Esk Valley, Hawke’s Bay Verdelho 2012, New Zealand
Hawke’s Bay on the North Island of New Zealand has a much warmer climate than regions towards the chilly south, and its reputation is for New Zealand’s ‘bigger’ red wines styles made from Bordeaux varieties and Syrah, and for Chardonnnay. But Esk Valley’s winemaker Gordon Russell pioneered Verdelho here too, a grape of Madeira wines, now making more and more dry white wines, especially in Australia. Part-fermented in old oak casks and using indigenous yeasts, there’s a lovely spiced orange and blossom lift to the nose, as well as a mineral saltiness and touch of lemon and herbs. It is subtle but complex. On the palate it shimmers with life through that tangerine and lemony fruit and fine core of pithy, mineral and grapefruit acidity. Delightful stuff. For more details and specific food matching ideas, watch the video. Around 11.99 from independent merchants, see all stockists on .
