All wines featured are available at BITEwine.co.nz for a limited time
Hunter's Marlborough Riesling 2014
It's easy to become a riesling recruit without sending your wallet sideways. You'll find yourself ticking boxes all over the show. Green apple, check. Lime, check. Lemon verbena, check. Raindrops on hot rocks, check. Long, lean, stylish and elegant, if there were such a thing as riesling royalty in Marlborough, the Hunter's household would be the full polo team. Sniff, sip, savour.
Price: $19
Jules Taylor Gisborne Chardonnay 2014
Wow! Brace yourself for intoxicating aromas of ultra-ripe nectarine, grapefruit and peach followed by a vein of spicy, cinnamon toast. It's an instantly appealing wine, is vibrant, fresh and has lovely layers of flavour. There's a load to think about (and talk about) with every sip. Okay, so she's a Marlborough producer making chardonnay from Gisborne but no matter, Gisborne grows crazy-good chardonnay. Nice work at a seriously nice price.
Price: $20
Ara Single Estate Marlborough Pinot Noir 2013
Sometimes you just want a pinot noir that actually smells and tastes like fresh fruit and spice and not like the inside of an ancient, decomposing kauri stump during a rain-storm. This ultra-fresh, red cherry, berry, plum and pomegranate-packed pinot grows on terraces of glacial outwash located in the confluence of the Wairau and Waihopai rivers. A gentle, silky wine, perfect with slices of salty charcuterie and a pickled walnut or seven ...
Price: $24
