Forrest Estate Wines

Classic “ Kiwi” Riesling with an attractive nose of green apple, citrus fruits, lemon blossom and just a hint of Manuka honey; its delicate, crisp and finely balanced with a splash of residual fruit sweetness. Our 2009 is without doubt the best ever example of this style we have achieved – intense, concentrated and harmonious wine with tort acidity and a long minerally finish. A great each way bet to enjoy now youthful, zesty and fruity or cellared for greater complexity and later enjoyment.

Our Gewurztraminer is grown on two distinctly different vineyard sites within Marlborough’s Wairau River Valley. The first, our home vineyard, is in the middle of classic Wairau River gravels. Stony, free-draining, warm, devigorating soils, which are ideal for the production of small berries packed with exotic, spicy flavours - ginger, lychee, rambutan and nashi pear. Star anise, freshly-grated root ginger and lychees on the nose while the palate shows chewy Turkish Delight, Asian spice aromas, a rich luscious texture with a soft seductive finish. A ripe, luscious example of Gewurztraminer that is the perfect compliment to modern fusion food now so popular in New Zealand and Australia.

Forrest Pinot Noir 2009 Each plot individually hand harvested, fermented separately in 2-5 ton open top tanks, hand plunged regularly throughout fermentation. Then aged for 12 months in 20% new/ 80% older French oak barriques; with lovely fruit flavours to shine bright. Tasting Notes Our 2009 Pinot Noir has delicious flavours of raspberry, strawberry and blackberry; a distinct underlying dark fruit cake character and hints of lavender and violets. The taste is all dark fruit cake and plum with hints of spice and a savoury after taste. It’s full, complex and delicious on the palate; it will soften over the next 3-5 years to be at its most attractive drinking.

100% grown in the famous Wairau Valley of Marlborough. Here, in ancient riverbed stones and gravels the vines struggle to survive, producing only a handful of deeply coloured, intensely flavoured grapes with soft tannins. Bright crimson coloured wine with aromas of fresh cherries, raspberries, nutmeg, spices and anise. The palate is restrained with sweet fruit flavours, and very fine tannins. Dr John Forrest Owner/Winemaker

Dr John Forrest’s love of innovation and experimentation were tested in his attempts to produce this lower alcohol, yet full flavoured Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Careful selection of Sauvignon Blanc clones, vineyard site and microclimate, where these chosen vines were grown, has resulted in this innovative wine. Blackcurrant, lime and passion fruit aromas abound on the nose of this appealing wine. Punchy, ripe and crisp on the palate with impressive richness, body and a refreshing finish. A modest 9.5% alcohol, yet so drinkable, for lunchtime or anytime. Dr John

Grüner Veltliner (Pronounced Grew-ner Velt-lee-ner) is Austria’s signature white grape varietal and is grown in most of its wine regions. It produces wine styles ranging from dry and minerally from steep rocky hillside vineyard to aromatic and rich wines from deeper loess soils. The flavour profile can range through grapefruit , ripe citrus, white pepper, stone fruit, herbs and honey. We have planted our Grüner Veltliner on our Condors Bend vineyard in the centre of the Wairau Valley. These soils are classic Marlborough, free draining soils, silty/stony riverbed derived. This variety can be vigorous and needs careful tending to avoid excess crop levels, diligent pruning, crop thinning ...

This sweet wine is gorgeous – adding to a long pedigree of superb Forrest, Marlborough Botrytis Rieslings. It’s deliciously ripe, exudes lovely citrus fruit, apricot and spice flavours, Botrytised honeyed fragrance, finely poised, crisp pure and rich. A world class sweet wine.

Alluring nose of ripe apple, pear and honeysuckle flavours; with just a hint of orange blossom and cinnamon spice. These ripe fruit and floral aromas carry through on the palate taste. Delightful; it’s a beautifully balanced wine, just dry with a full soft palate and refreshing lingering finish. So enjoyable to drink lightly chilled, on a summers evening or best matched with delicately flavoured Asian fusion food.

The wine is grown from seven distinctly different sites within Marlborough, during 2011 grapes sat part harvested on few or more occasions to maximise the flavour, acid and textured profiles we have to choose from when the final blend was assembled. Perfect expression of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc with aromas of lemon zest, grapefruit, elderflower and passionfruit. A balanced well integrated wine with a juicy mouth feel. On the palate; ripe tropical flavours with guava and passionfruit, lively minerality with a crisp finish. Dr John Forrest Winemaker

Distinctive nose and taste of fresh herbs, lemon-thyme, guava, elderflower, box wood and just a hint of passionfruit. The palate is full and textured, refreshingly crisp, drying and taut with a lingering minerally “wet stone” after taste. Elegant, subtle and sophisticated Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, true to it’s Loire roots. It has been created to flourish with time – peak drinkability 3-5 years.

Now assuming cult status in the New Zealand wine scene the Doctors’ Riesling continues to amaze wine critics and novices alike. Grown on our stony Condors bend vineyard at Renwick the fruit ripens slowly, in Marlborough’s cool dry autumn climate, gaining flavour interesting yet retaining all important acidity. Harvested early at low sugars the grapes are gently pressed, cold settled and given a cool slow fermentation which was arrested around 8.9% alcohol and 44g/l residual sugar. The final decision on when to stop the wine fermentation is very much decided on taste and acid/sugar balance. Our fifth and, I feel, best yet Doctors’ Riesling shows those signature lime sherbet, granny sm...

Medium to full yellow-green; the bouquet offers intense botrytis aromas yet magically retains the pure lime juice varietal character of riesling. This is not an easy double to achieve. The palate fulfils the promise of the bouquet, gloriously foil and balanced by lingering acid on the finish.

Medium to full purple-red; a mix of blackberry, dark chocolate, savoury and earthy aromas lead into a lively and intense palate with dark berry fruit predominant; well-balanced acidity and appropriate tannins sustain a long finish.

There's a minty aspect to the nose, which no doubt comes from the oak. It lacks the trademark varietal fruit pungency of Marlborough, but has decent flavour and quality, with good balance and softness on the palate. Food: Bluff oysters.

Excellent wine, great for its age and with everything in the right place - peachy fruit, bacony oak, lees work and crisp acidity. Palate offers a big, delicious mouthful of sweet flavours.

Velvety smooth and supple Cabernet. The aromas are enticing with black currant and savoury dark plum merged with some nice fine grained oak. The palate is controlled and effortlessly long, striking a perfect balance. Velvety smooth and immensely powerful.

Superb example of Great Southern riesling. Packed with slaty minerally fruit spruced up with a splash of lemon zest. It's crunchy and tight with a fine piercing acidity sustaining the finish. Great mouth feel. A wine you slip through in no time.

This was a very good vintage for whites down at Denmark, This is a super wine. Complex mealy grapefruit aromas with a subtle butterscotch richness. The palate has a seamlessly complex texture with persistence and great intensity. Power and elegance combined.

Medium yellow-green, showing some development. The bouquet is very rich and full of botrytis character in an apricot/peach spectrum. A voluptuously rich and complex palate is well balanced by a nice twist of acidity on the finish.

Bright, light green-yellow; voluminous spice and lychee aromas leap from the glass. The palate faithfully reproduces the fruit character of the bouquet, beautifully balanced, intense and with no hint of the oily phenolics which can so easily disfigure Gewurztraminer. The hint of sweetness adds to, rather than detracts from, the wine.