(2024) About one-third of this is Mendoza Clone grown on sandy silt soils. Whole bunch pressed into barrel with a mix of wild and inoculated ferments, it aged 10 months in barrels, 25% new, with lees stirring. It's one of the creamier, more substantially fruity of the 2022 selection, aromas touching on pineapple and mango with a lovely crushed oatmeal silkiness from the barrels. Very nicely balanced indeed between the lush fruit, toast and freshening mountain stream acidity.
(2024) Askerne's Reserve ramps up the oak character and the flinty complexity to excellent effect. Hand-picked and whole bunch pressed, partial wild yeast fermentation is in barrel, where the wine ages for 10 months with lees stirring. The final blend had 32% new French oak. Lovely melange of nuttiness, vanilla and that smoke trail of gunflint. The palate is joyous, brimming with ripe, creamy melon, moving to more tropical fruit, that cashew richness and undertow of flinty minerality all balanced by fine acidity.
(2024) Arguably the star of this year's selection, the always a gorgeous 'beautiful stones' is a single vineyard wine from the Gimblett Gravels, aged 10 months in various sizes of French barrel, 26% new oak. Subtle almond and crushed oatmeal over succulent quince and peach fruit, it has really delivered this vintage, the gorgeous texture, featherweight but insistent acidity and burgeoning sense of opulence always held in check. Terrific. No UK stockists listed for this vintage at time of review, but use the wine-searcher link below to see current availability.
(2024) From a vineyard on clay-based Pakohe soils, this was whole bunch pressed to French oak barriques for fermentation with indigenous yeast, then matured in barrel for 11 more months. Medium green-gold, the nose here has a discreet whiff of flint, but is more about fine oak aromas of roasted chestnut and toast, the fruit suggesting fig and quince. In the mouth it has a creamy texture and real vitality. Don't over-chill this, as it is very much a textural wine, almond and oatmeal joining ripe pear and peach before a crisp, lightly flinty and lemon jelly finish. Note price and stockist is for the previous vintage at time of review.
(2024) Grown metres from the Pacific Ocean at Te Awanga, this is whole bunch pressed to French oak, around 25% new barrels. There's a hint of mint to the creamy almond of the nose, cashew and on to ripe stone fruit and apple. The hint of salinity on the palate must surely relate the terroir, but there's a very juicy citrus and peach fruit and again echoes of that nuttiness of the nose. Powerful but not lacking in elegance or length. Price and stockist for a previous vintage at time of review.
(2024) From the terroir of the Bridge Pa triangle, fruit was bunch thinned and harvested by hand. Basket-pressed straight to barrel, about 40% underwent malolactic with ageing for one year. Arguably more linear than some here, aromas are limey and nutty, but the palate has a cool, herb and citrus, mineral tension. That's relieved by creaminess of the barrels and the texture. Vibrant, cleansing and beautifully balanced in the end.
(2024) There's no holding back with Church Road's Grand Reserve, whole bunch pressed and fermented and aged in French oak, it's creamy, nutty and toasty, flint and honey notes over ripe stone fruit. Quite full bodied, the suggestion of flintiness carries through to the palate, weighty and luscious peachy fruit never overwhelms, thanks to the bracing but generous line of acidity. The oak keeps that nutty subtext running into the finish.
(2024) Aged for eight months in French oak, this comes from coastal vineyards in Te Awanga, not far from the famous Kindnappers Cliff. A lemony, lightly oak-influenced style, there's a sheen of creamy oatmeal on the nose then that direct, fat lemony thrust of fruit. Mid-palate, there's a burgeoning sense of something more exotic about the fruit. Pink grapefruit asserts in the finish, for a stylish, fresh and delicious wine.
(2024) I really enjoyed this relatively lush and large-scaled cuvée feom Squawking Magpie, made in a combination of new and older barrels and from two different terroirs. With 14% alcohol the ripeness and creamy, nectarine and buttery-rich style is up front. Lemon meringue pie and exotic fruit aromas lead on to a palate that is textured and has real fruit weight and barrel-creaminess, but the tight lemon and mineral acidity punches through.
(2024) Old vine and dry-farmed, the Chardonnay was whole bunch pressed and 100% barrel fermented and matured, with 60% new Taransaud French oak. Fermentation was with wild yeasts and regular batonnage has produced a wine that straddles flinty complexity and a juicy peach and grapefruit zestiness. There's a coolness of apple and lemon, but also a burgeoning sense of more exotic richness. Supple and fluid on the tongue, the lightly slippery texture carries plenty of fruit, but that little wisp of gunflint and the nutty creaminess of the barrels completes a compelling picture.
