In addition to the many Australian, Asian, European and North American
wine competitions we enter each year; we also send our wines to wine critics for review.

Please use the wine critics’ reviews as a guide to further enrich your senses.

Sam Kim

Sam has been involved for 30 years in New Zealand hospitality, retail, importing and distribution, as well as running wine courses and master classes. Sam holds a Certificate in Winemaking and has been judging wine for 20 years at various New Zealand and International wine competitions and magazines.

Lagoon View Winemakers Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2014
Combining rich fruit intensity with savoury nuances, the wine shows crème de cassis, dried herb, vanillin oak and subtle game notes on the nose. It’s wonderfully expressed on the palate with excellent weight and plush mouthfeel, leading to a lengthy delicious finish. At its best: now to 2030. 94 Points. May 2021

Lagoon View Winemakers Selection Riesling 2019
Pristine, elegant and delicately fragrant on the nose showing white nectarine, fresh fig, lime peel and subtle floral aromas. It’s finely focused and textured with excellent fruit purity as well as lingering flow, finishing firm and structured. At its best: now to 2032. 94 Points. May 2021

Lagoon View Winemakers Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2015 – Magnum
This is gorgeously fruited and varietally expressive, showing cassis, spicy oak and bay leaf characters with a hint of dark cocoa on the nose. The palate is equally attractive with excellent concentration, complemented by plump mouthfeel and fine tannins, making it delectable and beautifully balanced. At its best: now to 2030. 93 Points. May 2021

Lagoon View Winemakers Selection Shiraz 2014 – Magnum
It’s charming and attractively complex on the nose showing Black Doris plum, olive, warm spice and assorted nut aromas. The well-proportioned palate displays ripe fruit intensity with silky flow and balanced tannins, offering excellent drinking. At its best: now to 2028. 92 Points. May 2021

Lagoon View Winemakers Selection Chardonnay 2018
Offering elegance and finesse, the wine shows nectarine, lemon pith, roasted hazelnut and subtle nougat characters on the nose, followed by a succulent palate delivering smooth texture and well-pitched acidity. Restrained and attractively complex. At its best: now to 2024. 92 Points. May 2021

Lagoon View Winemakers Selection Shiraz 2016
Sweetly ripe and perfumed, the wine shows blackberry, toasted almond, clove and floral aromas on the nose, leading to a silky-smooth palate that’s succulent and fleshy in texture. Comforting and flavoursome, offering lovely drinking. At its best: now to 2028. 91 Points. May 2021

Lagoon View Sparkling Chardonnay 2019
It’s bright and refreshing with green pear, peach, lemon peel and white floral aromas, leading to a flavoursome palate offering zesty fruit flavours with a lengthy elegant finish. 91 Points. May 2021

Lagoon View Winemakers Selection Cabernet Sauvignon 2016
A gentle expression with dark plum, fragrant spice, tar and olive notes, it’s juicy and supple on the palate with silky texture and fine-grained tannins. Medium-bodied, harmonious and well balanced. At its best: now to 2026. 88 Points. May 2021

Lagoon View Riesling Traminer 2018
Fragrant and charming, the wine shows honeydew melon, orange zest, apricot and rich floral aromas on the nose, followed by a succulent palate offering fleshy texture and subtle sweetness, well supported by fine texture and juicy acidity. At its best: now to 2025. 93 Points. May 2021

Lagoon View Rosé 2017
A nicely matured wine showing baked apple, raspberry, dried flower and subtle spice notes, combined with a rounded palate displaying juicy flavours and a delicately dry finish. 86 Points. May 2021

River View Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Beautifully defined varietal notes of cassis, dark cherry and tobacco with cedar and pepper spice notes, it’s concentrated and persistent with gorgeous complexity and flow. Tannins are well pitched and just right, framing the wine elegantly. At its best: now to 2030. 93 Points. May 2021

River View Rosé 2019
Delightfully styled and enticing with watermelon, peach and Gala apple characters on the nose, leading to an elegantly flavoursome palate offering ripe fruit intensity combined with silky texture and juicy acidity. Instantly appealing and fabulously drinkable. At its best: now to end of 2022. 93 Points. May 2021

River View Chardonnay 2018
Gorgeously composed and expressed, showing golden peach, rockmelon, lemon and vanillin oak characters on the nose, wonderfully supported by creamy mouthfeel and seductive complexity. It’s beautifully layered with silky texture and delectable flavours. At its best: now to 2025. 93 Points. May 2021

River View Shiraz 2018
This is comfortingly appealing within a medium-full-bodied frame with sweet plum, olive, subtle game and mixed nut characters. It’s supple and fruit expressive offering silky texture and smooth tannins, finishing long with savoury nuances. At its best: now to 2028. 92 Points. May 2021

Humble Vine Riesling Traminer 2015
Fabulously aromatic and instantly appealing, the wine shows grilled peach, orange marmalade, beeswax and toasty characters on the nose, leading to a flavoursome palate offering succulent fruit flavours and elegant sweetness. It’s attractively styled with a lengthy refreshing finish. At its best: now to 2024. 93 Points. May 2021

Humble Vine Selected Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon 2012
Beautifully maturing with attractive complexity, the bouquet shows dark berry, tapenade, dark spice and walnut characters, followed by a generously weighted palate offering lovely fruit intensity and spicy nuances backed by chalky tannins, finishing firm and drying. At its best: now to 2025. 92 Points. May 2021 

Humble Vine Selected Reserve Tempranillo 2015
It’s sweetly ripe and inviting with blackberry, dark cherry, vanilla and cedar characters with a light touch of cake spices. The flavoursome palate delivers silky texture and plump mouthfeel, making it velvety and delightfully drinkable. At its best: now to 2028. 92 Points. May 2021

Humble Vine Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
This is fruit forward and approachable with dark plum, vanilla, roasted nut and mixed spice aromas, combined with a succulent palate displaying smooth texture and gentle weight. Pleasing and charming. At its best: now to 2025. May 2021

Humble Vine Chardonnay 2018
Light and mellow with ripe peach, rockmelon, Gala apple and nougat notes on the nose, it’s juicy and smooth on the palate displaying attractive fruit intensity combined with creamy mouthfeel, finishing gentle and silky. At its best: now to 2023. May 2021

Humble Vine Shiraz 2018
It’s youthfully expressed and nicely lifted on the nose showing dark berry, floral, tar and dried herb notes, followed by a fruity palate that’s smooth and supple with a delicately dry finish. At its best: now to 2024. May 2021

Lloyds Block Sangiovese Shiraz 2017
This is attractively styled with nicely lifted aromas of dried cherry, cured meat, walnut and thyme on the nose. The juicy palate offers smooth texture and rounded mouthfeel, combined with fragrant spicy notes, finishing lingering and pleasingly dry. At its best: now to 2024. 88 Points. May 2021

Lloyds Block Shiraz Cabernet 2017
It’s fragrant and inviting on the nose with sweet cherry, dried flower, anise and toasted nut characters, followed by a supple palate displaying medium-full weight and supple texture. Approachable and delightfully drinkable. At its best: now to 2025. 88 Points. May 2021

Lloyds Block Cabernet Merlot 2017
Attractive dark berry, dried herb, vanilla and hazelnut aromas on the nose, the palate delivers juicy fruit flavours together with spicy undertones, finishing smooth and friendly for easy drinking. At its best: now to 2024. 87 Points. May 2021

Lloyds Block Chardonnay Semillon 2018
Nicely ripe and gently fragrant, showing apricot, rockmelon, mixed herb and lemon zest aromas on the nose. It’s fruit expressive and friendly with silky mouthfeel and refreshing acidity, making it smooth and lingering. At its best: now to 2023. 87 Points. May 2021