Spotlight on… The Ned and Marisco wines
By Joelle Thomson
Marlborough winemaker Brent Marris is one of the most talented wine producers in New Zealand and has vast experience in many aspects of the industry, including founding several wine brands in Marlborough, most famously his current projects, The Ned and Marisco. He understands the region’s hot days, cool nights and high diurnal (day-night
temperature variation) range extremely well and all that these factors bring to great white wines and aromatic reds, such as the wines in this week’s top tasting lineup.
Marris’ father, the late John Marris, was one of the team to plant the first grapes for the modern Marlborough wine scene and the family has had a significant impact on the New Zealand wine industry’s success as a result.
18.5/20
5 stars
2018 Marisco The King’s Series Bastard Chardonnay
The King’s Bastard is not just a pretty cool name for a wine made from the world’s most popular white grape variety, it’s also a super tasty, dry, full bodied cool-climate Chardonnay. Flavours span the gamut of ripe lemon and white peach to toasty oak. This is a complex Chardonnay at an accessible price, showing what this great white can be, in the right hands.
16.5/20
3.5 stars
2017 Marisco The King’s Series Thorn Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris is the fourth most planted grape in New Zealand today and has gone from almost zero (381 hectares back in 2004) to white hero (2488 hectares in 2019) in incredibly short order. It’s capable of making dry, medium and sweet wines but the majority fall in the middle somewhere, erring towards dry, such as this crisp and refreshing one from Marlborough.
17.5/20
4 stars
2019 Marisco The King’s Series Favour Sauvignon Blanc
The King’s Series Favour Sauvignon Blanc is a classic dry, medium bodied Marlborough white made from the region’s (and the country’s) most popular grape. It’s fruity in taste with balance from the fresh acidity adding zesty refreshing length. Very good quality and from a great vintage.
17.5/20
4 stars
2017 Marisco The King’s Series Wrath Pinot Noir
Marlborough’s secret weapon is Pinot Noir, which consistently punches above its weight in a region devoted to whites. Marisco King’s Series Wrath Pinot is no exception. Spicy, cloves and red fruit combine in a well priced, medium bodied and refreshing red which is ideal for drinking year round. Very good value for money.
17.5/20
4 stars
Marlborough Chardonnay at its best with citrus fresh acidity balanced by delicate creamy notes and a spicy finish. This is dry, fresh and full bodied with a lingering, flavoursome finish. Great value for money. This wine over delivers on taste and value, big time.
16.5/20
3.5 stars
Rosé is on a roll in New Zealand this pale version from Marlborough tastes dry and crisp balanced by bright fresh red fruit flavours of red summer berries, melon and red apple. It’s light bodied and great value for money.
Joelle Thomson is a wine writer, journalist and author. She’s an avid lover of wine and currently writes for Capital magazine, Good magazine, NZ Winegrower, Drinksbiz, and her own site, www.joellethomson.com.
She also teaches, works in radio, and more, so we've enlisted her help to sniff out our amazing value wines!
