Forrest Wines have been early innovators, their Doctors range where they have developed practices in the vineyard "to slow the grape plant’s ability to make sugar but not its ability to make flavour" bring levels down considerably.
Picking fruit earlier in the harvest window is another way to reduce alcohol levels.
Finally, Brown Brothers halts fermentation early, retaining the natural sugar in the grapes at a much lower alcohol level.
These wines have palate weight sometimes missing in the zero alc wines, but "lighten the load".
2023 Forrest The Doctors’ Marlborough Rosé 9%
Rating Very Good to Excellent
Fresh, engaging
nose of strawberry,
apricot, fruit pastille
and a wisp of herb.
Those characters
echoed on the
palate, ripe nectarine
adding to the
stonefruit aspects,
the ripe fruit
refreshed by a
lovely, zesty, tangy
counterpoint. Really
good texture, the
palate racy and dry,
cooling freshness
framing the lingering
fruit notes.
2024 Tread Softly Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 11%
Rating Very Good to Excellent
Citrussy notes
focused on lime zest,
guava, pea pod, a
typical undercurrent
of chopped herbs. In
the mouth ripe
gooseberry, a little
tropical fruit
influence, with hints
of oyster shell-like
salinity. Fresh and
bright, good flavour
depth, with a citrus
note taking you
through to the finish.
2024 Forrest The Doctors’ Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 9.5%
Rating Excellent
Vibrant nose sings
"come and get me".
Apple, capsicum and
citrus the aromatic top
notes, passionfruit a
deeper register.
Gooseberry and cut
grass to the fore, rock
melon, a note that hints
more tropical, citrus
flitting between lemon
and grapefruit. Great
depth and mouthfeel, a
backbone of acidity
lending a salivatory, lip-
smacking quality to the
close. Begs another glass.
2024 Tread Softly East Coast Pinot Gris 11%
Rating Very Good to Excellent
Apple, nashi pear, subtle
but attractive. The palate
offers pear and orange
zest, wisps of musk and
wet stone, rather than a
big flavour bomb, this is
more about the
creaminess of texture,
rich, mouthfilling and
ever so drinkable. I
suspect your glass will
be empty before you
know it. With air the
nose opens out,
becoming fragrant and
lightly honeyed, an extra
crisp aspect joining the
close.
2024 Brown Brothers Light & Refreshing Moscato 5.5%
Rating Very Good to Excellent
So aromatic, musk,
rose petal, spice,
fresh grapes, heart on
its sleeve stuff.
There’s a wee hint of
tingly spritz adding
freshness, though at
its heart this is
unabashedly honeyed
and sweet, playing
those cards so well.
Deceptively moreish
and some magic
going on here as
while this has clear
sweetness, it leaves
your palate feeling
clean and refreshed.
2024 Brown Brothers Sparkling Moscato 6.5%
Rating Very Good
A whisper deeper
register to the
aromatics, again
musk, fruit sherbet,
apricot and grapes.
This comes across as
a touch less sweet
than its stablemate
with its frothy mousse
effervescence, picking
up a little apple note.
This is unashamedly
not a wine to
intellectualise over,
just pop a cork and
revel in the fun. A great
foil to an antipasto
platter or so many Asian cuisines.
