A white wine blend, made at The Landing in the Bay of Islands, and only available at Kingi (in the bar and restaurant) at The Hotel Britomart – on tap. It won’t be bottled – yet. The plan is for the team at The Landing to experiment, and at some point in the future have a white blend wine to offer alongside the existing Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. Crops from the newly-established lower slopes, this is the inaugural harvest of Albariño and Fiano, and a small amount of Pinot Gris has been added in this edition.
Known for making crisp and dry whites – Albariño from Galicia, Spain; and Fiano from Campania, or Alto Adige in Italy are both fantastic food-friendly varietals. If you think our local oysters are good with a Sav Blanc, then wait until you try seafood with these two. The Pinot Gris adds weight to the palate, and a touch of texture and complexity. The grapes were whole bunch pressed and then barrel fermented in seasoned barriques. Put through full malolactic ferment, and then unfined and unfiltered before heading into a keg and down to Auckland.
A pale green and gold in the glass. The bouquet is distinctly fresh and vibrant, with lemon, apple, grapefruit, almond and a zesty minerality that you can smell as well as taste on the palate. The chalky nature of it shows in the saline acidity too, which offers real energy and drive. Mouth-watering and with a flutter of phenolics that adds more interest to the primary fruitiness that is the main attraction. The finish has good length and is pithy and dry.
I hear that there will also be a chilled red in the range at Kingi arriving soon, but I’ll certainly be getting down to the bar again and trying this exciting addition whilst it is available.
