Penfolds Grange Hermitage, Bin 95, 1980
This was soooooo delicious. I could quite possibly have agreed to drink this for the rest of my life. Very subtle black fruits (I think I could be going off super fruity wines?), cassis, very light tannins, butter, chocolate, coffee, wet cardboard and some beautiful flowers. I must say thank you to Rob for sharing his 21st birthday present with us!
5 stars

The Pumpshed Chardonnay, Martinborough, 2008
I must start by saying that I started off being bias. This is the wine produced by my aunties vineyard. They only produce a small amount of their own Chardonnay and sell the rest of their grapes (Pnot Noir) to Ata Rangi, so that gives some idea of the calibre of wines they produce. And the 2008 was no different. I insisted serving it at about 15 and it was divine. A very pale lemon colour, blessed with kiwifruit, and typical stonefruits on the nose and palate with the addition of some delicious ripe pineapple on the palate. It is superb. And the bottle I brought back to HK with me, and just to prove it I brought a bottle back to HK with me and had it with my colleagues. They all adored it too!
4 1/2 stars

Schubert Dolce, Martinborough, 2007
I had never come across a late harvest Mullar-Thurgau, and honestly with my memories of Muller Thurgau based in the wines I drank as a 15 year old knocking back a bottle of wine before heading to a party, I was truly intrigued to taste what could be done with this grape. And I was pleasantly surprised. It was super sweet, and quite frankly yum. So I highly recommend trying to get your hands on some just for the originality!
4 stars

Merry Edwards Russian River Valley Sauvignon Blanc 2008
I have been dying to try this wine for months, once I found out a Sauvignon Blanc NOT from NZ won the highest Wine Spectator Points ever for a Sauvignon Blanc. It was more amazing than I could have imagined. Beautiful fruity but a lovely subtle nose, complex but most importantly smooth palate. I adored the complete contrast to an NZ SB.
5 stars from me.