“Take four of these wines each week and savour”

Since their first vintage in 1990 Doctors John & Brigid Forrest have long been synonymous with a wide range of high quality wines from Marlborough, and more recently other regions of New Zealand such as The Waitaki Valley. They have so many varieties on the go it can be difficult to make a choice when visiting their cellar door for a tasting, but what ever you choose, you can guarantee that it will be brilliant.

I recently assisted Brigid and Joelle at the Cellar door with a couple of busloads of Cruise Ship visitors coming in to sample the wines and explore the vineyard and winery – in talking to many of them, the feedback about their experience and the wines they tasted was very positive: in fact a couple from Austria commented on the Gruner Veltliner as being a very good example of that particular variety.

Having been one of the pioneers within the fledgling Marlborough Wine Industry John and Brigid have always given back to the local community and further a field.  They are proudly associated with: The Forrest Graperide, The Speights Coast to Coast, Around Brunner Cycle Ride, the Forrest Marlborough Tennis Centre and as far afield as Canterbury Tennis…

John, Brigid and the team at Forrest continue to make top quality wines from Marlborough & a couple of other wine regions too, which are awarded every year with accolades from New Zealand and around the world.

Here are four of the latest releases from Forrest Estate that I have tasted recently, and can highly recommend that you try them all – wonderful wines….

Forrest Estate The Doctor’s Sauvignon Blanc 2012
Very pale straw almost clear in colour, quite pungent in the nose with some green tomato stalk, tropical fruit & a little capsicum. Then ZING Nice acidity, green apple – fresh fruit on the palate with a lovely sustained finish – Glenys and I both really like this new low alcohol style of Savvy – you will too.
A/V 9.5% – 8.9 gms RS –  RRP $22.00

Forrest Estate The Doctor’s” Arneis 2012
Bright pale with hints of green in the glass, a mix of soft flowers and savoury herbal notes in the nose, crisp clean green-apple acidity, off dry, with a long succulent finish… Went really well with our pan fried Blue Cod Fillet…
A/V 12% – 5 gms RS – RRP $25.00

Forrest Estate The Doctor’s” Gruner Veltliner 2011
Soft pale straw-gold in colour, gorgeous floral nose, succulent palate of peach and refreshing grapefruity citrus, quite textural / mineral with a hint of white pepper, I didn’t pick up the coconut element mentioned in the winemakers notes but it’s full on the finish, very moreish, a great food wine paired with asian cuisine.
A/V 11.5% – 8.7 gms RS – RRP $25.00

Forrest Estate The Doctor’s Riesling 2012
Bright straw coloured in the glass, shy in the nose with limes and granny smith apples, lush palate with great citrus acidity, sweet apricot & tropical fruit and green apple notes – medium wine with wonderful textural elements – finishes long and mouthwateringly (is that a word?). Seems dryer than it actually is with the concentrated fruit and acidity. An excellent low alcohol Marlborough Riesling, serve chilled at lunchtime on a hot sunny summer day..
A/V 8.5% – 31.6 gms RS –  RRP: $22.00

If you wish to try these wines, when in Marlborough do go and visit their cellar door – it’s a family-friendly laid back establishment – grab a tasting experience with 6 wines of your choice to sit outside in the  shade with and enjoy with a selection of picnic nibbles… Visit the Forrest Website for more information, like their Facebook Page or follow them on Twitter