Established 1851 by the French Marist order, Mission Estate are New Zealand's oldest winery, under continuous management ever since. The city of Lyon's Society of Mary sailed to New Zealand with little more than faith, fair winds and a few healthy vines. Men of Burgundy, they knew from good wine, they chose their ground and planted rootstock near Ngaruroro River between Napier and Hastings at Pakowhai. Agriculture and livestock were a necessity, but the establishment of a productive vineyard was essential. The area is now known as Hawke's Bay, internationally renowned for the rich terroirs of Gimblett Gravels, home of New Zealand's most salient brands...
The burgundy tradition of te ika a maui»
After founding Mornington's eminent Moorooduc Estate and decades crafting the most memorable vintages for Mornington's leading brands, Richard McIntyre established a tiny, single hectare vineyard, on a prominent, high elevation site at Arthur's Seat, with a view to producing limited yields of the most exquisite small batch wines. The techniques of choice are wild yeast ferments, minimal intervention and good French oak, with a nod to traditional Burgundian practices, which allow the wines to speak of provenance, express their specificity of clone and articulate their sense of place. There's not much Bellingham made but every bottle passes through the hands of a team member who has been involved with the vintage since pruning and budburst. An essential inclusion for small batch..
Limited editions by the master of moorooduc»
Fine texture and acidity, a degree of minerality and a lasting, refreshingly crisp finish. Dog Point took the wine world by storm, purely on the basis of its exceptional Sauvignon Blanc... More»
Rich, supple, concentrated berry flavours integrated with fruit and oak tannins, a very good length of flavour. George Francis Morris established a small vineyard in 1859, just two miles east of the current Mia Mia Morris family... More»
A satin palate of sherbet and spiced fruit flavours, ever more intense in bubbles and refined in citrus acidity to balance the exquisite natural grape sweetness. The top shelf in toothsome and dulcetly fragrant, fruit forward frizzante wines, fashioned for those who know what they like... More»
A rich and generous palate shows flavours of bread dough, strawberry and oyster, with a lean acid backbone from its cool climate fruit origins and a lingering creamy mouth feel due to extended time on lees. Australia's latest requisite fashion accessory, a darling little wine for all occasions... More»
Velvet palate of perfumed cherry, plum and dark currant flavours, persistent and refined. A pure, single vineyard wine, from fruit picked off a single plot of Shiraz, planted 1960 and still managed by... More»
It's rich with minerality and fills the palate with its weight of fruit, finishing satisfyingly dry and crisp. Forty percent less carbs and joules? Yes it's true! Two Thirds is a low alcohol, low carb dry wine, assembled... More»
Coonawarra graziers have access to the finest soils for viticulture. Doug Balnaves was born in the very heart of Coonawarra, quite near the sacred cricket pitch at Penola. An accomplished herdsman and shearer, Balnaves took up the challenge of planting vineyards in 1971. Working under the tutelage of legendary Coonawarra winemaker Bill Redman, Balnaves immersed himself in the culture of the vine, ultimately establishing a grande marque of Coonawarra and securing the inaugural presidency of the Coonawarra Vignerons Association. He remains a lifelong member of the Penola Pipe Band. For those who like their wines structured yet satin, powerful yet prettily perfumed, in the mouthfillingly muscular Coonawarra way, the Balnaves brand endures in the tradition of world class vintages grown to Terra Rosa soils, enriched by generations of happy..
The old sheep shearer's shanty»
There were two scrub covered parcels of land, just outside Pokolbin village along McDonalds Road, that local council had long set aside for use as cricket ground and cemetery. Both were ultimately auctioned off to the highest bidders and sown to vine. A third undeveloped site became the subject of a long running feud among the new and old neighbours. Dodgy invoices between the rivals were exchanged and the division of firewood became a further cause of contention. A truce was eventually called by the two protagonists, Brokenwood and Hungerford Hill, for the sake of healthy viticulture. The nascent blocks achieved international renown as the eminent Cricket Pitch and the Langtons Listed Graveyard Vineyard, establishing Brokenwood as one of the most cherished marques in Hunter Valley wine...
Sociable soils make for healthy vine»