2023 TWR (Te Whare Ra) "SV5182 Single Vineyard" Rosé Marlborough

Professional Reviews

Staff Reviews

RR

Rachael Ryan

Rachael Ryan

K&L Buyer

Review Date: 08/2025

Named “2025 Rose of the Year” by New Zealand publication The Real Review, the 2023 Te Whare Ra Rosé is a stunning example of a cool climate, vibrant style of rosé. Anna Flowerday of TWR recalls that she long wanted to make a rosé in a gastronomic style, with enough savory texture to pair with food, but her husband and winemaking partner Jason initially balked at the prospect, thinking there wouldn’t be a market for such a wine. We’re happy to report that Anna won the argument, and the critics seem to agree too! Made mostly from Pinot Noir, with a dash of Syrah for complexity, the fruit is sourced entirely from Single Vineyard 5182 located at the winery and is handpicked and destemmed before cold soaking for several hours. The fruit is then gently pressed and fermented at cool temperatures to preserve freshness and more delicate aromatics. The result is a snappy, energetic style of rosé that balances youthful fresh fruit notes (Alpine strawberry, red plum) with faint cherry blossom and grapefruit zest. The electric acidity streaking through the core of the wine ties it all together, delivering an incredibly fresh and mouthwatering finish. With a distinctive grippy element on the palate, this wine would indeed pair well with a variety of foods, from grilled chicken and composed salads to sushi and sashimi or even tinned fish. It’s also really delicious on its own, and quite frankly, difficult to stop at just one glass!

AH

Aaron Hughes

Aaron Hughes

Review Date: 07/2025

While I don't have a "favorite" grape for rosé at this very second, Pinot Noir is always in the discussion. There's this candied fruit nose that even the driest of dry Pinot Noir rosés tend to have, and this wine is no exception. There's just a little bit of a jolly watermelon candy, as well as some of Grandma's strawberry-filled strawberry hard candies, that and just a little touch of something tropical make this smell like a lil treat. The palate is very dry, but with a lot of fruit to it, all of it very pretty and perfectly ripe, with raspberry, strawberry, and a little bit of orange zest. This is definitely a rosé with a lot of fruit there, but there's enough acid to bring it back and stop it from being cloying or too much. This is the perfect pool wine, something you can drink two or six bottles of with your friends and never feel the need to have anything else with it. If you decide to break out the crudité and little cheeses, however, you're not going to be mad you did.

Notes

95 points Stephen Wong MW for The Real Review: "Another pinot noir rosé which avoids the usual trappings of the style is the jaw-droppingly good Te Whare Ra Single Vineyard 5182 Rosé 2023. This is now two years old, but showing no signs of fading. In fact, it has only gotten better with age. Cresting over into gold territory with a whopping 95 points, this is one of the absolute top scoring rosé wines I have tried." /// Te Whare Ra is our longest direct import relationship — 13 years strong — from the Southern Hemisphere. Located in the Marlborough sub-region of Renwick, the winery was originally established in 1979 and purchased by the Anna and Jason Flowerday in 2003. The couple both come from wine families — Anna from McLaren Vale in Australia and Jason from Marlborough — and met while working in Australia before deciding to build their family and business in New Zealand. K&L is TWR’s exclusive US importer, even as their small boutique winery has grown and the accolades have begun to accumulate. In 2025, the Real Review ranked TWR as the #3 Winery in New Zealand, and the #1 Winery in Marlborough. This is incredible recognition for a small 11-hectare winery resisting many of the dominant trends in the region. For the past two decades, Anna and Jason have been producing elegant, expressive wines from certified organic vineyards. This is incredibly unusual for Marlborough, where just 4% of the region’s vineyards are organic.