‘MiruMiru’ (‘Bubbles’( is Hunter’s biggest-selling wine in New Zealand. This Marlborough sparkling is disgorged after a minimum of 18 moths on its yeast lees (earlier than its Reserve stablemate) and has a lower Pinot Noir content. The nonvintage I tasted in early 2025 is a blend of Chardonnay (49%), Pinot Noir (48%) and Pinot Meunier (3%), grown in the Wairau Valley. Offering great drinkability, it is fresh, vibrantly fruity and finely balanced, with a very good intensity of peachy, citrusy, gently biscuity flavours, and a lively off-dry smooth finish.

MiruMiru is te reo Māori for sparkling wine; an apt and evocative name for one of New Zealand’s best sparkling wines. Predominantly made from Chardonnay, Hunter’s MiruMiru NV also contains a portion of Pinot Noir and a smidgeon of Pinot Meunier, which combines in this smooth, dry and super tasty fizz. Toasty complex flavours come from Pinot Noir, which balances the crispness of the Chardonay.

Brightly fruited and inviting, the bouquet shows crunchy apple, nectarine and lemon/lime zest aromas, leading to a juicy palate that’s lively and refreshing. Upfront and vibrant, offering excellent drinking.

A well-defined bouquet with a mix of autolysis, ripe stone fruits, crisp red apple, peach, and butter brioche, There’s also complexity, minerality, youthful energy, and style. As the wine touches the palate, the flavours of grapefruit, apple, and stone fruits are mixed with those of autolysis and baked goods. Crisp and dry, with a citrus peel and mineral complexity. The mousse is firm, bold, and refreshing, with the acidity adding to the crisp mouthfeel and youthful grip. Best from 2024 through 2030.

Pale lemon – gold in colour mousse on pouring, tiny persistent bubbles/bead. An aromatic nose of stone-fruit, berry, lemon citrus and vanilla biscuit aromas. Crisp citrus, juicy stone-fruit and green apple flavours on the palate, a nice citrus bite/acidity, then nutty leesy, creamy layers of complexity and texture follow – long, intense dry finish. Comprised of 77% Pinot Noir and 23% Chardonnay, full malolactic fermentation & aged on lees in bottle for a minimum of three years before disgorgement. Gorgeous!

Fresh, bright, the bready, tasty notes interwoven with fruit & a flinty aspect. Very engaging. A lightness of touch to this, a sense of elegance, citrus, bread dough yeasty qualities, delightfully fresh & balanced. So easy to top up a glass of this. With air, that yeasty umami quality grows on the nose, the mousse filling the mouth. Yum.

With Methode Marlborough Day held this week, it seems timely to make it a sparkling wine of the week and what better than the toasty richness of this dry, long aged Pinot Noir led bubbly from Hunter’s Wines. It’s a rhetorical question and a great wine. This is 77% Pinot Noir and 23% Chardonnay, which adds the crispness and freshness to the great depths of Pinot’s body, mouthfilling broadness and layers of savoury deliciousness. Great wine. Great to celebrate being able to enjoy it when the world is so full of so many big challenges right now.

This is one of Marlborough’s best sparkling’s, full and lively, with loads of peachy, yeasty, nutty flavour, and a creamy long finish. The refined, rich 2020 vintage is a vivacious blend of Pinot Noir (77%) and Chardonnay (23%), disgorged after maturing for nearly four years on its lees. Bright, light yellow/green, with a fragrant, biscuity bouquet, it is savoury and complex, with peachy, nutty flavours and a harmonious, off-dry, very smooth and lasting finish.