(2024) Riverby's Riesling block is one of the oldest in Marlborough, and this cuvée is made in a mouthwatering dry style. The nose has hints of beeswax and crushed stone, but there's a distinct floral aspect to this too. In the mouth bags of fat, zest lemon and lime, just hinting at the downy skins of peaches, but steely at the core that wins through to a long, clear, sherbetty finish.

(2024) Riverby's Grüner is fast becoming a favourite in their range. As in previous vintages it displays a fragrant peach and ripe pear opulence and juiciness that combines with a sheer, mineral acidity for a wine that is luscious with a definite fruity sweetness and ripeness, but has such a focused, clear line to the finish. A cracking example.

(2024) This is another of Riverby's wines that just seems to get better each vintage, and this one is an absolute gem. From vines planted in 2006, and with just a touch of residual sugar to add weight rather than sweetness, it has a succulent stone fruit nose, a delicate biscuit or pastry warmth and yet real freshness too, floral and citrus adding vivid highlights. The palate is absolutely delicious I must say. Fleshy nectarine sweetness has loads of depth, star anise hints, even a touch of ginger or clove, and the thrusting core of lime acidity is so precise without being too sharp. Beguiling stuff.

(2024) And here we go again: though the track record for this wine is not as long as some of the others, the first time I tasted it being the 2022 vintage, for me this rosé steps up a gear. It is literally overflowing with strawberry cup, summer aromas, plenty of floral highlights, rose-hip and lychee (though mostly Pinot Noir, I believe small proportions of aromatic white varieties are blended in). In the mouth a little bit of residual sugar gives it even more of a summery, forget all your troubles character, that buoyant fruit nicely sliced through by a zesty acidity. A fabulous little summer pink to serve well chilled.

(2024) A fabulous, moreish wine from a 30-year-old-plus vineyard. It is planted with the Mendoza clone of Chardonnay, famed for its 'hen and chick' tendency of uneven grape sizes, which makes such interesting wines. It was matured in French oak. The nose fuses almond and even walnutty, cappuccino depth with an exotic mango fruitiness. Theres a hint of flint too. The palate displays a similar high-wire balancing act, with real Seville orange and juicy apple freshness, more tropical tones, and just enough creamy, nutty, coffeeish depth of oak. That flinty and smoky touch adds a lovely extra dimension. Fabulous balance and length.

(2024) Always a delight, this 9.5% alcohol Kabinett-style Riesling has more weight and voluptuous texture than might be expected in a Mosel or Rhine example, but has pin-point accurate acid balance too. Hints of beeswax and ginger to lovely stone fruit and lime aromas, the sweet and deliciously pure fruit on the palate. The acid balance offsets the sweetness and hints of exotic, tropical fruit beautifully.

(2024) Vintage after vintage I really enjoy this wine. It's the only wine in the Riverby Estate portfolio where the fruit does not come from their own vineyard, hence the sub-brand, Cicada. It's a lovely wine, just off dry but with loads of substance and a bite of dry extract to add to the seriousness. All the hallmark notes of lychee and rose petal are there, but the peachy ripeness of the mid-palate fruit and the way it merges into that crisp, powerful finish whilst retaining a hint of szechuan-friendly sweetness, is marvellous.

(2024) Exclusively planted with the Mendoza Clone, Riverby's Chardonnay vineyard was first planted in 1999. What a delight this is aromatically, creamy and almondy, with a ripe aand rounded but zippy stone fruit and lime character. Gorgeous texture, something like passion fruit adds extra succulence, but what a lovely texture and satisfyingly rounded mouthfeel. The acid is perfectly ripe and perfectly balanced. Reminds me of Pouilly Fuisse perhaps - but a very, very good one.

(2024) I'm a big fan of Riverby's Syrah, even though it is not available in the UK and Syrah as a variety is almost unheard of in Marlborough. There's a lively quality of black fruit touched by exotic spices like caraway, with a gloss of balsamic oak. The palate has medium weight and ripe black fruit, smooth as silk and finishing with excellent balance. For me, another very fine expression of Syrah from the region.

(2024) Ultra reliable, just off-dry Riesling, this comes from a dedicated block of the Riverby vineyard. Slate and wet river stones, with a very delicate waxiness. Yellow apple and lime fruit, something a little floral too? Peachy sweet as it strikes the palate, but bracing acidity slices through that fruit juiciness and sweetness. Rounded and creamy-textured, it's both sophisticated and crowd-pleasingly delicious.

(2024) From an excellent vintage, this immediately impresses with its intensity: the nose is a pungent explosion of guava and mango, with elderflower streaking through the aromatic exoticism. In the mouth that tropical fruit juiciness opens the show, but almost instantly a phalanx of lime acidity drives a wedge through the centre, propelling the wine to a lip-smacking, dry finish. There's more than enough fruity extract to coat the palate and withstand the onslaught of the wine's freshness so there is no fruit/acid imbalance. A concentrated, decisive example of Marlborough Sauvignon at its best. Watch the video for more information.

(2024) Matured for a year in French oak barrels, the nose has an intriguing combination of charry, roasted chestnut depth and lifted, floral kirsch and rose fragrance. It's a lovely combination, giving layers of complexity to the aroma. On the palate, spice and meaty flavours again combine with such sweet and plush red berry fruits. Ripeness is excellent, but twin forces of silky tannin and the keen, honed edge of acidity keep the picture taut and juicy. It's a marvellous Pinot this, among the best I've tasted from the ever-improving Pinot scene in the Marlborough region: long, pure-fruited and beautifully balanced into the finish.

(2022) If a mad New Zealand scientist crossed a grapefruit, a lime, and a peach, the result might well be this Grüner from Riverby. There is a hint of mineral salts and white pepper on the nose, but it's the sheer, mouth-watering and citrus-fresh decisiveness of the palate that is an absolute delight. Standby for the punch and verve of this firecracker wine, a banker for shellfish and seafood.

(2022) From a single vineyard that boasts some of Marlborough's earliest Pinot Noir plantings, this is a lovely Pinot from a strong vintage. Only 12.5% alcohol and pale to medium in colour, it's intensely perfumed, rose-hip and softly spiced, quite exotic red fruit wafts from the glass, with a subtle underlay of sweet oak. In the mouth that lower alcohol and crisp acidity gives this real agility, the fruit sweet but light and in texture and character, still focused on red fruits with a nicely grippy bite of tannin just to firm up the picture. Another lovely wine.

(2022) What a lovely expression of Pinot from a cracking vintage in Marlborough, matured in French oak barrels. It has a delightful pale colour and perfume to spare with loads of bright cherry, lots of autumnal twigs and leaves, and a hint of roasting chestnuts. The palate bursts with juicy fruit. There's a raspberry and orange vivaciousness to this, a crackling energy bright with glossy cherry, but the slightly smoky - again roasting chestnuts spring to mind - adds depth, the tannins very fine and the oak smoothing the finish.

(2022) This is both classic Marlborough and a cut above the ordinary. The nose is streaked with lime over herbaceous notes, running into gooseberry and hinting at more tropical mango. The palate is succulent, showing something slightly smoky and mineral, but loads of streaking lime and lemon zest, still echoes of lychee and mango ripeness. It finishes dry, with excellent acid balance.

(2022) The 'Old Vines' here are indeed 30 years old, which in Marlborough terms, is truly ancient. Matured in French oak barrels The nose opens with a blast of flint and complex sulphide notes, but so much nutty, vanillin oak creaminess and still no shortage of ripe stone fruits. On the palate, absolutely succulent: juicy peach and ripe, clean pear flavours, but underpinned by fudge and chocolate depth, then thrilling acidity. An outstanding wine, from an outstanding vintage.

(2022) With around 7.5g/l of residual sugar but full fruit ripeness and texture, I guess this could be described as being in the 'Alsace style', and bloomin' delicious it is too. From vines planted in 2006 and cropped low, it's a truly aromatic expression of Pinot Gris, honeysuckle and smoky mango swirling with nectarine. On the palate it is weighty and really quite dense, preserved lemon fruit and plenty of sweet, exotic flavours runnning into a fine core of refreshing acidity that extends the finish. It's a beauty, this.

(2022) Hot off the press is this single block 2022 Riesling, made in an approximate 'Kabinnet' style with 18g/l of residual sugar, so certainly off-dry. Very pure lime and lemon sherbet on the nose, but there's a core of green apple too. A hint of beeswax somewhere in there. That sherbetty/lemon sorbet character persists in the mouth, but a whack of acidity means the sweetness is swept away in a mouthwatering rush. The finishes balances fruit, that touches on peachy, with that core of acid and plenty of sweetness.

(2022) Riverby's take on classic Sauternes, this is 75% Semillon and 25% Sauvignon Blanc, with plenty of Botrytis and 13.0% alcohol. It spent 12 months in oak barrels, 50% new, and boast 145g/l of luscious residual sugar. Flooded with apricot - fresh and dried - barley sugar and hints of bergamot/Earl Grey tea, the palate is slippery and viscous, a certain smokiness of mango and papaya, then a star-bright burst of lemon to the acidity. It is an extremely intense and powerful wine, that actually needs food; fully sweet desserts, foie gras or blue cheese, to stand up to the formidable power. This will age for many, many years.

(2022) I've tasted the 2013 version of this wine several times, as recently as last year, and what a stunner of a white with almost 10 years under its belt that is. A blend of 70% Sauvignon Blanc aged in old oak barrels, and 30% Semillon aged in new oak barrels. This obviously more youthful example has a taut lemon curd and stone fruit nose, before an intense palate showing the old vine concentration. Right now, the sheer lemony concentration of the fruit and acidity just allows a squeak of the creamy barrel component to show through. My score is cautious, based on this tasting of a potentially fabulous wine for ageing in the very same mould as the 2013. I look forward to tasting this again in the future.

(2022) Well, this is the best vintage yet for this wine in my opinion. Despite the 14% alcohol suggesting full ripeness, there's a flinty, stony minerality on the nose, but creamy oatmeal and succulent, ripe pear and citrus too. The palate echoes all of that; sharp, zesty and mineral, but a burgeoning sense of nectarine ripeness smoothed by oatmeal. Orange and grapefruit add so much zest through the finish. A great effort. Watch the video for more information and food-matching ideas.

(2022) My first taste of Riverby's  rosé, which is predominantly Pinot Noir. There must be some bits and pieces of aromatic varieties in here too, as the nose has a definite floral lift, along with bright Bazooka Joe cherry and raspberry, all very pretty and very punchy. In the mouth this has an immediate creaminess and sweetness, verging on an impression of being off-dry, but the juicy red fruit of the mid-palate shows some tartness of hedgerow berries, and the lemony thrust of acidity cleanses the finish, A fine sipper with 12.5% alcohol and easy-going sweetness.

(2022) From dozens of Marlborough wines tasted from the 2020 harvest there is no doubt it's a top vintage, rightly being touted as such. This lovely Sauvignon is much more about ripe and juicy peach and nectarine than anything more aggressively herbaceous, with just a background hint of elderflower and gooseberry. In the mouth that ample juiciness of fruit continues, but the thrust of pink grapefruit and Seville orange sharpens the whole picture up into a dry, and long, finish. Mouth-watering and excellent.

(2022) Most of the 70% Sauvignon Blanc component was fermented in steel, with small proportion of the Sauvignon and all of the Semillon fermented and matured in new French oak for eight months. In bottle now for almost eight years, this is cracking stuff, still herbal, grassy, vibrant and vivacious, there's a sense of exotic and opulent passion fruit, but the palate streaks with limey, textured creaminess. Plenty of zesty acidity slices through the finish in a lovely wine, akin to a white Bordeaux, but with the expressive dial turned up to 11 - and no hurry to drink either.

(2022) Always a delightfully well-balanced Chardonnay, this has only 12 5% alcohol. It is fermented in French oak (25% new), spending an additional 12 months in oak with regular lees stirring. Mealy and gently honeyed on the nose, there's a touch of hazelnut and biscuit, and a ripe fruitiness beneath. There's a very nicely judged flinty quality too, that is also evident on the palate, giving extra freshness. Along with lemony acidity that gives decisive bite to the sweet, fleshy peach fruit. What a lovely wine once again.

(2021) Left to hang on the vine late into the autumn when Botytis developed on the bunches, this is a dessert wine in the style of one of Germany's Trockenbeerenausle wines, sold in half bottles and lusciously sweet with around 200g/l of residual sugar. A burnished gold in colour, it opens laden with honey and barley sugar, but beneath there is a zest of Seville orange mamalade, the glycerine and lemon richness surging onto the palate. The unctuous richness of texture and fabulously exotic ripe mango and papaya needs to be balanced, and the wine does it beautifully, crystalline lemon zestiness pushing through. Fabulous. Watch the video for more information.

(2021) What a truly lovely wine this is, perfumed and beautifully elegant, yet with real substance. It opens with such gorgeous aromatics, cranberry and cherry red fruits, but a pot-pourri spice melting into rose-hip and hints of briar. I tasted this wine from barrel and thought it showed huge perfume and promise back in January 2020, but now it is fully realised, the palate so perfectly poised between juicy and elegant fruit and hints of  smokiness and forest floor, sweet tannins and finely-etched acidity balancing everything perfectly. Aged for a year in French oak, 30% new, this is a tour-de-force from Riverby.

(2020) With 187g/l of residual sugar, marginally less luscious than the 2016, but beautifully toasty and full of lime marmalade. The palate is so rich and creamy, full of honey and Botrytis richness and yet that Botrytis element to give a drier character to the finish, so sweet and yet so well balanced. Price quoted is for 37.5cls, and for a previous vintage at time of review.

(2020) A Botrytis wine with 200g/l of sugar. Great golden colour, fabulous honeycomb and floral nose, lots of Riesling character as well as the luscious Botrytis, there is toast and such opulent sweetness, full, peach and apricot and fat limey acidity, extending into an endless finish. Lovely creaminess and intensity. Price for a half bottle, for the previous vintage at time of review.

(2020) Barrel sample. Violets and florals, a touch of pepper, but very much fruit driven. The oak just adding a bit of deep balsamic flavour. Lithe and creamy on the palate, good acidity and a fresh finish. No UK retail stockists at time of review.

(2020) This spends 15 months in oak, 40% new, and the best barrels. A meaty aroma here, the colour just developing a touch of maturity on the rim, the fruit sweet and full, a lusciousness here for sure, lots of sweet, voluptuous fruit, lots of spice from the barrels. And long and firm in the fnish. Delicious.

(2020) Barrel sample. Lots of florals here, lots of lift and fresh red fruits, cherry and a lovely truffle note developing .In the mouth a fine truffle and smoke character, but the flesh and finesse of the fruit are both in lovely balance, a touch of toast and chocolate. A cautious score for now, but a beautiful Pinot with potential to score even higher. Price and stockist for a previous vintage at time of review.

(2020) Pale but bold garnet colour. Delicate perfume, lots of smoky notes intertwined with old roses and briar and cherry. Delicious, plenty of ripeness and a finish that’s balanced with smooth tannins and a bit of chocolate and smoky/spicy character.

(2020) This appears under the Cicada label because it is the only wine in this line-up not made from estate-grown fruit. Old roses, peach and a touch of Turkish delight. Very floral and aromatic, full of flavour on the palate, great Gewürztraminer character, loads of fruit and sweet nectarine, and the finish flowing with a gentle but pin-point acidity.

(2020) This spends 11 months in French oak, 30% new. Lovely nose of buttery Brazil nut and a touch of nougat, plenty of peach juiciness. The palate is smooth and elegant, the peachy fruit is there, but cut by sweet and ripe lime and a citrus - not sharp, there’s a clean but generous acid profile. Price and stockist is for a different vintage at time of review.

(2020) Less pronounced oak influence than the 2018, maybe just subsided with time in bottle, less creamy, but has a similar line of fruit and acidity on the palate, good length, a clean finish. Price and stockist is for a previous vintage at time of review.

(2020) Much less aromatic than the ultra-fresh 2019, but the creaminess of the texture is fine on the palate, there’s a lovely stone fruit flavour and quite luscious, driving through to that cool, citrus and apple skin acidity and touch of grip against a background hint of richness and sweetness.

(2020) Punching its way out of the glass with its vivacious fruit, with citrus and ripe, juicy pear. The palate has huge juiciness and touch of pepper and spice in the finish. A lovely and appealing wine, mixing easy-drinking approachability with a bit of texture and flavour complexity. Price and stockist is for the previous vintage at time of review.

(2020) A little more subdued aromatically compared to the vibrant 2019, a touch of a yeasty character, then more of the florals developing. The palate has more sugar, much more of a Kabinett feel than the 2019, the sweetness set against quite pithy lemon and lime, and a long, clear finish. Price for previous vintage at time of review.

(2020) Lovely sweetness suggested over the limey pure fruit. A tiny bit of a kerosene or waxy character in the background, some floral notes. Beautiful fruit, luscious and peachy, but then the tension of apple cores and citrus, a fantastic acidity streaming to the finish. Price and stockist is for a previous vintage at time of review.

(2020) Very clean, very fresh, a real punch of zestiness, a bit of stone Fruit, develops a bit of nice weight on the palate, not oily, but just a fairly substantial weight, and long, shimmering finish. Bone dry feeling in the finish. No UK retail stockists at time of review

(2020) What a terrific wine, just starting to mature. A blend of 70/30 Sauvigon and Semillon, the Semillon fermented and matured in all new French oak. Lovely nose, a bit of herbaceous character, a bit of oily green bean, the creaminess of the background oak, there is a burst of fruit, the lemon and lime jelly acidity is truly lovely. It's three years since I tasted this last, and it has put on a little weight and complexity since. No UK stockist at time of review.

(2020) Gently herbaceous, a coolness to the fruit, a touch of exotic fruit comes through, then on the palate lovely balance - not too herbaceous, a big thread of dry and pithy acidity, and a touch of minerals/salts at the finish.

(2020) Younger more pear drop and confectionary notes than the 2018, lemon jelly, a little yeasty character, then fresh, pure and long citrus finish. Dry in the finish and a bit of grip. Very young.

(2020) Nice peppery note to the cool, firm white fruit. Lovely palate, full of fruit and bursting with zesty orange flavour. Long and deliciously spicy, a touch of sours in the finish.

(2017) Austria's Grüner Veltliner is gaining some traction in southern hemisphere vineyards - I reported recently on a small enclave in Australia's Adelaide Hills - but Marlborough has also taken to the variety. Only the third vintage for Riverby, this has succulent pear on the nose, limey citrus and a hint of mineral salts. There's a delicious weight to the fruit on the palate, texture and silkiness, the sheerness of the citrus acidity sweeps through, cutting rather more tropical fruit flavours to finish dry. A really very good expression of Gru-V. Note: price and stockist quoted at time of review is for the 2014 vintage.

(2017) The blend is 70% Sauvignon Blanc and 30% Semillon, the Semillon (and a small portion of the Sauvignon) fermented and matured in new French oak for eight months. Oak does not show on the nose, in fact it is the asparagus and green bean pungency of the Jacksons Road Sauvignon from Kevin's best block that sings out, just a hint of custard and delicate spice beneath perhaps. In the mouth the Semillon certainly adds texture, and flavour, creaminess, spice and butter layered with the bold Sauvignon gooseberry and grapefruit. Long and intensely concentrated.

(2017) Another delicious Riesling this, off-dry and peachy to the nth degree, it comes from one of the oldest vineyard blocks that regularly develops a little botrytis. As well as peach, a touch of candle wax and lime skins, there's a hint of smoky minerals and a hint of  floral top-note in quite a complex aromatic profile. The palate is grapefruity and tangy, the hint of sweetness offset by lots of pithy citrus cut, finishing with lots of zest and bittersweet grapefruit in a hugely quaffable style.

(2017) The hallmark of all of these Riverby wines is a lovely blend of restraint and elegance, with more vivacious and ebullient fruit character, and so it is with this Sauvignon: make no mistake, this is vivacious and bears its Marlborough signature of green bean and asparagus pungency along with tropical fruit exoticism, but there's a rounding, lightly savoury aspect too. Cropped low so that it is intense, 4g/l of residual sugar adds some mouthfeel and fat but not perceptible sweetness.