Going back to this cracking range of wines from Tohu – I tasted the Riesling after it won a Gold medal at NZIWS last year and it was excellent. This time I’m going for a leftfield varietal, but one I really like when I come across it – Pinot Blanc.
A bright, silvery pale yellow in the glass, with a zesty, aromatic nose. Perfumed with apricot, lemon peel, white pepper, lychee and cardamom – retains the aromatics even with a decent chilling. Dry, almost salty to the taste, and light to medium bodied. Taut and piquant, with a brisk acid focus that dashes through layers, revealing more mineral notes like oyster shell, but also the savouriness of fresh goats cheese with quince paste and salted popcorn. There’s also a ripe sweetness of lime marmalade hiding towards the drying, pithy finish. 93pts.
An intriguing wine, it’s own thing – but you’ll find it lodging in a flatshare with Albarino, Chenin Blanc and a good French Chablis.
