Don Johnsons

Omaka Springs Merlot 2008

Omaka Springs Merlot 2008 — Fri, 29 Jan 10 14:57:53 +1300

Vibrantly fruity, with blackberry, raspberry, plum and spicy cedar flavours, showing good depth, subtle tannins and a smooth finish. A lovely gentle Merlot with a low alcohol content of just 12%.

Omaka Springs Pinot Gris 2008

Omaka Springs Pinot Gris 2008 — Sun, 21 Feb 10 22:54:28 +1300

Only here for another week! Don't miss this. Great fruit up front with flavours of pear, peach and honey. A mouth filling texture finishes with a touch of "more-ish" sweetness. Fantastic value for dollar! I've tasted lesser quality Pinot Gris at $30! ....

Revington Gewurztraminer 2007

Revington Gewurztraminer 2007 — Wed, 13 Jan 10 14:22:10 +1300

A full flavoured classic Gisborne Gewurztraminer. Very big on both aroma and taste. Ripe stonefruit aromas with a light floral touch. Although this wine is a dry style, it has a lovely mouthfilling oilyness typical of the variety. Outstanding drinking on it's own or makes a perfect accompaniment to Thai or curry dishes.

Grandin Brut NV Sparkling

Grandin Brut NV Sparkling — Mon, 01 Mar 10 15:32:26 +1300

French bubbly made from outside Champagne but still in the traditional method. Delicate almond fragrance with undertones of hazelnut, subtle touch of clove a generous bead. Crisp and elegant. Normally $23.99.

Grant Burge Hillcot Merlot 2004

Grant Burge Hillcot Merlot 2004 — Thu, 19 Nov 09 12:46:00 +1300

Very Limited quantities of this perfectly aged Merlot. Drinking brilliantly now. Decanter Wines of the Month - 5 stars highly recommended. "Little needs to be said about Barossan stalwart Grant Burge, and this Merlot of great finesse and fantastic value merely augments his reputation. There’s a touch of tobacco leaf on the vibrant nose while the palate bursts with ripe fruit. A long finish completes the picture". James Halliday gives it 90 points. "Great colour, attractive redcurrant and blackcurrant mix; good oak and tannins all help a stylish wine, particularly given the region."

Tranquillity Bay Pinot Gris 2008

Tranquillity Bay Pinot Gris 2008 — Wed, 11 Nov 09 16:55:09 +1300

One customer says, "I haven't had a Pinot Gris this good for ages - and it's $12.99?" A dry, fruit driven style, especially suitable to have with food, the wine has an aromatic nose with pear and stone fruit aromas leading to a touch of spice and a honeyed fruit-driven palate with generous mouthfeel and a soft smooth finish.

Armand de Brignac - The Best Champagne in the World

Armand de Brignac - The Best Champagne in the World — Wed, 11 Nov 09 13:15:48 +1300

We’re thrilled to announce the debut of the film on the story and history of Armand de Brignac, the Number One-Rated Champagne in the World produced by our very own Champagne Cattier. The film was shot at the Cattier vineyards and cellars in the village of Chigny-les-Roses, Champagne and is now available for viewing online!

This beautiful film covers the background of Armand de Brignac, the methods of its creation, and introduces all of the people behind the Champagne, including father and son winemakers Jean-Jacques and Alexandre Cattier and Commercial Director and great friend of ours Philippe Bienvenu.

Armand de Brignac is not yet available in New Zealand but we will keep you posted. There are three Champagnes in the range - the flagship cuvée, the Brut Gold, a Rosé and a Blanc de Blancs, which made from a blend of Chardonnay grapes, enclosed in an historic silver bottle with matching silver labels. All retail for approx $NZ450 a bottle! The film runs approximately nine minutes. Enjoy.
Click here to watch the video.

Bellbird Springs Home Block White

Bellbird Springs Home Block White — Tue, 03 Nov 09 16:19:11 +1300

An interestingly lush single vineyard blend of Pinot Gris, Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Muscat from this Waipara vineyard. Fullness on the palate through the Pinot Gris which comprises the majority of the blend. Riesling adds underlying freshness and its signature streak of lime blossom whilst small quantities of Muscat and Gewürztraminer contribute to aromatic complexity. A beautiful pairing with Eastern cuisine.

Wood Park Tawny Port - 500ml

Wood Park Tawny Port - 500ml — Sat, 07 Nov 09 15:03:45 +1300

From Victoria, Australia. A Shiraz based port that is a youthful and fruity style. Amber in colour it displays characters of dried fruit and peel with caramel and toffee. Very smooth and sweet through the palate with a little dryness at the finish. Lovely with cheese or fruit after a meal.

Wood Park Viognier 2008

Wood Park Viognier 2008 — Thu, 29 Oct 09 13:06:11 +1300

We had this open next to a 5 Star Viognier from NZ and everyone thought this wine was way, way better. Some even said this is the best Viognier they have ever had.
An absolutely beautiful wine made from grapes are grown on the edge of the home block of Wood Park in Victoria. Owner and winemaker John Stokes tells us he won't enter this into competitions because of the limited supply. We were lucky to get any of it.

Twelve months in French oak and regular lees stirring enhances its subtle delicacte complexity. Pale straw with floral characters including honeysuckle and orange blossom. You could spend all day just smelling it.
On the palate there's an array of flavours - apricot, honey and orange peel with subtle oak from barrel ageing. So much going on with this wine, it is an absolute must buy. One of the best wines we've seen this year. Have it with a spinach feta cheese tart and rocket salad. Drink now or cellar for 2-4 years.

La Multa Syrah 2007

La Multa Syrah 2007 — Sun, 06 Dec 09 17:18:35 +1300

From Calatayud in Spain, this is an unbelievably dark, concentrated and deeply flavoured wine, resembling a $50 Cornas from the northern Rhone. Deep black red with a purple crimson rim, it's sweet, soft, juicy and tarry to the taste with dried herbs, spice, and as the wine lingers the black fruits and the peppery signature of Syrah comes through.

Corazon Merlot Malbec 2008

Corazon Merlot Malbec 2008 — Fri, 02 Oct 09 14:42:12 +1300

A very interesting and complex blend of 65% Merlot and 35% Malbec from selected North Island vineyards. Once decanted for a couple of hours, very rich and ripe concentrated berry fruit flavours unfold along with cassis, spice and soft tannins. Certainly worth putting a dozen away for a few years. Worth $30+.

Avanti Malbec 2008

Avanti Malbec 2008 — Fri, 28 Aug 09 12:53:15 +1200

From Argentina, you could easily pay $30 for a wine of this quality. This spicy red is firm and fearless when it comes to bold and profound flavours. Bursts of ripe plums and cherry fruit flavours dominate the palate making sure you won’t forget this magnificent Malbec.

Tietjen Witters TW Gisborne Viognier 2008

Tietjen Witters TW Gisborne Viognier 2008 — Sat, 24 Oct 09 11:10:30 +1300

'Vee On Yay' is the way to say ... Viognier. We had nearly given up on this grape variety which was meant to be the next 'big thing' in NZ wine after the Pinot Gris phenomenon. A shame that all the hype could have been something a lot more interesting and worth buying and telling your friends about - and at a reasonable price. But all the big names released some very thin, green, featureless and more often than not, very expensive wines. We were finding our customers were beginning to give up hope on ever finding a good value Viognier.

We think we've found the Viognier, and a great wine everyone is going to go nuts about. The key thing here is you're not having to shell out $30+ if you are going to try a Viognier for the first time. Only $19.99 for this and it ticks all the boxes. We wish every other winery trying to sell their Viognier would look at this wine for the quality and value it offers.

Golden peach and honey on the nose, which also reminded us of a pear and custard dessert! Which makes you want more... The palate is full, weighty and lush with sweet stonefruit and honey with fine acid throughout, giving structure and length. Pay well over $30 for the other 'brands' who don't even come near this. 5 Stars Winestate magazine, 5 Stars Michael Cooper and 4 Stars - Cuisine. We know you'll love it as much as we do.

Onetangi Dark Ale

Onetangi Dark Ale — Wed, 18 Nov 09 11:32:51 +1300

Rich and dark, yet surprisingly quenching. Brewed with a variety of dark roasted specialty malts to give a full range of flavours. Chocolate and coffee with maybe a hint of licorice. The hops used for both flavour and aroma are the famous East Kent Goldings, imparting a raisiny, fruitcake character to the palate and a warm spiciness to the finish.