Winemakers Selection Mixed Dozen

"The Trimbach family are masters of combining the natural richness of Pinot Gris with freshness and balance. So this wine provides satisfying roundness and lushness, offset by tingly acidity and more than a hint of mineral character. With fantastic complexity and length on the finish, this is delicious to drink now, as well as being capable of keeping."

"This appetising Chardonnay offers a wealth of golden apple, peach, toast, cream, butterscotch and vanilla aromas, which evolve into alluringly tropical notes as it opens up with air. Beautifully well-balanced and proportioned, with freshness but not sharpness, subtle oak and succulent, satisfying, embracing texture."

"An extraordinary wine from a unique place on earth, Ossian is the fruit of vines almost 200 years old - survivors of the Phylloxera pandemic that scourged the world's vineyards in the late 19th Century. It has a lovely rich, lush juicy-ripe pear fruitiness; strongly reminiscent of young white Burgundy. This is followed by a green fennel herbal character that sets it apart as something distinct and utterly unique. Also akin to Burgundy is the finely-applied veneer of top-quality oak, which enhances but does not obscure the wine's singular personality. Underneath all this is a tight, grippy 'mineral' character, suggesting that, while enjoyable now, this should also develop beautifully over a few years. The ancient vines have never been grafted, and have developed their own extensive root system deep into the sand and slate terroir that has protected them for centuries, and which contributes greatly to the notable balance and expressiveness in the wine."

"Juicy, drinkable and far, far less strident than the average NZ Sauvignon Blanc, this offers rich texture, a mouthful of herbs and tea and a heady waft of citrus, elderflower and honeycomb."

"It is a wine with great personality and an assertive, lingering and tangy flavour. This Friuli corner close to Slovenja, produce one of the best Pinot Grigio quality of Italy. Striking and luminous, the wine has intense color, complex nose with notes of white peach, pear, stone. The palate is structured with a long finish"

"The E. Pira Barbera d'Alba Superiore has an intense purple-magenta colour, with an alluring aroma of black cherry compote and a hint of fresh vanilla pod. With more tangy morello cherry character on the palate, it is irresistibly succulent and juicy in flavour and texture, with satisfying gutsy richness. This could drink well for several years, but it's so delicious now, why wait?"