2023 Rippon Gewurztraminer, Central Otago

Exotic notes of coriander seed, nutmeg, curry, leather and earth unfold from this quite singularly aromatic wine before revealing green tropical aromas of ambarella and a hint of lanolin. The palate is equally confounding, with an almost Vouvray-like balance between minerality, beeswax, grapefruit and ginger before sweet mango flavours take over on the lusciously off-dry finish, all held within chewy basket of earthy, spicy tannins. Quite unlike any other gewürztraminer I have had before from New Zealand, but there is no mistaking the depth, concentration and length. Drink to 2030.

95 points Stephen Wong for The Real Review, February 2025

Complex aromas of rosewater, orange peel, sweet spices and flint on the nose. The palate is medium-bodied with precise acidity cutting through the creamy mouthfeel from 11 g/L of residual sweetness. Refined and pure with a phenolic edge adding an extra dimension of depth. Drink or hold.

94 points James Suckling, November 2024

The 2023 Gewurztraminer is from vines planted in 1986 and 1987, and the wine has moved beyond a mere lychee-soaked Turkish delight. The phenolics come right to the fore, the fruit is exotic, shapely and full and the acid is like a tense glacial spear through the heart of the wine. It's textural and savory in its way, despite the eight to 12 grams of residual sugar that this cuvée usually carries; in 2023, it had 11.4 grams per liter. The fruit is picked at around the same time as the Pinot Noir. Drink to 2033.

92 points Erin Larkin for The Wine Advocate, June 2025

Rippon is one of New Zealand's most revered wineries, with the Mills family farming their spectacular Lake Wānaka property for generations. Under the guidance of Nick Mills, the biodynamically managed estate has become a benchmark for site expressive wines that faithfully reflect one of the world's most breathtaking vineyard settings.