Forbes & Forbes Single Vineyard Riesling captures classic Eden Valley character from a high-altitude site around Springton, on ancient, rocky soils that give both intensity and line. Vines are hand picked at genuine flavour ripeness rather than searing austerity, then whole-bunch pressed and cool fermented in stainless steel to preserve citrus, florals and mineral detail. The result is a Riesling that typically shows lime, lemon and green apple over crushed stone, with some vintages layering in subtle tropical notes and, with age, toast and marmalade complexity, all carried on a long, balanced palate of lively acidity and gentle texture. Critics describe Forbes & Forbes as a “secret worth discovering” for approachable, great-value Eden Valley Riesling, and museum releases demonstrate just how well this single-vineyard style can develop in bottle over a decade or more.

Small-batch Chardonnay from Marlborough negociants Novum. Stonefruit, cream and mineral on the nose. Flintiness meets fruit on the palate, making for a distinctive medium-bodied wine. An appealingly long finish shows this to be a top tier Chardonnay. Novum use small parcels of fruit from specially selected sites on established Marlborough vineyards to craft the best wines and expressions of terroir possible. Their first vintage arrived in 2016. Novums primary focus is on Syrah, Pinot Noir and Chardonnay.

This parcel is located on the upper slopes above the Meursault 1er Cru Genevrières appellation. The clay/limestone soil has a subsoil of extremely hard white rock riddled with fissures. These allow the roots to circulate through the white limestone. The parcels southern exposure, coupled with a steady 20% slope, affords the grapes excellent ventilation leading to a harvest that is both ripe and healthy. The wine often presents aromas of candied orange (or other citrus fruits) on the nose and in the mouth.

An elegant and restrained cool-climate style Shaw & Smith M3 Chardonnay has been at the forefront of the modern Australian Chardonnay renaissance. Displaying notes of nectarine and citrus underpinned by crisp acidity, it evolves over time to reveal layers of toasty, mealy complexity.

Cuvée du Pandoréa Meursault Six suppliers enable this plush Meursault, built in the traditional mould of ripe stone fruits, buttery viscosity and ample scents of toasted hazelnuts and generous oak. Inimitably of place, this is a wine for those pining for flavour and textural amplitude, in an era of linear expressions. A top tier wine built for cellaring or earlyish approachability, as long as the drinker does not mind a rail of phenolics and salubrious, cinnamon-scented oak. Expressive. Exotic. Absolutely delicious.

LAURENT PONSOT 1er Cru Cuvée de la Centaurée , Meursault-Charmes