Established in 1864 by Jean Désiré Féraud, Monte Christo is the birthplace of Central Otago wine. Our wines are made with 100% estate-grown fruit sourced from our vineyards across three distinct sub-regions, the Alexandra Basin, Bannockburn and Pisa. Utilising sustainable farming practices and minimal intervention methods in the winery, the outcome is elegant, refined, and impeccably balanced wines epitomising the terroir of Central Otago.

Tasting note With dark plums and spice, this  Pinot Noir has bright acidity and a soft finish.

VINEYARDS 

Vineyard: Catherine’s (39%) Subregion: Pisa Elevation: 240m Clone(s):  115, 5, Abel Soil: Waenga alluvial sand and silt gravels, loam texture and moderately stoney, derived from schist 

Vineyard: Davishon (31%) Subregion:  Alexandra Basin Elevation: 160m Clone(s):  5, 115 Soil: Blackmans alluvial sand and silt gravels derived from schist and sandstone.

Vineyard: Confluence (21%) Subregion: Bannockburn Elevation: 210m Clone(s): 777, 115 Soil: Manuherikia loess deposited silt material overlaying sand and silt alluvial deposits derived from schist

Vineyard: Paris (9%) Subregion: Bannockburn Elevation: 220m Clone(s): 10/5, 115 Soil: Cromwell loess deposited sands derived from schist

WINEMAKING Brix: 23.3 (avg.) Whole Cluster: 6% Total time on skins: 25 days (avg.), including a five-day cold soak Fermentation: Wild yeasts Aging: 10 months in 33% new French oak

Established in 1985, the Glover Family Vineyards have inspired the family's passion for winegrowing. This family-owned Single Vineyard MK III Sauvignon Blanc is designed to disrupt the norm and stretch conventional thinking within the paradigm of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.

Vine age - 19 years old.

Tasting Note: The MKIII Sauvignon Blanc is designed to disrupt the norm, and stretch conventional thinking within the nuance of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. On the nose, fennel, cut straw & tarragonon. On the palate, coriander seed, umami, & lime.

An alluring bouquet of wild strawberries and cream with a touch of spice, followed by delicate cranberry, ruby grapefruit and and a hint of shortbread.  Vibrant, focused and beautifully balanced. 

Vineyard This wine is from our BioGro certified organic and Demeter certified biodynamic estate vineyard located in the Bendigo sub-region of Central Otago. The vineyard was planted in 1998 after careful site selection and is the pioneer vineyard in Bendigo New Zealand. The soils on the beautiful north facing slope are Waenga fine sandy loam and Molyneux shallow sandy loam soils. The Pinot Noir clones 10/5 and 5 have been used for the production of this Methode Traditionnelle sparkling wine. Planted with a vine density of 3,800 vines per hectare on 44.55° south. 

Cuvee 100% Pinot Noir, hand-picked on the 8th March 2022 in ideal condition. Bottle fermented and aged on lees for a minimum of 24 months. Riddled and disgorged by hand at Quartz Reef.

94/100: "Delicious, fresh, crisp and dry with a core bouquet of strawberry and fruit spice, fresh brioche and cherry, there’s a lees and miso moment, apple and floral complexity. Dry, salivating, crisp and dry with a firm mousse, finesse and charm and flavours that reflect the bouquet. A lovely example, well made, lengthy and fine. Great drinking from day of purchase through 2029." Cameron Douglas 2023 

5 Stars: “The distinctive, non-vintage wine (5*) I tasted in mid 2021 was estate-grown and hand-picked at Bendigo, in Central Otago. Made entirely from Pinot Noir, it is pink/red, with strong peach, strawberry and spice flavours, yeasty, dry (2 grams/litre of residual sugar) and lingering. A very harmonious wine, it shows excellent maturity.” By Michael Cooper, NZ Wines (Aug 21) 

WINEMAKING NOTES
This wine was made from grapes grown on the stony and sandy terrace of the vineyard. The grapes were fermented in open top tanks with inoculated yeast.  Gentle hand plunging was used for extraction, and the wine was then held on skins for an extended period of 4 weeks of post ferment maceration. The wine was then pressed and racked to French oak barriques where it was aged for 12 months. The final blend has a 30% new oak component and 30% second fill.

ANALYSIS
pH 3.69
TA 5.6g/l
Alcohol 13.0%

TASTING NOTES
A fragrant medley of crushed red berry fruits fills the nose, accompanied by scented oak spice, sweet vanillan notes and infused with delicate dried wild herbs. Juicy, concentrated, and full of bright raspberry and cherry fruit flavours, the palate is fleshy and textural, but well balanced with vibrant acidity and fruit sweetness, to give a long and expressive finish.

AWARDS
Silver Regional Aotearoa Wine Competition

Bright sweet fruit, this wine is full bodied with intense boysenberry and forest floor characters. The succulent, juicy black fruits and twelve months oak maturation give it excellent structure and a long finish.

Fresh red berry fruits aromas combine with a distinctive dried herb nose, with layers of pot pourri and spice. Chalky tannins and lively acidity entwine around a core of vibrant red fruits. This is a fresh and aromatic wine of elegance and poise.

A fruit salad of a wine! Passionfruit with white peach, apricot & a light smokiness.  A saline & refreshing acid profile with supple texture.

When I found out there was some Albariño available from the Two Terraces vineyard I was so excited to work with such a refreshing and versatile variety! Already familiar with the quality of the fruit grown by Ian and Linda Quinn, as well as the care and attention to soil health, I did not hesitate to jump at the opportunity.

The whole bunches were hand harvested, de-stemmed and macerated on the skins for two weeks time. A very light daily hand plunge and the addition of my active vineyard starter yeast which fermented underneath the vines. Biodynamic preparations 500, CPP were applied to the soil through out the year, as well as silica quartz (501) to the canopy.

After fermentation was complete the free run juice Albariño was pressed into a large spherical and small Tinajas for ageing on its lees.

This wine is a bouquet of summer memories; nashi pear, lemon blossom and elderflower cordial.  The palate hints at sweet basil and thyme with citrus notes and a lingering dry finish.

Vineyard Sites
We have planted our Arneis on a stony section of the Gibson’s Creek vineyard, right in the centre of the Wairau river valley – classic free draining silty, stony terroir hoping to give the wine its signature “wet stone” minerality. The variety is moderately vigorous and needs careful tending, crop thinning, leaf pluck and trimming to maintain vine balance.

Vinification
The grapes were machine harvested in the cool of the morning, cold settled and cool fermented in stainless steel tanks prior to blending and finishing for bottling in spring.

Analysis at bottling

pH 3.11 | TA 6.2 g/l | RS 5.03 g/l | Alc 12.0%

newwine1023, 

Precious little of this lovely Gamay was made from a vineyard of just 1386 vines of Gamay in Northburn, Central Otago. This equates to 0.33 hectare. What this wine lacks in volume, it more than makes up for in high quality.
It?s a wonder that Gamay is only just beginning to be recognised as the plush little sister to Pinot Noir and here is another small volume, top notch example from Central Otago, which proves the point with its lush mouth feel and lively fresh dark fruit flavours.  

Winemaker Jules Taylor is a champion of adventurous winemaking and grape varieties, such as Gruner Veltliner - and this is a fabulous dry white wine. The Gruner grape originally comes from Austria and is capable of a diverse style of wines, such as this refreshing aromatic and savoury wine.