PICK OF THE BUNCH
1. Walk on the wild side 2015 GREYWACKE MARLBOROUGH ‘WILD SAUVIGNON’ $38
Funky, flinty and textural, this is not your usual Marlborough sauvignon; the additional winemaking tricks have added not only complexity but also extra age-worthiness.
2. Age and grace 2013 PROPHET’S ROCK CENTRAL OTAGO PINOT NOIR $60
Helpfully, Prophet’s Rock does a bit of cellaring for you, typically releasing their wines a few years after the majority. You can drink their savoury, soulful pinot now, or tuck it away to mellow even further.
3. Bubbly beauty HUNTER’S MIRU MIRU NV MARLBOROUGH BRUT $25
Good sparkling is a very useful thing to have on hand in a cellar and Miru Miru (Maori for “bubbles”) is a very useful sparkling: vibrantly fresh but with a satisfying richness.
4. Bargain buy 2015 VIDAL ESTATE RESERVE HAWKE’S BAY MERLOT CABERNET $17
A cracker of a wine, and a bargain to boot. Dark brambly berryfruit and plums, a lick of spice and cedar, silky tannins and depth of flavour – a few years in the cellar will only increase its harmony and depth.
5. Cracker chard 2015 MAHI MARLBOROUGH CHARDONNAY $29
Perfectly poised with layers of citrus, white peach and toasted nuts, this chardonnay has a creamy, fruit-rich palate shot through with a fine vein of minerally acidity – hard to resist now but certain to repay patience.