Raphael and Christine Burki are Wairarapa's newest wine label and cellar door B. wine creators and owners. The Swiss-born Kiwi couple travels back and forth between New Zealand and Switzerland for vintages each year, rich with insight from both the new and old world, expressing a personal perspective of Martinborough and the Wairarapa.
The B.wine range includes a Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Rosé; all are clean, fresh and well-made, celebrating the distinctive nature of Wairarapa. The premium single-vineyard Lime Hill Vineyard was planted in 2013 in a 1.3ha plot east of Masterton, with remarkable soil aspect, a thin layer of clay over limestone-rich soils. The wine from this site is extraordinary; the 2020 vintage has an electric vibrancy, harmonious creaminess and chalky mineral feature, a wine not to be missed! The 2019 vintage under the Lime Hill label was one of my Top 10 Chardonnays for 2021! Look out for a single vineyard Pinot Noir and Syrah will be released at a later date.
The wines are small in production, only available at their Martinborough cellar door, a handful of fine wine establishments and online, so make sure you pop in their cellar door if you are near. Opens Thursday to Monday 11-4 pm, address 45 Kitchener Street, Martinborough 5711.
https://bwine.co.nz/
