White Wine

Aromatic guava and orange blossom jump from the glass - this Chenin Blanc is dry with ripe apples, peaches and a hint of orange peel on the palate. The elegant crisp finish makes this a fantastic wine for all occasions. The fruit for Aloe Tree hails from the increasingly fashionable west coast of the Cape. Cool nights and sea breezes combine to extend the growing season, resulting in perfectly balanced, ripe grapes. The iconic Aloe Tree image is sure to be familiar to anyone who has travelled widely through the Cape and is an important part of the biodiversity which South Africa is famous for. The characteristic silhouette provides a backdrop to one of the most spectacular wine regions in the world where wines grow in harmony with the thousands of plant species that make up the Cape Floral Kingdom. Chenin blanc is well adapted for various soil types, but our premium grapes are grown on medium to lower potential soils. Yield levels are limited by winter pruning and by removing shoots and leaving two or three shoots per spur during early spring. Canopy management is required as it plays a major role in yield and quality to ensure an optimum microclimate within the canopy. With its vigorous growth, medium-sized trellises are required and shoot positioning are done to maximize canopy surface. Grapes are harvested at a minimum of 21.5°Brix, but we aim for 22°Brix. Once the Chenin Blanc grapes are harvested, they arrive at the winery where the fruit is gently pressed and only the free run juice is used. Using selected yeasts the juice then undergoes cold fermentation at 14 degrees Celsius for 2 weeks before lying on the lees for 3 months.

Intense dried fruit aromas combine with forestal notes of anise and chlorophyll. Firm mouthfeel with a touch of tannin that gives body and texture. Enclosed by drystone walls on three sides and backing steeply onto the Montagne de Beaune, Clos des Monsnières offers a beautiful panorama of Pommard and the Côte. Quite shallow clay-limestone soils over ironstone gravel enable Chardonnay to ripen slowly.

A lovely pure and fresh Chardonnay with lovely length and character. A real bargain.

A classic Spanish white - 100% Verdejo Temperature controlled fermentation preserves the fresh lemon and melon fruit; fruity but fresh great value. Great with seafood, and a lovely summer drinker.

92/100 "Impressively poised nose with lightly reductive lemons and white peaches, as well as freshly cut herbs. The palate has impressive concentration and quite intense notes of fresh, grassy lemons and stone. Great poise here. A blend of 59% semillon and 41% sauvignon blanc. Drink now." James Suckling

A limited edition wine from Gayda that changes with every vintage. And the 2023 is an exciting new take indeed! Beautiful Rolle (Vermentino) and Viognier from the Minervois are picked when perfectly ripe then pressed slowly in whole bunches, with very gentle racking and seeing careful vinification without sulphur, at low temperature - ageing on lees - the Rolle in stainless steel vats, and the Viognier in a mixture of concrete eggs and stainless steel tanks. This is SPARKLY BRIGHT and DAZZLING with good richness also. The pale yellow colour is elegant and brilliant. On the nose, a discreet subtlety reveals notes of Granny Smith apple, lime and fresh almonds, characteristic of the blend of Rolle and Viognier grapes. On the palate, the wine is full and generous, supported by a lovely acidity and a slight, attractive bitterness on the finish. A mineral touch adds fascinating depth also. The flavours of fresh pear, acacia flower, almond and white peach unfold harmoniously, offering you a refined, beautifully balanced treat of a wine. Unique and utterly, utterly marvellous. A LOT of wine for the money.

The Selbachs have been cultivating Riesling vines in the Mosel since 1661. Today, Johannes Selbach and his wife Barbara run the estate, now one of the leading producers in the Mittelmosel. There are 10.6 hectares of vineyards including holdings in Wehlener Sonnenuhr, Zeltinger Sonnenuhr, and Graacher Domprobst. The grapes are handpicked and then fermented in traditional large oak barrels. The emphasis here is on finesse and purity of fruit, producing supremely elegant Kabinett and Spätlese wines as well as powerful, concentrated Auslese wines.

A classic Spanish white -100% Verdejo Temperature controlled fermentation preserves the fresh lemon and melon fruit; fruity but fresh great value. Great with seafood, and a lovely summer drinker.

The Cabriole Sauvignon Blanc from the Idun winery is an elegant yet expressive Sauvignon from the cool Bot River region of South Africa. Subtle tropical fruit is beautifully balanced with saline touches and minerality on both the nose and palate, which builds to show an impressive richness whilst never losing freshness and expertly poised acidity. This terroir driven wine nods more to the classic old world Sauvignon Blanc from Europe than it does the modern Kiwi style, but there is enough character to satisfy lovers of both styles – very impressive. Idun is a small, boutique winery run by a French-Danish family originating from Mauritius. They produce excellent varietals which are well-balanced, concentrated, and elegant. They produce mightily impressive, French-inspired wines which you would no doubt pay a lot more for if the grapes were from France.

The Domaine Belleville Rully La Crée 2022 won the White Wine Trophy at the Wine Merchant Top 100 competition. The competition is judged by independent merchant judges who assess wines based on value and quality. Our buyer Hal Wilson is a senior judge for the competition. All wines are tasted blind. It's nice when one of our favourites comes out as the best white wine tastied at the competition. It has lovely minerality and creaminess combined iwith classic white Burgundy.Great concentration for a Rully, with spicy oak influence. The Wine Merchant Top 100 competition is an annual event where independent wine merchants select the top 100 wines based on their quality and value for money. The competition is seen as a trusted source for retailers looking for wines to recommend to their customers.

Zacharias Diamantakis runs his 26 acre vineyard in North East Crete and is a specialist in the emerging Vidiano grape. This food-friendly, intensely flavoured wine has become an ideal calling card by which to discover wines of Crete.

Refined, poised and balanced. A welcoming burst of warmth and intensity on the nose. A squeeze of ripe lemon freshens an intense palate of yellow stone fruit framed by mouthwatering saline acidity. Gentle notes of toast provide a savoury backbone to the luscious fruit, providing moreish balance.

Natural, Organic, Biodynamic Macabeu, fermented and aged in barrels, racy and minerally with soft texture and generous fruit.

Sichel family property of 45 hectares in the Entre-Deux-Mers. The soil is clay and limestone in one single plot. 65% Sauvignon Blanc, 35% Sémillon. Aged on fine lees with regular stirring. It shows a lovely pale yellow colour with greenish tinges. Fresh and expressive on the nose, with superb notes of pink grapefruit, mango and some slightly toasted hints. Its fine balance on the palate is remarkable, with a lot of roundness and body, as well as pure, elegant freshness. The flavours of Sauvignon are delicate and persistent, giving this wine length and vibrancy.

White Provence wines are a bit of a hidden treasure, little-known outside France but well-loved by wine buffs around the world. This example is typical, and very good value. Nice, mouth filling texture, the style reserved rather like Chablis. Delicate nose with notes of white flowers and citrus. Well balanced in the mouth, it is fresh, with great vivacity and a hint of bitterness with salty aromas. Nice length.

White Provence wines are a bit of a hidden treasure, little-known outside France but well-loved by wine buffs around the world. This example is typical, and very good value. Nice, mouth filling texture, the style reserved rather like Chablis. Delicate nose with notes of white flowers and citrus. Well balanced in the mouth, it is fresh, with great vivacity and a hint of bitterness with salty aromas. Nice length.

Wonderfully fresh and floral, tastes of elderflower and cool grapes. Very soft, not too acidic like many NZ SBs at this price.

St Aubin has got to be one of the best value wines in Burgundy. This is a full-bodied, generous and precise wine. Easily accessible, it is the perfect accompaniment for aperitifs or a simple cooked meat (charcuterie), poultry or fish dishes.

A blend of Clairette 70% and Grenache 30%. 80 year old vines are planted in mixed soils of red sand, clay and round pebbles. Grapes are hand-harvested and vinification takes place in 100% old wooden casks. The wine is matured in large ‘demi-muid’ barrels for 6 months on the lees. Domaine La Lôyane was voted Winemaker of the Year in 2018 by the Guide Hachette, France's wine bible. La Lôyane refers to the place where the estate is built, a place formerly occupied by wolves! The estate, founded in 1994, is located in the south of the Rhône Valley, near Avignon in the Lirac cru. The Dubois family has been cultivating its 20 hectares of vines there for 4 generations! And the last, with Romain Dubois, has cnverted the estate to organic farming. An extremely precise estate, which is constantly moving upmarket and producing wines from vines that are sometimes more than a century old!

A blend of Viognier 40%, Roussanne 40% and White Grenache 20%. 20 year old vines are planted in mixed soils of clay, limestone and round pebbles. Peachy aromas, with a fresh and expressive palate that's juicy and very pleasing. More peach flavour from the Viognier and a weighty mid-palate from the Roussanne. Excellent value for money. Grapes are mechanically harvested and vinification takes place in temperature controlled stainless-steel tanks, with regular stirring of the lees. This preserves the freshness and fruitiness of the wine. Domaine La Lôyane was voted Winemaker of the Year in 2018 by the Guide Hachette, France's wine bible. La Lôyane refers to the place where the estate is built, a place formerly occupied by wolves! The estate, founded in 1994, is located in the south of the Rhône Valley, near Avignon in the Lirac cru. The Dubois family has been cultivating its 20 hectares of vines there for 4 generations! And the last, with Romain Dubois, has cnverted the estate to organic farming. An extremely precise estate, which is constantly moving upmarket and producing wines from vines that are sometimes more than a century old!

Escaravailles rare top end white we are very lucky to see an allocation of. Even with a hot, short vintage Madeline has produced a very fine, elegant, juicy long and fine Rhone wine.

A blend of Genache Blanc, Gris and Noir, from ancient 90 year old vines in the ancient and quite amazing 'C|os des Escounils' that the brothers are developing and working on re-establishing it's other potential vineyard areas. This is beautiful, racy, elegant wine that is softly textured and very ‘modern’ in its freshness and balance.

Lemony, bright fruit, with steely acidity. Pure and balanced. Family estaste based in Beine near Chablis, with 50 hectares under vine. 100% Chardonnay fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks to retain freshness. Classic Chablis style. Great seafood wine, particularly oysters.

Family estaste based in Beine near Chablis, with 50 hectares under vine. 100% Chardonnay fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks to retain freshness. Classic Chablis. Pebble dry, floral and vibrant. Great seafood wine, particularly oysters.