Wines of the week

Wither Hills Chardonnay, Marlborough, New Zealand 2009 (£7.50, thewinesociety.com ) New Zealand tends to be associated with two grape varieties: sauvignon blanc and, increasingly, pinot noir. It does chardonnay well, too, though. This example is one of New Zealand's best-value wines (the country still doesn't do cheap): sensitively oaked, it has buttery notes mingled with pineapple and banana, and a crisp finish that would make it at home in the Mâcon. Forrest Estate The Doctors' Arneis, Marlborough, New Zealand 2010 (£15.36, Noel Young Wines, nywines.co.uk ; £14.99, Adnams, cellarandkitchen.adnams.co.uk ) Arneis is a rarity anywhere outside its northern Italian home, where it has earned a reputation for (and derived its name from) being fiendishly tricky to grow. Forrest Estate has done a great job with it, however, producing a warm and wonderful white, with a peachy nose and a generous yet box-fresh palate of crushed almonds. Craggy Range Gimblett Gravels Syrah, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand, 2008 (£18.99, or £15.19 as part of a case of six bottles, Oddbins) For many people, syrah is the great red hope for New Zealand, a variety that arguably shows more promise even than the country's pinot noir. This is a truly delicious introduction to what the Kiwis get up to with the grape: like a very ripe example of a classic Northern Rhône syrah, it has a lovely balance between the savoury and the fruity, with pure dark red fruit, a touch of liquorice and some freshly milled black pepper.