Some white wines, like chardonnay, impress with their substantial body and subtle, complex flavours. Others, the moment you stick your nose in the glass, can trigger the response, “Wow!”
These “aromatic” white wine varieties are exemplified by gewürztraminer, a high-impact wine, at its best arrestingly perfumed and spicy. Riesling, too, can unfurl a soaring array of lemony, appley, limey, peachy scents. Bottle ageing lets it acquire a multi-faceted, toasty, honeyed richness.
Albarino, grüner veltliner and viognier are also prized for their aromatic intensity. Pinot gris and sauvignon blanc can be enticingly aromatic, especially in our cooler winegrowing regions, but are big enough to merit their own, separate features in the Listener.
Askerne Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2022
★★★★½
Full of personality, this well-rounded wine was estate-grown, hand-picked and barrel-aged. Fragrant, mouthfilling and sweet-fruited, it has generous, peachy, slightly spicy flavours, gently seasoned with toasty oak, good complexity, and a soft, creamy-smooth finish. (14% alc/vol) $27
Blackenbrook Vineyard Nelson Gewürztraminer 2023
★★★★½
This invitingly perfumed wine was estate-grown at Tasman, hand-picked and mostly handled in tanks (5% was barrel-aged). Pale and mouthfilling, it has very fresh peach, lychee and spice flavours, shows excellent delicacy, and has a dryish, finely balanced, smooth finish. (13% alc/vol) $23
Clark Estate Block 8 Marlborough Riesling 2022
★★★★
Fresh and lively, this light-bodied wine was estate-grown in the upper Awatere Valley. Mosel-like, it has vibrant, citrusy, slightly peachy flavours showing very good depth, gentle sweetness, balanced acidity, and a finely poised finish. Already highly enjoyable, it’s a drink now or cellaring proposition. (8% alc/vol) $21
Dancing Petrel Barrique Reserve Paewhenua Island Northland Viognier 2021
★★★★½
From a coastal vineyard in the Far North, this fragrant, full-bodied wine was fermented and matured in seasoned French oak barriques. Still youthful, it is fleshy and savoury, with vibrant, ripe stonefruit flavours. Toasty, nutty oak adds complexity. It has fresh acidity and a finely poised, lingering finish. (14.2% alc/vol) $40
Forrest Marlborough Albarino 2022
★★★★½
This attractively scented wine was grown in the Southern Valleys and tank-fermented. Fresh and lively, it has very good flavour intensity, fractional sweetness, appetising acidity and a finely balanced, lengthy finish. (12.5% alc/vol) $25
Georges Road Block Three North Canterbury Riesling 2022
★★★★★
Full of personality, this intensely varietal wine was estate-grown at Waipara, hand-picked and fermented and lees-aged in an even split of stainless steel tanks and large oak vessels. Rich, vigorous and youthful, it has concentrated, peachy flavours, hints of passionfruit and lime, a distinct touch of complexity and a long, off-dry, finely poised finish. Best drinking 2025+. (12% alc/vol) $28
Greywacke Marlborough Riesling 2022
★★★★★
This classy, single-vineyard wine was hand-picked at Fairhall, fermented in an even split of tanks and old French oak barriques, then fully wood-aged for five months. A full-bodied style of riesling, it has concentrated, ripe, peachy flavours showing excellent depth, delicacy and vigour, considerable complexity, gentle sweetness, balanced acidity and a very harmonious, persistent finish. Already delicious, it should be at its best 2025+. (12% alc/vol) $31
Hopesgrove Estate Single Vineyard Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2022
★★★★½
This fresh, full-bodied wine was estate-grown and hand-harvested at Pakipaki, southwest of Hastings. It has strong, peachy, slightly mealy, gently oaked flavours, fresh acidity and a dry, lively, finely balanced finish. Still youthful, it should be at its best for drinking 2025+. (13% alc/vol) $30
Johanneshof Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2022
★★★★★
This beauty consistently ranks among the country’s greatest gewürztraminers. Hand-picked in the Wairau Valley, it is powerful, with a perfumed, spicy, vaguely honeyed bouquet. Rich and smooth, it has deep stonefruit and spice flavours, a hint of honey, a gentle splash of sweetness and fresh acidity keeping things lively. It’s already delicious. (13.5% alc/vol) $35
Jules Taylor Marlborough Grüner Veltliner 2023
★★★★½
Grüner veltliner is described by winemaker Jules Taylor as “the illegitimate lovechild of pinot gris and riesling”. This instantly attractive, characterful wine was hand-picked and mostly tank-fermented, with some use of barrel fermentation. Pale lemon/green, it is a vibrantly fruity, medium-bodied wine, with vigorous, citrusy, gently spicy flavours, a vaguely salty streak, and a harmonious, dry, lingering finish. (12.6% alc/vol) $25
Lawson’s Dry Hills The Pioneer Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2022
★★★★★
This delicious, estate-grown wine was harvested from vines planted in 1982 and fermented in seasoned French oak barriques. Light gold, it is mouthfilling and finely textured, with deep, peachy, slightly gingery flavours, gentle sweetness, soft acidity and excellent complexity and harmony. (14% alc/vol) $30
Main Divide North Canterbury Riesling 2022
★★★★
A distinctly medium style, this aromatic, tangy riesling has fresh, crisp, peachy, citrusy flavours, a hint of oranges, vaguely honeyed notes and very good depth. Still youthful, it should be at its best mid-2025+. (From Pegasus Bay.) (12.5% alc/vol) $22
Misha’s Vineyard Lyric Central Otago Riesling 2022
★★★★★
This is the sort of dry riesling we need more of. Estate-grown and hand-picked at Bendigo, it was mostly handled in stainless steel tanks, but 31% was fermented in seasoned French oak barrels. Full-bodied and fleshy, it has concentrated, citrusy, appley flavours and a finely balanced, lengthy finish. Already drinking well, it should break into full stride mid-2024+. (13% alc/vol) $34
Mission Estate Hawke’s Bay Gewürztraminer 2022
★★★★
Offering top value, this wine has strong “gewürz” (spice) varietal characters. Light gold, it is fleshy and full-bodied, with very good depth of peachy, spicy, gingery flavours and an off-dry, soft finish. (13.5% alc/vol) $17
Mission Estate Hawke’s Bay Riesling 2021
★★★★
Invitingly scented and full of drink-young appeal, this wine was grown in the Ohiti Valley. Medium-bodied, with fresh, citrusy flavours showing very good delicacy and depth, it has lively acidity, a sliver of sweetness and a finely balanced finish. Priced sharply. (12% alc/vol) $17
Mud House The Mound Vineyard Waipara Valley Riesling 2022
★★★★★
Instantly engaging, this single-vineyard wine was estate-grown and hand-harvested in North Canterbury. Invitingly scented, it is light-bodied and vivacious, with vibrant, lemony, appley flavours, pure and penetrating, gentle sweetness, appetising acidity and a lingering finish. Showing lovely harmony, it’s a classic riesling. (10% alc/vol) $25
Nautilus Marlborough Albarino 2023
★★★★½
This classy, single-vineyard wine is fermented and matured on its yeast lees in stainless steel tanks. Bright, light yellow/green, it is mouthfilling and very vigorous, with strong, peachy, spicy, slightly gingery flavours and an almost dry, appetisingly crisp finish. Drink now or cellar. (13.5% alc/vol) $29
Paddy Borthwick Wairarapa Riesling 2022
★★★★½
Full of cellaring potential, this single-vineyard wine was estate-grown at Gladstone, in northern Wairarapa. Bright, light lemon/green, it is fresh and crisp, with penetrating, lemony, appley flavours and is dryish and lingering. (12% alc/vol) $22
Passage Rock Reserve Waiheke Island Viognier 2022
★★★★★
This powerful wine was estate-grown at Te Matuku Bay, on the island’s south coast, and barrel-matured. Weighty and fleshy, it has concentrated, ripe stonefruit flavours that show very good complexity, and a savoury, smooth finish. Best drinking mid-2024+. (14.5% alc/vol) $50
Pegasus Bay Waipara Valley North Canterbury Gewürztraminer 2021
★★★★★
This highly characterful wine was harvested after some botrytis (“noble rot”) shrivelling of the grapes, and fermented and matured in old oak puncheons. Pale gold, it is a highly perfumed, very engaging and ageworthy wine. Fresh and vigorous, with concentrated peach, ginger and spice flavours, it has gentle sweetness, excellent complexity and a real sense of immediacy. (13.9% alc/vol) $30
Redmetal Vineyards Sur Lie Bridge Pā Triangle Hawke’s Bay Albarino 2022
★★★★★
This distinctive, delicious wine was fermented and matured on its yeast lees in stainless steel tanks. Fragrant and full-bodied, it is vibrantly fruity, with generous, peachy, slightly spicy flavours, appetising acidity and a dry, rich finish. Full of youthful drive, it’s a highly characterful wine for drinking now onwards. (13.5% alc/vol) $35
Riverby Estate Single Vineyard Marlborough Grüner Veltliner 2023
★★★★
An ideal introduction to Austria’s favourite white-wine variety, this estate-grown wine was hand-harvested in the Wairau Valley. Mouthfilling, with very good depth of fresh, citrusy, slightly spicy flavours, it has fractional sweetness, balanced acidity and plenty of drink-young appeal. (13.5% alc/vol) $24
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 5 Bull Block Marlborough Grüner Veltliner 2021
★★★★★
Currently highly expressive, this is a delicious, strongly varietal wine. Mouthfilling, it has fresh, deep, citrusy, peachy, spicy flavours, balanced acidity, a slightly salty streak and a finely poised, dry, lingering finish. (13% alc/vol) $27
Smith & Sheth Cru Heretaunga Albarino 2022
★★★★½
This vigorous, single-vineyard wine was hand-picked in the Bridge Pā Triangle and fermented and lees-aged in oak barriques. Mouthfilling, it has strong, ripe, peachy, citrusy flavours gently seasoned with oak, and a crisp, dry finish. A characterful, harmonious wine, it should be at its best mid-2024+. 13.5% alc/vol) $40
Spy Valley Marlborough Riesling 2019
★★★★½
This vigorous, bright lemon/green wine was estate-grown in the Waihopai Valley and handled in stainless steel tanks. Fragrant, it has very good intensity of peachy, citrusy, slightly toasty flavours, bottle-aged complexity, good acid spine and a dryish finish. Drink now or cellar. (12.5% alc/vol) $25
Stonecroft Gimblett Gravels Hawke’s Bay Viognier 2023
★★★★½
Certified organic, this characterful wine was estate-grown, hand-picked, and fermented and matured in a single, seasoned French oak barrel. Pale gold, it is mouthfilling, with rich, peachy flavours, hints of apricots, spices and honey, and good complexity. A “forward” vintage, it’s already very open and expressive. (12.5% alc/vol) $29
Two Rivers Juliet Marlborough Riesling 2023
★★★★½
Still unfolding, but already highly approachable, this wine was grown in the Southern Valleys and fermented and lees-aged in stainless steel tanks. Light-bodied, with vibrant peach, lemon and apple flavours showing excellent delicacy and intensity, it has a gentle splash of sweetness, appetising acidity and a finely poised, lingering finish. Best drinking 2025+. (11% alc/vol) $23
Valli Waitaki Valley North Otago Riesling 2022
★★★★★
Full of potential, this intensely varietal wine was hand-harvested and fermented in stainless steel tanks. Bright, light lemon/green, it is finely scented and light-bodied, with vibrant, citrusy, slightly appley flavours showing excellent delicacy and concentration, a splash of sweetness (17 grams/litre of residual sugar), steely acidity and a very long finish. Best drinking 2027+. (10.5% alc/vol) $35-$39
Villa Maria Single Vineyard Braided Gravels Hawke’s Bay Albarino 2022
★★★★★
This invitingly scented, youthful wine was fermented in an egg-shaped concrete vat. It is rich and tight-knit, with strong, vigorous, peachy, citrusy flavours, gentle yeasty notes, a mineral thread and a dry, lingering finish. Still unfolding, it should be at its best 2025+. (13% alc/vol) $30
Zephyr Marlborough Gewürztraminer 2023
★★★★★
Certified organic, this single-vineyard wine was grown at Dillons Point, in the lower Wairau Valley. Bright, light lemon/green with a gently spicy bouquet, it is mouthfilling, has very good depth of peach, pear and spice flavours, and a dryish, well-rounded finish. Best drinking mid-2024+. (13.5% alc/vol) $28
