This Martinborough label launched in 2023 – a challenging vintage to get off the starting line. Winemaker Wilco Lam describes the 2024 as “a classic vintage” though – after a cool Spring and low fruit set, Summer and Autumn remained warm and dry, with cooler nights capturing fruit aromatics. The McCreanor vineyard was dry farmed, and leaf cover was kept to provide shading. Hand-picked fruit was pressed and settled, then wild-fermented in oak foudre.
A pale golden colour in the glass. The perfume is beguiling and complex. Beginning with apricot, quince and freshly sliced pear, there is also an exotic floral note of orchid and jasmine. The palate is equally layered, with a groundswell of bright acidity and a grainy fruit tannin adding texture and depth. Reasonably weighty, with a fleshy texture that fills the mouth but not so much that the fruit is lost, as that fresh acidity carries it along. Nutmeg, cardamom and powdered ginger creep into the finish, that is long and pure. 94pts
