Flinty, fleshy, full bodied and deliciously dry. Bull Paddock Sauvignon Blanc is one of Marlborough's top expressions of its most planted grape and an outstanding take on Sauvignon with complexity, depth and great length all providing superb drinking now - this wine works in place of a Chardonnay and will appeal to all white wine lovers thanks to its savoury flavour notes with just a mere hint of tropical fruit. This wine is great drinking now, excellent when paired with food and can also age well for up to four to five years. 

Our example of the classic Marlborough varietal.

Intensely aromatic with ripe passionfruit, nectarine and citrus.

Pinot lovers will adore this spicy, earthy and juicy medium bodied Pinot Noir from Marlborough's Southern Valleys, where elevated hillside vineyard sites benefit the early ripening Pinot grape. This is a great red with structure and impressive flavours for drinking now and also for cellaring, if willpower allows.

This deliciously innovative red wine works well when lightly chilled. It is made in the style of a chillable reds by Jenny Dobson, who says it's her experimental new take on Merlot, made to taste plummy and juicy with earthy notes and a freshness that makes it taste ideal when served lightly chilled. Pronounced dark fruity aromas leap out of this wine, which was given approximately 10% carbonic intracellular fermentation, which lifts its perfumed flavours. A lovely take on Merlot…
The Hawke’s Bay winemaker also produces an outstanding 100% dry Merlot made in a deeper, richer style, which is impressive now and also a keeper for cellaring.

Matahiwi's top and most full bodied Pinot Noir from its home block vineyard on a raised gravel ridge east of Masterton. This wine is dark and has great depth and structure thanks to being made from 50% of the impressive Abel clone; the greatest Pinot Noir variant in New Zealand and all given whole cluster fermentation in this wine to add structure, accentuate dark fruit flavours and a complex note of spice. Unfined. Vegan.

Tasting Note: Deep and complex bouquet of red cherry and sweet raspberry, pomegranate and hints of fresh zesty blood orange. Full-bodied yet extremely elegant, fine-grained but present tannins, minerally, youthful acidity and hints of Five Spice and a deep core of cool, vibrant fruit, lovely length, and persistence. Cellar 12 to 18 years.

Winemaking Notes: Harvested 9th April 2016, bottled 15th February 2018. Hand-picked and carefully selected 100% Abel Clone Pinot Noir grapes. All de-stemmed, cold-macerated and fermented in small batch stainless steel vats and left on grape skins for 4 weeks. Aged in 100% new French oak barriques of the Bourgogne Tonnelleries Rousseau, Remond and Meyrieux for 20 months. No fining and only light filtration before bottling.

“With a slew of red-berry and spicy nuances, this is a super-elegant pinot noir with very fine tannins that are now almost perfectly resolved. Extremely long, polished and mineral finish of the kind you expect from Grand Cru red Burgundy with some age. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold.” – James Suckling, January 2022

“Plenty of spiciness to the hibiscus, ripe-cherry, strawberry, oyster, mushroom and earth aromas. Smoky, too. Full and dense. Then it changes to dried cherries with some citrus, closing up nicely with freshness and intensity. Needs time to open. First bottling of this. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. Better after 2024.” – James Suckling, October 2022

Certification: Organic

Alcohol: 14.0%

Variety: Pinot Noir

Region: Wairarapa, New Zealand

Holly is a gorgeous dark fruit expression of Pinot Noir made from a blend of grapes grown on top quality vineyard blocks at Matahiwi Estate in the northern Wairarapa. This vintage was a warm, dry one, which produced high quality grapes, which result in this beautifully balanced, full bodied, spicy and dark fruited Pinot Noir. Hand picked grapes and meticulous attention in the vineyard create great raw material which translates into a silky, gorgeous Wairarapa Pinot Noir to drink now. 

Beautiful by name and beautiful by nature. This new Riesling puts North Canterbury's best white wine foot forward with its candied lemon, concentrated mandarin and ripe grapefruit aromas,. It's a light bodied, powerful white with rich citrus flavours and a super long finish. This wine's intensely aromatic mid palate ends on a crisp refreshing note.

It contains 21 grams residual sugar (medium dry style) but finishes on a dry note.

Under the direction of Chief Winemaker, John Kavanagh, the Te Kairanga winemaking philosophy places a premium on the character of the site. The grapes are harvested block by block and vinified individually with punch-downs and gentle pressing to ensure full extraction without sacrificing elegance. Balanced oak treatment and minimal fining and filtration help preserve both varietal character and the inimitable personality of the terroir.

Viticulture 

Grapes sourced from our own Fromm Vineyard (5.1%), from Churton Vineyard in the Waihopai Valley (18.8%) and from two sites in the Brancott Valley, Yarrum (25.4%) and Wrekin (50.7%). No herbicides, pesticides or systemic fungicides used. Only approved natural fertiliser applied. All vineyards certified organic (BioGro).  

Winemaking 

Hand-picked between March 16th and 31st. 100% destemmed while retaining a high portion of whole berries. Selected parcels from each vineyard were individually fermented on “wild” yeast and vinified into single vineyard wines, providing the blending components for this Cuvée. Average time on skins between 14 and 28 days. Matured for approximately 14 to 18 months in French oak barrels (less than 10% new). 

Wine facts

Grape variety  Pinot Noir

Bottled   March 2022 under cork at FROMM Winery

Labelled and packed at FROMM Winery

Production  7044 bottles and 18 magnums

Cellaring potential 2036

Winemaker  Hätsch Kalberer

Store   10° – 14° Enjoy   16° – 18° 

Wine analysis  Alcohol   13.5%

Total acidity  4.6 g/l pH   3.63

Residual sugar  less than 1 g/l 

Winemaker’s comments - Dense, deep red colour. The nose is concentrated yet fragrant with dark fruit aromas, complex, focused and very expressive. On the palate again concentration without being heavy. An elegant Pinot Noir with beautiful transparency, excellent structure and tension and very fine tannin support in the finish, reflecting one of our most exciting vintages since 2010. 

Food match - Beautiful with venison, wild game, beef, lamb, vegetarian dishes, cheese and charcuterie, chocolate, raspberries and strawberries.

Pear, lime zest, almond and cream soda on the nose accentuated in a weighty, textural, aromatic Pinot Gris with fantastic cool climate freshness from a notably cool growing season.

This flavoursome white puts Pinot Gris' best foot forward and shows the high quality wine region of the Waitaki Valley in North Otago at its best.

'Deep ruby hue with inviting savoury, fruit and floral aromas including Portobello mushroom, dark Ghana chocolate, cedar, blackberry, *Bing cherry and lilac flower. The palate is also complex with layers of dark fruit, spice, and umami that are woven together by a fresh vein of acidity. The texture is vibrant and delectable with fine, firm tannins that build in the mouth giving a long, memorable finish. Playful with understated power, this quintessential Bendigo Pinot has a tangy freshness that comes from grapes grown at elevation. Intriguing and approachable in its youth, this wine should develop beautifully for 15+ years. (*Bing cherry originated in the Pacific Northwest in Milwaukie, Oregon, the town where I was raised.  This wine evokes many happy memories for me and I wish the same for you). ' 

Jen Parr - September 2023

The four Valli Pinot Noirs

The four sub regions that winemaker Grant Taylor makes Pinot Noir from each year encompass widely varying landscapes, soil types and climates from the maritime influenced weather in the Waitaki Valley Vineyard on the ironically named Grant's Road; a site that Grant Taylor owns, through to the semi continental climates of Gibbston, Bannockburn and Bendigo. 

Bendigo

Valli Bendigo Pinot Noir is made from grapes grown on the Chinaman's Terrace Vineyard in Bendigo, Central Otago. This elevated vineyard was planted in 2005 between 314 metres and 374 metres above sea level with five different Pinot Noir clones; Abel, 115, UCD5, 667 and 777. The soils are shallow sandy loams with a high clay content and also include a small lower section with gravel soils.  Bendigo has a semi continental, arid climate. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Bannockburn

Valli Bannockburn Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on the Hall Vineyard, which was planted in 2000 in Bannockburn at 350 metres above sea level. This area has a semi continental climate. It is planted with six different clones of Pinot Noir; namely, 777, 115, 10/5, UCD5, 113 and 13. The soils here are wind blown loess over schist bedrock. They are deep, moderately sandy and free draining. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Gibbston Valley

Valli Gibbston Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on the Gibbston Highway, which were planted between 1999 and 2000 at between 343 and 351 metres above sea level. The Pinot Noir clones on this site are 777, 115, UCD5 and 114. Soils are alluvial loess which ranges from 0.5 to 1 metre deep over firm river gravels.

Rainfall is lower here than in Bannockburn and Bendigo. The climate is considered semi continental. The vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.

Waitaki Valley

Valli Waitaki Pinot Noir is made with grapes grown on Grant's Road in the Waitaki Valley, a maritime influenced climate planted between 2004 and 2005 at 200 metres above sea level on limestone based soils. River gravels also make up some of the soil type here and vines are cane pruned and grow on a vertical shoot positioning (VSP) trellis.