Summer sipping
Add some distinctive flavours to your holiday relaxation regime.
It’ll soon be time to relax with a good book and a gently chilled glass of wine. A rosé feature is coming up next month, so let’s focus here on several white wines, and even a light red, that are perfectly suited to summer sipping.
Lawson’s Dry Hills Marlborough Chardonnay 2017
This is a fine example of a refreshing, very lightly oaked chardonnay style. Mostly tank fermented, it is vibrantly fruity, with mouthfilling body (13% alc/vol), a slightly creamy note and excellent freshness, depth and harmony. Well worth trying. $20
Left Field Gisborne Albariño 2018
From a variety that is hugely popular in the coastal cafes of Spain and Portugal, this Gisborne-grown version was mostly handled in stainless-steel tanks and barrels and 5% was fermented in seasoned French oak casks. Light lemon/green, it is full-bodied (13.5% alc/vol), with good intensity of fresh, citrusy, slightly spicy flavours, minerally notes and a racy, dry, appetisingly crisp finish. Top summer drinking from Te Awa. $19
Maude Mt Maude Vineyard East Block Wanaka Riesling 2018
From vines planted in 1994 on a steep, north-facing slope at Wanaka, this Mosel-like wine is a light (9.5% alc/vol) and lively, medium-sweet style, already highly drinkable, but well worth cellaring. It has intense, peachy, appley flavours woven with mouth-watering acidity and lovely vibrancy, depth and harmony. $32
Saint Clair Pioneer Block 21 Bell Block Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2018
This highly aromatic wine was grown at Dillons Point, in the lower Wairau Valley. Mouthfilling (13.5% alc/vol), it has pure, searching grapefruit and lime flavours, some tropical fruit notes and a long, dry finish. Already delicious, it should break into full stride from mid-2019. $27
Te Mata Estate Vineyards Hawke’s Bay Gamay Noir 2018
Single-handedly responsible for the seductively scented and soft reds of Beaujolais, in France, gamay noir is still rare in New Zealand. Delicious young, it’s a sort of red wine for white-wine lovers. Bright, light ruby, with fresh, berryish aromas, it is medium-bodied (12.5% alc/ vol), vibrantly fruity and smooth, with strong, plummy, slightly spicy flavours, gentle tannins and lots of youthful impact. $20