One of life’s little pleasures in what are clearly unprecedented times for us all may well be a glass of wine with dinner.
With no visitors coming to share and households reduced to tight groups, you may be concerned that a bottle enjoyed over several days may end up past its best. Here’s a tip. Rustle up whatever small bottles you have (I use the airline-type 187ml bottles and similar), clean them thoroughly, then when you open a wine fill some of these minis to the brim and screw them shut. The wine will stay fresh for days, reducing waste and extending pleasure.
Price: RRP $16.99
Rating: Very Good to Excellent
Attractive nose of bush honey, apple & citrus. Apple, ripe peach, pear and honey flood the front palate with an initial quite sweet impression before the acidity rushes in, bringing this into the medium/medium dry spectrum. Aeration shows more primary fruit cordial notes and a softer mouth feel. This can only get better as the year progresses.
Price: RRP $16.99
Rating: Excellent
Honey & musk, cologne, apple, citrus. Rich honey and apple notes lead the palate, musk an undercurrent with a bittersweet hint. This really fattens up with time, the sweet fruit richness finding a lovely counterpoint in that bittersweet note, with neat acid drive keeping this zesty. Tasted alongside the 19, slower out of the blocks, but just singing now.
Price: RRP $17.95
Rating: Very good
Leaps out of the glass with capsicum, herbs, lanolin and nettles. The palate brings ripe gooseberry, red capsicum, citrus and spice into play, the acidity a foil to this with some residual sweetness on the close. Softens a little, the sweetness becoming more evident. Sweeter than I prefer, but will find lots of keen supporters.
Price: RRP $17.95
Rating: Very good to excellent
Subtle but appealing nose of wine gums, lanolin and gooseberry. Fatness and richness in the mouth, the gooseberry and herb notes joined by a touch of apple. The sweet core of fruit is freshened by zippy acidity. Just what you’d expect in a fairly classic Marlborough Sav. Drinking well now.
Price: RRP $29.99
Rating: Excellent
Fragrant and floral, hints of lime cordial and seashell, ripe peach with aeration. Good weight and mouth feel with supple and slippery texture. The lime and peach are joined by a little herbal note and chilli oil before typical saline notes grow on the flavoursome finish. Right in the slot to enjoy now.
Price: RRP $29
Rating: Excellent to outstanding
Floral again, peppery hints, lime, wet stone, apricot and kernel with time. Bright and juicy with a crunchy, grainy character that gives real textural interest. Fills the mouth, the acidity giving the gums a massage. The textural richness builds with lemon and lime framing the finish. A lip-smacking salivatory close with delightful freshness.
