The Hermit Ram Salty White 2022

The Hermit Ram Salty White
The Hermit Ram Salty White is made by Theo Coles, the North Canterbury winemaker also known for his earlier work at Kalex and Mountford Estate, who now works out of the Waipara Gorge with grapes drawn from small, carefully chosen sites. This blend of Pinot Blanc, Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling comes from organic vineyards and is fermented whole bunch, with different parcels ageing separately in stainless steel and amphora before being brought together. Two barrels are deliberately left untopped so a layer of flor can develop, adding a savoury, tangy edge to the final blend. The result is a textural, saline white built around New Zealand's coastal character rather than any single variety's typical profile.

What the winery says:
Golden in colour, the wine carries real intensity, with ripe orchard and stonefruit character layered over citrus and a distinctive saline note drawn from the limestone-influenced sites it's grown on. The flor-affected barrels bring a tangy, slightly nutty complexity that sits alongside the wine's natural acidity and texture. Theo Coles describes the wine as his way of bringing together the saline and floral sides of the New Zealand coastline in a single glass, made with minimal intervention and bottled unfined and unfiltered. It's built to be interesting rather than conventional, and rewards drinking with food rather than on its own.

What the experts say:
Jamie Goode, Wine Anorak (2022 vintage) - 94 points
11.5% alcohol. Full golden colour, this is beautifully salty and fruity with pineapple, pear, ripe apple and some grapefruit. Dense and ripe with nice intensity and a lovely tangy edge from some Flor involvement. Such goodness here.