Melange Rougir 2025 is a blush co-ferment of Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Semillon and Pinot Noir from Harrison Eaton's Mélange label, grown on the organic Raupo Vineyard in Marlborough. Expect red apple, pink grapefruit and pomegranate. It was rated 92 POINTS by Cameron Douglas, MS. A great wine for anyone who likes a red to chill.
In the glass it first reveals a bright, translucent colour and a lift of wildflowers. It's dry, with fine, chalky tannins and plenty of tension, so it feels like a light red even though four of its five varieties are white grapes.
This is a wine for those of us who enjoy rosé but want a little more grip and character. Mélange suggest treating it like a rosé and serving it cold, which makes it a fantastic weekend wine for a long lunch outside.
What it tastes like
This wine has a lovely mix of red fruit and citrus, with the Pinot Noir giving colour and berry character and the white grapes adding freshness and perfume. Cameron Douglas, MS found a lot of mouthfeel and style, with tannins and acidity squeezing the palate and citrus pith and peel through the finish. It's a wine with real energy, and it's delicious.
Style at a glance
- Body: light to medium
- Sweetness: dry
- Acidity: bright, with plenty of tension
- Tannin: fine and chalky
- Oak: neutral French oak puncheons, which add texture without oak flavour
- Style: chillable blush field blend
Food to enjoy this with
This is a wine best enjoyed with great food. Good matches include:
- Charcuterie and pâté
- Barbecued lamb skewers with yoghurt and herbs
- Salmon poke bowls
- Duck salad with pomegranate and walnuts
- Margherita pizza
- Pork tacos al pastor: a surprise, but the wine's pomegranate and grapefruit play off the pineapple and chilli, and served cold it cools the heat
Who makes it
Mélange is the label of Harrison Eaton, elder son of Marlborough viticulturist Mike Eaton. Harrison was born in 1996 on the Clayvin vineyard, which Mike and his wife Jo planted in 1991. He never trained formally as a winemaker. After a 2016 vintage as a cellar hand at Giesen and time in its organic viticulture programme, he learned in the vineyard and the cellar, with Mike as his teacher.
Harrison started making wine on the side around 2018. His first experiment, a blend of fewer than 100 bottles, became Rougir, and the mixed nature of that wine gave the label its name: mélange is French for "mixture". The wines are wild fermented and bottled unfined and unfiltered, and Harrison's aim, in his words, is "wine that lets the land speak".
The fruit comes from the Raupo Vineyard in Marlborough, which is certified organic by BioGro and certified biodynamic by Demeter. Harrison also works alongside Mike on the family's Eaton wines, in both winemaking and viticulture.
For the 2025 vintage, the wine was started as a rolling ferment. The Pinot Noir was picked first and spent 3 days on its skins to gain colour, with a pied de cuve (a starter culture made from the vineyard's own wild yeast) to begin fermentation. The other varieties were picked 4 days later and whole-bunch pressed with the Pinot Noir. The wine finished fermenting in neutral French oak puncheons, spent 7 months in barrel and 2 months settling in tank, and was bottled unfined and unfiltered.
About the vintage
Wine Marlborough's report on 2025 described a smooth vintage. December was the warmest on record in Marlborough, January was cool, and then a warm, settled February and March gave growers a long, unhurried harvest. Summer rainfall was about half the long-term average.
The crop was large, and growers capped yields to pick more selectively. Winemaker Jamie Marfell said the season was "smooth and easy and didn't miss a beat", with fruit ripening evenly and slowly, and Eva Pemper said "Marlborough has delivered once again on quality".
Critic scores and ratings
- 92 POINTS – Cameron Douglas, MS – camdouglasms.com, October 2026
"For this vintage a blend of Semillon, Pinot Noir, Viognier and Pinot Gris – all lead to a translucent coloured wine, very bright with aromas and flavours of wild flowers and red apple, pink grapefruit and pomegranate. Dry with plenty of tension and palate squeeze from tannins and acidity. There's some finer chalky tannins and along with the citrus pith and peel ideas deliver a wine with a lot of mouthfeel and style, phenolics abound. Best drinking alongside food, no need to chill the wine too much, from day of purchase through 2030+." Rated "Premium".
When to drink it
It's drinking well now, and Cameron Douglas, MS sees it drinking through to 2030 and beyond. Mélange recommend serving it cold, like a rosé.
Technical details
| Winery: |
Mélange |
| Wine: |
Rougir |
| Vintage: |
2025 |
| Variety: |
Co-ferment of Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Semillon and Pinot Noir |
| Region: |
Raupo Vineyard, Marlborough |
| Country: |
New Zealand |
| Oak: |
Neutral French oak puncheons, 7 months |
| Fermentation: |
Wild rolling ferment; Pinot Noir 3 days on skins |
| Organic: |
Certified organic and biodynamic fruit |
| Serving temperature: |
Serve cold, like a rosé |
Where to buy
For international delivery to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, the Melange Rougir 2025 is available from our winenz.com website. For delivery within New Zealand, buy it from thewineryonline.co.nz. You can also buy it at our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores, alongside a large range of New Zealand and international wine. On both websites and in both stores you can select a mixed case from a large range of wines, and if you are visiting from overseas, we can ship it home for you.
Questions we are often asked
Is Melange Rougir a rosé or a red?
It sits in between. It's a co-ferment of white grapes with Pinot Noir, which spent 3 days on its skins for colour, so it drinks like a light, chillable red or a full-flavoured rosé.
Should I chill Melange Rougir 2025?
Yes. Mélange suggest serving it well chilled, as you would a rosé. Cameron Douglas, MS suggested not chilling it too far, so take it out of the fridge a few minutes before pouring.
What grapes are in Melange Rougir 2025?
Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Viognier, Semillon and Pinot Noir, all from the Raupo Vineyard in Marlborough.
How was Melange Rougir 2025 rated?
Cameron Douglas, MS gave it 92 POINTS and rated it "Premium".
Is Melange Rougir organic?
Yes. It's made from certified organic and biodynamic fruit and bottled unfined and unfiltered.
Where can I buy Melange Rougir 2025?
The Winery ships Melange Rougir 2025 internationally from winenz.com to the USA, Australia, UK, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, China and South Korea, and delivers within New Zealand from thewineryonline.co.nz. You can also buy it in our Queenstown and Arrowtown wine stores.
