Pruning your crop can be a bit of a pain in the butt. Hundreds of man hours are spent every year pruning the vines of New Zealand’s vineyards, but some Kiwi viticulturists might be tempted to bring in a very different form of personnel for future vintages, in the form of a vine pruning robot.

The Robocop of the wine world, or Robo-chop as I like to call it, uses a sophisticated 3D camera to judge distance from the vine as it moves between the rows at walking speed. It can even see in the dark, allowing it to work through the night. The technology is being developed in Christchurch and supposedly has the potential to save the industry NZ$20 million per annum.

Pruning is a pretty essential part of the viticultural process. It’s not just a theory, but a proven technique. The pruning of branches, roots and buds will help keep a plant healthy, increasing and/or improving the yield of fruit. In the case of the vine, the health and quality of the grapes are improved with proper pruning, and it is of course labour intensive, which is part of the reason better quality wines are more expensive.

The bulk of this work in New Zealand, particularly for the larger wine companies, is carried out by foreign labour, drafted in when required for a short period of time. With the best part of NZ$20 million per annum to be saved, it is these jobs that may be affected most in the future.

If the robot is successful, in the sense that it proves cost-effective and does as good a job as human labour, it might just catch on around the world, reducing jobs in the industry worldwide and making some already very wealthy MDs of lucrative wine brands even more wealthy. When you look at it in that light, it’s perhaps not all that good.

At least if you’re a robot builder, you’ll have a job for life. Unless, robots start building robots. But that’s just silly, right…?

With the fair weather set to continue, we’re crossing our fingers for an Indian summer to counter the back-to-school blues and prolong the holiday hoopla. Don’t pack that picnic basket away in the loft just yet, as we’ve a super snazzy, ultra-handy picnic wine chiller to give away in September’s prize draw.

Complete with insulated twin-bottle storage, glasses, napkins, corkscrew, stopper and side-pockets galore, this is one for that boozy summer lunch on the beach or in the local park. And to help you on your way, we’ve two bottles from one of New Zealand’s coolest wineries to fill it - a silky, dreamy Sauvignon Blanc and the brand new, decadently scrumptious Deliverance red from Muddy Water. (The banjo’s optional.)

How to Enter: All you have to do to get in the draw is ‘friend us up’ on our Facebook page. We’ll draw one lucky winner at random in September from all our fans and post it here and on Facebook.

Last month, we had a hand-crafted New Zealand theme, with a beautiful Rimu cheese board and two bottles from Nelson’s Greenhough estate up for grabs. Congratulations to Joe Burke, drawn at random from our Facebook friends this morning, to win our August contest. Rimu board (it really *is* beautiful!) and two bottles on their way to you Joe.

There is perhaps no other nation in the world flying the ‘green’ flag as high and as passionately as New Zealand. Of the many environmental pioneers this country has produced, it is a professor and a scientist, both based in Christchurch, who have been leading the pack for environmental sustainability. Their project is called ‘Greening Waipara’, and it is gathering momentum at an encouraging rate.

The Waipara wine-growing area of North Canterbury is a place of extraordinary significance. Like much of eastern Canterbury, it was originally draped in tall totara, matai, lacebark, kowhai, lancewood and broadleaf forest. It has been dramatically transformed, first by the hunting and gathering by the indigenous Maori, then modification for grazing sheep and mixed farming, and then to forestry or horticulture – including the viticulture industry.

The two ecological specialists leading the ‘Greening Waipara’ project, Prof. Steve Wratton and Dr. Colin Meurk, are using research-driven techniques to help bring back a greener Waipara, and the wine industry is heavily involved. Among the objectives, there is focus on reducing the reliance on herbicides and pesticides, in addition to the creation of wetlands with native species to filter contaminated storm water and vineyard effluent – all done via the restoration of a natural habitat using species which were once common.

These practices enhance the natural character and resilience of the district. Shelter belts, entrance-ways, stream and pond edges, vineyard borders and even the vine rows themselves are all receiving an ecological ‘make over’. A number of New Zealand native species are showing real promise as a potential companion to grapes.

‘Greening Waipara’ is heavily reliant on those landowners who participate, but the uptake has been extremely positive and the research being collected will serve to help similar projects in the future. Thankfully, almost everyone in the region is on the same page. One of the wineries involved is Muddy Water, who are kindly using the profits of Deliverance to help fund the initiative.

With our 20% off New Zealand sale still ongoing, and this being the last week of our additional buy six bottles get a seventh free on Greenhough Sauvignon Blanc, here is the second part of our interview with the talented winemaking New Zealander, Andrew Greenhough.

Questions 1-5 click here.

6. There’s a lot of ‘showy’ Pinots out there (some from New Zealand) – what some call ‘blockbuster’ styles. What is your take on those wines and how do they sit with your philosophy at Greenhough? Again, have you seen your style evolve much and if you were to project outward say 10 years, where would you think the style will get to?

In the extreme, big, ‘blockbuster’ Pinots can risk a loss of varietal character and while showy can sometimes be one dimensional and a little boring, these styles often score well in competitions. Pinot Noir is by no means the only variety where this is the case. For me, these styles can lack complexity and interest particularly at the higher price point where I am looking for other characters beyond big fruit and obvious power - elegance, supple texture, multi-layers of flavour, with concentrated fruit as the basis for spicy, savoury, structural elements.

I think that there are a whole range of different Pinot styles out there now and that’s probably a good thing. The  softer structured styles which are very fruit sweet and forward can deliver great drinkability and if  targeted at the more price conscious end of the market these characters are no doubt essential. There is skill in achieving styles which are appropriate to varying price points and target markets. I have definitely become more conscious of the need to make the Greenhough range of wines, (as distinct from the Hope Vineyard),  fruit driven, balanced and approachable while retaining some degree of complexity. The Hope Vineyard Pinot Noir has over the years evolved away from and emphasis on sweet fruit to become more savoury. I think that older vines and better viticulture are providing more concentration and texture which is more supple and integrated. I expect that this will be a continued evolution over time.

7. Ireland tends to shun many Chardonnays and shy away from them. Tell us about your Chardonnay style. Can you make the case for us to explore Chardonnay again?

I really hope so as I rate Chardonnay from NZ as exceptional value for money. The Greenhough Nelson style is fruit focused for drinking as soon as it is released and over the next 2-3 years. It is 100% fermented in French oak and aged for approx 5-6 months, released in the same year that it is made. The oak fermentation is aimed to provide some savoury complexity through lees influence and warmer ferment. However, oak flavour is minimal and very much in the background as the percentage of new oak is very small. It’s a fresh, uncomplicated Chardonnay style which makes great drinking with or without food. On the other hand, the Hope Vineyard Chardonnay is aged for a full year in French oak which is still reasonably restrained though the new oak component is typically around 25%. It is a taughter, more structured style with added complexity and cellaring potential. Definitely more of a food style. I guess it is pretty easy to make a good case for drinking Chardonnay, (and specifically NZ Chardonnay), provided that it is a variety that you enjoy. I drink more Chardonnay than any other white wine and while many are not to my taste those that are represent superb drinking.

8. How have you gone about site selection for your different wines? Do you think its showing in the style of wines you are making?

Our range of wines and styles are based more around clonal selection than site selection. Obviously the site specific Hope Vineyard wines are a reflection of place and over a period of years exhibit certain consistent characteristics even given seasonal variation. This is the site which we have become intimately familiar with over the past 20 years. But these wines are also built around particular, generally older blocks of vines within the vineyard which over time have proved their quality. For example, the Mendoza and UCD15 clones of Chardonnay are the basis of the Hope Vineyard wine with their particular citrus expression, concentration and defined structure. Winemaking is also varied according to the particular stylistic emphasis which is aimed for in the wine. Over time there may be an evolution of new single vineyard wines based on the heavier clay soils of our Upper Moutere vineyards should a distinct character related to site become apparent

9. We see international reviews of Greenhough wines around and about, but few awards. What’s your attitude to competitions and shows and the quest for a ‘gold’?

Years ago we entered wine competitions regularly and received our share of gold medal results across all varieties. We no longer do this regularly though occasionally will enter something offshore – perhaps in a new market or if there is a request for us to do so. To some extent wine competitions are a bit of a lottery and hit and miss. If show results are to be a strategy for marketing and brand profiling then there needs to be a comprehensive ‘scatter gun’ approach taken in order to maximize chances of top results. I would not describe our wine styles as ‘showy’ and they may not suit the competition format as well as many others. We prefer to submit wines to wine writers and some of the specialist wine publications for assessment and review.

10. If you had a one year sabbatical to make wine somewhere else in the world where would it be and why?

Germany I think.  I have spent time in France on several occasions and had hands on vintage experience in Burgundy. It would be interesting to explore Riesling styles and winemaking practices at first hand in a small, top quality winery.  The Germans seem to successfully combine traditional and highly technological approaches to most things including winemaking and I am sure this would be enlightening. In terms of their viticulture there is a strong emphasis on sustainability, (organic and biodynamic management practices),  and a generally holistic attitude to winemaking – something that rests well with us.

Sincere thanks to Andrew Greenhough. To view his fantastic range, which we are adding more wines to shortly, click here.

“Of all the wineries scattered across the Waimea Plains, this small producer at Hope, south of Nelson city, has the quality edge.”

Michael Cooper,
Pocket Guide to Wines of New Zealand

Andrew Greenhough is one of the success stories of the New Zealand wine industry. Every vintage his Greenhough range astounds us, not only in that all-important matter of price vs quality, but in the variety and unique styles that he brings to our range of New Zealand wines.

We’ve asked Andrew 10 questions, 5 of which are below and 5 of which will be posted next week. It’s well timed as there is currently 20% off all of our New Zealand wines, including Greenhough, until the end of August. In addition, until the end of July, we have buy 6 get one free on the Greenhough Sauvignon Blanc - a genuinely fantastic offer you’re not likely to see again for a long time… if ever.

1. You could have chosen any region in New Zealand to make wine. Why did you choose Nelson?

To a certain extent Nelson chose us. We knew of Nelson as a beautiful region close to the sea, national parks, ideal climate and culturally very interesting. All of these things were important to us. Certainly there was no desire to move to many of the other wine growing regions which did not offer such a complete package. The wine industry back in 1990 was relatively un-evolved by today’s standards – Central Otago for example was in its infancy as were a number of the smaller wine regions and so there was not the same very strong association with wine that many now have. That said, if we had our choice again today, we wouldn’t go anywhere different! There was an opportunity to buy land and a small operating winery in Nelson within a region already producing excellent wines and this became an appropriate way into the industry for us.

2. Make the case for Nelson Sauvignon Blanc – what gives it an edge over other New Zealand styles and how have you evolved your style as you’ve got to grips with the land. Are there ‘no go’ areas with Sauvignon Blanc you feel strongly about. How do you feel it is evolving?

Nelson Sauvignon Blanc has a definite ‘top of the south’ character with vibrant, lively fruit flavours ranging from the more herbaceous through to ripe citrus and tropical. Generally Nelson Sauvignon expresses a degree of restraint and subtlety, (that is a little less pungent than some), good palate weight and mineral freshness. For me this makes Nelson Sauvignon a more food friendly style than many. Some winemakers prefer to emphasise more pungent, herbaceous characters and others a riper, more tropical style. Both work well, though for me the most successful styles are in the riper spectrum with herbaceousness in the background. There has been an evolution towards riper styles of New Zealand Sauvignon across regions. Also some more complex styles employing wild fermentation, barrel ferment and lees aging. These are interesting and delicious when the balance of these elements is well handled and fruit flavours are in the riper spectrum. For me the inclusion of a very small percentage of new oak fermentation (less than 5%) adds more dimension to the mid palate of the wine. The oak should not be at all apparent however and the style should retain a fresh, uncomplicated fruit focus. Moderate yields are essential to achieve good natural sugar/acid balance in the fruit along with generally riper flavours and phenolics. This balance means that we are able to successfully make a genuinely dry style of Sauvignon.

3. We hear Nelson hosted the International Aromatics Symposium in February with Ernst Loosen (of German fame) present to cast an eye over progress and to lead panel discussion. How did the event go?

As a region, Nelson has a climate which allows it to produce a relatively wide range of varieties extremely well – Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and the aromatics. While Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir have become popularly associated with Marlborough and Central Otago respectively, the aromatics were ‘up for grabs’. Without doubt, Nelson is able to consistently produce some of the country’s best Riesling, Gewurztraminer and Pinot Gris and in February 2010 hosted the second triennial Nelson Aromatics Symposium. It’s an event which allows us to attract an important and influential audience, to raise the regional profile and show off the quality of our wines in general.  This year the focus was on Riesling and Gewurztraminer. The 160 delegates included international wine writers, wine trade, winemakers and enthusiasts who spent a day tasting and discussing their way through a range of regional and international wines. It was a great opportunity to pitch a selection of New Zealand wines alongside some iconic French, German and Austrian examples. The event was a great success. Come visit us for the next one in 2013!

4. Your range is expanding each year – more recently Pinot Blanc and sweeter, low alcohol Rieslings added. On top of your traditional range of Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir what are you most excited about in your grape varieties or evolving styles going forward. Do you have a favourite child in the pack?

I don’t really have a regular favourite. It varies from vintage to vintage. The Pinot Blanc is a wine which we began making in 2003 from some of the oldest vines in our home vineyard, (and in the region), planted in 1976. For many years this very small volume wine was blended into our Chardonnay. We have since planted a few extra rows of vines and produce a very limited number of cases of this single vineyard wine. It is dryish in style, fermented and aged in old barrels with a focus on palate texture and richness rather than fruitiness. It is a very interesting wine and has gained an enthusiastic following. We have always had success with Riesling. Our first gold medals in the mid 1990s were for this variety. The off-dry, Hope Vineyard Riesling is also made from our oldest vines and expresses ripe citrus flavours. More recently we have introduced the Apple Valley Riesling, a lower alcohol, sweeter wine in a vaguely German Spatlese style expressing juicy, apply freshness. This is a style which has gained a lot of momentum in New Zealand and works extremely well with our higher acid levels balancing naturally with higher residual sugar. Pinot Noir and Chardonnay continue to be an absorbing challenge in the vineyard and winery. Alongside the Sauvignon, It has been a very positive evolution having clearly defined two quite distinctive styles of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, together with Riesling within our range.

5. Tell us about what drives you in making Pinot Noir? Where do you think New Zealand is at in terms of regional style?

Pinot Noir is a never ending challenge and that keeps it interesting in both the vineyard and winery. There is always the desire to understand the fruit better and to allow it express itself clearly and consistently over time. It will reflect the place where it is grown and assume a recognisable identity. A thorough knowledge of the site and an accurate interpretation of the season and its influence on fruit is essential. This context becomes clearer with every passing vintage. It is always exciting to be making a wine variety which has such a dedicated following and importance in the scheme of New Zealand wine. I suppose it is possible to define regional styles in a broader sense and with time this may become more clear cut. In some wines these are clearly evident but there are always wines that do not fit the regional mould. Winemaker influence and philosophy does play an important part in the way that the wine expresses itself and often this can cloud the issue and over ride the regional thing. I think that regional character of Pinot will inevitably become clearer over time and this will be a good evolution. In the meantime, continued striving for quality, site selection, increased vine age and evolution of sustainable, organic and biodynamic practices will contribute to more recognizable and individual examples of NZ Pinot Noir.

To be continued next Wednesday…

Click here to view the range from Andrew.

Celebrating our best ever deals on New Zealand wine this month, we’re giving away a beautiful, handcrafted Rimu cheese board, along with two bottles of our favourite handcrafted wines from Andrew Greenhough, who kindly contributed to the blog last week.

Rimu is one of New Zealand’s tallest indigenous trees, growing to over 50 metres and reaching an age of 700-800 years at maturity. This piece comes from salvaged logs which sank to the bottom of Lake Brunner, on the South Island’s west coast, around 100 years ago, and preserved by the cool temperatures of the deep lake. After delicate drying, woodturner Peter Allnutt has skillfully turned this beautiful raw material into a real work of art for the dining table.

We’ll deliver the board plus the bottles of Greenhough Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir to one lucky winner pulled from the hat in August’s prize draw.

How to Enter: All you have to do to get in the draw is ‘friend us up’ on our Facebook page. We’ll draw one lucky winner at random in August from all our fans and post it here and on Facebook.

Last month, we were giving away two Luckeboxes, a New World Wine Box and a Box 4 Cooks, to celebrate our partnership with the innovative new shopping website. Congratulations to Ewan Elmer and Andrew Wilson, drawn at random from our Facebook friends this morning, to win our July contest. Luckeboxes on the way to you guys, hope you enjoy (we’ll keep you guessing as to which one you’ve won!).

Celebrating both the opening our new wine warehouse in Cork, and the strange warm, sunny thing in the sky for the last couple of months, it’s to two of our favourite countries we go for a summer of quality quaffing. We’ve 20% off both Italy and New Zealand for the months of July and August, with some unbelievably extra juicy deals struck with three of our Kiwi wineries.

First to Italy, and the most diversified wine-producing country in the world. From crisp Trebbianos to fruity Pinot Grigios, light Montepulcianos to powerhouse Amarones, and with Prosecco, what is becoming everyone’s favourite bit of fizz, we want you to explore more this summer. We’re in the process of bulking up the range, with 12 new wines being added in the coming weeks, so whether it’s established favourites or new curiosities, there’s never been a better time to explore.

It’s no secret we’re crazy about New Zealand, and summer wouldn’t be summer without a classically-styled Sauvignon Blanc from the land of the long white cloud.

New Zealand, more starkly than most countries however, has suffered recently from over-production, producing uncharacteristically thin and unexciting wines. Well, quality’s fighting back!

In addition to our 20% across the board on all New Zealand wines, we’ve done our best deals ever on Savvi with three of our most quality-focused producers. Until 31st July only*, when you buy six Sauvignon Blanc from Greenhough, Waipara Springs or Muddy Water, in addition to our 20% off, you’ll get a seventh bottle absolutely free, compliments of the winery! That amounts to an insane 31% off the normal retail price of these three top drops.

And it gets even better. Buy any two bottles from these three producers, either as part of a mixed case online, or over the counter in our Cork warehouse, and you’ll get entered into the draw for a summer sizzling mixed case worth €225. And, buy any 12 bottles, we’ll double your odds.

These are some of the best quality, every-day drinking wines available in the Irish marketplace, at their best  value ever. As we only ship 2-3 times a year from New Zealand, however, and our next shipment is September, these deals are strictly while current stocks last, so don’t hang about if you want to grab those bargains.

Full range of Italian wine here.

Full range of New Zealand wine here.

Range of Sauvignon 7 for 6 offers here.

Promotions exclude allocation wines, wines supplied by producers or distributors on a limited allocation basis where demand exceeds available volume.

[* The original post on these promotions declared a six week buying period for the additional 7 for 6 offer. This has now been limited to the end of July, which was the intended promotional period for this extra special offer. The underlying 20% off New Zealand will remain until 31st August.
Apologies for the miscommunication. All offers remain valid only while stocks last.]

Andrew Greenhough, winemaker at Greenhough Wines in Nelson, New Zealand, recently sent us through his 2010 vintage report. For a lot of inexpensive wines the difference from one vintage to the other is barely noticeable. You know what your getting every time. But often when a winemaker is sourcing from his own vineyards there can be subtle differences from year to year. Greenhough is one of those wineries with the quality edge and I’m confident the 2010 vintage will be no different. Quality-wise I mean.

The general consensus is that the season, (especially later), was kind and that beautiful fruit was harvested. That’s pretty much the story I have to tell based on the Nelson experience. I’ll give you a bit of detail!

Spring was cool as it often is, though here in Nelson we are lucky that frost does not threaten. This cool weather persisted through into early summer which set things back and delayed vine development for most of the growing season. The result was a more extended, (but stress free harvest), which began and ended about 10-12 days later than typically. The same cool weather also affected flowering and led to a lighter than average crop across most varieties. Not a bad thing given the need for a smaller national vintage and the difficulty which we may have had ripening a bigger crop in a cool year. January and the first half of Feb was also wetter than usual and this was some cause for concern at the time. But by mid February, summer had truly arrived and the weather continued dry and warm right through until the end of April and the conclusion of the harvest. Fruit was picked in near perfect physical condition. The later timing also resulted in a gradual and more extended period of ripening at a time when daylight hours were shortening and nights were significantly cooler. The result was great flavour development, varietal definition and sugar/acid balance.

If there’s one thing we have learnt over the years, (2010 was our 20th vintage here), it’s that no season or vintage is ever the same. Often the variations are quite significant. 2009 was a magnificent year and we are delighted to have a number of excellent wines from this vintage still un-bottled, let alone released. But it was notable for its very hot December and January which advanced fruit development, followed by a much cooler, damper February. An earlier than usual harvest, it was quite different to 2010. It will be interesting to see how this shows in the finished wines. My guess is that the 09’s will be have slightly softer acids and generous, rich fruit while the 10’s will be more elegant and defined with marked varietal character.

In the winery, we have just completed blending the 2009 Nelson and Hope Vineyard Pinots. We will leave these in tank for several months before bottling. Both the 2009 Gewurztraminer and Pinot Blanc are due for bottling in the next month. These have had a full year on yeast lees for the first time - the PB in seasoned oak and the Gewurz in tank. It is great to see the way that this has added real depth and richness and while the primary characters have been subdued a little there is more complexity. The Gewurz is pleasing for its more subtle, (rather than over-the-top), exotic fruits and lower alcohol than previously - a good thing. The 2009 Hope Vineyard Riesling is also in a drier style than recent vintages at 14g/L R/S, down from about 20g/L. We have also made a Rose in 2010. It is a relatively light style in terms of alcohol as is more appropriate for this style of wine.

Current wines available from Greenhough

It all started in 1985 when New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc took the world by storm in the guise of Cloudy Bay. Twenty-five years on, the Kiwi wine industry seems to be having some of the same problems that Australia has been struggling with recently, as has been widely reported with the issue of over-supply. Too many money hungry businessmen looking a piece of the pie, perhaps?

Marlborough has been at the epicentre of New Zealand’s claim to fame on the wine scene. I know myself from being in the business, customers reach for the Marlborough Sauvignon first and then ask about Nelson and Hawkes Bay. Marlborough to most represents quality and value through and through. The problem is some of the big conglomerates have been sending over wines that are over-cropped, characterless and out-right boring. Wines that have been manufactured on a massive scale and just won’t shift because there’s simply too much of it.

This of course doesn’t apply to those who are very much acting out New Zealand’s good name for being a high quality producer of outstanding value wine. I visited Marlborough myself in 2008 and there are still plenty of excellent small boutique wineries, and in fairness some of the larger wineries churning out good value product. The sort that an industry was built on and are now the foundation of. But in my opinion, some have over-stepped the mark. After all, it’s a tough job sending out hundreds of thousands of cases to retailers across the world whilst trying to keep the juice inside the bottle to the high standard expected.

Of the 2008 and 2009 vintages, tanker loads were sold off to the UK and Australia, some of which was quite good, but most of which was distinctly average. So is this cheap plonk threatening to tarnish the image of New Zealand’s wine industry? A country known for its true character and expressive individuality. There’s certainly at least one Kiwi wine that I can think of that’s widely available in Ireland and is just not performing well. Like a number of others, it has fallen victim to the law of mass-volume, and it’s not even representing good value as a volume wine, even if on offer at a supposedly discounted rate.

Fear not though, as all is far from lost in New Zealand. Seek and you will find some real steals from Marlborough and now the incredible up and coming regions of Nelson, Waipara and Central Otago to name a few. I sleep easy at night knowing that the wine market always has its own way of sussing out the good from the bad and it is ultimately the palate of the wine drinking consumer that will sort out the brilliant from the  generic.

The Ned Sauvignon Blanc 2009 has recently been awarded Blue Gold and ranked in the Top 100 at this year’s Sydney International Wine Show, which is one of the few shows in the world to judge wines based on their ‘food-friendly’ characteristics. Blue-Gold Medals are awarded to the highest scoring Gold Medal wines selected from the 2000 wines submitted for judging.

“It’s another plaudit for our Sauvignon Blanc which, thanks to this year’s exceptional vintage, we’ve described as bright vibrant, energy in the bottle. It’s that good!” said The Ned proprietor, Brent Marris. This single vineyard wine has subtle fruit sweetness against acidity, giving a soft yet dry finish.

It’s just the fourth vintage for The Ned, the label established by Brent in Marlborough’s Waihopai Valley. “Our Sauvignon Blanc is instantly recognisable for its pure Marlborough flavours and it’s a perfect match with seafood so we’re very pleased with this recognition from the main Australian wine event that guides consumer choice,” he said.

Here’s what the judges had to say about The Ned Sauvignon Blanc 2009:

Warren Gibson
Vibrant and lifted. It seems very youthful with fermentation esters apparent. Some greener notes on the palate. Good vibrant acidity. Excellent match with the goat cheese flavours and a beautifully lingering food match.

Liam McElhinney
Lime and currant aromas. Quite dominant on the nose. Very complex aromas with hints of minerality showing through. The palate was quite focused. Very mineral driven flavours. Quite good persistence. The acidity of the wine was well matched with the cheese, however the herbal marriage of the cheese and the wine was missing.

Steve Flamstead
Fresh lychees. Some residual sugar. A juicy palate. Full of fruit with hints of tropical.

Peter Marks
A little subdued at the beginning. Maybe some creamy character on the palate, maybe even some neutral oak that might have subdued the fruit a little bit.  The goat cheese roulade tended to overwhelm the wine a bit but at the same time there was a creamy texture that the food seemed to bring out in the wine which complemented the food very nicely.

Tony Allen
Very ripe on the nose. Almost shows a Muscat on the front of the palate. Has lots of sherbet lemon acidity and concentration on the mid palate. It accentuated several flavours within the dish and refreshed the mouth.

Source: thened.co.nz and top100wines.com