Many years ago I remember a debate with a customer at a wine shop. She was looking for her favourite Sav Blanc: we didn’t stock it. I pointed out that it had become her favourite once she tried it for the first time and that we had a vast array of other wines that could become her favourite? It was a dogmatic no! Should we ever stop experimenting, or once we have found a favourite should we stick to the tried and true? I’m firmly in the former camp and today’s lineup might just take you out of your comfort zone to explore some new flavours? 2023 Jules Taylor Marlborough Gruner Veltliner Price RRP $25 Rating Very Good to Excellent Fragrant nose of musk, gum, white flowers florality, spices and a touch of apricot with aeration. The palate shifts into the stonefruit spectrum, nutty nuances and an apricot kernel bittersweet aspect. A medium-weight style with lovely freshness, the flavours carrying nicely on the close; just crying out to be enjoyed now. www.julestaylor.com 2020 Carrick Organic Bannockburn Pinot Blanc Price RRP $36 Rating Excellent Schisty/mineral notes, a hint of funky intrigue, pepper and pear nodding to peach. Rich and viscous palate, filling the mouth yet a clear line of acidity gives this zip. Nectarine and stone fruits, cooked apple, wisps of pepper on the close, a fruit-pithy chewiness adds to the texture, bottle development perhaps? Nice balance, flavours hang in the mouth, a winning combo. www.carrick.co.nz Vergence MK2 by Pegasus Bay Price RRP $27 Rating Excellent to Outstanding Smoke, wild yeast funkiness, green herbs, delightful fragrance swells with air, citrus zest. Brimming with flavour, lime cordial, sweet fruit yet vibrant and zesty picking up licorice/anise hints, spices and black tea. Complex, vital, alive, super integration and enjoyment but I suspect potential too. Textural impact without weight, a deliciously salivatory close. A winner. www.pegasusbay.com 2022 Ruru Central Otago Gewurztraminer Price RRP $28 Rating Excellent Delightfully aromatic, rose petal, lychee, ginger spice and fruit pastille. Textural richness without being over- oily, not a "big" wine as some Gewurz can be but charms with its balance and quiet effortlessness. The characters on the nose are repeated on the palate, developing fresh crunchiness and a long, textural close. Draws you back for another glass. www.ruruwines.co.nz 2022 Akitu Central Otago Pinot Noir Blanc Price RRP $42.50 Rating Excellent A fresh coolness to the nose, wisps of oyster shell, stone fruits and fruit pastille for an engaging subtlety. The stone fruits are joined by grilled nut characters and growing spice influences, a tangy undercurrent adding liveliness, closing dry. Another wine more about integration and complexity rather than a fruit bomb. It has enjoy with good friends and food writ large on it. www.akitu.wine 2022 Te Kano Northburn Gamay Price RRP $55 Rating Excellent Wonderfully brambly fruit, lead pencil, smoke, cracked pepper, redcurrant and leaf notes. A light to medium- bodied style totally befitting the grape, redcurrant, cranberry, black tea, typically crunchy vibrancy, fine tannins add a grainy and chewy close. This first release hits a point of difference, nicely varietal and eminently smashable. www.tekanoestate.com
