Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

14 Oct

http://www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz/

The Askerne Vineyard on the Hawke’s Bay coast near Havelock North was established by John and Kathryn Loughlin in 1993. Initially planting 11 ha of white varieties, they expanded with 9 ha of reds in 2000. A steady flow of good wine has resulted since, but I see the Askene label has gone up a notch in quality over the past couple of years. This is due to improvements in the vineyard and winery and the arrival of Ant Mackenzie as winemaker in 2013, as well as Hayden Penny and Ash Hallam coming on board from 2015. The Loughlins, and the vineyard and winemaking team aim to make wine styles that suit what the vineyard provides, and this empathy can be seen in the resulting wines. Here, I review the 2016 Rosé and Pinot Gris, and 2015 Viognier and Cabernet Franc. www.askerne.co.nz