Hunter's Gewürztraminer 2025, Marlborough RRP from $25.99  

The Wine:  

A fragrant wine led by scents of ripe pomaceous fruits and white pepper, orange and mandarin peel, some yellow citrus then apple and spice. Delicious on the palate with flavours that keep repeating. The spice or herb layer increases carried by the alcohol and acid line. Vibrant and youthful, a wine that will find its happy place by late 2026/early 2027, then great drinking through 2029.  

The vintage:   

A very warm December followed by a cool, temperate summer (January-February) allowed for slow, even ripening.  Above-average, high-volume yields, a bumper crop or a return to "normal" after smaller harvests. Harvest was well-paced, smooth, and dry, allowing growers to pick at optimal maturity. This translates to very good vintage and excellent for some.  

The Food match:  

For cheese fans and what my wife and I call ‘French take-outs’: 

• Washed-Rind ("Stinky") Cheeses: Munster, or Époisses.  
• Creamy/Soft-Ripened Cheeses: Historically dubbed The King of Cheeses – a raw cow's milk cheese, called Brie de Meaux, or just go with a Camembert  
• Blue Cheeses: Roquefort or Gorgonzola.  

The dish: a Moroccan tagine or slow cooked savoury stew. The chef chooses the protein. It’s all about rich and bold earthy flavours, exotic spices such a cumin, nutmeg, ginger, turmeric, allspice, cinnamon, and cardamom. 

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