Wines of Forrest Estate, Marlborough

(2020) Classic tropical fruit melding with passion fruit and the elderflower component. Nice texture, yes it is light, but not watery, good acid, texture and length, a little salty minerality. Hardly misses the alcohol this one. Price and stockist is for the previous vintage at time of review.

(2022) Though part of the Doctors' low-alcohol range, this is farmed conventionally - it's the unconverted 30-odd grammes of residual sugar that give the 9% alcohol and lovely balance. A portion comes from clay in Brancott, the rest from Wairau greywacke stones. Lovely floral notes, it's a ringer for Mosel Riesling, with delicious limey fruit, a sherbetty brightness and pure apple acidity. A touch of phenolic grip just adds some structure around the edges.

(2020) From vineyards close to the winery, stony soils, inspired by John’s two years in the Loire. Made in 1,000-litre oak foudres from Germany and very old barriques for part of this blend. There is some herbaceous character, some elderflower, but it is tempered and restrained, cool leafy thyme herbs. Super sweet fruit, a lovely nectarine and peach touching on mango, with sheer acidity. Excellent. Price and stockist is for the previous vintage at time of review.

(2020) From one of Forrest's hottest sites, giving the more exotic fruit profile. This is made in steel, cool salty and mineral notes, green notes, tight greengage, but moving into a more peachy character. There’s a fine saltiness to the acidity, giving a savoury character, juiciness too, long and mouthwatering.

(2020) Has the touch of lanolin and wax, a clear apple fruit, lots of lime and orange. The combination of ripeness and sweetness and sheerness and clarity of the acidity is excellent. Has 15% of foudre-fermented component, and that adds the texture an the touch of creaminess. 8g/l of residual sugar. No UK stockist listed at time of review.

(2020) John thinks this drinks best from 5 - 10 years, so this is the current UK release. Extended lees ageing, and a portion of that is in oak foudre. Still has a bold green colour, but a lovely buttery Brazil nut and creamy, sourdough yeast character, very clean and pure lemon fruit. Creamy texture and great length. No UK retailers listed at time of review.

(2020) A late-harvest wine with 80g/l residual sugar, it shows refined peaches and cream, a peach schnapps, estery character, long and tangy acidity, has that runng stream clarity. Very nice. No retailers listed in the UK at time of review.

(2020) Almost 300g/l sugar in this super wine, with one third of the fruit from the Brancott vineyard that gives the extra tropical ripeness. Fabulous, dripping with honey and glycerine, Rose’s orange marmalade, moving into the mango exotic fruit. Full and viscose, with terrific, sweet fruit. Tangy orange peel and glacé cherry sweetness balanced by the freshening lime. Price and stockist quoted at time of review are for the previous vintage, 37.5cl bottle.

(2020) An unusual blend of Pinot Noir, St Laurent and the white Arneis variety originally from northern Italy. Pale colour, strawberries and a leafy herbal character. The palate is dry and fruity, retaining that small underripe berry dryness of herbs and pomegranate. Price and stockist is for the previous vintage at time of review.

(2020) Bottled just a week before I tasted it, a blend of 10% St Laurent and Pinot Noir, cherry bright fruit, a nice tang of cherry skins, with a nice tannin density. No UK stockist listed at time of review.

(2020) This is 100% Southern Valleys fruit. Dijon clone 5, a lovely pale and quite bright colour, briar, cherry and tobacco, small herbs and spices, and then the sweetness of the fruit bursts into ripe, creamy berries. Gentle but persistent acidity and a long finish. Price and stockist at time of review are for the previous vintage.