North & South – June 2019

NORTH&SOUTH| JUNE 2019 | 103

TeMataCapeCrest

SauvignonBlanc 2018

★★★★★

Thisbarrel-fermentedHawke’s

Baysavvyisweightierand

morecomplex,withslightly

softeracidity,thanthestand-

ardMarlboroughmodel.The

bouquetisfragrantandripely

herbal,thepalatefull-bodied

andsweet-fruited,witha strong

surgeofpassionfruit-lime

flavours,a subtleseasoning

ofoak,andloadsofcurrent-

drinkingappeal.$30

ThornburyGisborne

Chardonnay 2018 ★★★

FromVillaMariaandmadein

anupfrontstyle,thisis a typical

regionalstyle:fresh,mouth-fill-

ingandsmooth,withverygood

depthofripe,peachy,slightly

toastyflavours.Readytoroll.

$16

VergenceWhiteby

PegasusBay 2016

★★★★★

Highlydistinctive,this

weighty,fleshy,drywhiteis

basedonWaiparasemillon,

barrel-agedfortwoanda half

years,andblendedwithlesser

amountsofchardonnay,mus-

catandgewürztraminer.Pale

straw,witha fragrant,complex

bouquet,it hasconcentrated,

ripe,stonefruitflavours,hints

ofherbs,spicesandnuts,anda

lastingfinish.$27

Ye a l a n d sE s t a t e

M2OrganicSingle

BlockWairauValley

MarlboroughSauvignon

Blanc 2018 ★★★★

Certifiedorganic,thissingle-

vineyardwinewasgrowninthe

lowerWairauValley. Drinking

wellnow,it’sa vibrantlyfruity,

medium-tofull-bodiedwine,

withstrong,ripelyherbaceous

flavours,dryandsmooth,and

a welcomingfragrance. $25

Rosés

Nockie’sPalette

GeorgetownPinotRosé

2018 ★★★★★

Thisstrikinglypackagedwine

wasgrownattheeasternendof

theKawarauGorge,inCentral

Otago.Palepink,itisa “seri-

ous”butdeliciouswine,show-

inglovelydelicacyandharmo-

ny.Mouth-fillinganddry,with

vibrantstrawberryandspice

flavours,a hintofapricot,and

a longfinish,it’sdrinkingwell

now. $39

SugarLoafHarriet

MarlboroughPinot

NoirRosé 2018 ★★★★

Thisvivaciouspinotnoir

roséispalepink,withstrong,

peachy,spicyaromas.Very

freshandlively,ithasexcel-

lentintensity,withpeach,

strawberryandspiceflavours,

aswellasa sliverofsweetness,

Wei g ht y, c omplex

white wines,

especially

chardonnays,

but also sturdier

styles of pinot

gris and oak-

aged sauvignon

blancs, really

hit the spot.

Mission Jewelstone
Hawke’s Bay
Chardonnay 2017
★★★★★
This classy wine was hand-
harvested from mature vines
and barrel-fermented. The
bouquet is fragrant and com-
plex, the palate already highly
expressive, with full body; rich,
ripe,peachyflavours,gentle
acidity,a slightlycreamytex-
ture,anda veryharmonious,
persistentfinish.$40

MtDifficulty
BannockburnCentral
OtagoSauvignonBlanc
2018 ★★★★
Alreadydelicious,thiswine
washandledsolelyintanks.
Mouth-filling,withexcellent
vigouranddepthoffresh,
ripe,tropicalfruitflavours,
a touchofcomplexity,and
a crisp,fullydryfinish,it
showshowgoodtheregion’s
sauvignonblancscanbe. $27

MountRileyMarlborough
Chardonnay 2017 ★★★
Sharply priced, this fragrant,
full-bodied wine has gener-
ous, citrusy, peachy flavours,
with slightly buttery and toasty
notes adding complexity, and
lots of current-drinking appeal.
$16

Nobody’s Hero
Marlborough Pinot Gris
2018 ★★★★
Framingham’s wine is fresh,
weighty and dryish, with peachy,
slightly spicy flavours, showing
good richness. A strongly vari-
etal wine, it’s already very open
and expressive. $20

Smith & Sheth Cru
Wairau Sauvignon
Blanc 2017 ★★★★★
Maturing impressively, this
powerful wine was harvested
from mature vines at Renwick,
in the Wairau Valley. Highly
concentrated, it has excellent
weight and depth of ripe, trop-
ical fruit flavours, with a dry,
resounding finish. $28

Above left: Nockie’s Palette

Georgetown Pinot Rosé

2018. Above right: Sugar
      Loaf Harriet Marlborough
      Pinot Noir Rosé 2018.

Above: Yealands Estate

M2 Organic Single Block

Wairau Valley Marlborough

Sauvignon Blanc 2018.

From left: Mission

Jewelstone Hawke’s Bay

Chardonnay 2017; Smith

& Sheth Cru Wairau

Sauvignon Blanc 2017;

Te Mata Cape Crest

Sauvignon Blanc 2018;

and Vergence White by

Pegasus Bay 2016.