Probably the best recognised of the Marlborough sub-regions, this wine occupies a more familiar ‘Marlborough Sav’ area of the spectrum. Not to mean that the typicity renders it any less an interesting proposition than the two siblings in the ‘Rohe’ range.
As someone who grew up in England, I can definitely say that I have tasted gooseberry – and that is what is a defining flavour in this Rapaura wine. Lively, with green-flecked notes immediately leaping from the glass. Fresh herbs – basil, bay leaf, chamomile and lemongrass. Fruit-forward, with tropical and cooler, stonefruit, and currant elements. Weighty on the palate, but blessed with a natural freshness and acidity that carries it briskly along. There’s a prickle that feels like a fennel, white pepper savouriness, but it is just a layer, and adds to the finesse and interest. The finish is cooler, classic and with super persistence. 93pts
