New Zealand 2017: A vintage recap and whites to try

Coopers Creek Albarino is sourced from Doug Bell's vineyard in Gisborne, and has been utterly convincing since its very first vintage in 2011. The most recent vintage, tasted pre-bottling, is everything you'd want from a Rias Baixas Albarino: full bodied, round and complete. It's whole-bunch pressed and fermented using only the free-run juice. Pure and delicate, it has sweet, succulent peach fruit and an almost almond-like scent, making for an alluring package.

It's difficult for me to get excited about much of the Pinot Gris emerging from New Zealand, but this organic example grown 30 minutes' drive inland from Rod McDonald's coastal base is a rare beauty. It is both mouthfilling and delicate, with delicious purity of fruit and pretty white floral notes that have been allowed to shine through slow tank fermentation. Seamless and very fine.

From the alluvial plains in Nelson, one-fifth of this Sauvignon Blanc was fermented in barrel and two-thirds underwent wild fermentation. The result is Sauvignon Blanc with the volume turned down: ripe pear and apple fruit aromas combine with a subtle, grassy high note. It's round and gentle with good concentration and a focussed core, followed by some juicy acidity on the conclusion.

Geisenheim graduates Kai Schubert and Marion Deimling said auf wiedersehen Deutschland and G'day New Zealand in 1998, buying land in Gladstone, Wairarapa, where this Sauvignon Blanc is produced. Partial barrel fermentation gives rounded edges to this weighty cuvee - flavours reminiscent of grass, elderflower and gooseberry emerge in this appetising, balanced and refreshing white.

This is taut, zesty and well focussed, with decent concentration of citrus and apple fruit. The wine is mostly fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel tanks, but a small portion is barrel fermented to round out the edges and lend a slight nutty complexity to this powerful and driven Sauvignon Blanc.

Named after co-founder Larry McKenna's son, this is the first year that Escarpment has made a single vineyard Riesling from Te Muna Road. Lively on entry, this is bone dry and relatively low in alcohol. The winemaking for Riesling here has evolved from a straight tank-fermented style to include some barrel fermentation and lees time, which brings added weight and texture on the mid-palate before powering home with citrus and white flower flavours which linger on the brisk finish.

Nestled on the clay-loam slopes of the Southern Valleys, the Cowley brothers combine conventionally fermented tank parcels with whole-bunch pressed, barrel fermented lots to bring the best of both worlds to this wine. It's bright and lively with notes of gooseberry, pineapple and grass. It's light-bodied but with a little weight and roundness from barrel and lees work. Overall it's clean, pure and personality filled, with a fine-grained texture on the finish.

Always one of Marlborough’s top Sauvignon Blancs, made by former Cloudy Bay winemaker Kevin Judd. It has gentle tropical and citrus aromas and flavours, and the complex layers mean that each sip reveals a little more. A very stylish wine.

Perhaps better known for its multitude of Rieslings, Framingham have produced an interesting and layered Sauvignon Blanc in a difficult year. While it offers classic Marlborough tropical fruit, with grapefruit and lemon to boot, this wine is a step above thanks to its intriguing texture. There's depth here, the varietal's edges are rounded, and there's an attractive phenolic grip on the finish thanks to some TLC in the winery - 11% of the wine was fermented in oak barrels or acacia puncheons, a splash was fermented on skins, and one-third was left on its lees for six months.

There's always something earthy and savoury about Neudorf's Chardonnays, and Rosie's Block - named after founders Tim and Judy Finn's daughter - is an excellent value alternative to its Moutere Chardonnay. Grown on the Moutere clay gravels and wild-fermented in barrel (15% new), the result is a round, creamy, mid-weight Chardonnay offering spiced apples with subtle hints of hazelnut and flint. There's a slice of lemon-fresh acidity which brings a brightness to the medium-length finish.

Named after the Ford car which launched in 1962 with the latest in windscreen technology - two-speed wipers - this wine is a stylish and stylised Sauvignon Blanc that provides a rather elegant barrel fermented expression of the varietal. Sleek and smooth, it has a mellow character, sitting comfortably in the back seat and riding along on the fuel of fine acidity.

A rich and concentrated style, almost one-fifth of this wine was fermented in large oak cuves of 10,000-litres, and all parcels remained on full lees post-fermentation, which brings impressive weight and attractive texture on the mid-palate. In terms of aromatics, this vintage is generally less flamboyant than previous years, but there's still a delectable array of aromatics ranging from elderflower and gooseberry to blackcurrant and passionfruit. Fine, with balanced acidity and a long length.

Coopers Creek Albarino is sourced from Doug Bell's vineyard in Gisborne, and has been utterly convincing since its very first vintage in 2011. The most recent vintage, tasted pre-bottling, is everything you'd want from a Rias Baixas Albarino: full bodied, round and complete. It's whole-bunch pressed and fermented using only the free-run juice. Pure and delicate, it has sweet, succulent peach fruit and an almost almond-like scent, making for an alluring package.

It's difficult for me to get excited about much of the Pinot Gris emerging from New Zealand, but this organic example grown 30 minutes' drive inland from Rod McDonald's coastal base is a rare beauty. It is both mouthfilling and delicate, with delicious purity of fruit and pretty white floral notes that have been allowed to shine through slow tank fermentation. Seamless and very fine.

From the alluvial plains in Nelson, one-fifth of this Sauvignon Blanc was fermented in barrel and two-thirds underwent wild fermentation. The result is Sauvignon Blanc with the volume turned down: ripe pear and apple fruit aromas combine with a subtle, grassy high note. It's round and gentle with good concentration and a focussed core, followed by some juicy acidity on the conclusion.

Geisenheim graduates Kai Schubert and Marion Deimling said auf wiedersehen Deutschland and G'day New Zealand in 1998, buying land in Gladstone, Wairarapa, where this Sauvignon Blanc is produced. Partial barrel fermentation gives rounded edges to this weighty cuvee - flavours reminiscent of grass, elderflower and gooseberry emerge in this appetising, balanced and refreshing white.

This is taut, zesty and well focussed, with decent concentration of citrus and apple fruit. The wine is mostly fermented at cool temperatures in stainless steel tanks, but a small portion is barrel fermented to round out the edges and lend a slight nutty complexity to this powerful and driven Sauvignon Blanc.

Named after co-founder Larry McKenna's son, this is the first year that Escarpment has made a single vineyard Riesling from Te Muna Road. Lively on entry, this is bone dry and relatively low in alcohol. The winemaking for Riesling here has evolved from a straight tank-fermented style to include some barrel fermentation and lees time, which brings added weight and texture on the mid-palate before powering home with citrus and white flower flavours which linger on the brisk finish.

Nestled on the clay-loam slopes of the Southern Valleys, the Cowley brothers combine conventionally fermented tank parcels with whole-bunch pressed, barrel fermented lots to bring the best of both worlds to this wine. It's bright and lively with notes of gooseberry, pineapple and grass. It's light-bodied but with a little weight and roundness from barrel and lees work. Overall it's clean, pure and personality filled, with a fine-grained texture on the finish.

Always one of Marlborough’s top Sauvignon Blancs, made by former Cloudy Bay winemaker Kevin Judd. It has gentle tropical and citrus aromas and flavours, and the complex layers mean that each sip reveals a little more. A very stylish wine.

Perhaps better known for its multitude of Rieslings, Framingham have produced an interesting and layered Sauvignon Blanc in a difficult year. While it offers classic Marlborough tropical fruit, with grapefruit and lemon to boot, this wine is a step above thanks to its intriguing texture. There's depth here, the varietal's edges are rounded, and there's an attractive phenolic grip on the finish thanks to some TLC in the winery - 11% of the wine was fermented in oak barrels or acacia puncheons, a splash was fermented on skins, and one-third was left on its lees for six months.

There's always something earthy and savoury about Neudorf's Chardonnays, and Rosie's Block - named after founders Tim and Judy Finn's daughter - is an excellent value alternative to its Moutere Chardonnay. Grown on the Moutere clay gravels and wild-fermented in barrel (15% new), the result is a round, creamy, mid-weight Chardonnay offering spiced apples with subtle hints of hazelnut and flint. There's a slice of lemon-fresh acidity which brings a brightness to the medium-length finish.

Named after the Ford car which launched in 1962 with the latest in windscreen technology - two-speed wipers - this wine is a stylish and stylised Sauvignon Blanc that provides a rather elegant barrel fermented expression of the varietal. Sleek and smooth, it has a mellow character, sitting comfortably in the back seat and riding along on the fuel of fine acidity.

A rich and concentrated style, almost one-fifth of this wine was fermented in large oak cuves of 10,000-litres, and all parcels remained on full lees post-fermentation, which brings impressive weight and attractive texture on the mid-palate. In terms of aromatics, this vintage is generally less flamboyant than previous years, but there's still a delectable array of aromatics ranging from elderflower and gooseberry to blackcurrant and passionfruit. Fine, with balanced acidity and a long length.