2025 Te Whare Ra SV 5182 Gewürztraminer, Marlborough

I love the bouquet of this wine, it’s fragrant and spicy with herbaceous and floral layers, the fruits scents are exotic with citrus and pomaceous suggestion then peach and a leesy cinnamon idea. Delicious and silky on the palate with flavours that mirror the bouquet, a nice palate squeeze from the acid -line. The flavours are enticing and fresh. Guess what I’m having a glass of tonight with dinner - this delicious wine. Best drinking from day of purchase through 2030+.

95 points Outstanding Cam Douglas MS

Te Whare Ra is one of Marlborough’s most distinctive family estates, run by winemakers Anna and Jason Flowerday in the subregion of Renwick. Their small, organically farmed vineyard is home to some of the region’s oldest vines, and the SV5182 designation is a lovely bit of wine-geekery: SV stands for Single Vineyard, while 5182 is the vineyard’s BioGro organic certification number. It’s a fitting signature for a wine built around provenance rather than mass-produced Marlborough style.

Gewürztraminer thrives in the estate’s cool climate, where long ripening allows its exotic perfume to develop while retaining the freshness needed to keep all that aromatic generosity in check. The 2025 is wonderfully expressive, combining the variety’s natural richness with TWR’s preference for texture, balance and vineyard character.

Pale gold in the glass, the nose is gloriously aromatic with lychee, rose petal and ripe pear alongside Turkish delight, ginger and mandarin peel. With air come hints of jasmine, musk and exotic spice. The palate is lush and silky without becoming heavy, with ripe stone fruit and lychee lifted by fresh acidity. Ginger, rosewater and citrus peel bring energy through the middle before a long, fragrant finish with a gentle spicy kick.

This is where dinner gets fun: Thai red duck curry, crispy pork belly with five spice, Vietnamese lemongrass chicken, spicy prawn laksa or washed-rind cheese with quince paste. My pick would be the duck curry — Gewürztraminer’s perfume and gentle richness are glorious against coconut, chilli, lime and aromatic Thai basil.

Cellaring: Drink now to 2032.