade Oak' vineyard indigenous yeast fermented in very old oak to 11.5% alc. and dryness. Brilliant, even straw-yellow colour with lemon-green hues. The bouquet is full, open and broad with solidly packed savoury herb, white floral, mineral and nutty aromas. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, bright and lush, up-front flavours of savoury herb and complex, oxidative, nutty notes have richness balanced with fresh acidity and light phenolic textures and a suggestion of bitterness. The wine flows smoothly with harmony and balance, carrying through to a long and lingering, soft and dry finish of herbs, stonefruits and nuts. This is a funky, slightly nutty-herby Gruner Veltliner with some up-front fruit and delicate richness. Serve with antipasto and first courses over the next 2+ years. 16.5+/20 Feb 2013 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates
Heart of Gold Gisborne Syrah/Tempranillo 2009
Blended Red from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 21-Feb-2013
☆☆☆☆☆
A unusual blend that seems natural for Spain or Australia. 63% Syrah, 37% Tempranillo, this was wild yeast fermented and aged 7 months in 40% new French oak equivalence. Medium deep ruby red in colour. This has a lovely waxy-red berry nose with cedar and spices, a little shy at present. Medium-bodied at 12.8% alc., this is an elegant red with floral lift, black pepper and spice from the Syrah, and dark chocolate flavours with fine, but firm tannins providing excellent grip and structure through the palate. The fruit sweetness carries through well to the finish. 215 cases made. 18.0/20 Oct 2010 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates
Heart of Gold Gisborne Albarino 2011
Other White from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 05-Dec-2011
☆☆☆☆☆
From the first Spanish importation of the variety by Riversun Nursery, 990 vines are planted in the ‘Spade Oak' vineyard, 2011 being the first crop. Hand-picked and inoculated yeast fermented to 12.0% alc. and 5 g/L rs, the wine spending 6 months on light lees, with no MLF. Brilliant pale straw-yellw colour, very even with depth. The nose softly packed with intense lime and an array of white and yellow floral aromas. Dry to taste, there are piquant and exotic floral flavours, and white peach notes, very concentrated and weighty in presentation and underlined by elevated, slippery acidity. The textures are simultaneously racy and oily, and the freshness of mouthfeel allied to the cut is a feature. The palate has a long, lingering finish marked by crisp, piercing flavours and acidity. This has great fruit depth and cut, and is a wine to match with tapas, and rich seafood and poultry dishes over the next 3-4+ years. (375 ml) 18.5-/20 Dec 2011 RRP N/A Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne Albarino 2012
Other White from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 21-Feb-2013
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, very pale straw colour with faint green hues, pale on rim. The nose features fresh and intense aromas of white florals with underlying herb and mineral notes and delicate nutty elements, the bouquet expressed with real clarity and purity. Dry to taste and light-bodied, very clean, pure and light flavours of white florals, stonefruits and minerals show with some succulence, enlivened by soft, lacy acidity. A tightly bound, but softly firm core has a fresh linearity that leads to a light texturally grainy finish with moderately sustained, steely, floral nuances. This is a light-weighted, pure, floral-flavoured, dry Albarino with a firm textured and racy palate. Match with seafood over the next 2+ years. Fruit from the ‘Spade Oak' vineyard fermented to 11.6% alc. and 2 g/L rs, the wine seeing no oak or lees contact. 17.0/20 Feb 2013 RRP $24.95 Fruit from the ‘Spade Oak' vineyard fermented to 11.6% alc. and 2 g/L rs, the wine seeing no oak or lees contact. Bright straw-yellow colour with the faintest suggestion of blush, pale on rim. This has a softly fresh and full, aromatic nose of passionfruit with notes of exotic yellow florals and stonefruits with nuances of musk, herbs and earth. Dry, crisp and tightly bound, this is elegantly structured but possesses underlying depth and a firm line. Passionfruit and mineral infused floral flavours show with purity and are driven by crisp, firm acidity. The wine appears on the austere side, but reveals a subtle richness and more weight in the glass which carries through to a long, linear finish. This is a crisp, racy and firm Albarino with passionfruity flavours that will reveal greater richness over the next3-4 years. Match with seafood. 450 bottles made. Release date to be advised. 17.5/20 Aug 2012 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne Albarino 2013
Other White from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 26-Nov-2013
☆☆☆☆☆
Brilliant, light straw-yellow colour with slight hints of gold, lighter on rim. The nose is very fresh and elegant with pure aromas of white florals and citrus zest forming a fine core, cut by minerally elements. Dry to taste and medium-light bodied, light, pure and cutting white stonefruits and exotic floral flavours are enlivened by zesty, bracing acidity. The mouthfeel is racy and slippery and the palate flows with smoothness. This has plenty of tension and energy surrounding the rounded core and the flavours carry through to a bright, refreshing finish with citrus and floral nuances. This is a very crisp, racy, fine-featured Albarino with pure white floral flavours. Serve with seafood and white meat dishes with creamy sauces over the next 3 years. Hand-picked fruit from the ‘Spade Oak; vineyard, third crop, WBP and cool-fermented in stainless-steel to 12.1% alc., and 1.9 g/L RS. 155 dozen made. 17.5/20 Nov 2013 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne Albarino 2014
Other White from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 20-Jul-2016
☆☆☆☆☆
Brilliant straw-yellow with lemon-gold hues. The nose is softly fresh and well-packed with a complex amalgam of white stonefruits, white florals, fresh and pungent herbs, and nutty, mineral elements that build in depth. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate features a complex core of white stonefruits, florals and pungent herbs, infused with flint and mineral interest. The mouthfeel is fresh and crisp with fine and soft phenolic textures underlining the fruit. This has a fine, concentrated, rounded heart balanced by mouthwatering, lacy acidity to leads to a herb-nuanced, minerally finish. This s a complex Albarino with stonefruit and pungent herb flavours and a fresh, fine-textured mouthfeel. Serve with herb-marinated seafood over the next 3+ years. 100% Albarino from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, hand-picked and cool-fermented in stainless-steel to 12.5% alc. and 6.7 g/L RS, TA 7.6 g/L and pH 3.35. 125 dozen made. 16.5+/20 Jul 2016 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne Albarino 2015
Other White from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 21-Feb-2016
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, light straw-yellow colour with slight green hues. The nose is soft and light with elegant proportions, showing fresh, delicate aromas of white floral, herbs, stonefruits and minerals, all entwined harmoniously. The nose has a subtle savoury underlay with a fine cut. Dryish to taste and light-medium bodied, the flavours of exotic white florals, stonefruits and herbs show with clarity and purity, and are gently enriched with nuances of honeysuckle. The mouthfeel is rounded and soft-textured with soft acidity, and the wine flows easily to a moderately sustained, floral nuanced finish. This is a soft and elegant, dryish Albarino with pure and gentle white floral and stonefruit flavours. Serve as an aperitif and with Pacific Rim fare over the next 2-3+ years. Fifth crop fruit from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, hand-picked and cool-fermented in stainless-steel to 12.2% alc. and 5 g/L RS, TA 7.4 g/L and pH 3.42. 145 dozen made. 17.5-/20 Feb 2016 RRP $24.95
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne Albarino 2016
Other White from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 12-Dec-2016
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, pale straw-yellow colour with slight green hues, a little lighter on the edge. This has an initially elegant and restrained nose with finely concentrated aroma of white florals and subtle white stonefruit notes, citrus fruit elements and saline minerals at the core. The aromatics build in depth and volume with aeration. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate is lively and vibrant with a well-packed core of white florals, citrus and stonefruits, underlined by saline and mineral elements. This has a positive and near-unctuous mouthfeel, balanced by light phenolic textures and background racy acidity. The wine has good fruit depth and presence, and carries to a long, lingering aromatic finish with floral and mouthwatering mineral notes. This is a softly refreshing, dry Albarino with floral and mineral flavours and plenty of presence, light textures and mouthwatering linearity. 100% Albarino (and some Alvarinho) from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, fermented in stainless-steel to 12.5% alc. and 4.3 g/L RS, TA 7.56 g/L and pH 3.14, the wine aged 2 months on gross lees and 4 months on light lees. 17.5/20 Dec 2016 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Heart of Gold Gisborne Petit Manseng 2011
Other White from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 05-Dec-2011
☆☆☆☆☆
First crop from vines from ENTAV-INRA material sourced through Riversun Nursery. 200 vines planted in the ‘Spade Oak' vineyard. Fruit hand-picked and inoculated yeast fermented to 12.0% alc. with 18 g/L rs. 6 months on light lees with no MLF. Bright, light golden-straw colour with a pale rim. This has a soft, deep and concentrated bouquet of ripe yellow stonefruits with nuances of nuts and savoury tropical fruits, becoming voluminous in the glass. Off-dry, there are rich and full flavours of ripe yellow fruits with honey and spice notes, along with nutty elements forming a weighty, and dense core that is nearly unctuous. High acidity marks the palate, and while very cutting and zesty, a slippery oiliness of texture mollifies the firmness. The acidity carries the long finish of exotic fruits and florals. A distinctively exotic wine with a sense of decadence and weight, the racy acidity will make it a match with rich Asian and Mediterranean influenced cuisine over the next 4+ years. Steve and Eileen Voysey are considering a riper expression in a dessert wine style for the next release of this variety, which is seen as a relation of Gros Manseng. (375 ml) 18.0+/20 Dec 2011 RRP N/A Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne Rosé 2013
Rose from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 25-Nov-2013
☆☆☆☆☆
Tempranillo fruit from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, destemmed and given 2 days cold soak and fermented in stainless-steel to 12.4% alc. and 8 g/L RS. Soft.pink-red colour with some depth, and lighter purple hues on edge. The bouquet is fresh and tightly bound with focussed aromas of fresh raspberry and red cherry fruit, and subtle nuances of confectionary, spices and herbs. Dryish to taste, full, up-front rich and juicy flavours of raspberries and strawberries fill the mouth with good weight and rounded presence, and a little structural grip. Bright and lively acidity enlivens the mouthfeel, and the palate is thirst-quenching as it follows a fine, textured line. The wine flows easily, with smooth and slippery acidity carrying the flavours to a racy, crisp finish that reveals earth-tinged raspberry elements. This is a fresh, up-front, raspberry-fruited, mouthwatering rosé with the structure to match a variety of foods. Serve with tapas and Mediterranean fare over the next 2 years. 100% Tempranillo, 150 dozen made. 17.5-/20 Nov 2013 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Heart of Gold Gisborne St Laurent 2009
Other Red from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 07-Apr-2012
☆☆☆☆☆
100% St Laurent, fully destemmed and indigenous yeast fermented to 12.5% alc., the wine aged 7 months in French oak, 20% new equivalence. Very dark ruby-red with slight purple hues, the bouquet is very aromatic with lifted floral perfumes of violets, dark berry fruits and savoury jam with hints of earth. Medium-bodied, the flavours of wild berry fruits, spice, pepper and savoury earth are restrained, but show with a luscious richness. The tannins extraction is moderate and along with the soft acidity, this is becoming integrated, the textures being smooth and supple. There is depth with some concentration at the core, and this leads to a subtle finish with flavours of spicy, savoury red fruits. This aromatic red wine with savoury red fruits, spice and pepper flavours is becoming well-integrated. Match with Middle Eastern poultry, pork and lamb dishes over the next 3-4 years. 75 cases made. 17.5-/20 Apr 2012 RRP $28.95 This Austrian red variety pairs the Gruner Veltliner in the range. It has appeared in Central Otago already, and its Pinot Noir part parentage is a favourable factor. This was made in Pinot Noir fashion: 100% destemmed, indigenous yeast fermented to 12.5% alc., and aged 7 months in French oak, 20% new equivalent. Medium deep ruby red in colour. This has an intense bouquet of spicy, wild red berry fruits, very aromatic, with a little lift adding to the interest. Medium weighted, the bright and spicy red berry fruits and vibrancy from acidity are the feature. Soft, low-impact tannins support the boldness of the fruit lusciousness. The Pinot Noir heritage is obvious. Drink over the next 3-4 years. 75 cases made. 17.5+/20 Oct 2010 RRP $28.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne St Laurent 2011
Other Red from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 16-Mar-2015
☆☆☆☆☆
Dark, deep hearted ruby-red colour with black hues, lighter on edge. The nose is elegant and lifted with aromatically bright, primary, dark red berry and black berried fruits. Exotic florals, spices and minerally elements add to the interest. The nose has finesse and fruit focus. Medium-bodied and elegantly presented, succulent black berried fruit flavours fill the front palate. This is very fresh and primary, revealing spicy black fruits along with some minerally reductive elements. The mouthfeel is lively with fresh acidity underling the palate and moderately extracted fine-grained tannins lend a supple structure. The flavours recede to a sweet, peppery finish. Fruit from the ‘Spade Oak' vineyard, low-cropped at 6 t/ha, indigenous yeast fermented to 12.0% alc. and 3.3 g/L rs, 50% of the wine aged in barrel for 6 months. 17.5/20 Mar 2015 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates Deep, purple-hued, dark ruby-red colour, youthful in expression. The nose is full of soft dark red berry and white pepper aromas laced with spices, lifted with florals and complexed by gamey nuances. Medium-bodied, softly full and up-front red berry and white pepper flavours form a layered amalgam with spice, savoury game and earthy elements. The mouthfeel is soft and even, with fine-grained extraction and elevated acidity providing energy and drive. The flavours lead to a dry, textural and brisk finish showing red fruits and spices. This is a juicy and racy St Laurent with savoury red fruits and Syrah-like white pepper flavours. Match with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern inspired fare over the next 4-5 years. Fruit from the ‘Spade Oak' vineyard, low-cropped at 6 t/ha, indigenous yeast fermented to 12.0% alc. and 3.3 g/L rs, 50% of the wine aged in barrel for 6 months. 17.5-/20 Feb 2013 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne St Laurent 2012
Other Red from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 25-Mar-2015
☆☆☆☆☆
Moderately dark ruby-red colour, lighter on rim. The bouquet is fresh and elegant, quite slender in presentation, with lifted savoury red berry fruits, nuances of dried herbs and spices, and subtle oak detail. Light=medium bodied, the palate is elegant with light, but juicy and lively, savoury red cherry and berry fruit flavours along with dried herb and lifted red floral elements. The wine follows a fine core with brisk acidity and restrained, supple tannins. The extraction is modest and allows accessibility, and the wine leads to a fresh finish carried by the acidity. This is a light-structured, fresh and juicy, St Laurent with lively mouthfeel. Match with Mediterranean fare over the next 3 years. Hand-picked St Laurent fruit with 6% Syrah and 2% Tempranillo from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, destemmed, given a cold soak and wild yeast fermented to 12.5% alc., the wine aged 15 months in barrel with 30% new oak equivalence. 16.5+/20 Mar 2015 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne St Laurent 2013
Other Red from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 05-Jul-2016
☆☆☆☆☆
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne St Laurent 2013 «««« Very dark, deep, ruby-red colour with some black-purple hues. The nose is softly full and gently voluminous with aromatically sweet and ripe aromas of dark raspberry and dark-red berry fruits along with red florals, some savoury, spicy game, and lifted volatile elements. Medium-bodied, the palate features bright, juicy , lively and aromatically ripe savoury dark red berry fruit flavours melded with dark herbal and dark red floral notes with lifted esters and some volatility. The mouthfeel is fine-textured and is enlivened by fresh, lacy acidity, forming a supple core with good linearity. The flavours carry to a fine-textured, lingering finish. This is a bright, ripe, juicy and luscious St Laurent with savoury dark –red berry flavours with savoury suggestions, a supple and lively mouthfeel, and some lifted notes. Match with Asian fare, and wild duck and pork over the next 4-5 years. 95% St Laurent and 5% Syrah from the ‘Spade Oak’ Vineyard’, destemmed and indigenous yeast fermented to 12.5% alc. and 3.5 g/L RS, the wine spending 26 days on skins and aged 12 months in French oak barrels, with 25% new oak equivalence. 125 dozen made. 17.5-/20 Jul 2016 RRP $$24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne St Laurent 2014
Other Red from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 07-Jun-2017
☆☆☆☆☆
Very dark, deep ruby-red colour with good heart, a little lighter on the edge. The nose is elegantly concentrated with deep and well-packed aromas of ripe blackberry and dark-red cherry fruit melded with a complex layering of earth, savoury dark herbs, spices and game. Medium-bodied, the palate has a firm core with flavours of savoury dark-red berryfruit entwined with herbs, spices, earth and funky game notes. The mouthfeel is bright and lively with plenty of acid energy and tension, and the fruit is supported by fine-grained, firm tannin extraction providing excellent linearity and drive. The wine carries to an elegant, finely concentrated, lingering finish. This is a firmly concentrated, lively St Laurent with complex flavours of savoury dark-red berry fruit with herb, earth and funky game-like notes on a linear palate. It will develop over the next 5 years. Match with roasted and slow-cooked game meat dishes. Fruit from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, vines planted 2008, fully destemmed and indigenous yeast fermented to 12.8% alc., the wine spending 20 days on skins and aged 7 months in oak with 30% new equivalence. 100 dozen made. 18.0-/20 Jun 2017 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne St Laurent 2016
Other Red from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 03-Jan-2018
☆☆☆☆☆
Moderately deep, dark ruby-red colour with slight purple hues, a little lighter on the rim and youthful in appearance. The nose is softly full and gently concentrated with savoury aromas of ripe dark-red berry fruit with a layering if dark herbs, earth, game and spices providing complexing detail. Medium-bodied, the palate is softly full with rich, savoury flavours of ripe, dark-red and black berry fruits with game, dark herbs and earthy notes. The flavours show a good degree of complexing interest. The mouthfeel features the luscious fruit with fine-grained tannin extraction and fine structure, along with acid freshness and liveliness. The wine carries to a sweet and savoury flavoured finish. This is a rich and lush St Laurent with dark-red and black berried fruits with complexing savouriness on a fine-textured, lively palate. Match with Middle Eastern and Mediterranean fare over the next 4+ years. 94% St Laurent fruit from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard with 6% Wairarapa Pinot Noir, fully destemmed and indigenous yeast fermented to 12.5% alc., the wine aged 10 months and 25% new French oak puncheons with oak inserts equivalent to 50% new oak. 17.5+/20 Jan 2018 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne Tempranillo 2012
Tempranillo from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 12-Dec-2013
☆☆☆☆☆
Dark, deep ruby-red colour, lighter on rim with youthful purple hues. The nose is firm and intense with concentrated savoury black and red berry fruits along with a dusty and earth, resinous note, opening to reveal savoury and sweet vanilla-like nuances. Medium-full bodied, strong and up-front flavours of savoury and sweet black and dark red fruit flavours are encased by grainy tannin textures. An array of flavours show, with savoury vanilla and sweet earthy prominent, and some resinous nuances that diminish in the glass. The mouthfeel is robust with significant extract and grip, and lively, with a good acid line that carries the flavours to a gutsy, textured and dry finish. This is a robust and grainy textured Tempranillo with sweet and savoury dark red fruit flavours and a little resinous detail. Serve with barbecued or slow-cooked red meats over the next 5-6 years. 90% Tempranillo and 10% Syrah from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, destemmed, given a 5 day cold soak and indigenous yeast fermented to 13.5% alc., the wine spending 7 days on skins post ferment and aged 14 months in oak, 30% new equivalence. 375 dozen made. 17.0+/20 Dec 2013 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne Tempranillo 2013
Tempranillo from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 24-Feb-2015
☆☆☆☆☆
Fruit from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard blended with a small portion of St Laurent, the fruit given a cold soak and wild yeast fermented to 12.8% alc., the wine aged 12 months in 35% new French oak equivalence. Dark, even, black-hued ruby-red colour with light purple hues on the edge. This has an elegant and refined nose, tightly bound with aromas of dark red cherry and raspberry fruits lifted with bright red florals, unveiling nuances of minerals, games and cherry liqueur. Medium-bodied, the palate is tightly concentrated with flavours of dark cherries and raspberry fruits entwined with mineral and leathery nuances, along with a savoury lift. The mouthfeel is fresh with underlying acidity and features powdery tannins that grow in prominence through the mid-palate. The extraction leads to a dry-textured, grainy finish with florals and spicy oak. This is a tightly bound, finely extracted, bright and aromatically fruited Tempranillo. Serve with poultry, pork, veal and Mediterranean fare over the next 5-6+ years. 17.5-/20 Feb 2015 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne Tempranillo 2014
Tempranillo from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 27-Apr-2016
☆☆☆☆☆
Tempranillo fruit from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard fermented to 13.0% alc., the wine aged 12 months in oak with 25% new equivalence. Even ruby-red colour, a little lighter on the rim with a touch of garnet. This has a very fresh and fragrant, elegantly presented nose of red berry and dark-red cherry fruit intermixed with delicate, piquant herb and spice notes, revealing redcurrant and pomegranate elements. Medium-bodied, the palate is tightly bound with refined and pure, vibrant fruit flavours of dark red cherry fruit entwined with redcurrants and red florals, along with herbs, liquorice and spice nuances. The flavours have good intensity and are supported by fine-grained tannins. Bright acidity enhances the aromatic lift and carries the wine to a long, fragrant finish. This is a bright, aromatic Tempranillo with red cherry and herb flavours, fine tannins and a fresh mouthfeel. Match with poultry and pork over the next 4+ years. 17.0/20 Apr 2016 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne Tempranillo 2016
Tempranillo from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 03-Jan-2018
☆☆☆☆☆
Full, even, dark ruby-red colour with slight garnet hues. The nose is fragrant with bright, aromatic dark raspberry and dark-red cherry fruit along with a fine amalgam of red florals melded with earthy notes, unfolding spice nuances. Medium-bodied, the palate has bright and lively vibrantly aromatic fruit flavours of dark-red berry and cherry fruit along with suggestions of raspberries, lifted red florals and subtle nutty oak. The mouthfeel is elegantly poised and finely concentrated with supple tannin extraction and lively acidity. The wine has good energy and freshness, and carries to a bright, juicy finish. This is a bright, juicy and vibrant Tempranillo with red cherry, berry and raspberry fruit with lifted florals on a supple, lively palate. Serve with antipasto and tapas over the next 4 years. 90% Tempranillo with 10% Syrah from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, indigenous yeast fermented to 12.5% alc., the wine aged 10 months seasoned oak with oak insert equivalent to 50% new oak. 18.0-/20 Jan 2018 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2013
Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand - Marlborough
Review Date : 31-Mar-2014
☆☆☆☆☆
Marlborough fruit cool-fermented to 13.3% alc. and 4.9 g/L RS, with a very small percentage of the wine seeing oak, undergoing MLF and contact with lees. Bright pale straw-yellow colour with slight green hues on edge. The nose is very fresh with tightly packed and elegantly expressed aromas of passionfruit with a steely cut and mouthwatering freshness. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate features a concentrated core of passionfruit flavours underlined by very fine, dry textures. The acidity is racy and slippery, balancing the textures, providing a sense of lusciousness. The flavours are tight and stylish, remaining clean, clear and focussed, and possess a positive linear drive carrying the flavours to a very long, soft finish with tropical fruit notes. This is a well-concentrated and focussed, passionfruity, dry Sauvignon Blanc, with a fresh and slippery mouthfeel. Serve with seafood, salads and vegetables, and creamy sauce white meat dishes over the next 2 years. 17.5+/20 Apr 2014 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2014
Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand - Marlborough
Review Date : 24-Feb-2015
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, light, straw-yellow colour, pale on rim. This has a fresh, tightly bound, aromatic nose with white florals, cut grass, nettles and lantana, lifted by exotic florals and tropical fruit elements. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate is slender in proportion with aromatic grass, herb and floral fruit flavours. The mouthfeel is smooth with slippery acidity providing drive along a fine-featured, textural line. The acidity is crisp and mouthwatering, and carries the wine to an elegant, slim, dry finish. This is a crisp, thirst-quenching Sauvignon Blanc with cut grass and aromatic, exotic fruit flavours. Match with Asian and Pacific Rim fare over the next 2 years. Fruit primarily from the Waihopi and Wairau Valleys, blended with 9% Gisborne Viognier, the wine fermented partially by indigenous yeasts to 13.2% alc and 5.0 g/L RS with TA 7.5 g/L. 17.0/20 Feb 2015 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2016
Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand - Marlborough
Review Date : 14-Dec-2016
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, very pale straw colour with slight green hues, near colourless on the rim. The nose is very fresh with tightly bound and concentrated, intensely penetrating aromas of pungent passionfruit with piquant fresh herbs and white florals, all integrated, unfolding nuances of chalky minerals. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate is crisp and racy with a tight core of passionfruit flavours entwined with white florals and chalky minerals. The mouthfeel is brisk and thirst-quenching from the zesty acidity and the wine flows along a light-textured phenolic line that carries to a dry finish of passionfruit, fresh herbs and cut grass. This is a crisp, racy, mouthwatering Sauvignon Blanc with passionfruit, white floral and mineral flavours on a light-textured, dry palate. A blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc from the ‘Bank House’ (ex Ara) vineyard and 10% Albarino, fermented in stainless-steel to 12.6% alc. and 3 g/L RS, the wine aged 5 months on light lees. 17.5-/20 Dec 2016 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Pinot Gris 2013
Pinot Gris from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 19-Mar-2014
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, light golden-yellow with a suggestion of blush, pale on edge. The nose is light and fresh with steely, minerally infused yellow stonefruit aromas, lifted by hints of honeysuckle and esters. Medium-dry to taste, soft and lush, gently sweet flavours of ripe stonefruits, apricots, pears and honeysuckle form a rounded mouthfeel with attractive lusciousness. The acidity is soft and the mouthfeel smooth and mellow. This has a degree of unctuousness with the flavours carried by the sweetness to a gentle, honied finish. Though quite steely on bouquet, this medium Pinot Gris has a smooth and rich mouthfeel. Match with Asian and Middle Eastern fare over the next 3+ years. 39% ‘M2’ Grigio clone and 33% 2/15 from Alsace, 21% Barrie, the remainder clone457, from the ‘Leaderbrand’ vineyards, fermented to 13.1% alc. and 18.5 g/L RS, 25% of the wine in large oak cuves, with 4 months on lees and 75% MLF. 17.5-/20 Mar 2014 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Pinot Gris 2014
Pinot Gris from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 24-Feb-2015
☆☆☆☆☆
Gisborne fruit, 66% M2 Pinot Grigio and 21% 457 Alsace Pinot Gris clones blended with 8% Marsanne, 3% Viognier and 2% Petit Manseng fermented to 13.8% alc. and 13.3 g/L RS, TA 5.89 g/L and pH 3.38, the wine aged 6 months on lees. Moderately deep straw-yellow colour with some blush, lighter on rim. The nose is soft and gentle with good volume of ripe yellow stonefruits, pears and honey, lifted with spice notes and yellow florals, revealing a steely freshness at the core. Medium-dry to taste and medium-bodied, gently rich and luscious flavours of yellow stonefruits and pears form a good core, the flavours unfolding exotic spices and honey elements. The fruit expression has restraint. but is enlivened by fresh acidity, and the wine flows easily along a delicately textured line. The mouthfeel is balanced and harmonious, and the wine carries to a long and sustained, aromatic finish. This is a fresh, gently rich, aromatic, medium-dry Pinot Gris with balance and linearity. Serve with Asian and Middle Eastern cuisine over the next 2-3+ years. 17.5/20 Feb 2015 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Pinot Gris 2015
Pinot Gris from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 20-Oct-2015
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, pale straw-yellow colour, light on the rim. The nose is full and gently voluminous with moderately deep aromas of white stonefruits, pears and subtle musk, honeysuckle, florals and fermentation esters detail. Medium-dry to taste and medium-bodied, fresh, up-front flavours of pears, stonefruits and honeysuckle show with a gentle richness. The mouthfeel is balanced and refreshing with lacy acidity, and the wine follows a fine-textured line. As the wine flows, the honied sweetness recedes and the palate carries to a light, mouthwatering, lingering finish with floral nuances. This is a fresh, up-front, medium-dry Pinot Gris with soft pear and stonefruit flavours and a crisp, light finish. Serve as an aperitif and with Asian cuisine over the next 2+ years. 60% clone M2 and 40% clone 457, from the ‘Ashwood’ vineyards, fermented in tank to 13.0% alc. and 12.5 g/L RS, the wine aged 3 months on light lees. 16.5+/20 Oct 2015 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Pinot Gris 2016
Pinot Gris from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 03-Apr-2017
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, very pale straw colour with slight green hues, near colourless on the rim. This is very elegant andfine in presentation with fragrant aromas of white stonefruits and pears, along with exotic rose-petal florals and honeysuckle notes, unfolding fresh, lifted fermentation esters. Medium-dry to taste and light-medium bodied, the palate has an elegant, tightly bound core with aromatic white stonefruit and pear flavours entwined with pears, honeysuckle, exotic florals and lifted esters. The palate builds in richness as it flows along a smooth line, with soft acidity enhancing the roundness, but providing underlying tension. The wine leads to a light aromatic finish. This is a gently rich, medium-dry Pinot Gris with aromatic fruit lift and a soft, accessible palate. Match with Asian and Middle Eastern fare over the next 2-3 years. Clones 457 and M2 fruit from Gisborne, tank-fermented to 13.0% alc. and 10 g/L RS, the wine aged 6 months on lees. 415 dozen made. 17.5-/20 Apr 2017 RRP $19.95
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Pinot Gris 2017
Pinot Gris from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 08-Jul-2018
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, very pale straw yellow colour, lighter on the rim. This has a very fresh and elegant nose of soft and delicate, but positive aromas of white and yellow stonefruits, showing a fine and concentrated core of honeysuckle and nuances of exotic florals. This has clarity and purity. Off-dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate has restrained flavours of white and yellow stonefruits lifted by exotic floral notes and enriched by oft honeysuckle notes. The flavours grow in volume to gently fill the palate lending a suggestion of unctuousness. The wine flows smoothly along a very fine line, leading to a subtly nuanced, lingering finish. This is a stylishly restrained off-dry Pinot Gris with stonefruit, floral and honeysuckle flavours on a smooth-flowing palate. Serve with Thai, Vietnamese and Japanese cuisine over the next 3 years. Fruit from the ‘Ashwood’ vineyard, 65% M2, 21% 2/15 and 14% 457 clone fruit, tank-fermented to 13.5% alc. and 10.0 g/L RS, the wine aged 5 months on lees. 17.5+/20 Oct 2017 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Patutahi Gewurztraminer 2012
Gewurztraminer from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 06-May-2013
☆☆☆☆☆
Brilliant, even golden-yellow colour, lighter on edge. The bouquet is soft, full and broad, with up-front aromas of ripe yellow stonefruits, tropical fruits and musk entwined with Turkish Delight and ginger. Medium-dry to taste and medium-bodied, this has mouthfilling flavours of ripe tropical fruits, ginger, spices and musk. There are rich and luscious savoury honey elements, enlivened by fresh, bright acidity. While open and accessible, there is an underlying solidness that carries the flavours to a long, fruit-driven finish. This is an up-front and flavoursome savoury-spicy medium-dry Gewurztraminer with some richness and good freshness. Serve with Middle Eastern and Asian fare over the next 3 years. Fruit from two sites in the Patutahi district of Gisborne, cool-fermented to 12.8% alc. and 18 g/L rs. 220 dozen made. 17.5-/20 May 2013 RRP $20.00 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Chardonnay 2012
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 09-Aug-2013
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, light golden-yellow colour with some depth, lighter on rim. The nose is softly full and broad with aromas of ripe yellow stonefruits and citrus fruits unfolding subtle layers of nuts, butter and oak toast. Dryish to taste, luscious, up-front and mouthfilling flavours of ripe citrus and stonefruits form a rich and harmonious amalgam with notes of nuts, butter and toast. This has depth and a solid core to the palate, the softness of the acidity adding to the mellowness of the mouthfeel. The flavours flow smoothly on a creamy-textured line, leading to a long, sustained finish with savoury stonefruit and nutty nuances. This is a full, up-front and mouthfilling Chardonnay with fruit richness and smooth textures. Match with creamy and rich white meat dishes over the next 2-3+ years. 78% ‘Spade Oak’ fruit with 10% Viognier, plus 22% ‘Ashwood’ fruit, the ‘Spade Oak’ vines 14 y.o., 25% WBP and fully barrel-fermented, mainly with indigenous yeasts to 12.5% alc., the wine aged 11 months in 10% new French oak, undergoing batonnage and 100% MLF. 800 cases made. 18.0/20 Aug 2013 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Chardonnay 2013
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 19-Mar-2014
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, even, light golden-hued straw-yellow colour. This has an elegant ant tightly bound nose of fresh and clean citrus fruits along with some butterscotch MLF notes. The oaking is very subtle, providing some nutty detail. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, light and restrained citrus and stonefruit flavours are entwined with some butterscotch MLF, forming a mellow, smooth-flowing mouthfeel. Fresh, lacy acidity provides some cut and linearity, with good drive. Flavours of ripe stonefruits and nuts with some flinty elements emerge and lead to a finish with MLF butterscotch nuances. This is an elegant, tightly bound and smooth Chardonnay with stonefruit and butterscotch flavours. Serve with poultry and pork over the next 3-4 years. 40% Mendoza, 35% clone 15, 10% each Rua 1 and clone 95, with 5% Viognier. Fruit from 85% ‘Leaderbrand’ vineyards and 15% Spade Oak’, 20% barrel-fermented to 13.5% alc. and 4.7 g/L RS, with 20% of the wine aged in oak, the remainder in tank given 20% new wood equivalence. The wine saw 8 months on lees with 80% MLF. 17.0+/20 Mar 2014 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Chardonnay 2014
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 20-Oct-2015
☆☆☆☆☆
Brilliant straw-yellow colour with light golden hues and some depth. The nose is elegantly concentrated with aromas of melons and citrus fruits, along with aromatic yellow stonefruits entwined with spicy oak and layers of lemon-curd MLF. Some underlying nutty and creamy elements unfold as the MLF notes blossom. Medium-bodied, this has an elegant core of melons, peaches and citrus fruits, the wine showing good richness and succulence. The fruit sweetness is enlivened by fresh, lacy acidity and the mouthfeel is bright and energetic. Layers of spicy, nutty oak unfold, with plenty of lemon-curd and buttery MLF flavour. The palate core flows along a subtly-textured line leading to long, dry finish with oak and MLF notes. This is an elegant Chardonnay with lively, aromatic, citrus and melon fruit, along with nutty and lemon-curd MLF flavours. Match with seafood, poultry and pork over the next 3+ years. A blend of 88% Chardonnay and 12% Viognier, fruit 70% from the ‘Ashwood’ vineyard and 30% ‘Spade Oak’, 30% of the fruit indigenous yeast barrel-fermented with high solids to 13.2% alc., the wine aged 14 months in 15% new oak equivalence, undergoing batonnage and full MLF. 17.0/20 Oct 2015 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Rosé 2014
Rose from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 24-Feb-2015
☆☆☆☆☆
Pale ruby rosé colour with some depth and light purple on rim. The nose is fresh with voluminous aromas of dark cherry fruit with nuances of savoury strawberries and cream, along with a little confectionary lift and minerally lees. Dryish to taste and medium-bodied, the palate features positive raspberry and cream fruit flavours alongside bitter cherry notes, lifted by confectionary elements. The fruit and sweetness fills the palate, enhanced by a slippery, racy acid mouthfeel. The wine follows a fine textural line that carries through to a crisp, lusciously juicy, slippery finish with savoury raspberry notes. This is a crisp, slippery, mouthwatering Tempranillo rosé with savoury raspberries and cream flavours. Serve with antipasto and tapas over the next 2 years. 100% Tempranillo spending 3 days on skins and fermented to 12.5% alc. and 8.4 g/L RS, the wine spending one month on lees. 17.0+/20 Feb 2015 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne Syrah/Viognier 2011
Syrah from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 21-Feb-2013
☆☆☆☆☆
Fruit from the ‘Spade Oak vineyard, 95% Syrah with 5% Viognier added, the wine fermented to 12.6% alc., the wine aged 4 months in barrel. Even, purple-hued ruby-red colour with light purple hues on edge. This has an elegantly concentrated and intense nose of black berry fruits with subtle raspberry and black pepper, and earth nuances, unfolding to show herb notes with cool, steely minerals. Medium-bodied, this is a slender wine with good concentration and fine, restrained flavours of dark raspberries, pepper and spicy red florals. Fine-grained and firm tannins form tight, line, and are supported by good acidity, providing tension and freshness. The flavours are carried to a moderately long finish with a crisp, firm texture. This is an elegant Syrah with a fine, concentrated and firm linearity. Serve with Asian duck, pork, lamb and beef dishes over the next 4+ years. 16.5+/20 Feb 2013 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Syrah 2013
Syrah from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 24-Feb-2015
☆☆☆☆☆
Dark, deep, purple-hued ruby-red colour, very youthful in appearance. This has a full, open and accessible nose of rich, ripe dark raspberry and blackberry fruit flavours along with savoury floral, jam and spice elements, leather and game interest, black pepper and bacon-nuanced oak. Medium-bodied and elegant in proportion, the flavours of black and red berry fruits are tightly concentrated with a core melded with spices, pepper and oak. The mouthfeel is brisk, racy and zesty from prominent acidity. Fine-grained tannins carry the fruit and palate to a long, lingering, spicy, cedary finish. Open and aromatic on nose this is a tightly concentrated and fine-grained Syrah with spicy and cedary flavours and a racy mouthfeel. Match with barbecued and roasted red meat dishes over the next 4-5 years. ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard Syrah co-fermented with 5% Viognier and blended with 8% St Laurent, the wine 12.9% alc. and aged 12 months in 15% new French oak equivalence. 17.5-/20 Feb 2015 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Syrah 2014
Syrah from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 27-Apr-2016
☆☆☆☆☆
Dark, moderately deep ruby-red colour with slight purple hues, lighter edged. The nose is gently full with softly packed aromas of savoury dark-red berry fruits layered with spice, earth and game elements, unfolding liquorice and red floral elements, along with dried herbs and black pepper. Medium-bodied, the palate is up-front with lusciously sweet flavours of dark red berry fruits with savoury herb, earth and game notes, forming a soft, dense core. The fruit is supported by supple tannin extraction and fresh, bright acidity, enlivening the mouthfeel. As the wine flows, funky liquorice and dark herbal elements emerge and carry to a lively, sweet-fruited lingering finish. This is a rich, savoury, dark-red-fruited Syrah with funky interest and a refreshing, well balanced and supple-structured palate. Match with pasta, pizza and barbecued fare over the next 3+ years. Syrah fruit with 6% Viognier from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, co-fermented to 13.0% alc., the wine aged 12 months in oak with 25% new equivalence. 17.0/20 Apr 2016 RRP$19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Syrah 2015
Syrah from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 22-Aug-2017
☆☆☆☆☆
Moderately deep, dark ruby-red colour, a little lighter on the edge with slight garnet tints. The nose is elegantly presented with gently voluminous aromas of raspberry fruit along with fragrant yellow florals and apricot elements, lifted by red florals, unfolding a little liquorice and spice from the core. Medium-full bodied, the palate soft, juicy and lush with aromatic flavours of red florals and dark raspberry fruit along with lifted yellow floral and stonefruit notes. The flavours form a rounded, but concentrated core, and the fruit is supported by supple tannin extraction and integrated acidity. The wine flows smoothly along a light, textured line to a fragrant, lingering finish. This is a supple, juicy Syrah with raspberry fruit intermixed with Viognier florals, on a supple palate with light textures and good linearity. Match with Asian and Middle Eastern fare over the next 4 years. A blend of 88% Syrah and 10% Viognier co-fermented with 2% St Laurent and Tempranillo, 10% of the Viognier and 35% of the Syrah fermented as whole bunches, with 55% of the Syrah as uncrushed berries to 13.5% alc., all the wine aged 18 months in French oak with 40% new equivalence. 17.5-/20 Aug 2017 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates.
Spade Oak Sangria
Other Red from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 20-Feb-2013
☆☆☆☆☆
Being a wine-based beverage rather than wine, I have not rated or scored the Spade Oak Sangria. This is Eileen and Steve Voysey's interpretation of sangria, the wine and fruit-based punch popular in Spain and the Mediterranean. It is based on Tempranillo from home vineyard with a little Syrah in the blend. The rest is made up of local Gisborne cider, organic orange, lemon and grape juices. This is akin to a spritzig rosé crossed with a deliciously dry fruit cooler. With the appearance of raspberry cordial, it has a vinous aroma of refreshingly cool red fruits. Raspberries and red currants are apparent. Surprisingly dry, subtle red fruit flavours seamlessly flow, mixed with a hint of citrus and apple. There are no confectionary flavours at all. The acidity is the feature, and the palate is juicy and mouthwatering with a hint of sourness to provide quenchability. Some spritz tingle on the tongue shows, and the alcohol is hardly detectable. This is very easy to enjoy. Click here to see my 'Blog' article for more information. Not Scored or Rated Feb 2013 RRP $16.95 Disclaimer: This wine-based beverage is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates.
The Prospect Ormond/Patutahi Gisborne Chardonnay 2014
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 27-Apr-2016
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, light golden-yellow colour with some depth, paler on the rim. This has a fine and tightly bound nose of yellow stonefruits harmoniously melded with citrus fruits, soft nutty elements and suggestions of minerals. The fruit expression is initially reserved but grows in depth, revealing toasty oak interest. Medium-full bodied, the palate is restrained and elegant in proportion with flavours of yellow stonefruits and nutty oak, entwined with creamy barrel-ferment and mealy layers. The palate is guided by a fine phenolic line and enlivened by fresh, lacy acidity, and carry to a slender, but lingering, dry finish of citrus fruit and nuts. This is an elegant and softly concentrated Chardonnay with stonefruit and nutty flavours with some mealy interest and a fine, dry finish. Match with grilled and roasted poultry and pork dishes over the next 4 years. Clones Mendoza, 15 and 95 from two sites, one in Ormond, the other in Patutahi, fermented in barrel and cuve with high solids, partially by indigenous yeasts to 13.5% alc., the wine aged 12 months in French oak with 40% new equivalence. 17.5/20 Apr 2016 RRP $27.00 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
The Prospect Ormond/Patutahi Gisborne Chardonnay 2015
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 20-Jun-2017
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, even yellow colour with light golden hues, a little lighter on the edge. This has a fresh, bright and aromatic nose of white and yellow stonefruits along with subtle creamy barrel-ferment and nutty oak notes along with hints of MLF. The aromatics are sweetly ripe and also complex with savoury notes. Medium-full bodied, the palate features vibrant and lively white and yellow stonefruit flavours that form a firm and taut core. The palate has layers of subtle nutty oak and creamy barrel-ferment detail with hints of flinty lees and subtle lemon-curd MLF elements. The mouthfeel is fresh and lively and fine in concentration, and the wine carries to a long and sustained, firmly bound finish with refined textures. This is a fragrant, finely concentrated Chardonnay with yellow stonefruits and complexing detail on a refined, fresh palate. This will develop greater richness over the next 4+ years. An Indevin wine made by Steve Voysey. Clone 95 and 15 fruit from vines, 11 y.o., from Waihirere heavy silt loam, Kaiti loam clay and Makaraka silt loam soils, pressed with high solids directly to barrel and fermented 13.5% alc., a portion by indigenous yeasts, the wine aged 11 months in 21% new French oak. 18.5+/20 Apr 2017 RRP $27.00 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
The Prospect Ormond Gisborne Chardonnay 2016
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 03-Jan-2018
☆☆☆☆☆
Full, light golden-yellow colour with some depth, a little lighter on the rim. The nose is elegantly concentrated with aromas of ripe yellow stonefruits, peaches and citrus fruits harmoniously integrated with creamy barrel-ferment, and nutty lees and oak detail, unveiling a little lemon-curd and butterscotch MLF. This has lovely richness and depth. Medium-full bodied, the palate has intensely deep and well-concentrated flavours of ripe yellow stonefruits, peaches and melons, and citrus fruits, along with tropical fruit nuances. The fruit is melded with a layering of creamy barrel-ferment and nutty oak, and buttery MLF. The flavours carry with good energy and drive with some underlying power along a very fine-textured line enlivened by fresh acidity, to a sustained citrussy and nutty finish. This is a rich, deep Chardonnay with up-front stonefruit and citrus fruit flavours along with creamy and nutty oak and an integrated layering of MLF. Match with roasted pork and veal dishes over the next+ years. Hand-picked Mendoza and clone 95 fruit from ‘Ashwood Estate’, vines 10 y.o. on average, WBP and 50% indigenous yeast fermented with full solids to 13.5% alc., the wine aged11 months in 25% new French oak and 60% MLF. 18.5+/20 Jan 2018 RRP $27.00 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Chardonnay 2017
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 03-Jan-2018
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright straw-yellow colour with light golden hues, a little paler on edge. The nose is moderately full with fresh, deep aromas of white and yellow stonefruits with savoury stonefruit pith at the core along with a subtle layering of lifted and nutty oak notes unfolding with breadth. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate has vibrantly rich flavours of yellow stonefruits, citrus fruits and harmoniously melded sweetly fragrant and nutty oak notes that grow in depth and breadth. The mouthfeel is fresh and bright, with balanced, lacy acidity and the wine blossoms as it flows along a fine, crisp line, leading to a lingering finish. This is a vibrant and rich stonefruited and nutty Chardonnay with a bright and fresh mouthfeel, blossoming as it flows. Match with seafood, poultry and pork over the next 3+ years. Indevin sourced fruit, 38% clone 548 from Ormond, 25% clone 15 from an ex-‘Saints’ vineyard, 10% Muscat clone 809, blended with mixed clones Mendoza, 95 and 6, and 10% indigenous yeast barrel-fermented Viognier from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard. The wine 85% tank-fermented and 15% in seasoned oak to 13.0% alc., the wine given 4 months oak contact equivalent to 25% new, with 8 months aging on lees and 70% MLF. 17.5+/20 Jan 2018 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne Rosé 2016
Rose from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 12-Dec-2016
☆☆☆☆☆
Cherry-peach pink colour with some depth and lighter purple hues on the edge. The nose is softly full with packed aromas of savoury raspberry fruit intermingling with cherries, cranberries, red florals and nuances of confectionary at the core. Dryish to taste and light-medium bodied, the palate is rounded with concentrated flavours of savoury raspberries, cherries, cranberries and pomegranate harmoniously integrated with lifted confectionary elements. The fruit is rich, and balanced by soft, smooth textures and gentle, mouthwatering acidity that allows the fruitiness to prevail. The fruit sweetness carries to a gently full, aromatic finish of raspberries and confectionary. This is a gently rich and concentrated dryish rosé with savoury raspberry and cranberry flavours and a soft, mouthwatering palate. Match with antipasto and tapas over the next 2 years. 100% Tempranillo from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard fermented in tank with 5% seasoned oak Tempranillo blended to 12.5% alc. and 7 g/L RS. 17.5-/20 Dec 2016 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne Syrah/Tempranillo 2013
Blended Red from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 24-Feb-2015
☆☆☆☆☆
Full, dark, deep, ruby-red colour with black-purple hues. The nose is firmly concentrated with dense aromas of blackberry fruit intermixed with mineral and earth, smoke and leather, and savoury black pepper detail, along with violet florals. Medium-full bodied, full, soft and mellow layers of blackberry, violet floral, black pepper and Middle Eastern spice flavours form a richly packed palate. The mouthfeel is balanced by fine-grained, supple tannins and positive structure, and the acidity is integrated, lending good freshness and liveliness. The wine is bright and vibrant, leading to a long, lingering dry finish with spice and oak nuances. This is a soft and well-integrated and balanced Syrah blend with Tempranillo with spicy black fruits and supple tannins. Match with slow-cooked red meat dishes over the next 5-6 years. A blend of 50% Syrah and 5% Viognier with 45% Tempranillo from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, fermented to 12.8% alc., the wine aged 12 months in 25% new French oak equivalence. 18.0/20 Feb 2015 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Rosé 2015
Rose from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 27-Apr-2016
☆☆☆☆☆
The second bottling of this wine, distinguished by a white label rather than black. Ablend of 86% Tempranillo and 14% St Laurent from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, given 12 hours skin contact and cool-fermented in tank to 12.2% alc. and 8.5 g/L RS. The wine was given further tank maturation before bottling. Peach pink colour with some depth, a little lighter on the rim. The nose is attractively fresh and aromatic with aromas of strawberries, cranberries and watermelon, unfolding soft red floral and gentle confectionary elements. Off-dry to taste and light-medium bodied, this has soft, but up-front flavours of strawberries entwined with cranberry and watermelon notes. Subtle floral and confectionary elements emerge in the glass. The mouthfeel is soft with a fine, drying phenolic line and mild acidity lending a gently refreshing palate that carries to a light, lingering finish of strawberries and cranberries. This is a soft, up-front, refreshing off-dry rosé with strawberry and cranberry flavours. Serve as an aperitif, with canapes, tapas and dim sum over the next 2 years. 17.0+/20 Apr 2016 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates Bright, pale peach-pink colour, lighter on edge. This has a very delicate nose with clean and fresh aromas of strawberries, savoury quince and cranberries, lifted by red floral notes and subtle herb elements. Off-dry to taste and light-medium bodied, the palate shows light, gently rich fruit flavours of strawberries and quince, along with lifted red floral elements. The wine follows a smooth flowing line, and the mouthfeel is enlivened by bright, racy and slippery acidity. A fine textural thread leads the palate to a light, mouthwatering, dry finish with delicate strawberry nuances. This is a refreshing, clean, delicately fruited off-dry rosé with strawberry and quince flavours and a slippery mouthfeel. Serve as an aperitif, with canapes and with charcuterie over the next 18 months to 2 years. A blend of 86% Tempranillo and 14% St Laurent from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, given 12 hours skin contact and cool-fermented in tank to 12.2% alc. and 8.5 g/L RS. 16.5/20 Oct 2015 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Heart of Gold’ Gisborne Tempranillo Rosé 2017
Rose from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 18-Jan-2018
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, pale strawberry-pink colour with some depth and hints of purple on the rim. The nose is delicate in presentation with delicate, fragrant aromas of strawberries and cream with soft red florals and subtle notes of confectionary. This is pretty and has beauty. Off-dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate has subtly sweet and rich, but poised flavours of strawberries and cream ans an amalgam of aromatic red florals, with cherry confectionary. The fruitiness and sweetness is balanced by soft, refreshing acidity, and the wine flows with tension and vibrancy, leading to a long, fragrant finish of red florals and confectionary. This is a gently rich, but poised, off-dry rosé with strawberries and cream, soft red florals and confectionary notes on a smooth-flowing palate. Serve with antipasto, tapas, and Asian cuisine over the next 2 years. Saignee wine, the fruit from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, tank-fermented to 12.0% alc. and 8.5 g/L RS, the wine aged 7 months on light lees. 18.0+/20 Jan 2018 RRP $24.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Reserve’ Gisborne Chardonnay 2009
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 14-Feb-2011
☆☆☆☆☆
Chardonnay is a passion for the Voyseys, with Steve well-respected as a top maker of it and Eileen a respected grower. They see Gisborne as a natural home for the variety. This has 5% Viognier included, natural yeast fermented to 13.3% alc., then aged 16 months in 20% new French oak equivalence. 50% underwent MLF. Bright, light golden straw yellow in colour. This has a beautifully fresh and tightly bound nose of peaches and white stonefruits along with minerally aromatics. Dry on palate, this is elegant and intense, with minerals and ripe citrus and stonefruit flavour, with the barest nuance of exotic lift. Very fine-textured, some MLF notes, oak very much in balance. It has good freshness that will help the wine keep 3-4+ years. 110 cases made. 18.5-/20 Oct 2010 RRP $34.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Reserve’ Gisborne Noble Viognier 2009
Sweet Wine from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 14-Feb-2011
☆☆☆☆☆
The combination of Viognier varietal expression and botrytis is extremely complementary. An increasing number of ‘Noble Viognier' wines are appearing. This is 13.3% alc., with 199 g/L rs, aged 14 months in seasoned oak, given 20% MLF. Full, deep, light golden yellow in colour, this has a soft and full bouquet packed with ripe tropical and apricotty fruit aromas superbly intermixed with apricot and marmalade botrytis notes, overlaid with wild honey. Subtle volatile lift adds complexity here. Very sweet and luscious on palate, this is soft and richly textured, with density of decadent and opulent honied flavours along with exotic fruits. This is very lush, yet retains some style and restraint, preventing any cloying. 80 cases of 375 ml bottles made. 19.0/20 Oct 2010 RRP $34.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates
Spade Oak ‘Reserve’ Gisborne Syrah 2009
Syrah from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 14-Feb-2011
☆☆☆☆☆
The style of Syrah from Gisborne seems not as clearly defined in peppery purity or florals. The savoury reds of Southern France come to mind with examples of the region. Co-fermented with 5% Viognier by wild yeasts to 13.1%alc., then aged 6 months in 40% new French oak equivalence. Deep, dark ruby-garnet colour. This has a soft, rich nose of dark fruits, spices, white and black pepper, a little shy in expression at present. Dry on palate, this has a firm, but fine-textured structure, backed by dry, earthy black fruits and some peppery notes. The tannin grip will enable the wine to match robust red meat dishes. 80 cases made. 17.5+/20 Oct 2010 RRP $34.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates
Spade Oak ‘Reserve’ Gisborne Viognier 2009
Viognier from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 14-Feb-2011
☆☆☆☆☆
Both Gisborne and Hawke's Bay have proven suitable regions for top flight Viognier. It may be the star variety for the Voyseys. This was fermented with wild yeasts to 14.7% alc. and aged 16 months in seasoned oak, 50% undergoing MLF. Bright, light straw yellow with golden hues. Very fresh, this has a steely-edged nose with fine floral lift, perfumes, excellent intensity and depth. Dry on palate with 1.9 g/L rs, this combines an elegance of style with real richness and lusciousness of exotic apricotty fruit, the alcohol and acidity providing excellent proportion and depth. A wine with great line and length, with the potential to develop well over the next 5 years. 150 cases made. 18.5+/20 Oct 2010 RRP $34.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates
Spade Oak ‘Reserve’ Gisborne Viognier 2010
Viognier from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 21-Feb-2013
☆☆☆☆☆
Viognier from the ‘Spade Oak' vineyard barrel-fermented by indigenous yeasts to 14.0% alc. and 2.78 g/L rs. 5% 2011 Viognier added for balance. 100% MLF. Bright, light golden-hued straw-yellow colour, pale on rim. The bouquet is full and openly accessible with aromas of ripe, savoury apricots and tropical fruits , nutty oak and buttery MLF forming a complex, funky amalgam revealing waves of detail and nuances. Dry to taste and full-bodied, solidly presented and densely packed flavours of ripe citrus fruits, savoury tropical fruits, apricots and butter meld with nutty, toasty oak. The mouthfeel is soft, creamy and warm with generosity from underlying alcohol power. The acidity is discreet, accentuating the breadth and rounded, fulsome palate and the wine has a sustained, near unctuous finish. This is a full, soft and funky Viognier with creamy textures. Match with Middle Eastern and Asian cuisine over the next 3-4+ years. 17.5/20 Feb 2013 RRP $34.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Vigneron’ Gisborne Chardonnay 2015
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 23-Apr-2017
☆☆☆☆☆
Even, light golden colour with some depth, lighter on the rim. This has a full,soft and gently harmonious nose with aromas of fresh white and yellow stonefruits along with nutty oak and integrated barrel-ferment creamy elements. This builds in intensity with aeration, but retains elegance. Medium-bodied, the flavours of white and yellow stonefruits show with restraint, unfolding subtle layers of nutty oak and creamy MLF detail. The mouthfeel is very fine in texture with balanced acidity lending poise. This has a smooth, driven core and line, and the wine carries to a sustained, elegant finish with subtle complexing detail. This is an elegant and restrained Chardonnay with subtle complexing detail on a fine-featured, refreshing palate. This will develop more richness and deeper flavour over the next 4+ years. Mendoza clone fruit from the ‘Ashwood’ estate, fully indigenous yeast barrel-fermented with high solids to 13.0% alc., the wine aged 10 months in 25% new oak, undergoing batonnage and 100% MLF. 18.0/20 Apr 2017 RRP $34.95 Bright, light golden colour, paler edged. This has a fresh nose with moderately full, voluminous, vibrantly ripe fruit aromas of white stonefruits and citrus fruits entwined with creamy and nutty barrel-ferment and oak notes, mealy complexities, and subtle, fragrant nuances of lemon-curd and buttery MLF detail. Medium-bodied, the palate features gently rich and succulent flavours of white stonefruits and citrus fruits melded with nutty and creamy oak along with toasty nuances and lemon-curd and buttery MLF elements. The mouthfeel is soft and exudes richness, and flows with good underlying acidity, unfolding layers of creamy, mealy and nutty detail, carrying to a long, lingering stonefruited and nutty finish. This is an elegantly rich and succulent, detailed Chardonnay with subtle layers of mealy, nutty and creamy complexities. Match with poultry, pork and veal over the next 5 years. Mendoza clone fruit from the ‘Ashwood’ estate, fully indigenous yeast barrel-fermented with high solids to 13.0% alc., the wine aged 10 months in 25% new oak, undergoing batonnage and 100% MLF. 18.5-/20 Apr 2016 RRP $34.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak Vigneron Chardonnay 2017, Gisborne
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 28-Jul-2021
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, medium yellow, slightly lighter on the rim. The nose is soft with integrated aromas of pear, dried apple, banana blossom and citrus, melded with toast, peanut butter reminiscents. Medium-full bodied, citrus, dried apple, banana blossoms are savoury, claimed by growingly nutty, toasty and caramel nuances. The palate is creamed with buttery MLF elements, along with a chalky phenolic line. Acidity is lively, providing vigour and freshness; savoury nuttiness lingers to a sustained dry finish. This is a dry, textural Chardonnay with flavours of citrus, banana blossom and a savoury and nutty finish. Match with maple roasted pumpkin with dukkah and hazelnut-crusted chicken over the next 3 years. 13.5% alc. 18/20 pts (90 pts) July 2021 RRP $30
Spade Oak Vigneron Chardonnay 2018, Gisborne
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 01-Sep-2020
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, even, medium yellow with some depth. The nose is upfront and generous, aromas of toasted hazelnuts, almonds melded with brown butter and grilled peaches and citrus. Full-bodied, bright, vibrant flavours of peach, apricot and citrus, interweaved buttery and nutty oak elements. The fruit is bright and abundance supported by mouthwatering acidity and provides freshness. Nutty oak flavours of toasted hazelnuts and almonds are rich and prominent, provides body and weight, shows in good intensity, lingers to a lengthy finish. This is an upfront Chardonnay with generous flavours of stonefruit, citrus, nutty oak elements on a buttery texture line. Match with roasted chicken and crispy potatoes over the next 2-4 years. 13.5% alc. 17.5/20 pts Sept 2020 RRP $30
Spade Oak ‘Vigneron’ Gisborne Late Harvest Viognier 2013
Sweet Wine from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 05-Jun-2014
☆☆☆☆☆
Full, deep, orange-hued golden colour, lighter on rim. This has a full and broad and opulent nose of well-ripened apricots entwined with savoury tropical fruits, the aromatics complexed by wild honey, crystallised fruits, nuts and caramel. Very sweet, luscious and decadent on palate, the mouthfeel is soft, filling and unctuous, with waves of flavour unfolding, to show ripe apricots, honey, savoury raisined fruit, nuts, toffee and caramel. The palate is broad, open and rounded, the low acidity adding to the density and viscous textures. The wine carries through to a weighty, long and unctuous finish. This is a full, lush and unctuous Late Harvest Viognier packed with burnished apricot and caramel flavours. Serve with crème brulee, steamed puddings and blue cheeses over the next 4-5 years. 1.14 tonnes of fruit picked, crushed and given 4 hours skin contact, fully barrel-fermented to 13.3% alc. and 172 g/L RS, TA 8.19 and pH 3.86, the wine aged 7 months in seasoned oak. 660 L, 146 dozen made. (375 ml) 18.0/20 Jun 2014 RRP $34.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Vigneron’ Gisborne Petit Manseng 2013
Other White from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 05-Jun-2014
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright straw-yellow colour with light golden hues, showing some depth, paler on edge. The nose is softly deep and showing real presence, though the aromas of white stonefruits and white florals are restrained. With aeration, nuances of apples, herbs and nuts emerge, and the aromatics are presented with pristine clarity and steeliness. Medium-sweet to taste and medium-bodied, the flavours of white fruits and florals are tightly bound and detailed by nutty reductive elements with fresh herb and honeysuckle facets. The sweetness adds to the fruit weight and fulsome mouthfeel, and is balanced by crisp, racy and steely acidity that carries the palate to a long lusciously slippery finish. This medium-sweet Petit Manseng has fruit clarity and weight, and is beautifully poised between raciness and lusciousness. Serve as an aperitif, with Asian cuisine and white meat dishes over the next 5-6 years. Made from 390 kg of fruit. Hand-picked and fermented in stainless-steel barrel to 12.8% alc. and 52 g/L RS, TA 9.17 g/L and pH 2.99. 235 L, 50 dozen made. (375 ml) 18.0+/20 Jun 2014 RRP $34.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Vigneron’ Gisborne Petit Manseng 2016
Other White from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 13-Feb-2017
☆☆☆☆☆
Brilliant straw-yellow colour with lemon-gold hues and some depth, lighter edged. The nose is elegantly concentrated with deep aromas of tangerines and mandarins, along with yellow stonefruits, exotic florals, nuances of herbs and some lifted confectionary notes. Dry to taste and medium-full bodied, the palate features fresh and vibrant flavours of exotic citrus fruits and florals, entwined with stonefruit and confectionary detail. The mouthfeel is crisp and enlivened by brisk acidity, and the wine carries along a fine phenolic threaded line with good energy and tension, leading to a long lingering finish of citrus fruits, esters and confectionary. This is a fresh, brisk, intensely fruited Petit Manseng with exotic citrus fruit and floral flavours and confectionary elements. Match with seafood and creamy-sauced white meat dishes over the next 4 years. Fruit from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, vines 6 y.o., indigenous yeast fermented in tank and finished in barrel to 14.5% alc. and 3.0 g/L RS, TA 8.0 g/L and pH 3.25, the wine aged 5 months on lees in seasoned oak, with no MLF. (375 ml) 500 bottles made. 18.0/20 Feb 2017 RRP $21.00 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Vigneron’ Gisborne Skin Ferment Petit Manseng 2015
Other White from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 13-Feb-2017
☆☆☆☆☆
Light orange colour with a tawny suggestion, showing some depth, and a lighter rim. The nose is firm and concentrated with densely packed aromas of oranges and mandarins melded with herbal, stalk and tea notes, along with earth, nutty and caramel oak elements. Dry to taste and full-bodied, the palate possesses flavours of oranges and mandarins entwined with herbs, tea, and complexing nutty and caramel oak elements. The flavours are underlined by firm, grainy extraction and phenolicsthat build to provide a drying mouthfeel. The acidity is fresh and lacy, providing energy and tension, and the structure, along with some alcoholic drive carries the wine to a dry, concentrated finish of ripe citrus fruits, tea, bitter herbs and caramel. This is a firm and grainy-textured skin contact Petit Manseng orange wine with complex citrus, herb, tea and caramel flavours. Match with roasted pork over the next 3-4+ years. Fruit from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, vines 5 y.o., destemmed, the uncrushed berries fermented in two sealed barriques with indigenous yeasts, on skins for 288 days, to 15.5% alc. and 1.9 g/L RS, TA 8.3 g/L and pH 3.36, the wine given a further 9 months barrel aging on full lees, with no MLF. (375 ml) 500 bottles made. 17.0+/20 Feb 2017 RRP $21.00 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Vigneron’ Gisborne Syrah 2012
Syrah from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 28-Nov-2013
☆☆☆☆☆
96.3% Syrah from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, destemmed and given a 5 day cold soak and co-fermented with 3.7% Viognier by indigenous yeasts to 13.7% alc., the wine spending 7 days on skins post ferment and aged 14 months in 30% new oak equivalence. Very dark, deep, black-hued red with lighter purple hues on rim. This has a very full and voluminous nose with intense and focussed aromas of savoury black berry fruits and black pepper, harmoniously infused with spices, game and earthy notes, lifted by violetty florals. Medium-full bodied, rich and luscious, sweet and spicy, savoury black berry fruit flavours fill the mouth, unfolding layers of pepper and florals. Oaking adds nutty and spice detail. The acidity is discreet and the palate is rounded, with fine-grained tannin extraction in support. The structure builds in prominence to balance the richness and carries the spicy fruit to a dry, densely packed, long finish. This is a softly rich and well-structured Syrah with savoury and sweet fruit and harmonious complexity. Match with slow-cooked game meat dishes over the next 5-6+ years. 250 dozen made. 18.5/20 Nov 2013 RRP $34.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak Vigneron Syrah 2013, Gisborne
Syrah from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 01-Sep-2020
☆☆☆☆☆
Deep, purple-ruby with some depth, slightly lighter on the rim. The nose is gently-full and robust, nuances of meaty, dried herbs, plums and spices all melded together, underlying liquorice, eucalyptus and violet. Full-bodied, there is good intensity of dried plums and blackberries, entwined with developed flavours of medicinal herbs, dried meat notes and pencil shavings, along with some smokiness. The aromas are with good concentration and intensity, integrated with developments, displaying complexity range of flavours. The mouthfeel is full with a good grip; ripe tannin extraction coated the palate with a fragrant, strong black tea, lingers with a touch of smokiness. This is a developed Syrah with good intensity, complexing flavours of dried plums, medicinal herbs and dried meat on a black tea tannin structure line. Match with Moroccan lamb and charred ribeye over the next 5 years. 13% alc. 19-/20 pts Sept 2020 RRP $30
Spade Oak ‘Vigneron’ Gisborne Syrah 2014
Syrah from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 27-Apr-2016
☆☆☆☆☆
A barrel selection wine. 97% Syrah and 3% Viognier from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, co-fermented with 10% whole bunches to 13.0% alc., the wine aged 14 months in barrel with 30% new equivalence. Dark ruby-red colour with some depth and slight purple hues, lighter on the rim. The nose is softly full and densely packed with reserved, but richly layered aromas of savoury dark-red berry fruits melded with funky earth and game notes, soft spices, dark herbs, liquorice and black pepper. Some dark-red floral notes emerge with aeration. Medium-bodied, rich and full flavours of dark-red berry fruits intermingle with savoury blackberries, black pepper, spices, earth and game, and are complexed by liquorice and dark herb notes. The fruit richness is balanced by supple, rounded tannin extraction and integrated acidity. The richness and spiciness blossoms as the wine carries to a sustained finish. This Syrah is somewhat reserved, but shows rich layers of savoury flavours and a supple, but dense and weighty palate. Match with casseroles and slow-cooked game meat over the next 6-7 years. 18.0/20 Apr 2016 RRP $34.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Vigneron’ Gisborne Viognier 2014
Viognier from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 08-Dec-2016
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, light golden-yellow colour with some depth, a little lighter on the rim. The bouquet is full and firmly packed with a core of ripe apricots, exotic tropical fruits and savoury yellow stonefruit kernels, along with complex notes of creamy and nutty oak and subtle oxidative detail. Dry to taste and medium-full bodied, the palate features rich and mouthfilling flavours of ripe apricots and tropical fruit, entwined with savoury stonefruit kernels and oxidative elements. The palate has a solid core with layers of creamy barrel-ferment textures melded with nutty oak and MLF lemon notes in a harmonious amalgam. The wine flows seamlessly, with good underlying drive, and the soft, integrated acidity enhances the roundness and richness. The wine carries to a fulsome, lingering finish. This is a rich, fulsome, complex flavoured Viognier with exotic fruit, creamy oak and a seamless mouthfeel. Serve with rich Asian and Middle Eastern fare over the next 3-4 years. From 2.2 ha in the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, indigenous yeast barrel-fermented to 14.5% alc. and <2.0 g/L RS, the wine aged 9 months in seasoned French oak undergoing a little batonnage and 100% MLF. 19.0-/20 Dec 2016 RRP $34.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Vigneron’ Gisborne Viognier 2016
Viognier from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 07-Feb-2017
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright straw-yellow colour with pale golden hues and some depth, lighter on the rim. This has a softly full nose of ripe apricots and musk, along with citrus fruits and savoury honey notes. With aeration, nutty oak elements show and layers of butterscotch MLF unfold to show with strong presence. Dry to taste and medium-full bodied, the palate is softly packed and mouthfilling with flavours of apricots, musk and honey, nutty oak nuances and buttery MLF flavours that grow in breadth. The mouthfeel is fulsome and rounded, with weight and some alcoholic power and drive. The wine flows smoothly on a soft-textured, near unctuous line, leading to a full finish of stonefruits, nuts and butterscotch. This is a soft and fulsome Viognier with power and presence, showing apricot, honey and buttery MLF flavours. Match with Middle Eastern and Asian fare over the next 3+ years. Fruit from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, vines 17 y.o., indigenous yeast barrel-fermented to 13.5% alc. and 0.96 g/L RS, the wine aged 5 months on lees in 95.5% seasoned French oak with 100% MLF. (375 ml) 1,000 bottles made. 17.0/20 Feb 2017 RRP $21.00 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak Voysey Blonde Rosé 2019, Gisborne
Rosé from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 11-Feb-2021
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, light salmon with a gold hue, even colour throughout. The nose is soft and elegant, nuances of peaches, citrus zest and red berries underlying florals and a hint of earthy minerals. Medium-light bodied, dry to taste, the palate has a savoury tone of red berries, peaches and citrus; unfolding a range of floral scent, followed by mandarin pith and a hint of spice. Creamy mouthfeel broadened the palate; echoing lavender, white floral nuances. Medium acidity provides some freshness and balance to the complex range of flavours. A blend of Tempranillo, Albarino, Viognier Syrah and St Laurent, fermented to 12.5% alc. Match with antipasto over the next 2 years. 17/20 pts (85 pts) Feb 2021 RRP $18.50
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Chardonnay 2011
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 21-Feb-2013
☆☆☆☆☆
Contract fruit from the Ormond sub-region, fermented to 12.5% alc. the wine aged in seasoned French oak with 8 months on lees and 14% MLF. Brilliant straw-yellow colour with slight golden hues, lighter on rim. This has a softly full and gentle bouquet with subtle, ripe citrus fruits and yellow stonefruit aromas, along with some nutty oak and savoury, spicy interest. Medium-light bodied, light but positive savoury citrus fruit flavours combine with buttery notes and hints of nutty oak on a soft-textured and evenly presented palate. This is up-front and very accessible, and gently presented with easy-flowing flavours. Light, nutty nuances complete the wine. This is a light-weighted Chardonnay with soft and creamy citrus and nutty flavours that can be enjoyed immediately and over the next 2-3 years. Serve with first courses. 16.5-/20 Feb 2013 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Syrah 2012
Syrah from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 02-Apr-2014
☆☆☆☆☆
A blend 90% Syrah and 10% Viognier from the Patutahi district, fermented to 13.5% alc., the wine given limited oak contact. The second bottling with 13.5% alc. whereas the first bottling is 13.0%. Full, dark hearted ruby-red colour. The nose is elegantly presented with intense aromatics of well-concentrated dark red berry fruits infused with white and black pepper, revealing excellent Viognier florality and lifted perfumes. Medium to medium-bodied, this has an up-front, deep and softly rounded core of raspberry and black berry fruits, along with pepper and florals. The fruit is supported by a supple and positively textured structure with a supple mouthfeel, the grip enhanced by fresh acidity that lifts the aromatics. The fine, grainy line carries the flavours to an aromatic, soft finish. This is an up-front, red-fruited Syrah with pepper and Viognier lift, and a positively structured mouthfeel. Match with barbecued meats and casserole dishes over the next 4+ years. 17.5/20 Apr 2014 RRP $20.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates Dark purple-hued ruby-red colour with youthful purple hues on edge. Full, voluminous and bold aromas of black berry fruits, raspberries, boysenberries and pepper are lifted by violetty florals and exotic perfumes. Some savoury, minerally notes add interest. Light-medium bodied, juicy dark raspberry, black fruits pepper and boysenberry fruit flavours form a soft- textured line, along with light, supple tannins. Fresh acidity adds to the mouthwatering succulence and liveliness of the fruit which leads to a moderately sustained, fruit-forward finish. This is a fresh, easy-drinking, juicy Syrah with perfumes, supple tannins and light body. Match with pizza, pasta, risotto and barbecued food over the next 3+ years. A blend 90% Syrah and 10% Viognier from the Patutahi district, fermented to 13.0% alc., the wine given limited oak contact. 17.0-/20 Feb 2013 RRP $20.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates
Spade Oak Voysey Syrah 2019, Gisborne
Syrah from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 01-Sep-2020
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, even, ruby-red with some depth. The nose is elegantly presented, gently penetrating aromas of red berries, raspberries, melded with white florals, pepper and a meaty underlay. Medium-bodied, the palate soft and juicy with aromas of red plums, raspberry, along with white florals, unfolding pepper and spice from the barrel. The palate grows more voluminous as it aerated, showing some mealy meat notes and nutty oak details. The fruit is juicy and lush with good concentration and balanced acidity, lacy and integrated, flows to an elegant lengthy finish. The fruit is supported by fine and dusty tannin, sails on a smooth texture line with grace to a fragrant finish. This is a supple Syrah with aromas of red plums and raspberries, delicately presented with Viognier florals and a dusty tannin texture line. Co-fermented with 8% Viognier to 12.5% alc. 100% barrel-aged for 11 months, 35% new. 18/20 pts Aug 2020 RRP $20
Spade Oak Voysey Syrah 2020, Gisborne
Syrah from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 01-Dec-2021
☆☆☆☆☆
Deep, moderately full ruby-red with a black hue, slightly lighter edged. The nose is gentle, slowly penetrating savoury aroma of meat, earthy soil, underlying raspberries, red plums, and herbs. Medium-bodied, sweet fruit aromas of raspberries, plums entwined with black pepper, savoury cured meat and a hint of dark herbs. The fruit is bright and juicy with the support of lacy acidity; powdery, sandy tannin contribute to the structure and a silky mouthfeel. This is a vibrant Syrah with succulent fruit, pepper and savoury details on a soft powdery tannin palate. Match with lamb sausages and tomato base pasta over the next 3-5 years. Fruit from Ngatarawa Triangle, 89% syrah, 6% Cabernet Franc, 1.5% Cabernet Sauvignon 3.5 % and Merlot, fermented to 13.2% alc. 20% staved in tank, full MLF, short maceration on skins. 18+/20 pts (91 pts) Dec 2021 RRP $20
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2012
Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand - Marlborough
Review Date : 21-Feb-2013
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, near colourless, pale straw with slight green hues. The nose is light, with fresh and up-front passionfruit, fresh herb and minerally aromas, the bouquet with some attractive pungency. Dry to taste and light-bodied, juicy and lush passionfruit and tropical fruit flavours are enhanced by bright and zesty acidity and fill the mouth. A textural thread emerges on mid-palate, and carries through to a dry, crisp and slightly grainy finish. This is an immediately recognisable, lush and passionfruity Sauvignon Blanc that has a dry, textured finish. Serve with seafood, poultry, salads and vegetables over the next 18 months to 2 years. A blend of 59% Rapaura, 20% Awatere, 19% Dillons Point and some Omaka fruit fermented to 12.5% alc. and 4 g/L rs. 16.5/20 Feb 2013 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade', the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews' operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2017
Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand - Marlborough
Review Date : 09-Oct-2017
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, very pale straw colour with slight green hues. The nose is very fresh and tightly bound with aromas of passionfruit entwined with white fkorals and fresh herbs, with nettle elements. The aromatics unveil mouthwatering mineral elements, and the nose grows in intensity with aeration. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate has is thirst-quenching with flavours of passionfruit, fresh herbs, hints of tropical fruits along with nettle notes. The palate possesses fine phenolic textures and crisp acidity enhancing the mouthwatering mouthfeel. The wine has an elegantly concentrated core and line carrying to a lingering, zesty passionfruity and herb-nuanced finish. This is a crisp, thirst-quenching Sauvignon Blanc with passionfruit, herb and nettle flavours on a fine-textured palate. Match with seafood, salads and vegetables, and Pacific Rim fare over the next 2 years. Marlborough fruit, 60% Awatere and 40% Wairau, tank-fermented and blended with 7.5% Albarino from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, to 12.5% alc. and 3.1 g/L RS. 17.5-/20 Oct 2017 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak Voysey Sauvignon Blanc 2020, Gisborne
Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 01-Sep-2020
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, even, very pale straw-yellow. The nose is very fresh, fills with gentle aromas of passionfruit, melded with florals, nettle, fresh-cut-grass elements. Medium-light bodied, dry to taste, mouthwatering flavours of passionfruit, fresh florals, green botanicals along with green capsicum and salty sea-spray. The wine has a subtle phenolic line, and mouthwatering acidity flows smoothly with a crispness and herb-nuanced finish. This is a thirst-quenching, crisp Sauvignon Balc with flavours of passionfruit, florals and green botanical elements on a fine-textured mouthfeel. Match with salads and seafood over the next 2-3 years. 12.4% alc, 4.4 g/l RS. 17.5/20 pts Aug 2020 RRP $20
Spade Oak Vineyard Vosey Sauvignon Blanc 2022, Gisborne
Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 05-Sep-2022
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, even, pale straw yellow. This has a soft, full expression of gooseberry, green mango, elderflower and green herb underlay. Medium-light bodied, intense aromas of gooseberry melded with green bell pepper, green mango, unfolding elderflower and white spice. The flavours are expressive and aromatic, with a clean and crunchy palate. Acidity is soft, carries subtle phenolics and a hint of savouriness to a moreish finish. This is a refreshing Sauvignon Blanc with balanced acidity, fleshy fruit and weight, lead a savoury finish. Match with salted cod and green-lipped mussels over the next 3 years. 12.5% alc. 18+/20 (91 pts) Sep 2022 RRP $23
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ ‘Le Champ NV
Sparkling Wine from New Zealand - North Island
Review Date : 03-Jan-2018
☆☆☆☆☆
Even straw-yellow colour with some depth and slight golden hues, the bubbles very fine and moderately persistent. The nose is fresh with good volume of white stonefruits and white florals, along with very finely expressed bready-yeasty autolysis. This is clear and clean with lovely finesse. Dryish to taste and medium-bodied, the palate has a rich and positive core of white stonefruits and white florals entwined with fresh and clear yeasty-bready autolysis. The mouthfeel is crisp and refreshing with thirst-quenching, lacy acidity. The wine flows with good tension and energy along a very fine line, leading to a refined and precise, delicately nuanced finish. This is a refined method traditionnelle with white stonefruit and floral flavours on a palate with clarity, precision and refined autolysis. Serve as an aperitif over the next 2-3 years. as the The second bottling, identifiable by the back label with "Chardonnay and a touch of Muscat”. A blend of 92% Chardonnay, Gisborne fruit from the 2016 vintage, with 8% white Muscat as reserve wine added at dosage, bottle fermented to 12.0% alc., the base wine undergoing MLF and aged one year on lees, dosage to 15 g/L RS. Labelled as ‘New Zealand’ wine and ‘NV’ to represent the style rather than region or vintage. 18.5-/20 Jan 2018 RRP $19.95Golden yellow colour with some depth and slight orange hues, lighter on the rim. The bubbles are very fine and moderately persistent. The bouquet is softly full with good depth and concentration of citrus and yellow stonefruit aromas complexed by a layering of nutty, aldehyde and oxidative elements in an amalgam of yeasty lees. Off-dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate is soft-textured with a light creaminess from the effervescence which carries a soft core of yellow stonefruits and citrus fruits, entwined with nutty and yeasty notes, and subtle aldehyde elements. The palate flows along a soft and fine-textured line with gentle acidity providing a fresh mouthfeel. The wine carries to a gentle finish of citrus fruits and nuts. This is a complex sparkling wine with flavours of yellow stonefruits, nuts and yeast, and nuances of aldehyde on a creamy, soft-textured palate. Serve with canapes, tapas and antipasto over the next 2-3 years. A blend of 46% Chardonnay, 39% Pinot Noir, 12% Muscat and 3% Pinot Meunier, the fruit 85% from Gisborne and the remainder from Hawke’s Bay, all of the fruit from 2014. Undergoing the Charmat method, to 12.0% alc. and 10 g/L RS, 88% undergoing MLF (not the Muscat), the wine spending 6 months on lees with a tirage of 30 days. 17.5+/20 Apr 2017 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak Vineyard Voysey Le Champ NZ Prosecco 2022, Gisborne
Sparkling Wine from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 26-Oct-2022
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, even, pale straw-yellow with moderately fine and persistent beads. This has a soft, fresh bouquet with a tropical mix of fruit, stonefruit and underlying apple and blossom. Medium-bodied, dry to taste, aromas of stonefruit, tropical fruit mix and apple have a taut core, entwined with delicate blossoms. The wine has balanced fruit and acidity and shows subtle richness; vibrant mousse invigorates the palate and lends a dry finish. This first release of Methode Traditionelle made from Prosecco grapes is refreshing and easy drinking with good balance and a dry finish. Serve as an aperitif or match with tacos and dim sum over the next 2 years. Prosecco grapes fermented in tank to dry, produced by methode traditionelle, one month on lees, disgorged, 12 g/l RS. 700 bottles produced. 17.5+/20 (89 pts) Oct 2022 RRP $25
Spade Oak Vineyard Le Champ Blanc de Blancs NV, Gisborne
Sparkling Wine from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 17-Feb-2023
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, even, medium yellow-gold. The bubbles are fine and persistent. The nose is softly full, with yellow stonefruit, citrus, baked apple, pastry and yeasty autolysis. Medium-full bodied, aromas of apricot, lemon and grapefruit and citrus peels melded with pastry and cream. Bright acid attacks a citrus and apple peel mouthfeel, enlivens and lengthens the finish; custard Danish and roasted cashew linger on the finish. This Methode Traditionnelle is complex with a strong citrus core, stonefruit and pastry details and an acid precision. Match with pistachio-crusted salmon and grilled tiger prawns over the next 3 years. Made from Chardonnay grown in Ormond Valley, handpicked, whole bunch pressed, second fermentation in bottle and aged for 14 years, disgorged late 2022 and 2023, resealed under crown cap, 10 g/l dosage. 18.5/20 pts (93 pts) Feb 2023 RRP $25
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Chardonnay 2018
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 02-Feb-2019
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright light golden yellow colour, a little lighter on the rim. The nose is fine and full with bright aromas of ripe, rounded tropical fruit along notes of savoury tropical fruits melded with creamy buttery barrel fermentation. This is fulsome and rich unfolding layers of nutty florals. Dry to taste and medium- full bodied has packed and deep flavours of sweet ripe yellow stone fruits and tropical fruits. The flavours are mouthfilling and form a rich core of ripe stonefruit with notes of yellow stonefruits. Nutty notes show and the wine carries a light-phenolic textured line with soft acidity and some underling alcohol drive leading to a long finish. This is a full and rich yellow-stonefruited chardonnay with up front flavours of creamy-barrel fermented and nutty elements with some texture and freshness. Match with roast red meats over the next 3-4 years. 96% Chardonnay, 64% clone 95 from the Indevin Patutahi ‘Stuart’ Block, and 32% clone 548 from the Indevin ‘Ormond’ vineyard, with 4% Viognier from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, the Viognier indigenous yeast barrel-fermented, to 13.0% alc., the wine aged 7 months with oak contact, 20% new equivalence, 6 months on lees and 50% undergoing MLF. 18.5/20 Feb 2019 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak Voysey Chardonnay 2019, Gisborne
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 11-Feb-2021
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, light yellow with some depth, slightly lighter on the rim. The nose is softly full and fragrant, nuances of stonefruit, citrus, nutty oak adorn by creamy MLF. Medium-full bodied ripe aromas of peach and nectarine intermix lemon curd, the subtle nutty oak element of almond croissant and creamy whipped butter added to the mix. The palate is rounded and buttery, freshened by lemony acidity; ripe fruit added volume on the palate, in harmony with the nutty oak elements, leaves a lingering, satisfying finish. Match with butter chicken and fish pie over the next 3-4 years. Fermented on oak with a portion of French oak barrels, 13% alc. 18/20 pts (90 pts) Feb 2021 RRP $18.50
Spade Oak Voysey Chardonnay 2021, Gisborne
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 14-Feb-2022
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, even, pale straw yellow. The nose is gently full, filled the glass with ripe stonefruit, melon, and citrus, interweave citrus blossom and zest along with vanillin. Medium-bodied, succulent aromas of ripe apricot, lemon and melon interweave citrus blossom, followed by subtle spice and vanilla oak. The fruit is ripe with a good balance of acidity, leaving a juicy closing. A hint of grapefruit zest linger with subtle oak elements enriched the palate. This is an approachable Chardonnay with flashy fruit, excellent acid balance and subtle oak detail. Match with chicken satay and grilled fish over the next 3-5 years. 13% alc. 18/20 pts (90 pts) Feb 2022 RRP $22
Spade Oak Voysey Chardonnay 2022, Gisborne
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 19-Dec-2022
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, even, pale straw yellow with depth. This has a lush, full bouquet packed with aromas of pineapple, ripe citrus melded with cream brulee, spice and toasted pinenut. Full-bodied, aromas of pineapple and melon enriched by candied walnut, butterscotch, cream brulee and spice. The palate is mouth-filling and full, with oak-derived richness; ripe fruit supported by juicy acidity and liveliness. This Chardonnay shows lush, ripe fruit with balanced oak details and fresh acid. Match with roasted chicken and grilled fish over the next 3-4 years. fruit from Ashwood Estate Vineyard, Back Ormond Road, clone 95, gentle pressed fruit, fermented with a high percentage of solids in a mix of French oak barrels (35% new) and a small tank with fire-toasted French oak staves, 45% underwent MLF. 13% alc. 17.5/20 pts (88 pts) Dec 2022 RRP $22
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Pinot Gris 2018
Pinot Gris from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 08-Jul-2018
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, light straw colour with lemon hues at the heart, lighter on the rim. The nose is softly full with gently concentrated aromas of ripe yellow stonefruits with pears and yellow florals and nuances of honeysuckle. Hints of fresh fermentation esters add to the fragrance and lift. Off-dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate has a rounded, but deep heart with concentrated flavours of ripe yellow stonefruits, pears, florals and honeysuckle. This has good weight and presence and the flavours are mouthfilling. The wine flows along a very fine, phenolic-textured line with lacy acidity lending freshness and tension, and the wine leads to an elegant finish. This is a fresh, aromatic off-dry Pinot Gris with ripe stonefruit, pear, floral and honied notes on a palate with presence and freshness. Serve with a wide range of white meat dishes and with Asian fare over the next 2+ years. A blend of 90.5% M2 clone Pinot Gris from the ‘Ashwood’ estate, 7% Albarino from ‘Spade Oak’ and 2.5% Muscat from the ‘Fletcher’ vineyard, fermented in tank with 30% in seasoned French oak barriques to 13.0% alc. and 9.9 g/L RS. 18.0+/20 Jul 2018 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak Voysey Pinot Gris 2019, Gisborne
Pinot Gris from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 01-Sep-2020
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, light straw-yellow with a gold hue, even throughout. The bouquet is lively, aromas of lemon, tree fruit, entwined with honeysuckle and a touch of spice. Medium-light bodied, pure flavoured palate with clarity, lemon, pear and apple, lingers with ginger and honeysuckle. The mouthfeel is oily-smooth, flows along nicely with refreshing acidity and prickly young ginger spice; balanced with some residual sugar sweetness, lingers to an off-dryish finish. This is an easy-approach Pinot Noir with the purity of fruit, balanced sugar and acid on an oily texture line. Match with fragrant Vietnamese and Thai fare over the next 2-3 years. 13.3% alc, 9 g/l RS. 18/20 pts Aug 2020 RRP $20
Spade Oak Voysey Pinot Gris 2020, Gisborne
Pinot Gris from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 11-Jun-2021
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, pale yellow with some depth, even colour throughout. The nose is full, packed with fruity aromas of ripe pear, quince and stonefruit mix, subtle dusting of spices lifted the bouquet. Medium-full bodied, off-dry to taste. Ripe pear, quince paste and stonefruit at the core, adorn by delicate spices. The palate is voluminous and creamy; the beautiful sweetness of fruit supported by balanced acidity left a salivating finish. This is a fruity Pinot Gris with ripe fruit and excellent acid balance. Match with spicy Asian fare over the next 2-3 years. 13% alc. 18-/20 pts (89 pts) June 2021 RRP $18.50
Spade Oak Voysey Pinot Gris 2021, Gisborne
Pinot Gris from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 01-Dec-2021
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, even, pale straw-yellow with a peach hue. The nose is softly full, with power, nuances of pickled ginger, fennel seeds melded with Nashi pear, lemon sherbet and a hint of floral. Medium-bodied, dry-ish to taste, a fresh acid line carries pear, apple, lemon with ginger and white spice, along with white floral details. An oily mouthfeel adorned by spices; bright acidity flow with ease. This is a bright and juicy Pinot Gris with excellent balanced acidity and spice appeal. Match with fish taco and dim sum over the next 2-3 years. 13% alc. Fruit from Ashwood Estate Vineyards, 5% Gewurztraminer, machine harvested, cool-fermented to 13% alc, 6 g/l RS, left on lees for 5 months. 18/20 pts (90 pts) Dec 2021 RRP $18.5
Spade Oak Vineyard Voysey Pinot Gris 2022, Gisborne
Pinot Gris from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 26-Oct-2022
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, even, pale straw yellow. The nose is enticing and fragrant with honeysuckle, pear, quince, honeycomb and spice. Medium-bodied, crunchy aromas of pear and apple entwined with honeysuckle and citrus zest. A touch of creamy detail adds weight, and vibrant acidity provides a fresh, linear palate. This crunchy Pinot Gris with apple and pear flavours elevates citrus zest and honeysuckle on a creamy palate. Match with pork dumplings and chicken stir fry over the next 3 years. 17.5/20 pts (88 pts) Oct 2022 RRP $19.50
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Gisborne Syrah 2017
Syrah from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 29-Mar-2018
☆☆☆☆☆
Even ruby-red colour with some depth and slight purple hues, lighter on the edge. The nose is up-front and openly accessible with vibrant aromas showing dark cherry and raspberry fruit intermixed with blackberries, white and black pepper, and whole berry fermentation floral and confectionary nuances. This is fragrant and pretty in expression. Light-medium bodied, the palate has sweet and fragrant fruit flavours of dark-red cherries and raspberries, along with red florals, subtle notes of white pepper and whole berry confectionary elements. The fruitiness is underlined by light, but definite, fine, grainy tannin extraction lending grip to the mouthfeel, the acidity balanced and integrated. The sweet fruit carries with good drive and line to a lingering finish. This is an up-front, fragrant and accessible Syrah with berry, raspberry, floral and confectionary flavours on a light, grainy palate. Serve with antipasto, tapas, pasta and barbecued fare over the next 3+ years. A blend of 92% Syrah and 8% Viognier from the ‘Spade Oak’ vineyard, fully destemmed and indigenous yeast fermented to 13.2% alc., with 90% of the wine aged 6 months in French oak with 30% new equivalence. 16.5+/20 Mar 2018 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak ‘Voysey’ Hawke’s Bay Syrah 2017
Syrah from New Zealand - Hawke's Bay
Review Date : 07-Nov-2018
☆☆☆☆☆
Even ruby-red colour with some depth, lighter on edge. The nose is elegantly proportioned with fragrant aromas of dark raspberry fruit with hints of blackberries, black and white pepper, along with a little floral and spice detail. Medium-bodied, the palate has a softly packed core with flavours of dark raspberries and hints of black fruits, intermixed with black and white pepper, unfolding floral and apricot lift and spices. The fruit is underlined by some alcoholic power, with light, supple tannin extraction providing texture and mouthfeel. The acidity is soft and integrated. As the wine flows, ethereal aromatic flavours emerge and carry to a light, but lingering finish. This is a softly packed Syrah with raspberry, pepper and spice flavours on a soft-textured palate unfolding ethereal fragrances. Serve with pasta, pizza and barbecued fare over the next 2-3 years. Hawke’s Bay Syrah wine, 52% Bridge Pa and 48% Ohiti, blended with 12% Gisborne Viognier for the finished wine, the wine at 13.0% alc., and all aged 8 months in barrel with 15% new oak equivalence. 16.5+/20 Nov 2018 RRP $19.95 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak Gisborne Methode Traditionnelle Blanc de Blancs NV
Sparkling Wine from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 18-Jan-2018
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright straw-yellow colour with pale lemon-gold hues and some depth, the bubbles moderately fine an persistent. The bouquet is very fresh and vibrant with fragrant aromas of white stonefruits and florals harmoniously entwined with a very fine and intense thread of yeasty autolysis. This is refreshing and mouthwatering, showing purity, taut intensity and finesse. Dry to taste, the palate is elegant and tightly bound with a pure and fresh core of thirst-quenching white stonefruits and aromatic florals, with gentle yeast autolysis. The flavours are vibrant in expression with bright, lacy acidity and fine mousse, all underlined by fine phenolic textures lending a dry, mouthwatering line. The wine carries to a fresh, lingering, nuanced finish. This is a taut, refined, pure Blanc de Blancs method traditionnelle with white stonefruit and florals, and a thirst-quenching core guided by fine textures and fresh acidity. Serve as an ateritif over the next 3-4 years. 100% hand-picked Mendosa fruit from the ‘Ashwood’ estate, from the 2016 vintage, primary fermented in 2.500 L oak cuve with 100% MLF, the wine aged 12 months on lees and dosage by 2.7% 2012 ‘Vigneron’ Chardonnay wine to 8 g/L RS. Lot 3416324. 18.0+/20 Jan 2018 RRP $30.00 Disclaimer: This wine is distributed by ‘Wine2Trade’, the company under which ‘Raymond Chan Wine Reviews’ operates
Spade Oak Heart of Gold St Laurent 2017, Gisborne
St Laurent from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 01-Sep-2020
☆☆☆☆☆
Deep, ruby-black with some transparency, faintly lighter on the rim. The nose is bright and softly-full, aromas of blackberries, cherries, underlying gamey notes and subtle spices. Medium-light bodied, flavours of wild berries, cherries are light and fresh, entwined with subtle peppery spice and a brisk gamey note. The mouthfeel is light and fresh, enlivened by medium tannin, coating the palate with smooth, ripe tannin extraction. The fruit is ripe with good intensity, lingers with peppery spice to a sustained finish. This is a straight forward red made from St Laurant with flavours of wild berries, black pepper on a ripe tannin extract. Match with venison stir-fried and beef carpaccio over the next 2-3 years. 17.5/20 pts Sept 2020 RRP $25
Spade Oak Heart of Gold Tempranillo 2017, Gisborne
Tempranillo from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 01-Sep-2020
☆☆☆☆☆
Deep, medium ruby-red with a dark-garnet hue, slightly lighter on edge. The nose is aromatic with nuances of dark florals, smoky notes, along with red berries and cherries, unfolding spicy cigar box. Full-bodied, the palate has dark notes and bright, lively aromatics of red berries, cherries, melded with red florals. A whiff of a smoky note possessed the wine, unveiling meaty elements, savoury Kalamata olives and spices. The fruit is juicy and bright, supported by a dark chocolate rich tannin texture. Acidity is lively and balances, providing a lift to the smoky and mealy meat, olive elements. This is a moderately complex Tempranillo with red fruit and floral fragrance, smoky, meaty, savoury notes on a dark chocolate texture palate. Match with Brazillian meat roast and barbeque lamb over the next 3-5 years. 18+/20 pts Aug 2020 RRP $20
Spade Oak The Co-Ordinates Chardonnay 2022, Gisborne
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 17-Feb-2023
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, even, straw yellow with depth. The nose is gently full, with aromas of a tropical mix of papaya and pineapple melded with bruised peach, spice and toasty elements. Full-bodied, aromas of papaya, melon, pineapple and bruised peach enriched by spice, creamy and hints of toasty nut linger. Medium acidity flows along with creamy and fine-textured phenolics contributing to the mouthfeel and broadness on the palate. This is a stylish Chardonnay with a tropical fruit core, fine texture and balanced toasty elements. Match with pork stew and chicken over the next 3+ years. Fruit from Ormond, clone 95, fermented with high solids in a mix of French oak barrels and a small tank with fire-toasted French oak staves, inoculated MLF. Blended and returned to oak for further ageing on the lees. Overall 35% new oak, 45% MLF, 13.5% alc. 18+/20 pts (91 pts) Feb 2023 RRP $29
Spade Oak The Co-Ordinates Hexton Rosé 2020, Gisborne
Rosé from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 11-Jun-2021
☆☆☆☆☆
Brilliant, rose-gold with some depth, even colour throughout. The nose is softly full and welcoming, aromas of creamed strawberries melded with quice and stonefruit, followed by white floral fragrances. Medium-bodied, nuances of pear, quince and strawberries have a fragranced core, interweave white floral and subtle spices. Creaminess broadens the palate, supported by balanced acidity with crunchy freshness, flows along with fine-textured phenolics. This is an elegant rosé with juicy fruit and a creamy flow. Match with spicy salami and spring rolls over the next 3 years. 100% clone 777 Pinot Noir, machine picked, destemmed, cool-fermented to 12% alc, 4 g/l RS. 18+/20 pts (91 pts) June 2021 RRP $28
Spade Oak The Co-Ordinates Makauri Gewurztraminer 2020, Gisborne
Gewurztraminer from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 11-Jun-2021
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, pale yellow, even colour throughout. The bouquet is appealing, softly filled with tropical fruit of lychee, papaya, interweave ginger, lily blossoms and rose petals. Medium-full bodied, dry-ish to taste, voluminous aromas of lilies, rose petals and ginger, underlying freshly peeled lychees, sweet papaya. The fruit is fresh with perfect ripeness, concentrated with subtle power. Balanced acidity enhanced flavours and freshness, linger with ginger and floral scent to a long finish. This is a well-balanced Gewurztraminer with complex varietal characters and depth. Match with spicy papaya salad and chicken satay over the next 5 + years. Machine picked, destemmed, cold-soaked 6 hours, fermented to 13.3% alc, 6 g/l RS. 19-/20 pts (95 pts) June 2021 RRP $28
Spade Oak The Co-Ordinates Makauri Gewurztraminer 2021, Gisborne
Gewurztraminer from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 01-Dec-2021
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, even, pale lemon with a slight hint of green. The nose is softly full and harmonious, with enticing aromas of lychees, mandarin and its zest, interweave rose water, a delicate and well-proportion of ginger dusting. Medium-bodied, dry-ish to taste, the fragranced rose water adorned by lychees, mandarin, along with zesty spice and ginger, gracefully linger to a sustained closing. Balanced and lacy acidity provide a cleansing sensation. This fragranced, well-proportioned Gewurztraminer shows varietal characters with purity and a refreshing acid line. Match with light curry and dim sum over the next 4+ years. Machine picked, destemmed, crushed and cold-soaked for 6 hours, then cool-fermented to 13.5% alc, 9.9g/l RS. 18.5/20 pts (93 pts) Nov 2021 RRP $28
Spade Oak The Co-Ordinates Ormond Chardonnay 2021, Gisborne
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 01-Dec-2021
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, pale straw-yellow with some depth, even colour throughout. The nose is brightly elegant and voluminous, a spice dusting overlying lemon curd, pineapple, raw almonds and a hint of toast. Medium-bodied, aromas of grilled pineapple, lemon curd interweave almond and barrel spice, and apricot acid line lends a moreish finish. The fruit is ripe and has good concentration, complemented by toasty oak, elegantly presented. dThe creamy mouthfeel flows with fine-textured phenolics, linger with nutty details. This is a youthful, elegantly presented Chardonnay with ripe fruit, bright acid and a refined mouthfeel. Match with salt-baked snapper and chicken ballotine over the next 5+ years. 100% Mendoza Chardonnay, gently pressed, fermented in large oak cuves and a mix of new & older barrels with fire toasted French oak staves, has an average 35% new oak barrel and 45% MLF. 18.5/20 pts (93 pts) Dec 2021 RRP $28
Spade Oak The Co-Ordinates Ormond Pinot Gris 2020, Gisborne
Pinot Gris from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 11-Jun-2021
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, medium straw-yellow, even colour throughout. The nose is voluminous, layered aromas of lifted five-spice intermix ripe Nashi pear, quince, a whiff of white floral, honeysuckles followed. Medium-full bodied, dry-ish to taste, ripe Nashi pear, quince along with lemon and zest melded with five-spice dusting and florals hints. The wine has intense fruit aromas; delicate spices added interest; brilliant acidity brings freshness and drive to the palate, along with fine-textured phenolics that provides a textural flow. This is a refined Pinot Gris with generous fruit, acid freshness and a fine-textured palate. Match with Vietnamese pork spring rolls and lemongrass fish over the next 5 years. Machine picked, destemmed, short cold-soaked, barrel-fermented in neutral French barrels (75%), the balance stop fermented and aged on light lees in 2500 litre oval for 7 months. 13.5% alc, 6 g/l RS. 18.5+/20 pts (94 pts) June 2021 RRP $28
Spade Oak The Co-Ordinates Patutahi/ Ormond Chardonnay 2019, Gisborne
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborne
Review Date : 28-Jul-2021
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, pale yellow with depth, slightly lighter on the rim. The nose is fresh and energetic, with aromas of green melon, citrus interweave mineral and elegantly toasty oak details. Medium-full bodied, aromas of green melon, lemon melded with creamy lees, roasted almond in well-proportion, subtle fine spices tingle on the finish. The acidity is lively and seamless, carry chalky minerals on a creamy flow. Nutty oak detail is well balanced and poised, added depth to the palate. This is an elegantly balanced Chardonnay with flavours of melon and citrus with minerals and oak details. Match with crispy-skinned flatfish and apricot marinated chicken over the next 5 years. Clone 95 (75%), Clone 15 (25%) fermented in oak with selected yeast, full MLF, aged in 2,500L oak barrels on fire toasted French oak staves, 35% new oak. 13% alc. 18+/20 pts (91 pts) July 2021 RRP $28
Spade Oak The Prospect Ormond Chardonnay 2018, Gisborne
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 01-Sep-2020
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, yellow with some depth and a slight gold-lime hue, even colour throughout. The nose is open and gently full, nuances of barrel flint, almonds, entwined with white peach and lemon. Full-bodied, flavours of peach and lemon are generous, melded with the same intensity almonds and hazelnuts, flint and cream. The mouthfeel is lush and rounded with the creaminess and a light phenolic grip. Supported by lively acidity, which is well-balanced with the intensity of fruit and barrel-fermented nutty, flinty characters, going in strength to a lingering spice finish. This is an appealing Chardonnay with balanced fruit and acid, nutty barrel interest on a creamy palate to a long full-flavoured finish. Match with roasted chicken and crayfish over the next 3-5 years. Cone 548, machine-picked, 100% barrel-fermented to 13.5% alc, 15% new barrels, partial MLF, aged 10 months in French oak. 18.5/20 pts Sept 2020 RRP $28
Spade Oak The Prospect Ormond Chardonnay 2019, Gisborne
Chardonnay from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 01-Sep-2020
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, medium yellow with a gold hue, even colour throughout. The nose is coy, gently releasing aromas of lemon, peach, cream, interweaved barrel flint, subtle almond and cashew mix. Medium-full bodied, there is a purity sense of peach, lemon, grapefruit pith, along with hazelnuts, roasted almonds, barrel spices linger with a buttery, creamy palate. The flavours are well-proportioned with define layers, elegant and restrained. The nutty oak and creaminess are controlled and integrated, flows with an aromatic phenolic line, drives with fresh and balanced acidity to a long finish. This is an elegant Chardonnay with well-balanced fruit, nutty barrels and creamy, aromatic phenolic line, lingering to linearity. Match with grilled Tiger prawns and whitefish with beurre blanc over the next 3-5 years. Mendoza clone, handpicked. 100% barrel-fermented to 13.5% alc, 25% new, partial MLF, aged 11 months in French oak. 18.5+/20 pts Sept 2020 RRP $28
Spade Oak The Prospect Ormond Pinot Gris 2019, Gisborne
Pinot Gris from New Zealand - Gisborn
Review Date : 01-Sep-2020
☆☆☆☆☆
Bright, medium straw-yellow, even colour throughout. The nose is softly full with generous aromas of sweet pear, marzipan, melded with some citrus zest, savoury herbs and warm nuts from barrel fermentation. Medium-bodied, off-dry to taste, sweet pear with light honey and lemon, interweaved with marzipan, herbs, savoury elements, lingers with flint, warm spiced nuts to a dry finish. The oily mouthfeel is light and elegant, smooth-flowing on a light phenolic texture line and lively acidity. The fruit has good concentration, integrated with the barrel-fermented characters with elegancy and poise, lingers to linearity. This is a well-crafted Pinot Gris with flavours of sweet pear and marzipan, as well as complexing barrel-fermented characters on a harmonious oily texture line and lingering dry finish. Match with prawn and chicken summer rolls and Japanese Oden over the next 3-5 years. Fruit from Ashwood Vineyard clones M2 and 458. Destemmed, pressed to 4-year-old barrel-fermented 40% and tank, fermented to 13.5% alc, 6 g/l RS. 8 months lees contact. 18.5/20 pts Sept 2020 RRP $28

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