There’s a light touch to this skin contact blend that we love. It has floral and ginger aromatics, and is crisp and bright with a stone fruit skin-like pithiness. Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Pinot Noir are hand picked from three Awatere vineyards in Marlborough. The varieties are fermented together, on skins for 17 days, with gentle wetting of the cap. Aged in neutral oak for 5 months, the wine is bottled without filtration or fining. 

Marathon Downs is a station in the Awatere Valley that’s been in the hands of Jess Barnes’ family since being drawn from the ballot. Of the 400 hectares, 38 are planted with vines. Jess and her partner Nick Pett are bloody delightful people, and they apply the extensive experience and talent they’ve gained working with other producers to great effect. The wines are stylish and playful but precise.