Deep Down Arneis 2019

There is not much Arneis planted in Marlborough – actually there is not much out of its home in Northern Italy. Winemaker Clive Dougall has been working with fruit from ten Arneis rows in Marlborough for a while now and scored it again for the first vintage of Deep Down.

Made from organically grown fruit with extended skin contact the wine is unlike any Arneis I have seen before. It is exotic and aromatic with floral peach skin fruit – it is almost explosive with a savoury almond edge. The wine is then dry, crisp, light weight, even elegant with a very long and pure palate. There is a slightly creamy texture too thanks to a partial ferment in oak. The wine also has a bit of grip to finish making it a delicious food wine well matched to just cooked fresh pippies.