The Auckland Drop
No ledge to step over; no cords to attach; no bungy jump here... not even a little nervous hop. This pack of six Kiwi drops requires the merest of clicks, and you’ll be well on your way to tasting the awesomeness that is Auckland.
Representing three subregions – Waiheke, Kumeu, Matakana – and the wine styles they do best, these wines fly rings around the competition. Speaking of flying competitions, every case you buy gives you a 1 in 50 chance to win double return airfares to Auckland with Air New Zealand! * There are 20 dual airfares to Auckland to be won, each worth up to $1,369 (just quietly, that’s a total prize pool over $27,000). The tickets will be in the box, so you’ll know if you’ve won when your wine arrives!
Air New Zealand are so excited that they’re also offering our mofos (that’s you) 5% off their airfares. If this isn’t a wine-win-win situation, I don’t know what is. Grab your wine glass and pack your suitcase, mofo. We’re going to experience the best of Auckland either way.
Red
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- Shiraz
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- Auckland
- Shiraz
- Auckland
This is powerful, age-worthy stuff. You won’t find the plushness of the Barossa here, though there’s no less depth. Think of Barossa shiraz as a luxury cruise liner. This, on the other hand, is a battleship. It slides gracefully and quietly over the horizon, ominous and inexorable. Aromas of smoky peat, blueberries and black pepper hint at the complexity and dark soul of this wine. The palate is rich and spicy, full of tannin, sweet/savoury character and a steak of minerality. Give it a decant for a clearer window to its soul, or put it down for a few years to let it soften up. This is no pleasure cruise. This is for when you need to impress at the dinner table. This is war.
White
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- Chardonnay
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- Auckland
- Chardonnay
- Auckland
This is like a lazy brunch on the front verandah. A comforting bowl of autumn bircher while the leaves fall all around. Buttery oatmeal, lathered in ripe fig, feijoa, kiwi and ruby grapefruit, plus – and maybe it’s autosuggestion – a dribble of Manuka honey. Low-cropped vines, wild yeast and delicate oak provide supreme texture; just enough of that tantalising chewability. Delicious stuff!
Rosé
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- Rosé
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- Auckland
- Rosé
- Auckland
Man O’ War describe this as a Provence-style rosé. I reckon that’s underselling it, to be honest. Yep, it has all the classic hallmarks of the style. It’s crisp, fresh, and dry, with a lovely elegant brightness and good flavour. It’s also got a gentle spritz of refreshing CO2 left in there, just to perk the whole palate up. It’s not ‘sparkling’; there’s just enough liveliness in each mouthful to make sit you up and make you pay attention. So, it manages spectacularly to avoid what so many others don’t - it’s never boring. It’s clean, but it’s actually worth drinking. It’s flavoursome and leaves a delicious impression. Basically, it’s just what you’ve been looking for this whole time.
White
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- Pinot Gris
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- Auckland
- Pinot Gris
- Auckland
This delicious gris comes from Matakana itself, just to the north of Auckland. It’s a warm climate, for NZ, so expect plenty of fruity richness on the palate here. It’s choc-full of orchard flavour, with juicy pears and apples, alongside a squeeze of citrus freshness and a scattering of spice. The generous mouthfeel is perfect to get your teeth into even on a cooler day, though it’s still, above all, an elegant and poised wine. It’s supremely versatile, and will match with most courses in a meal, from alone as an aperitif, right through to your roast pork and apple sauce.
White
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- Chardonnay
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- Auckland
- Chardonnay
- Auckland
If you look at the reviews for this tasty chardy, there’s one thing common to pretty much all of them. Everyone says it’s super flavoursome. We agree. It’s on the crisper end of the chardy spectrum, less about masses of oak and more about fresh, tangy brightness. Citrus, green apple, ginger and grapefruit absolutely fly out of the glass and sing on the palate. That kind of concentration can only come from good fruit, well handled. It’s seen about 80% barrel fermentation, softening out the edges and adding a nice sprinkle of texture in, too. It’s a workhorse in that it’ll never disappoint. And even on occasions when you pull out the exxy stuff, there’s still room for a bottle of this, at the end of the night, when the rest are all empty. Trust us, nobody will bat an eyelid.
Red
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- Pinot Noir
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- Auckland
- Pinot Noir
- Auckland
Kumeu is just to the north-west of Auckland. The area has historically been a home for Croatian settlers, who brought all their winemaking know-how to the area. The owners of Kumeu River are descended from some of those settlers. Pinot noir isn’t up to much in Croatia, but it’s certainly found a home in New Zealand. This example shows gorgeous red fruit and leafy aromatics on the nose. Chalky tannin accompanies the cool, fruity palate for an elegantly framed wine. It feels like unpretentious, hand-harvested goodness, and an easy match for all sorts of occasions. Less demanding than some of the Otago powerhouses, this is easy drinking to the extreme.