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Heady combinations of musk, exotic spices and fruits, fragrant florals and herbs frequently make the tasting notes attached to aromatic grape varieties sound more evocative of perfumes than wines. As their name suggests, these are often highly scented varieties, and ones which offer rich pickings for those looking for a cornucopia of aromas and flavours in their wines glass.
Valli Old Vine Riesling Central Otago 2007 $27
Made from some of the oldest riesling vines in Central Otago, Valli's stunning dry debut with the variety is something of a schist fist in a velvet glove. It's a seductively pretty wine which leads with white peach and floral notes. These are followed by an intense undertow of citrus and mineral on its palate, no doubt derived from the 25-year-old vines and the schistous soils in which they've spread their roots.
From Caro's, Fine Wine Delivery Company.
Crater Rim Waipara Riesling 2006 $22.90
A beautifully balanced sweeter Germanic style of riesling from an up-and-coming North Canterbury winery. It has a deliciously soft and peachy palate, augmented by nuances of mineral, spice and ginger with wafts of floral that are interwoven with a silky lemon acidity that makes the wine finish on cleansingly fresh note. It also has an extremely luncheon friendly low alcohol of 9.5 per cent.
From Bacchus Cellars, The Wine Vault, First Glass.
Eradus Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2007 $17.99-$19.99
When selecting your sauvignon blancs, it's good to go a little off-piste and look beyond the big regional blends. This is a great example of one of the exciting sauvignons currently coming out of Marlborough's Awatere Valley, which has the sub-region's hallmark pungent aromas of nettles and grass, along with an elegant mineral and citrus driven palate that's brimming with ripe blackcurrant fruit laced with fresh basil and oregano. And at an extremely piquant price too.
From Fine Wine Delivery Company, Liquorland, Cellar Select members and other quality wine stores.
Framingham Marlborough Gewurztraminer 2007 $26.95
Framingham has made its name as one of the country's leading aromatics producers, retaining this mantle despite a number of changes in ownership of late, most recently its purchase by Mateus producer Sogrape this year. With their weight and low acidity, gewurztraminers can sometimes lack freshness, but not this one which is attractively crisp. Its lightly spicy floral aromas herald a vibrant gently sweet and perfumed palate of peppery spice, mandarin, ginger, musk and rosewater.
From New Zealand Winemakers Centre, Mairangi Bay Fine Wines, Dominion Road Wines and Spirits, Glengarry.
Johanneshof Cellars Marlborough Pinot Gris Trocken/Dry 2007 $27-28
Pinot gris is still a minefield when it comes to ascertaining whether what you're getting is dry or has some sweetness, so I commend Johanneshof for making the two styles they produced in 2007 explicit on their front labels. This elegant and eminently food friendly dry expression is an oily textured midweight wine with ripe but restrained guava and mango fruit laced with layers of exotic spice and pepper.
From wine stores including Accent on Wine, Bacchus, Caro's, Don Johnson's, Glengarry, selected Liquorlands and Super Liquors, La Barrique, Fine Wine Delivery Company, Wine Direct.
Terrace Heights Estate Marlborough Pinot Gris 2007 $23.95
Recent years have seen the quality of our homegrown pinot gris come on in leaps and bounds, with some, like this from Terrace Heights Estate showing just how softly seductive good gris can be. With good intensity and balance, it exudes fragrant cumin spice and ripe quince and pear fruit on both its nose and creamy palate, before a juicy citrus finish.
From Caro's.
Martin Codax 'Burgan's' Albarino 2006 $29.95
Still relatively unknown in New Zealand, Spain's albarino grape has been the variety to be seen sipping in several countries lately, and our winegrowers have been clamouring to get their hands on cuttings to plant over here. Meanwhile, there are several attractive Spanish albarinos available, such as this Martin Codax Burgan's. You can almost taste the seafood that would pair so well with this wine in its savoury salty tang that's supported by soft stone fruit notes, a hint of almond and brisk citrus mineral line that runs through its palate and lingers on the finish.
From Wine Direct.
Te Whare Ra Toru 2007 $19-22
If you can't decide between a gewurztraminer, riesling or pinot gris, or are looking for a wine with plenty of aromatics but more freshness than is often to be found in gris or gewürz, toru could be for you. It's a harmonious and easy drinking blend of all three (toru) varieties, to which riesling brings its juicy citrus acidity and peachy fruit, gewürz gives musky notes, while pinot gris adds a sweet cinnamon spice and soft pear notes.
From Glengarry and selected Liquor Kings.
Cono Sur Limited Release Viognier, Colchagua Valley, Chile 2007 $15.99-$17.99
Given viognier is such a tricky customer to grow, good cheap versions are few and far between, so this vibrantly varietal expression from Chile at under $20 is a real find. Though lacking the viscosity of some viogniers, this fresh midweight example still delivers opulent apricot fruit and nutmeg and pepper spice, as well as hints of ginger.
From wine stores including The Wine Barrel, Wine on Jervois, Hamilton Wine Company, Fine Wine Delivery Company, Alberton Fine Wines.
Avanti Chenin Torrontes San Juan, Argentina 2006 $14.90
Torrontes is an obscure Spanish aromatic grape that has been adopted by Argentina as its flagship white. This example is the brainchild of British Master of Wine, Angela Muir, who has combined the crispness of chenin blanc with the aromatic qualities of torrontes. The result is a sweetly perfumed, juicy medium-bodied wine with ripe guava and tropical fruits, strands of honeysuckle and nuances of ginger. An affordable aromatic for everyday drinking.
From Fine Wine Delivery Company, Wine Seeker, Hauraki Corner Cellars, Wine Direct.
