NZ – autumn collection

Starts very well with sleek and unexaggerated aromas of lime and flint, with a grassy edge. Very crisp on the palate (pH 3.17, according to their website), very direct and again not exaggerated. My one reservation is the sweet-sour finish, with a hint of sweetness on the finish that lingers a little too long. The residual sugar is apparently just 2.6 g/l but I find the high acid and that touch of sweetness clash rather than balance. Maybe it needs a few more months in bottle. (JH) 13.5%

RS 4g/l. Tamra Washington made this on the vast Awatere Valley estate where weeds are kept in check by baby sheep. Well, yes, you would love to be served this in a blind tasting. Light and vaguely sweet on the end with, if you screw up your eyes very tight, just a suggestion of something vaguely mineral. Leaves me cold, I'm afraid but it would definitely do the business for Marlborough Sauvignon fans and doesn't have any of the dreaded canned asparagus aroma. Yet? Scored within its category as usual. 12.5%

100% Sauvignon Blanc grown on the ancient soils of Ara’s single sustainably-managed estate in the coolest reaches of Marlborough’s Wairau Valley. Vines are close-planted and low-yielding. The grape harvest took place with a combination of machine and hand-picking, extending from the middle of March into the latter half of April. Early and later picks of the blend components contributed to the contrast of herbaceous ripeness. The different parcels were fermented separately with long slow, cool ferments. The wine was aged on yeast lees prior to racking, blending and fining. Winemaker Jeff Clarke. Suitable for vegetarians. TA 7.2 g/l, pH 3.1, RS 3.4 g/l. DWWA 2012 and IWC 2012 Silver Medals.
Syrupy, lemon juice, very confected. Low acid somehow. Messy. (RH) 13%

100% Riesling from vineyards scattered through Awatere and Wairau Valley, Marlborough. Timely canopy management such as shoot thinning, leaf plucking and wire lifting provided balanced yields and exposed fruit. The grapes were harvested in the cool of the morning, gently pressed and naturally settled. A cool fermentation took place with neutral yeasts, which was stopped with cooling to leave some residual sugar. Winemaker Alastair Maling MW. TA 8.7 g/l, pH 2.99, RS 7.75 g/l.
Sweet lime fruit, bright and refreshing. For Riesling, it’s boring but functional. (RH) 12%

Very standard tart asparagus. Falls away. 13.5%

Loads of early petrol development – remarkably vocal. Pithy. Even a little oxidative. Cork closure, incidentally. Impressive, typical Riesling flavour. (RH)

Richer than the Village bottling but I'm not sure I prefer it. I like the piercing zest of the Village bottling.

Very lively and jewelly. So precise and appetising. GV

Soft, supple mouthfeel. Actually quite restrained. Difficult to say where the appeal lies here – I think it might be getting a bit old, frankly. Seems a bit flat and understated. (RH) 14%

Very telling nose – the oak is much reduced whereas the sulphidic matchstick reduction is played up. This is very much following the path set by trendy Australian Chardonnay. It’s attractive and smooth, but the fruit is pretty tart, and the 14% alcohol doesn’t quite add up with the leanness and reductive style of the palate. (RH) 14%

Herbal, fresh, zesty. Gooseberries, of course. Pure and rounded, with a makrut-lime sort of bitterness to finish, if you please. Good and pungent, but lacks the complexity and texture of its more sophisticated rivals these days. (RH)

13%

The debut vintage of this variety from south west France. Lightly toasty nose recalled Jurançon. Quite sweet and then with lots of acidity but not quite enough in the middle to knit the two together.  However it promises well. I'm sure that future vintages will gain in complexity. Just a tad simple now. 9%

100% Chardonnay fruit drawn from 10 different vineyards planted on the alluvial soils found throughout Marlborough’s Wairau Valley. Vine age varies from 8 to 18 years old, with a mix of clones – predominantly Clone 15 and 95 but also 2 sites planted in clone 6. Some blocks hand-picked and others machine-harvested with an average yield of just 36 hl/ha due to poor flowering. 2/3rds of the parcels making up this wine were fermented in stainless steel tanks, the remaining 1/3rd a mix of French and American oak. Primary ferment lasted 65 days on average then matured in oak for 9 months with 50% of the blend put through malo. Winemakers Matt Thomson and Hamish Clark. TA 6.1 g/l, pH 3.49, RS 2.5 g/l.
Not much except a bit of pineapple chunk on the nose – a long time since I've smelt this 1990s smell! 13%

Bright pale gold. Chalky scent and then lots of green fruit and great life and vibrancy. Not desperately subtle but bouncing with life. Very tangy. The acidity really shines through. I tasted this alongside Kershaw Chardonnay 2012 Elgin from South Africa and found less real density and substance but it's a very refreshing mouthful that I'm sure will last well. 13.5%

A bit opulent for me. Rich. Definitely very different from standard-issue Marlborough Sauvignon! Quite a statement. Takes some getting to grips with. 13%

Biodynamic. Fruit from the Matawhero subregion, planted 1997, close to the Pacific. Fermeneted in steel and French oak hogsheads. pH 3.76, TA 4.7 g/l, RS 7.1 g/l.  
Very pale gold. Rich and classic aromas of apricot and ripe pear with a touch of herbs and flowers. Some oak creaminess and hint of oak spice. Not particularly concentrated on the palate and there is marked sweetness, just in balance. I found the wine quickly faded when served with food. Better as an aperitif. (JH) 14%