Tannat originates from the Madiran region of south-west France – the variety the so-called “French Paradox” is based on. Tannat is known for its huge colour and tannin concentration – in the Madiran region, this grape has the nickname of ‘la folle noir’ – literally ‘the crazy black grape’. It has a unique aroma and flavour profile – vibrant fruit alongside ‘earthy’ notes.

The colour of the wine is a rich and vibrant hue of real intensity. The nose has a totally unique fruit profile of blackberry/blueberry notes and an underlying earthiness with hints of fountain-pen ink and a seam of French oak. At present, the wine displays a youthful vibrancy – our experience is that with bottle age, the primary fruit gives way to earthiness and increased complexity.

There is a burst of black cherry fruit with a fresh lively mid-palate. The winemaking was directed towards softening the tannins to create mid-palate ‘flesh’ – tannins support rather than dominate the palate here. Acid has been managed to enhance the wines vibrancy and fruit.

This huge wine will work well with a wide range of red meat dishes. We expect it to last a very long time – 10+ years.

Approximately 30% new French oak, un-fined and unfiltered. Estate bottled, hand-labelled and individually hand-numbered

This wine has aromas of cassis, ripe dark cherries, toasted spices, and savoury notes. The mid-palate shows fruit sweetness, while generous but fine-grained tannins contribute to a lingering elegant finish.

Vineyard 

Nautilus Clay Hills Vineyard is located on the ridge that divides the Brancott and Omaka Valleys within the Southern Valleys sub-region of Marlborough. The vineyard is divided into 6 discrete blocks with different aspects and slopes and an elevation between 100 and 130 m. Normally picked midway through the Pinot Noir harvest window this vineyard has rapidly become the cornerstone block for Nautilus Pinot Noir where the clay-based soils contribute a silken texture and fine-grained tannins. The vines are trained to a VSP trellis system with a mixture of cane and spur pruning, with a target yield of 1.5 - 2.0 kg per vine.

Melee from Paulmara Estates is a red wine from the Barossa Valley, South Australia. made with a blend of Sangiovese, Shiraz, and Malbec, with a 75%, 20%, and 5% ratio respectively.

This wine offers a variety of fine spices including mint, dried herbs and cedar on the nose which lead to a palate of sweet red fruits  - plum, wild strawberry and blueberry, bolstered with powdery tannins. The Sangiovese provides a fresh acid line, while the Shiraz provides ripe fruit density and richness. The Malbec provides floral notes and red and blue fruits

Altitude adds character to this beautiful savoury Chianti Classico from a hillside vineyard in Gaiole; 500 metres above sea level where cool nights preserve freshness. Hand picked grapes were fermented in stainless steel and the wine was aged for 12 months in barriques and stainless steel. 

Flavours run a broad spectrum of flavours from ripe black berries, cherry, wood and spice into a beautifully complex wine with lovely length and excellent potential for further aging in your cellar or dark, cool corner. 

Kotinga is one of four single vineyard Pinot Noirs made by Ata Rangi from 2020; a great year which was dry and warm with a long autumn and was also the first time single vineyard wines were produced in this way. 

This bright fruit scented wine is made from the Dijon Pinot Noir clones of 115, 667 and 777, which give it aromas of cherry, red currant and plum stone, which set the scene on the nose. The palate opens with a flourish of supple tannins uplifted with fluid acidity. Flavours of grapefruit and juniper spread through to the end of the palate.

Aged in a 2280 litre foudre (very large oak barrel) instead of the traditional 228 litre barrique, to highlight and retain the bright crunchy qualities of Dijon clones grown on gravels. This is a delightful wine and unique expression of Martinborough that is playful now and will also reward cellaring.

As if Lake Wanaka isn't enough of an allure to drink this beautiful bubbly, made from grapes grown in the vicinity, the flavours of this crisp lemony sparkling wine are outstanding. 

Winemakers Sarah-Kate and Dan Dineen describe the flavours in this sparkling wine as "Lemon blossom, brioche and biscuit with hints of almond nuttiness."
They make the base wine from Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, blending the current season wine with a portion of the previous vintage’s bubbly base, matured for an extra 12 months in oak. They add 15% of reserve wine from back vintages, dating back to 2004 to produce complex assemblage, pure and persistent with hints of nuttiness and biscuit. After tirage and secondary fermentation in bottle, the wine is aged on yeast lees for a further 12 to 18 months prior to riddling and disgorging.

Vineyards
- The McKenzie vineyard is located in Waipara close to the winery. The vineyard is a free draining terrace site. The average age of vines varies from 16 years or older.

Wine Making
- All hand harvested in late April and early May
- Harvest brix ranged from 22-23 brix [% sugar]
- Fermentation was in small vessels [1500L] 3 day cool soak, inoculated with yeast,
fermentation varies from 4-6 days peaking at 32 C then allowed 7-10 days on skins. Some components were given extended skin contact up to 28 days.
- Pressing was in traditional Basket Press
- Cooperage was a mixture of French barrels ranging in age from new to 6+ years. Duration is approx 18 months
- Malo lactic [ML] fermentation is natural starting in Spring and the wine is racked and has a SO2 addition once ML complete.
- Bottling is through 1 micron filter

Bottle Details
- Alcohol 13.0 % by volume
- Acid is 5.5 gm/L [as tartaric]
- Volatile Acidity is 0.45 gm/L
- Residual Sugar is < 1 gm/L

Smooth, fruity Italian red blend of Sangiovese, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah grapes. This Tuscan wine is a lovely introduction to the great world of Italian reds in the Antinori stable; a family company that has been continuously producing wine back to the 1300s.

What the critics say...

"It's delightfully fruited and fragrant on the nose with dark plum."

Sam Kim, Wine Orbit

Beautifully expressive Marlborough Pinot Noir driven by red berry fruit aromas that intermingle seamlessly with earthy, savoury flavours in a medium bodied, firmly structured wine.  

Certified organic and biodynamically grown.
Suitable for vegetarians and vegans with no dairy products or eggs used during production.

An exceptional, fruit forward, but complex, organically certified Sauvignon Blanc from one of the greatest vineyards in Marlborough - The Settlement Vineyard. This is a large, certified organic site on a sloping hillside in Marlborough's southern valleys. 

Extremely fresh wine, with red fruit notes, such as raspberries and strawberries. In the palate, it is light, flavourful, full of fruity notes well combined with an agreeable freshness, and a very pleasant aftertaste.