The 2009 Heritage Collection Huntaway Late Pick Riesling presents intense lemon marmalade, candied fruit and preserved ginger aromas with a whiff of acacia honey. Sweet, concentrated and viscous on the palate, it is lifted with racy acidity and finishes long and pure. Drinking now, it should remain good though 2015+. Sherwood Estate was started 25 years ago by Dayne and Jill Sherwood. They now have 8 vineyards covering 200 acres - 3 in Marlborough and 5 in Waipara. “Waipara has good mid-palate weight compared to Marlborough with lower cropping in general and the tannins tend to be a bit firmer,” Dayne commented during my visit in July 2011. The wines are naturally fermented using indigenous yeast. The “Heritage” range is made purely with Waipara fruit, with these wines in particular aiming at “being different from your average NZ wine”. These guys are doing a commendable job and their prices offer incredible value.Importer: Southern Starz, Huntington Beach, CA; tel. (714) 892-3030

The 2008 Heritage Collection Huntaway Late Pick Riesling has an attractive, herbaceous, slightly pithy nose with pear skin and just a little reduction that blows off. It has a sweet entry with honeysuckle, green lemon and apricot flavors with a sweet defined finish (95gms/L). It actually improves with aeration, nice acidity with a lime-tinged honeyed finish. Drink over 3-5 years. Importer: Southern Starz, Huntington Beach, CA; tel. (714) 892-3030