Bright, even, light yellow with some depth. The nose is elegant and poised, nuances of stonefruit, lemon, along with subtle florals, melded with vanilla, curd and oak spice element. Medium-bodied, flavours of apricots, peaches, lemon sherbet, flows on a creamy palate reminiscent of panna cotta, subtle spices and crunchy minerals to linearity. The fruit has good concentration and intensity, ripe with great flavours. The acidity is balanced and calming, flows with delicate spices and carries stony minerals and a fine layer of chalky phenolic texture to a lengthy finish. This is elegant and poised Chardonnay with excellent flavour intensity, balanced acidity on a creamy palate flows with stony minerals. Match with Asian savoury pancakes and Vietnamese fare over the next 3-5 years. Clone B95. 100% French oak barrel-fermented to 13.5% alc, 26% new, aged for 10 months. 19-/20 pts Aug 2020 RRP $50
Bright, even, light yellow with some depth and a slightly lime hue. The bouquet is gently full with aromas of sweet pear, quince, white blossoms and a hint of spice. Medium-bodied, dry to taste, pears, quinces, apricots have a good core of concentrate, melded with white flowers and a touch of five-spice. The wine is fresh and bright with excellent depth of flavour intensity, showing the varietal characters as well as the Waitaki Valley terroir. The acidity is taut and focused carries the flavours thorough the palate with grace, along with crunchy minerals and a light phenolic grip to lengthy linearity. This is a dry Pinot Gris with aromas of pear and stonefruit, along with subtleties of white blossoms, five-spice and minerals and an excellent acid drive. 100% whole-bunch pressed, fermented to 14% alc, 2 g/l RS. 10% fermented on French oak, aged for 3 months. 450 cases produced. 18.5+/20 pts Aug 2020 RRP $30
Bright, light rose-gold with a salmon-pink hue, even throughout. The bouquet is gentle and youthful, crushed strawberries with an underlay of petals, fresh herbs and subtle stony minerals. Light-bodied, dry to taste, succulent fresh crushed strawberries, cranberries, fresh-cut herbs flow with crunchy stony minerals. The fruit is fresh and youthful with crisp acidity, very vibrant on the palate, flows with good energy and fluidity. The mouthfeel has a slight phenolic grip which is powdery and elegant, added interest. The is a youthful and vibrant Pinot Noir rosé with fresh and crisp flavours of wild strawberries, herbs and petals on a powdery phenolic texture line. Match with beetroot cured salmon, whitefish sashimi over the next 2-3 years. Fermented to 13.3% alc, 2.9 g/l RS. 10% fermented in French oak barriques and aged in barrels for 2 months. 220 cases produced. 18/20 pts Aug 2020 RRP $33
Bright, light ruby-red with some depth, faintly lighter on the rim. The bouquet is elegantly-full, nuances of red fruit, fragrances of deep floral, along with dark herbs, delicate spices, underlying crunchy minerals. Medium-bodied, red cherries, black plums, along with dark herbs of thyme, oregano, violet, unfolding bitter orange, black pepper and nutmeg. The fruit has good concentration and weight, riper on the palate than the bouquet, the intensity of fruit complementing dark herbs and bitter orange element, gives it richness. Fine-grained tannin extraction is silky, has an elegant presence on the mouthfeel. Balanced acidity, smooth-flowing, carries aromas with strength to linearity. This is an elegant Waitaki Pinot Noir with pretty floral fragrances, red and black cherries, along with dark herbs on a smooth textured fine-grained tannin palate. Match with duck and lamb loin over the next 3-5 years. Fermented to 14% alc, aged in French oak for 10 months, 30% new. 500 cases produced. 18.5-/20 pts Aug 2020 RRP $58
Deep, ruby-red with some transparency, youthful, even colour throughout. The nose is elegantly fragrant with good intensity of red floral, earth, blackberries, red cherries, along with herbs, underlying black pepper and oak spices. Medium-bodied, blackberries, black cherries, melded with deep floral notes, dark herbs, fresh liquorice roots, unfolding delicate spices and earth. The wine is intensely fragrant, balanced with the right amount of fruit and well-proportioned herbs, liquorice and earth, complex with a range of flavour interest. The mouthfeel is fine and elegant, powdery fine-grained tannin extraction; entwined with lacy acidity, flows to a lengthy, sustained finish. This is an elegant Pinot Noir in harmony with fragrance floral and fruit, lacy acidity on a silky fine-grained texture line. Match with Wagyu Bresaola and duck over the next 5-7 years. Fermented to 13.5% alc. Aged in French oak for 10 months. 150 cases produced. 19-/20 pts Aug 2020 RRP $58
