Maison Noire Hawke’s Bay Arneis 2020 $22 
Guillaume Thomas has been crafting some of the best local Arneis I’ve ever tasted, and clearly this Italian variety (nicknamed Little Rascal due to its fussy, tricky nature) thrives in the lime and clay soils of his tiny vineyard on the Waimarama Road. Crammed with creamy nectarine, peach and pear on the nose and palate, with layers of citrus zest, honeysuckle and soft herbs cocooning a seam of crunchy-fresh acidity. Long on flavour, it’s a magically mouthwatering thing to sip and I absolutely love it!
