Kenzie Beautiful Strangers 2022

Blending varieties is like blending primary colours on a page. The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.

Beautiful Strangers is an aromatic, orange blend of three varieties from a single vineyard in Waiohinganga (Esk Valley).

These varieties are co-fermented with skins included, coming together from different sides of the flavour spectrum to make a wild and explosive wine.

Floral, orange zest and stonefruit. Skin contact has provided brown spice, tea and a light smoke as a savoury twist on the nose. A fresh, juicy front palate is followed by a tangy grapefruit phenolic and saline finish.

Handpicked Gewurztraminer was destemmed and naturally fermented as whole berries for 10 days with a small addition of Chardonnay juice. Skin contact Pinot gris was split between whole berry and whole bunch fermentation and stayed on skins for 17 days.

All ferments were minimally handled and blended at the press to complete co-fermentation in tank and old puncheon. The wine was left to undergo natural malolactic fermentation and matured for four months at cool temperatures before being racked to tank for bottling.

No fining or filtration. Minimal sulphur was added two weeks before bottling.