Man O' War Exiled Waiheke Pinot Gris 2025

Description

Lime, Medium-dry, Nectarine

The 2025 Exiled is a luminous, aromatic white that walks the tightrope between vibrant acidity and delicate sweetness, a beautifully judged expression of island-grown fruit from a long, temperate vintage. Bright and lifted on the nose, Exiled opens with notes of white nectarine, green apple, elderflower, and lime zest, all wrapped in a cool thread of wet stone and sea breeze. The aromatics are crystalline; precise, pure, and quietly exotic. On the palate, the wine is juicy and mouth filling, with a tension that hums beneath the surface. Natural residual sugar offers width, balanced perfectly by electric acidity and a fine, mineral edge. Flavours of mandarin peel, honeysuckle, and stone fruit unfold with each sip, leading to a long finish that feels both refreshing and composed with an element of natural carbon dioxide adding a light spritz the finish. Utterly drinkable, yet far from simple — the 2025 Exiled is a compelling off-dry white, and a standout summer companion. A wine of clarity, coastal character, and quiet confidence.

The 2025 Exiled was harvested from hillside vineyards on the eastern side of Waiheke, and the coastal vineyards that fringe the shores of Ponui Island.

Much of the fruit was hand-picked early in the season retaining vibrant acid and green citrus characters, then progressively throughout the season the fruit was picked at increasing levels of ripeness to follow the flavour curve into mandarin, ginger and a small element of noble fruit.

Crushed to the press and settled overnight prior to racking with varying levels of juice solids retained in the juice, fermentation was long and cool, carried out in stainless steel tanks with selected aromatic yeasts, stopping naturally with a modest amount of residual sugar retained to balance the bright acid line.

Bottled young and fresh, Exiled 2025 captures the unique energy of its site; off-dry by design, and distinctly maritime in character.