The texture, or ''mouthfeel'', of a wine contributes to the wine's character and complexity. Alcohol, tannins, polysaccharides and other compounds in wine influence the texture, the tactile sense of the wine on the mouth, tongue and throat.
BEST VALUE
$22.50
Three and a half stars (out of five)
Good value
A fragrant but restrained wine, aromas of roses and lychees with a hint of grapefruit, off-dry with attractive fruit, a soft silky texture and a firm, well-balanced finish.
$27
Four Stars
Good value
Fragrant with rose petals and lychees, exotic and mouth-filling with suggestions of grapefruit pith, hints of nuts, a silky texture, power and length, this off-dry wine is well balanced with a lively finish. Lawson's gewurztraminer is consistently delicious.
$28
Three and a half stars
Average Value
John Forrest, who has vineyards in North Otago and Central Otago, believes the regions produce the best pinot gris. This silky, floral off-dry wine with hints of mineral, grapefruit and nuts and a crisp, dry finish is better balanced than many overblown northern versions.
$25
Three and a half stars
Average value
Fragrant with hints of roses and pears, an underlying minerality and suggestions of buttered toast and nuts, this is a firm young mouth-filling wine with a well-balanced finish.
$40
Four and a half stars
Good value
Daniel Le Brun may have moved on from the brand he established some 25 years ago but winemaker Andy Petrie continues the tradition of quality. Made from chardonnay, this shows the lovely biscuity, nutty, lemony, slightly creamy toast-and-honey complexity and delicious, lingering aftertaste of a fine methode traditionelle.
$40
Four stars
Average value
A rich, mouth-filling wine with lots of flavour suggesting nuts, honey and shortbread from the yeast autolysis, and a fine, crisp, lingering finish. Both the Le Brun bubblies will continue to develop with two-five years' cellaring.
