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Description
A sample pack of the fine vinous wares of New Zealand. This great value mix gives you a cross-section of wine styles and interesting producers.
- 2022 Churton Sauvignon Blanc
- 2023 Kumeu River Village Chardonnay
- 2022 Unkel Life’s a Beach Orange
- 2022 Mount Edward Gamay
- 2022 Kenzie Duet Pinot Syrah
- 2021 Te Mata Estate Vineyards Merlot Cabernets
2022 Churton Sauvignon Blanc
Marlborough as a region is notable for its Sauvignon Blanc production. Some of it very good, some not so much. Here's one of the very good ones.
Organically farmed by the Weaver family, this wine shows a rare intensity for this variety. Each of the 10 Churton Sauvignon Blanc blocks are harvested individually by hand, a portion sees some time in larger format oak, and all the wine spends six months on lees before bottling.
Textural, powerful, and incredible value for money given the care taken to craft this. This is Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc done right.
94 Points
"Crikey! Delicious. Tastes more like the kind of Loire chenin blanc I drink than Marlborough savvy B. Lemony, so much sea spray and brine, wet fern characters and sure, a touch of tropical fruits, but subdued under the zestiness of the wine. Mouth-watering and delicious. Absolute ripper."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)
2023 Kumeu River Village Chardonnay
Kumeu River are producing some of the most exquisite Chardonnays this side of Burgundy, in the words of Tim Atkin MW “If Michael Brajkovich MW were a Burgundian rather than a New Zealander, he would be among the most celebrated white winemakers in the Côte de Beaune.”
Pretty high praise, and quite apt when you’re looking at this wine from them. The value for money is through the roof. Creamy, with a slight flinty-mineral note, on the palate there is a subtle fruit character up front moving to a delicate tight and crisp mid-back palate. Fully of bright acidity and a lengthy clean finish.
As an entry point into the Chardonnay range of Kumeu River, this wine is insane; pure, precise and oh so Chablisesque!
2022 Unkel Life’s a Beach Orange
Unkel Wines is the project of winemakers / grape growers Rob and Kate Burley. Kiwi-born Rob launched Unkel several years back in Victoria after learning his craft under the likes of Pat Sullivan and William Downie, before relocating with wife Kate back to Nelson, New Zealand. Here they now farm their own organically & dry farmed vineyard, crafting delicious natural wines shaking up the typically more conservative New Zealand industry.
Here we have a skin-fermented blend of Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, from various picks and various ferments, crafted together to make a smooth and seamless orange wine, full of tropical fruits and complimentary but gentle structure.
Rob describes this "a great intro to orange wine", and we couldn't agree more. Fun and versatile drinking!
2022 Mount Edward Gamay
One of the best examples of the potential for Central Otago's to produce top-quality Gamay.
The wine was made by Duncan Forsyth and his team, looking to bring their low-intervention philosophy to this jubilant and juicy red variety.
In Beaujolais, the home of Gamay in Burgundy, the finest examples in modern times are made with a more natural winemaking philosophy. Duncan tackles the variety in a similar way, making the wine with no additions apart from the most minimal amount of sulphur during the winemaking process.
Thanks to this, the wine is open, bursting with red and purple berries and herby spice. It's a soft, slurpable and all-round charming example of the variety from the southern hemisphere.
93 points
"It’s super bright, crisp, vibrant. A refreshing red with verve and crunch. Tart cherries, pomegranate juice, a lick of rose hip tea; scents and flavours match here. It dances on the tongue, such a fresh style, almost could be a chillable red but for the structure, tension and filigree of tannin here. A beauty to drink, wholly in a modern, nouveau vogue but plenty to get stuck into."
- Mike Bennie (The Wine Front)
2022 Kenzie Duet Pinot Syrah
The Kenzie Duet Pinot Syrah is a wine that sings, with beautiful balance between its performers; not a diva in sight.
Despite what you might think, a Pinot Noir/Syrah blend is a thing to behold. The earthiness and elegance of Pinot often goes swimmingly with the spice and depth of Syrah, such as with the Kenzie Duet. They work in concert to create a wine with no jagged edges.
It's a feast for your senses. Blueberry, cherry, boysenberry, smoke, pepper, rosemary, with firm tannins that will continue to see this wine age well and a juicy palate that will always deliver a flavourful drop.
2021 Te Mata Estate Vineyards Merlot Cabernets
The lesser-known Cabernet Merlot blend from the iconic Te Mata Estate, and a brilliant value part of their range.
Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot vie for dominance, with a touch of Cabernet Franc also in the mix. It's all very classy and silky with beautifully ripe dark blackcurrant and plum fruits.
The fruit comes from across Te Mata's vineyards in the Havelock Hills, Bridge Pa Triangle, Gimblett Gravels and Dartmoor sub-regions of Hawke’s Bay.
94 points
"Hard to imagine a better value, and more serious Bordeaux blend at this price point. Incredible."
-Gary Walsh (The Wine Front)
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