2024 Millton Te Arai Chenin Blanc, Gisborne

Chenin specialists, biodynamic specialists. Perfect storm.

Tightly wound, electric with saline minerality, preserved lemon, some chicken stock savouriness, a touch of dried pear, a dash of green apple juice. A little richness around that piercing stretch of acidity. It’s got seriousness and drinkability. A little herbal note to finish. Pedigree.

94 points Mike Bennie winefront.com.au

Millton Te Arai Chenin Blanc from Gisborne is one of New Zealand’s most distinctive and revered white wines, crafted by biodynamic pioneer James Millton. The Millton family were among the first in the Southern Hemisphere to embrace biodynamic viticulture, and their Te Arai vineyard has become a benchmark for Chenin Blanc, producing wines of depth, purity and remarkable longevity. The Te Arai Chenin Blanc captures the soul of the vineyard — expressive, textural and charged with mineral energy — while remaining utterly drinkable.

The fruit comes from the Te Arai vineyard, located near Manutuke on Gisborne’s gently rolling hills, where river alluvial soils rich in silt, clay and volcanic ash encourage deep root systems and natural vitality. Farmed without synthetic chemicals for decades, the vines are now self-sustaining, producing small crops of intensely flavoured Chenin Blanc. The grapes are hand harvested and whole bunch pressed, with fermentation carried out by indigenous yeasts in a mix of stainless steel and old oak barrels. The wine is then aged on lees to develop texture and complexity while retaining freshness and purity.

In the glass it shines pale straw with golden edges. The aroma is captivating and layered, offering quince, pear, citrus blossom, lanolin and honeycomb with delicate hints of chamomile and wet stone. On the palate it is dry yet generous, showing ripe pear, lemon curd and baked apple balanced by bright acidity and a savoury mineral finish. The texture is waxy and supple, giving the wine a tactile richness that is beautifully offset by its natural tension and saline drive.

Millton Te Arai Chenin Blanc pairs wonderfully with seafood, roast chicken, creamy pasta, or goat cheese. It is equally at home alongside Asian-inspired dishes with ginger or lemongrass. Delicious now for its vibrancy and texture, it will evolve gracefully for more than fifteen years, gaining honeyed depth and nutty richness with time.