Wine review by Raymond Chan Wine Reviews http://www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz/
Franzi Grab and Lex Thomson own a vineyard on Kaituna-Tuamarina Road on the northern bank of the Wairau River. They have 4 ha of Sauvignon Blanc, planted in 2008 and 2009 but also, interestingly, 1,000 Arneis vines, planted in 2008 and 2009 after being impressed with the variety while travelling in Piedmont. The vineyard is tended by both Franzi and Lex, who are trained viticulturists and winemakers, the vineyard certified BioGro organic in 2014. I have reviewed the Tua Marina Arneis from the 2014 vintage. The wine is made carefully with subtle inputs, and shows consistency of style. Here is my review of the 2017, from according to Franzi, a difficult harvest which required intensive vineyard work and strict fruit selection to ensure only healthy and ripe fruit was employed. A lighter and more delicate wine has resulted, but one that has typical varietal characteristics.
Tua Marina Vineyards Marlborough Arneis 2017
Bright, very pale staw colour with slight green hues, near colourless on the rim. The nose is softly concentrated and packed with aromas of savoury white stonefruits and florals with stonefruit kernels and nutty notes, unveiling suggestions of oxidative complexities. The aromatics are harmonious and integrated. Dry to taste and medium-bodied, the palate has a finely presented, firmly packed heart of savoury white stonefruits entwined with white florals and nutty layers. The fruit is moderately rich and is enlivened by fresh, crisp acidity lending vibrancy and a degree of underlying power and linearity. The wine flows along a fine-textured phenolic line, leading to a dry, thirst-quenching finish. This is a moderately rich, dry Arneis with savoury stonefruit, floral and nutty flavours with good mouthfeel, freshness and linearity. Serve as an aperitif and with seafood over the next 2+ years. Hand-picked fruit, WBP, and indigenous yeast fermented, half in stainless-steel and half in two seasoned oak barrels to 12.6% alc. and 4 g/L RS, the barrel portion undergoing batonnage. 17.5/20 Aug 2018 RRP $30.00
