The 2006 Pinot Gris is a sublime expression of this varietal: a beguiling, harmonious nose of honey, white peach and bales of hay, the palate an absolute diamond: beautifully defined, a slightly waxy texture with very subtle exotic fruits embellishing the natural, refined finish. This is one of the best Pinot Gris that I came across in New Zealand. Cinematographer Michael Seresin does not own Harry Potter’s magic wand to make great Marlborough wine, but he does have the second best thing in the form of estate manager Colin Ross, an Australian who makes Nicolas Joly look a lightweight biodynamist. Having purchased his first 167-acre parcel of vines in the Wairau in 1992 that constitutes the “Home Vineyard,” Seresin’s wines debuted with the 1996 vintage; since then he has purchased the “Raupo Creek Vineyard” in Omaka, which is undergoing organic conversion and the “Tatou Vineyard” at the western end of the Wairau Valley. All fruit is sourced from these parcels, hand-picked and sorted before being whole-bunch pressed with young English-born winemaker Clive Dougall in charge of the winemaking. Seresin is certainly a name to look out for, producing some wonderful, complex, natural wines. Various American importers, including Martin Scott Wines, Lake Success, NY; tel. (516) 327-0808 and Henry Wine Group, Benicia, CA; tel. (707) 745-8500; Fax (707) 745-8421