Drink now through to 2026. Serve chilled.

Although today the Kumeu River winery enjoys international respect for their elegant Burgundy-style Chardonnays, behind this success lies years of backbreaking work and uncertainty. Their story began back in 1937 when Mick and Katé Brajkovich left their small village in Croatia to create a new life in New Zealand. By working long hours for other farmers in the area the couple slowly they saved up money to create their own winery in 1944 which is now in the capable hands of the third generation of Brajkovichs.

Although the estate sits in one of New Zealand’s most northerly wine regions, the proximity of both the Tasman Sea and the Pacific Ocean create cooler conditions well-suited to producing lively white wines from Chardonnay and Pinot Gris.

For their Estate Chardonnay the Brajkovich family selects and hand harvests the very best grapes from six different vineyard sites in Kumeu. They then ferment the Chardonnay in oak barrels for a total of 11 months. The result is a rich, velvety-textured Chardonnay which exudes enchanting aromas and flavours of white peaches, lemon zest, and hints of delicate minerality. This is a wine which will reward extended cellaring and it will continue to develop and evolve over the coming decade.

Ideally drink now through 2024. Serve chilled
With a straw gold hue and a light green meniscus, this Sancerre is a clean, pure expression of the region. Honeysuckle, meyer lemon, and wet stone aromas continue on the palate with the addition of gooseberry, flint, and a lightly herbaceous finish. Beautifully structured, the Fournier Sancerre Les Belles Vignes Blanc is the rare combination of Sancerre that can be drunk young but will also soften a bit with a couple years of cellaring.

The bright, fresh, and often mineral driven flavors of Sancerre are best suited to light aperitif’s or shellfish dishes. Raw oysters, lightly flavored clams or cooked mussels, or summer salads are all excellent choices to eat with this wine.

The Fournier family has been making wine since the 1800’s, and has risen to become one of the most important Domaine in the Sancerre region. Their Les Belles Vignes offering is 100% Sauvignon Blanc from their estate, taken from 20+ year old vines planted in limestone, clay, and flint. These soils help to produce the wet stone minerality that Sancerre is so well known for. This wine goes through no malolactic to keep its fresh nature, though it also spends time on the fine lees to create a richer and more complex texture.

Domaine Fournier is managed by Claude Fournier and his brother Jacques. Claude is also the winemaker. A third brother, Daniel is the owner and chef of the restaurant La Tour on the square in Sancerre.

Drink now through to 2025. Serve chilled.

La Scolca’s Gavi dei Gavi is widely regarded as the benchmark for the fresh and exuberant white wines which hail from the namesake small mountain village in the Apennines. Produced in a traditional style from 100% Cortese, La Scolca’s “Black Label” wine is crafted from top quality fruit rigorously selected from biodynamically-farmed 60-year old vineyards.

In the winery the grapes are carefully sorted to ensure only the best are used for the Black Label Gavi dei Gavi. The must is partially macerated with the skins to add extra complexity and is also aged on the lees over the winter. These traditional methods help to create a Gavi dei Gavi which is both easy-drinking and bursting with attractive aromatics.

On the nose there are delicate hints of almonds, toast, and ripe white peaches while the first sip reveals a crisp acidity, touches of minerality, and a very long finish. As well as making a perfect aperitif, this outstanding Gavi dei Gavi pairs very well with all types of seafood, leafy salads, and light fish dishes. The complexity and grace of this delicious white are a testimony to La Scolca’s 100 year history of making top quality Gavi wines.

Drink now through 2027. Serve chilled.

This unusual Italian white is crafted from the Turbiana grape, a variety that is little known outside its homeland of Lugana along the southern banks of Italy’s famous Lake Garda. Thought to be related to Verdicchio grape, the variety typically produces charming tropical pineapple, mandarin orange and bitter almond notes along with hints of rose petals.

Ca dei Frati harvests the grapes for this wine in the middle of October from vines which were planted in 1971. The young wine is then vinified in stainless steel tanks and matured in oak barrels for 10 months before bottling. The result is an opulent, creamy-textured wine with attractive ripe stone fruit notes complemented by vanilla and honey from the barrel maturation. The intense flavour profile makes this a great partner for roast chicken, creamy fish dishes, and aged cheeses.

The earliest reference to Ca dei Frati dates back to 1782, but the modern winery was founded in 1939 by Felice Dal Cero who realised the area’s exceptional viticultural potential. Over the past couple of decades the Del Cero family have transformed the winery into Lugana’s top producer. They create crisp, characterful whites from typical local varieties as well as elegant, well-balanced reds from the family’s 200 hectares of estate vineyards.

Drink now through to 2026. Serve chilled.

One of Portugal’s top winemakers, Anselmo Mendes crafts his own wines in Minho as well as consulting for a variety of leading wineries across the country. Anselmo began producing Alvarinho wines in 1988 and has decades of experience of working with this prized aromatic variety.

This unusual white is the result of extensive experimentation with skin contact, the technique of leaving the grape must in contact with the skins for an extended period to add texture and complexity. The grapes are sourced exclusively from Moncao in the Vinho Verde appellation where the vineyards are located alongside a river which helps moderate the climate even during the warm summer months. In the winery the grapes are fermented and aged for four months on the lees in stainless steel tanks.

The result is a fresh and uplifting white with ample peach, pear and citrus notes on the nose with subtle floral hints. On the palate there is a medium body, creamy texture, and a distinctive chalky minerality on the clean finish. This is a wine that will age well over the next couple of years, although it’s superb to drink now as a refreshing aperitif or accompaniment to fresh seafood and fish.

Drink now through to 2027. Serve chilled.

Rodney Strong Vineyards is a family-owned winery near the town of Healdsburg with a strong focus on producing top quality Sonoma County wines. The estate was founded in 1959 by the former dancer turned winemaker Rodney Strong who was an early pioneer in planting vineyards in prime Sonoma appellations like Chalk Hill and Russian River Valley. In 1989 the estate was purchased by the Klein family who invested heavily in modernising the winemaking equipment and pursuing a sustainable approach in the winery and vineyards.

This exceptional Chardonnay is crafted with top quality fruit from the estate’s Chalk Hill plots which were the first Chardonnay vineyards to be planted in the appellation. To add extra complexity and tannins to the wine, 97% of the must is fermented in oak barrels with the remainder fermented in stainless steel tanks to preserve freshness and balance.

On the nose there are decadent hints of vanilla, sweet baking spice, and tropical mango and lychee fruits. The palate offers a full body, smooth texture, and bold stone fruit flavours which linger long on the tongue. The intense flavour profile makes this a great match for summer salads, fish and poultry dishes.