After feeling a little autumnal a few weeks back, and dipping my toes into some Hawke’s Bay reds, a glimmer of an Indian summer has sent me back towards the white wines.
Today’s mix are firmly in the ‘‘aromatic’’ camp with the aromas leaping out of the glass, inviting you to delve further.
An uncommon but fascinating riesling-gruner veltliner blend set the tone, while the rieslings and pinot gris were expressive and full of interest.
All but one from close to home, with a vfm German wine added for variety.
Central Otago
Riesling Gruner Veltliner
Price: $55
Rating: Excellent
Boldly perfumed and floral, wisps of Wests pineapple and pear cordial, with lime and a slightly wilder note reminiscent of lanolin. Pineapple and peach drive the powerfully expressed palate forward, and while there’s lusciousness there is also refreshing acidity. Nice complexity here and a long finish with a little grainy edge. The bright acidity kicks in with aeration.
2019 Valli
Waitaki
Price: $32
Rating: Excellent to outstanding
Attractively floral with aromas of dry honey grapes and flowers, a citrus backdrop. Cool, racy acidity leads, a hint of fresh pineapple swings to pear and grapefruit, evolving again to a core of apple that hangs on the palate. Real energy and zest, tightly structured at first but developing a delightfully creamy texture. Deliciously bracing.
2018 Giesen Reiler Goldlay
Mosel
Price: $24.99
Rating: Excellent
Immediately pushing some different buttons to its Kiwi stablemates. Barley sugar, toffee, moving to smoke, spices, musk & honey. A suppleness to the front palate and crunchy brightness giving nice interplay between the richness and raciness. The palate flows between musk, honey and orange zest, a little bittersweet apricot kernel too. A long, appealing close.
2019 Misha’s Vineyard
Dress Circle
Pinot Gris
Rating: Very good
Notably fragrant nose with turkish delight, rose petal, spices and bread dough, reminiscent of Gewurztraminer. Rich, fat and textural with bittersweet notes, soft and supple and a little warm glow on the close. I don’t think I can call this a ‘typical’ Pinot Gris, yet this is distinctive, with real impact and can be applauded for its point of difference.
2018 Maori Point
Single Vineyard
Central Otago
Pinot Gris
Rating: Excellent
Attractive nose of pear, nectarine red apple, citrus, spice, with aeration apple blossom and fruit jube. An oily richness to the texture, pear and stewed apple leading the charge, citrus flecks in the background. This builds very nicely in the glass with a lingering finish of spiced pears. Appealing style, in the slot to enjoy now.
2019 Three Miners
Miner’s Right
Earnscleugh
Pinot Gris
Rating: Excellent to outstanding
Attractively bright nose of pear, apple and mandarin with a nutty/biscuity element. An engaging nutty undercurrent runs through the wine, flirting with savoury hints, spiced pears and Fruit Pastille build on the mid-palate with spice and citrus peel rounding out the juicy close. Excellent weight and depth of flavour. Very appealing drinking.
