This month’s pick of the bunch

1 2014 CHURCH ROAD McDONALD SERIES HAWKE’S BAY MERLOT, $25 A smart buy, this is a smooth, ripe and richly fruited, medium-bodied red from a crew who know their vineyards and winery inside out. Match with rare lamb to warm up an autumn evening. 2 2016 LOOP ROAD CENTRAL OTAGO ‘NOBLE RIESLING’, $39 (500ml) 11.5% Made from grapes left to ripen as long as possible and affected by “noble rot”, this is intensely sweet with succulent ripe nectarine, apricot and marmalade notes plus a freshening burst of crisp acidity. 3 SEIFRIED ‘AOTEA’ NELSON MÉTHODE TRADITIONNELLE, $40 Seifried’s Aotea wines represent their “very best of the best” selections. This trophy-winning sparkler is indeed very smart – elegant with delicate citrus and brioche notes, finesse, intensity and length. 4 2017 MOUNT RILEY MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC, $15 Crisp and crunchy with tropical fruit jostling with pea pod and cut grass, this is a wine to make you think of summer vines waving in the breeze. A bargain buy too; snap it up and enjoy with fresh fish. 5 2017 FROMM MARLBOROUGH ‘PINOT NATUREL’, $32 As close to a taste of the vineyard as you’ll get, this new addition to the Fromm range is made in a very hands-off manner and with the absolute minimum of sulphur (which stops wines turning to vinegar) added. Bright, fresh and a little bit funky.