Greywacke Pinot Gris
An exotic Middle-Eastern mélange of poached quinces, sticky dates and tree-ripened figs, laced with vanilla bean, cardamom and hints of black licorice. This is a ripe, opulent expression of the pinot gris grape in a voluptuous off-dry style that has considerable concentration and a long, luscious finish. The three clones were hand-picked separately at high ripeness levels and whole-bunch pressed using very low maceration press cycles. The resulting juice was cold settled, then racked to fermentation vessels. Most of the juice went through a natural indigenous yeast fermentation in old French oak barriques and the balance was fermented in stainless steel tanks using cultured yeast. Towards the end of fermentation all the wine was transferred to stainless steel tanks where the fermentations were stopped, retaining 10 g/l residual sugar. The wine then spent a year on yeast lees (seven months in old barrels and the remaining time in stainless steel tanks) prior to blending and bottling. Kevin Judd is one of Marlboroughs pioneer winemakers whose career is intrinsically linked with the global profile of New Zealand wine. Kevin was born in England and grew up in Australia, where he studied winemaking at Roseworthy College and first made wine at Reynella in South Australia. He moved to New Zealand in 1983 and joined Selaks Wines. Subsequently, he became the founding winemaker at Cloudy Bay, a pivotal role during which he directed the companys first 25 vintages. In 2009 he established his own label, Greywacke, named after New Zealands prolific bedrock. The Name: New Zealand does not have a designated national rock, but if one was ever chosen it would have to be greywacke (pron: grey-wacky). This drab grey stone is found everywhere in New Zealand on the mountains, in the rivers, on the beaches. It consists of layers of hard, muddy grey sandstone alternating with thinner layers of darker mudstone (argillite). Technically the term greywacke refers to the sandstone (wacke is a German name for a type of sandstone), but it is also used as a general term for the entire rock.
Felton Road Bannockburn Riesling
An off-dry lower alcohol style, Felton Roads Bannockburn Riesling displays floral lift and fleshy stone fruit richness balanced by taut racy acidity. The fruit comes from Calvert & The Elms vineyards in the Bannockburn sub-region of Central Otago. The grapes are whole bunch pressed and fermented with indigenous yeasts, with the ferment arrested when the desired balance between acidity, alcohol and residual sugar is reached.
Mud House Claim 431 Pinot Noir
This wine has plenty going for it, including all those delicious flavours that make Kiwi Pinot adored across the world. It's a concentrated but elegant wine with dark cherry aromas with complex notes of mocha and cinnamon. Luscious bramble, cherry and spice give generous length to the palate.
Mount Difficulty Roaring Meg Pinot Noir
This wine highlights the slightly cooler season with lovely perfumed dark red forest berries and cherry fruits along with a hint of dried herb, adding complexity. The wine has a sweet berry entry which displays these same characters in abundance. Lovely ripe textural tannins rise gracefully out of the mid-palate to finish the wine. These are balanced by the wines acidity and fruit, to produce a long fruit-driven finish.
Alluvial Pinot Noir
Petaluma White Label Pinot Noir
Vibrant and fruity with juicy acid drive through to the finish with respectful ripe tannins. Designed for early drinking to enjoy on release. Perfect for lighter food pairings such as a savoury duck salad with a fresh fruit-based dressing.
Amisfield Pinot Gris
This exceptional Pinot Gris from Amisfield shows pronounced aromatics of roasting quince, bees wax and orange blossom. The palate is broad, complex, rich and textured while remaining elegant, with a dry finish.
Rockburn Tigermoth Riesling
This vintage Riesling was harvested from the Central Otago wine region. It has an alcohol level of 8.4% and the colour of this medium-sweet white wine is a glittering pale white gold. Primary fruit aromas of nectarine, apricot, honey-crisp apple, citrus, spring blossoms and plum flow off the nose, with underpinned fragrances of honeycomb, ginger and clove. The palate features flavours of apple, pear and mineral nuances, with a touch of honey that fills the mouth and leaves a fresh taste. The mid-palate is filled with notes of tangerine and lime. The balanced sweetness and fine acidity are brought to fruition by a long and cleansing finish. This wine is best served at 43°F. Here are a few food suggestions: honey-roasted pork with braised vegetables, stir-fried shrimp with bacon, fried semolina dumplings with apricots, and snapper with charred tomatillos.
Isabel Estate Vineyard Pinot Gris
ISABEL ESTATE Pinot Gris, Marlborough Isabel Estate was established in Marlborough in 1980 and has some of the oldest vines in the region. Its Wairau Valley location receives the full benefit of extended sunshine hours combined with a long, relatively cool growing season. Yields are restricted by pruning to low bud numbers and, where necessary, shoot and bunch thinning ensures that fruit quality is fully optimised. The Isabel Pinot Gris style focuses on fruit purity and classic pear, elderflower and chalky mineral flavours. As leading New Zealand wine writer Bob Campbell MW says, Isabel Estate Pinot Gris is: Made in an off/dry style but with enough acidity to generate a fairly dry finish. Lovely wine.