Marlborough’s aromatic diversity on display
Marlborough’s aromatic diversity on displayFour wonderfully unique, yet distinctively Marlborough wines will be on offer at the Wine + Food Experience Marlborough from this month, offering an opportunity to taste the depth of diversity the region has to offer through its wines.
The final four trophy-winning wines from the 2025 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect are all aromatics, including the show’s Wine Brokers New Zealand Champion Gewürztraminer: Leefield Station The Gatherer Gewürztraminer 2025, Marlborough Wine + Food Experience Champion Other White Wine: Forrest Chenin Blanc 2025, Scenic Hotel Marlborough Champion Rosé: Isabel Estate Marlborough Rosé 2025, and Label and Litho Champion Pinot Gris: Nautilus Pinot Gris 2025.
The display provides the last opportunity to taste the latter, which has now completely sold out.
Nautilus General Manager and Winemaker Clive Jones says the 2025 vintage was a standout from the start.
“The 2025 season gave us everything we look for in Pinot Gris. A long, settled growing season allowed the fruit to ripen evenly, developing excellent flavour concentration while retaining natural acidity," he says.
“The result is a wine that’s both generous and refined. In the glass, you’ll find lifted aromas of pear, orange blossom and subtle ginger spice, followed by layers of ripe stonefruit and citrus with a silky texture from time on lees. It’s a Pinot Gris with freshness, balance and real varietal character.”
Like other varieties, Pinot Gris responds beautifully to Marlborough’s climate, with plenty of sunshine to ripen the fruit and cool nights that help preserve freshness and keep the aromatics bright and expressive, Clive says.
In the winery, care is taken to protect beautiful pear, citrus and floral characters that are consistently produced in Riverbrook Vineyard.
“It’s that combination of site and thoughtful winemaking that gives the wine its distinctive Nautilus style,” Clive says.
“If you enjoy Sauvignon Blanc but are looking for something with a little more texture, Pinot Gris is a natural next step. It has the freshness Marlborough is known for, but with a softer, more rounded palate that makes it incredibly versatile with food … it’s an easy wine to enjoy, but one that continues to reveal more in the glass.”
Another wine known for its ability to pair well with a variety of dishes is Chenin Blanc.
Winemaker Beth Forrest says the Forrest Chenin Blanc 2025 is one of the company’s most food-friendly wines.
“If you enjoy Sauvignon Blanc for its freshness or Chardonnay for its texture, Chenin Blanc offers a great bridge between the two. One of the things I love most about Chenin Blanc is how it evolves in the glass. Serve it well chilled and its vibrant acidity and freshness will appeal to Sauvignon Blanc drinkers. Let it warm slightly and its richer texture and layered flavours begin to shine, making it feel much more at home for Chardonnay lovers,” she says.
“It's almost like enjoying two expressions of the same wine. It's one of the most food-friendly wines we make. My favourite way to enjoy it? Fish and chips on the beach. It's a pairing that perfectly reflects the relaxed Kiwi lifestyle and proves that some of the best wine moments are often the simplest.
Marlborough lends itself well to the development of aromatics like Chenin Blanc, Beth says, thanks to the different characteristics offered across vineyard sites, and the ability to carefully blend them, alongside its warm days, cool nights and long growing seasons.
“Curiosity has always been at the heart of what we do. Marlborough has earned its reputation for producing world-class wines, and it's exciting to see that reputation continue to grow as more varieties find their place here,” she says.
“Our love affair with Chenin Blanc began in the Loire Valley, but what's exciting is seeing just how well it has found its own identity here in Marlborough. The region has an incredible ability to produce wines with both richness and freshness, and I think we're only just scratching the surface of what's possible. It's exciting to see more growers exploring different varieties and more wine drinkers embracing that diversity.”
Matt Mitchell, General Manager Winery at Marisco Family Vineyards, is also excited by the diversity showing in Marlborough wines.
“For those that want to step away from their ‘go-to’ white wine, Marlborough now offers an exciting range of quality wine that includes varieties like Gewürztraminer, Riesling, Grüner Veltliner, Albariño, Chenin Blanc amongst others,” he says.
“The same extreme diurnal temperature fluctuations that create the signature Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc aromatic are equally fundamental to defining the character of other aromatic white varieties from the region. The relative coolness of the Waihopai Valley in Marlborough lends more floral and less spice elements to the bouquet whilst also creating a degree of acid freshness you typically wouldn’t see in Gewürztraminer from warmer climes.”
The trophy-winning Leefield Station The Gatherer Gewürztraminer 2025, is made in tiny quantities from a stony river terrace adjacent to the Waihopai River at Leefield Station.
“A moderately warm, but not hot, growing season has lent a beautifully, elegant floral aroma to the wine, with just a hint of ginger spice,” Matt says.
“With its combination of distinctive floral, spicy aromatics and its broad, acid-free palate, the taste experience is really quite unique.”
Scenic Hotel Marlborough Champion Rosé trophy-winner Isabel Estate Marlborough Rosé 2025 was the first of its kind for Isabel Estate, says winemaker Nick Lamain
“What made this wine special was having a blank canvas to work with. It was our first vintage producing a Rosé under our Isabel Marlborough range, so we were excited to see what we could create without being tied to an established style,” he says.
“While 2025 was a larger vintage, the great thing was that the grapes used for our Rosé held their acid super well. We always knew we wanted a strong line of acidity in this wine and we were so happy that the 2025 vintage delivered that. After all, we believe Rosé is a wine that needs to be vibrant, energised and aromatic as it is very much a summertime wine.”
Steering away from ‘Pinot Noir Rosé’, the team was able to include other varieties in the blend, including Pinot Gris and Syrah, adding highlights and complexity to the wine.
“In the glass, our Rosé presents with a delicate pale-salmon color reminiscent of the best Provence Rosés. Aromatically, it's super expressive, bringing together wild strawberry, raspberry, a touch of vanilla and floral hibiscus notes. This is all underpinned by a dry, juicy and lively palate that drives through to a long refreshing finish, Nick says.
As with all Marlborough varieties, high sunshine hours, cool maritime influence and mineral rich soils do much of the heavy lifting in the vineyard, requiring careful winemaking to capture the essence in the glass.
“We captured all this in the wine by harvesting in the cool mornings and allowing only minimal time on skins so we didn't lose any acidity. Stainless steel tank ferments at low temperatures helped us retain those vibrant berry flavours and preserve fruit purity. All of these processes were carefully managed, allowing the vibrancy and acid definition you can only get from Marlborough's terroir to shine through,” Nick says.
All four of these wines will be displayed at Wine + Food Experience Marlborough from October and will remain in place until the end of December, or while stocks last. Call in for a taste at 2 Alfred Street, Blenheim. Judging of the 2026 entries also gets underway this month.