An extraordinarily reliable pinot gris.

2006

4.5/5 stars from Michael Cooper (Buyer's Guide to NZ Wines 2007); 5/5 stars and highly recommended (best buy) by Cuisine Magazine NZ (May 2007)

gold medal: Royal NZ Easter Wine Show 2007, Liquorland NZ Top 100 Wine Competition 2006

silver medal: NZ International Wine Show 2006

Winemaker’s notes: "Off-dry and full bodied, this wine shows classical pinot gris varietal character: pear, baked apple crumble and clove aromas are complemented by poached pear, quince and ginger flavours; the oak influence is subtle, adding spice and sweet vanilla notes; the palate shows lovely weight with a big, round mouthfeel and a long, spicy finish". alc. 14.5%; pH: 3.45; residual sugar: 5.4g/L; total acidity: 5.6. Again, a slightly off-dry style with quite low acidity; drink sooner rather than later.

2005

4/5 stars from Michael Cooper in his Buyer's Guide to NZ Wines 2006;

gold medal: NZ International Wine Show 2005, Air NZ Wine Awards 2006.

Winemaker’s tasting notes: "Dry in style, this wine shows pear and orange blossom aromas complemented by guava and quince; the palate has lovely weight and a rounded mouthfeel, with a long, spicy finish". 20% of the blend was barrel fermented in older French barriques with wild yeast, followed by partial malolactic fermentation. 13.5% alc. In fact, this is an ever-so-slightly off-dry style (6.0 g/L residual sugar), with quite low acid (5.6 g/L). Drink sooner rather than later.