$44.90
– Sold Out| /
Region: Gisbourne
Grapes: Chenin Blanc
First Glance: Tropical, Lime, Mineral, Mouth-filling
The Wine:
With aromas of mango, tropical fruit, lime and green apple there is a mouth watering acidity complimented with a softening sweetness.
The Te Arai vineyard is five kilometres from the sea, this maritime proximity underlies the wine’s unique South Pacific style. The silt soils give fragrance while the occasional incidence of botrytis, generated by the autumnal mists from the Te Arai stream, give complex texture, body and a sense of sweetness to the wine.
Over the years our determination to produce one of the world’s best wines from this variety is a seasonal challenge and a bottled fantasy. In 2025 we did three selections from the vineyard of hand harvested the grapes. On the crush pad the stems are discarded as these grapes give up their juice very easily during the long slow press cycle. The fermentation and maturation take place in demi-muids (large 600 litre oak barrels) and stainless steel tanks. The wine matures in these vessels over time, and without the obtrusion of oak tannins, which would otherwise disrespect the subtle fruit aromas.
