White Wine
A piano piece is not one piece. Every person, every time it’s played, is different. Sometimes it’s a 13-year-old living out the dreams of their parents. Sometimes it’s a virtuoso after hours, playing effortlessly for fun. And sometimes it’s a singular, curious person who sees something different. ‘Core of ripe peach fruit’, ‘toasted brioche’, ‘roasted hazelnut’, ‘slate minerality’. This single vineyard Hawke’s Bay chardonnay has all the usual notes, played with unusual care and delicateness in a very specific way, from a very specific place, and a very specific time.
This botrytised pinot gris has the heft and texture of a fortified wine, with the acidity and zip of a riesling. Here you are, wondering how this noble rot they speak of can fuse zest and firework smoke and tamarind with something that feels almost like maple syrup. A pinot gris that flows like Sherry, cosplaying as Riesling? Bizarre. Bravo.
Intense pear, elderflower, green apple, and lime aromas on the nose with a hint of spice and ginger.