LINDEN ESTATE Grüner Veltliner 2024

Grape Varietal: 100% Grüner Veltliner

Growing Region: Hawke’s Bay - New Zealand Winemaker: Alex Hendry

This 2024 Grüner Veltliner has a straw yellow colour with shining hue. On the delicate nose you have aromas of white flowers, honeysuckle, green pears and a subtle pinch of white pepper. On the light-to-medium palate you have a relaxed wine style with appealing fruit flavours, showcasing ripe pears, and a casual splash of citrus acidity. The wine has an easy drinking nature and a simple friendly personality that signs off with an off-dry finish.

Food Pairing: An ideal wine with grilled calamari, Thai fishcakes, spring rolls, and a chicken salad.

Albariño is a classic Galician white grape variety from north western Spain, which thrives in New Zealand and tastes of fabulous aromatic lemon zest with green olive and freshly picked apple aromas. Forrest Estate winemaker Beth Forrest first encountered it in Spain and was smitten immediately. This led to Albarino being brought into New Zealand by Riversun Nurseries in Gisborne and, eventually, to growing in Marlborough where Beth and her famous winemaking father, John, Forrest, both love it and produce this fabulous dry white wine.

This wine shows all the classical Albariño elements with a New Zealand touch of vibrant acidity, white peach, pear, apricots and quince, with an orange zest undertone.

From Jenny Dobson

Florence
Dedicated to Florence (1894 - 1968), my paternal grandmother. Like Fiano, she was vivacious, bold and elegant.

Often considered Italy's finest white variety, Fiano dates back to antiquity and was a wine revered by the Romans.

Grown in Hawkes Bay my Fiano has focused aromas of red apple, citrus blossom, and hazelnut coupled with a crushed slate minerality. The boldly textured palate is layered with complex flavours of pip fruit intertwined with honeysuckle, citrus, and a distinctive savoury hazelnut. Refreshing, with a lingering presence on the palate. Florence Fiano is bold and elegant. You can enjoy it while young or with bottle age.

Winegrowing.

The first Fiano vines were planted in New Zealand by Bryce Campbell in 2010 with a second planting in 2022. The soils are old volcanic soils laid down by the Taupo eruptions layered with gravels and loam from the old Ngaruroro riverbed.

I grow the grapes following organic and sustainable practices. I aim to create biodiversity in the vineyard encouraging wildflower growth, planting native and exotic trees. The water holding capacity of the pumice, which abounds in the soil, allows me to dry farm the vineyard.

Fiano is a late ripening variety and I hand pick in April . 90% of the grapes are whole bunch pressed with 10% having 24 hours skin maceration before pressing. Fermentation is slow and steady. The new wine is left on lees for several months post ferment with regular stirring to enhance the natural textural qualities of the grape variety.

A fruit salad of a wine! Passionfruit with white peach, apricot & a light smokiness.  A saline & refreshing acid profile with supple texture.

When I found out there was some Albariño available from the Two Terraces vineyard I was so excited to work with such a refreshing and versatile variety! Already familiar with the quality of the fruit grown by Ian and Linda Quinn, as well as the care and attention to soil health, I did not hesitate to jump at the opportunity.

The whole bunches were hand harvested, de-stemmed and macerated on the skins for two weeks time. A very light daily hand plunge and the addition of my active vineyard starter yeast which fermented underneath the vines. Biodynamic preparations 500, CPP were applied to the soil through out the year, as well as silica quartz (501) to the canopy.

After fermentation was complete the free run juice Albariño was pressed into a large spherical and small Tinajas for ageing on its lees.

The home of Akitu 

Andrew Donaldson planted his vineyard with 100% Pinot Noir in 2002 and has since developed three distinctive styles of wine from this great red grape variety. Two reds (Akitu A 1 and Akitu A2) lead the production while a Pinot Blanc is now part of the high quality stable of wines from this producer. 

Donaldson employs winemaker P J Charteris to make the wines. 

At Mt Barker, in New Zealand's South Island, in a high glacial valley of sunshine and rain shadow on the edge of the earth, each season leave its own vivid imprint on our vintage.  Extreme temperature variations, alpine air, altitude, adversity... all the wild elements of this exhilarating land combine in a Pinot Noir of great quality from the world's southernmost wine region.

Patsy was the favourite aunt of winemaker Jenny Dobson, who made this wine as a tribute to her. We're big fans of the story as well as the wine, which is made from the  Cabernet Franc grape, which adds a touch of firm tannin to its finish, accentuating the dry style and adding grip and structure. 

This tasty little numberh drinks well on its own but also tastes great with salmon and fresh summer salads. Chill lightly and enjoy. 

From Marlboroughs' Ukrainian wine making duo Alina Tenetka & Masha, bringing their experience from Europe to make really elegant wines out of different sites in Marlborough, teasing the potential out of grapes in ways we don't often see in New Zealand wines. These wines are full of poise, elegance & are hot off the lips of many a wine critic. 

When Alina turned up with her wines at Regional's we were taken aback, why hadn't we heard of this any sooner? The wines all were a departure from the styles New Zealand had previously offered & placed themselves in some of the best examples of each variety they make that NZ has to offer!

Region: Southern Valley, Marlborough

The Story
In a land famed for Sauvignon Blanc, making Austria's Grüner Veltliner was a quiet rebellion. Drawn to its sharp wit and spicy character, we wanted to see how its alpine soul would develop a Marlborough accent. This wine is the result—a brave expression of a new identity.

Tastes Like
Crisp Green Apple, a bright spark of White Pepper, fresh Lime Zest, and a signature stony finish that speaks of our river-stone soils.

Pair With
A perfect match for asparagus and goat cheese tarts, fresh oysters with a squeeze of lemon, or a classic chicken schnitzel.

For the Geeks

Perfect heavy clay soil, similar to the Austrian motherland of Grüner. Excellent vintage with low crop, concentrating fruit and aroma. Fermented in stainless steel and seasoned French oak. Aged on fine lees for 7 months. Pure, fresh and vibrant - a true reflection of Marlborough

Residual Sugar: 2.8 g/L (Dry)
Acidity (TA): 7.2 g/L
pH: 3.17
Alcohol: 12.5%

Accolades:Cam Douglas MS - 94 points Excellent

An outstanding New Zealand Albarino with complex flavours of salty green olives, freshly picked Granny Smith apples and bright acidity, which adds a zesty note to the flavours of subtly savoury wine. It's rich and full bodied with mouthwatering crisp salivating acidity giving great balance, length and structure.

VARIETIES - Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer

VINEYARDS
The grapes are mainly from Alex Craighead’s property and some lease blocks, with the balance being brought in.

FERMENTATION
One night skin contact, fermented in old puncheon and amphora.

MATURATION
Aged in stainless steel. TSO2 12-30ppm (max 30ppm added)

ALCOHOL
13%

WINEMAKER
Alex Craighead & Kazuomi Fujimaki

‘Ojiisan’ (informal) means ‘uncle’ in Japanese. Ojisan is a collaborative project between Alex Craighead in New Zealand and Kazuomi Fujimaki of Grape Republic in Japan. 

Alex and his partner - Josefina Venturino - were always drawn to
low intervention wines and winemaking, there wasn’t a lot on offer in New Zealand, so they began to experiment with zero sulphur wines in 2013. In 2014 they released their first wines in Martinborough before they moved to Nelson in 2016, where they bought an existing organic winery and vineyard.

Complex and enticing with ripe apricot, fig, vanilla, clove and hazelnut aromas on the nose, followed by a concentrated palate offering plush texture backed by beautifully pitched acidity, finishing wonderfully long and expansive.

The 2025 release clocks over a decade of crafting this irresistible, sun-soaked Albariño - still utterly moreish, still mouthwatering, still our unofficial taste of summer.

Think warm evenings, bare feet, and salt on your skin.
A lifted nose of lime zest, sea spray and that first breath when you step onto the beach. The palate echoes the aromatics, woven together with bright, crystalline acidity that gives the wine its signature savoury edge.

Hints of oyster shell, fresh fennel and a cool, saline minerality glide through the glass, all wrapped in a dreamy, sun-drenched haze. There’s beautiful form here - poised, graceful, quietly luxurious.

Vineyard:

Site: Rosie’s Block - Upper Moutere, Nelson

Aspect: 90m Elevation, North Facing

Soil Type: Moutere Clay Gravels

Soil Composition: Deep sandy loam with clay content (19%). Little stone content.

Vineyard Established: 1999

Farming: Dry Farmed

Variety: 100% Albariño

Clonal Selection: 635, 636, 637

Hand Harvested: 100%

Seasonal Detail: The season began dry before shifting to a wetter-than-usual October, with an exceptionally warm December bringing ideal flowering conditions. While the Christmas and early January period posed some challenges, a return to warm, settled weather through February and March improving ripening. Occasional rain showers kept canopies refreshed, leading to a smooth, trouble-free harvest. The season produced wines of both volume and generosity.

Winemaking:

Harvest: 29th - 31st March 2025

Processing: 70% whole bunch press, 30% crushed fruit. Cool settled for 48 hours and racked

Fermentation: 100% Wild Yeast

Fermentation Vessel: 70% Stainless Steel, 30% Neutral Puncheon

Malolactic: None

Fining: None Filtration: Sterile Vegan: Yes

Bottling Analysis: 13.5% Alc, 3.29 pH, 6.7 g/L TA, 3 g/L RS

Full Bottle Weight: 1,265 g

A rare delicious fresh white wine made from Petit Manseng, a French grape that originates in the south of France and makes characterful dry white wines such as this lively, aromatic wine - flavours of grapefruit and zesty ripe citrus make this a deliciously tasty wine. 

The father-daughter winemaking team, John and Beth Forrest, are champions of lesser known, outstandingly interesting grape varieties from around the world, including Petit Manning. 

Pronounced 'pet-eet man-seng'. Deliciousness in a bottle.

50/50 Chardonnay and Riesling blend from the dry-farmed, organic Weka vineyard nesled between the sea and Upper Moutere. The 2024 season was warmer and drier than we usually experience in the Nelson Tasman. This intensity gave the grapes thicker skins and a bit more physiological ripeness. This wine is still unmistakably ‘Pollen’ our salty white blend. It’s textural and driven by bright acidity but
this vintage shows a slightly riper expression: waxy lemon phenolics, tropical lift, and stone fruit through the mid-palate,finishing with that signature saline complexity. Wild fermented and aged in large format neutral oak for a year followed by 6 months in bottle prior to release, unfined and unfiltered.

Pinot Gris, Viognier and Gewurztraminer join forces in this quirky white blend from a great Hawke’s Bay winery. These grapes are an aromatic bunch and when fermented dry offer a lush body and crisp long fresh finish.

This is one of New Zealand's most popular white wines made 100% from our most planted red grape, Pinot Noir. It's a dry, fresh and medium bodied white made from hand picked Pinot Noir grapes grown at Wooing Tree's home block vineyard in Cromwell, Central Otago. Minimal skin contact and stainless steel fermentation retains freshness and a light zesty flavour and character.