Named for the winemaker’s wife, the label describes this white blend as “an ever-evolving expression of the greatest white fruit our Home Block has to offer in any given vintage”. The varietals (Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Albariño, Semillon, Sauvignon Gris, Petit Manseng, Muscat ) grown together and co-fermented. As a fan of white blends, I was keen to taste this one from the Bay of Islands.
Very pale gold in the glass, with a perfume of a summer orchard and a walk in a meadow. There is citrus, grapefruit, meadow grass, mandarin, bergamot, baked apple and freesia florals. Juicy and precise – somehow those mixed varietals meld together and are given length by a briney acidity. Dried papaya, nougat and green olive notes emerge with some swirling. The texture also develops and envelops the back of the palate nicely. Good length, pithy and dry. 92pts
