Our Wines
We make wine that reflect the Waipara Valley terroir; spicy, fruity Pinot Noir; tropical Sauvignon Blanc; intense and luscious Pinot Gris and crisp, citrus driven Riesling. And we are one of a handful of vineyards in New Zealand making Tempranillo.
Chardonnay
Chardonnay from North Canterbury is crisper and more steely than its northern counterparts. Its early ripening means we tuck it in underneath the wind machines to protect it from frost. We have very high quality clones and the wine is aged in oak for a full bodied wine.
Sauvignon Blanc
Sauvignon Blanc from Waipara Valley is more likely to have tropical and gooseberry flavours, unlike the herbaceous Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. We also have low crop yields to increase fruit intensity and flavour. We make two styles of Sauvignon Blanc; a traditional New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, and in our Grand Reserve range a barrel fermented Sauvignon Blanc.
Pinot Gris
Pinot Gris is a lovely aromatic grape and produces wines that range from full-bodied and spicey through to lighter and fruitier styles. Grown on our Limeloader vineyard our Estates Pinot Gris is a drier style, with the Grand Reserve a richer, more Alace style.
Riesling
Riesling is our oldest white grape; we've been making award winning Rieslings since 2011. Our typical Riesling has citrus flavours with around 20g residual sugar, great acidity and the potential to age well, if you have the willpower.
Rose
Our Rose is made with the saignee method where the grapes are soaked in open topped fermenters for 24 hours, then bled off to produce a stunning fruit driven Rose. Think strawberries and cream with a crisp finish!
Tempranillo
Tempranillo is the grape in red Rioja, those rich sumptuous reds from Spain. We are one of a handful of New Zealand vineyards producing Tempranillo and we believe we are the second most southerly vineyard in the world! All the wines are delicious examples of cool climate Tempranillo with reserves only made in the hottest years.
Pinot Noir
The Pinot Noir vines are the oldest on the property, first planted in 2002. The vineyards produce wine with intense dark fruit and earthy flavours helped by ageing in French oak barriques (20- 25% new). They do consistently well on the international stage with the Grand Reserve Pinot Noir 2014 picking up a top 7 New Zealand Pinot Noir from Decanter (UK).
