2024 Te Whare Ra Pinot Gris SV 5182, Marlborough

Fruit is from the Te Whare Ra vineyard in Renwick subregion. Dewy pear and grainy yellow guava. Some apple blossom and glacé ginger. Fruit nectar moves in the cloudy pear and apple shapes and finishes surprisingly dry and tactile. There is a raw almond-shell note and richness with freshness and zeal. A wine that could complement almost anything you decided to serve with it. Drink 2025-2030.

93 points Shanteh Wale, Halliday Wine Companion, January 2026

The 2024 Pinot Gris leads with lemon barley and cut pear, and green apple emerges alongside white flowers and white pepper. The bunches of this clone are smaller, with smaller berries that are exposed early, and the grapes can be picked a little earlier. The dappled exposure to the elevated UV here helps to thicken the skins on the berries. I attribute the texture and focus of this wine largely to the clones in the vineyard; however, there is a barrel-ferment portion that opens up the shape and provides some chew. A lovely wine, it's quite different from many of the Pinot Gris wines here in Marlborough, which tend toward ample and voluminous. 13.5% alcohol, sealed under screw cap. Drink 2025-2034.

93 points Erin Larkin, Wine Advocate, June 2025

Subtle green pear and basil aromas with delicate floral notes and emerging notes of savoury, biscuity complexity. The palate is sleek, light-bodied and smooth with juicy pear and apple flavours which tip towards citrus peel and lightly chewy phenolics on the dry finish where the tangy acidity makes its mark. There is hidden depth here and still some unresolved grip which will smooth further in bottle as more spice and pastry complexity rises to the fore. Drink 2025-2031.

93 points Stephen Wong, The Real Review, June 2025

A very attractive and energetic pinot gris with aromas of juicy orchard fruit, lemons, crushed flowers and stones. Medium-bodied, fleshy and mouthwatering, with a juicy, vibrant finish. Nicely balance and characterful. Drink now. 

92 points James Suckling, October 2025

The 2024 Te Whare Ra SV 5182 Pinot Gris has not been fined and is suitable for those following a vegan or vegetarian diet - and for anyone else who loves authentic, hand-made wines!

A lovely finely structured fleshy wine with great purity and length of flavour. Nice, lifted aromas of nashi pear, raspberry, red apple and white florals follow on to flavours, with more savoury undertones from the barrel ferment component and time on lees. The 2024 release is a dry style (with 4g/L residual, natural fruit sugars) which has concentration, balance and great texture with layers of flavour. Enjoy now or allow to mellow in bottle with careful cellaring for 3-7 years.

The 2024 grapes were destemmed, crushed then air bag pressed, some parcels had lengthier skin contact time. Free run and pressings were fermented separately. Fermentation is mostly in stainless steel, with 17% in old French oak for texture and complexity. The tank portions underwent slow, cool ferments to retain aromatics. Barrel ferment parcels were carried out in large format neutral oak on full lees, lees stirred regularly. All parcels given time on ferment lees to provide texture and complexity.

Te Whare Ra (TWR) is a small vineyard and winery located in the Marlborough sub-region of Renwick, owned by winemakers Anna and Jason Flowerday. The small 11ha vineyard which has predominantly loam over clay soils and is one of the oldest in Marlborough (originally planted in 1979). The vineyard is managed with a combination of organic and biodynamic practices, and all the fruit is handpicked and hand sorted.

The wines are made with minimal intervention in a small winery which has been specifically set up for small batch winemaking.  Anna and Jason believe that all the manipulation and intervention should be done in the vineyard, and like winemaking, should be as natural as possible. They for example do not use any fining agents, add no tannins or use chemical yeast nutrients.

2014 marked the 35th anniversary of the first plantings at Te Whare Ra and the release of updated labels. The 5182 on the labels is the Te Whare Ra vineyard designation number from BIOGRO New Zealand. For Anna and Jason, it represents all of their hard work and effort to achieve an organic certification.