One of the stars at our recent Fashion in the Vines event was Jules Taylor wines. We asked expert Joelle Thomson to put her spin on her favourites and why she rates these delicious wines as highly as we do.
“Jules Taylor has done a great job in bringing out the interesting spicy appeal of this quirky white grape, which shines in a luscious, full-bodied style, which tastes fruity but is bone dry. Delicious.”
BeautyEQ writer Joelle Thomson
Jules Taylor Marlborough Pinot Noir, 2019 $30
Pinot Noir is all the rage, and while Marlborough is better known for Sauvignon Blanc, its Pinot’s deserve to share the spotlight, especially in wines like this full-bodied, spicy Pinot made by winemaker Jules Taylor. This super juicy, medium-bodied wine is made from hand-harvested grapes grown in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys, which deliver up wine with a spicy, succulent, dry and savoury style. Every sip lingers.
Serve with: Roast beets with spinach and feta, or venison loin with caramelised red onion and tart berry compote.
Graze with: Classic blue cheese and creams crackers or slices of grilled sourdough bread.
Joelle’s rating: 17.5/20
Jules Taylor Gisborne Rosé, 2019 $20
Rosé rocks and it’s on a roll too, thanks to wines like this tasty dry Gisborne pinkie, made by winemaker Jules Taylor from Merlot grapes grown on the Patutahi Plateau. It's dry, fresh, medium-bodied with stunningly fresh flavours and plummy fruit aromas. Love it.
Serve with: Shellfish or fist with a watermelon and mint salad. Perfect for hot weather drinking, or a winter’s day.
Graze with: Goat cheese, green olives, and salted nuts.
Joelle’s rating: 17.5/20
Jules Taylor Marlborough Gruner Veltliner $22
Gruner Veltliner is one of those wines that few people know about, due to its original homeland in Austria and the fact that very little is produced in New Zealand. A small portion of the grapes in this wine were fermented at hot temperatures in old French oak, which brings out the best in the wine, giving it a dry, full bodied character, with the majority of the grapes adding their freshness from fermentation in stainless steel at cool temperatures to preserve the bright fruit driven flavours in this wine. Jules Taylor has done a great job in bringing out the interesting spicy appeal of this quirky white grape, which shines in a luscious, full-bodied style, which tastes fruity but is bone dry. Delicious.
Serve with: Marlborough mussels with fresh chilli, a touch of honey and a generous splash of lime juice. Or zucchini, rosemary, and thyme linguine with or without a chicken breast.
Graze with: Blue cheese, honey, and chilli olives.
Joelle’s rating 18.5/20
