Prima Donna is the top Pinot Noir and best red from Pegasus Bay Winery, made from a blend of barrels tasted by the winemaking team and chosen for their quality and superior style. It is produced by Mat Donaldson and his winemaking team, who aim to create the most complex and balanced Pinot Noir possible in this wine, which is part of Pegasus Bay’s reserve series wines. 

Traditional Burgundian winemaking sees the inclusion of approximately one third of the grapes in this blend fermented as whole bunches. The maturation is in French oak, approximately 45% new, for 18 months, using oak barriques from selected artisan Burgundian coopers.

This wine drinks well now and can also age superbly for 10 years and further, in cool cellar conditions.

* Prima Donna Pinot Noir is produced only in vintages regarded as exceptional quality. 

Greystone is one of North Canterbury's wine stars situated on the slopes of limestone rich hills in Omihi. All of the grapes that go into Greystone wines are 100% certified organic with BioGro NZ and all are estate grown. No additional fruit is purchased to supplement production, which is one of many incremental steps that go into Greystone's high quality wines.

This pretty pale pink rose is made from 100% organic Pinot Noir. Aromas are plentiful with red berries, cream, brioche and lingering mineral notes. Summer berries and tropical notes flow through to the palate, finishing with focused acidity.

Certified organic with BioGro NZ.

About Greystone

The Greystone wine story began in 2000 when the Thomas Family bought an old sheep farm on the Omihi hills in the Waipara Valley, North Canterbury. The rolling limestone hills lured this family in and their goal was a single minded one: to make great wines from the limestone rich soils here. Fast forward 20 years and Greystone is one of the great (and, some might say, yet to be fully discovered) wineries in this outstanding wine region. Not least due to the work of winemaker Dom Maxwell and general manager Nick Gill, who began working together in 2005 and has grown along with the brand and quality. 

Delicious succulent Chardonnay from North Canterbury made from a great vintage for Ataahua Wines. This drop dead gorgeous Chardonnay is full bodied, bone dry and incredibly succulent with lively crisp citrusy flavours and excellent concentration. Complex flavours of ripe grapefruit, white peach and nectarine are beautifully integrated with freshly crushed white nuts and creamy aromas. 

Ataahua is owned by Stephanie Henderson-Grant and Andrew Grant. Their vineyards are based in the Waipara Valley, the heart of North Canterbury's wine region.

VINEYARD - The fruit from this wine was sourced from a single Waipara Valley vineyard.  The fruit is left on the vine to ripen until the berries start to lose moisture and shrivel, concentrating the flavours and producing a rich style of Pinot Gris. 

SOIL TYPE - Alluvial gravels

WINEMAKING - The fruit was hand-picked and meticulously hand sorted. The juice was fermented warm by indigenous yeasts in aged French oak barriques.

TASTING NOTES - Wonderfully fruited and fragrant, the bouquet shows mango, golden peach, poached pear and rich floral aromas, leading to a splendidly flavoursome palate offering opulent fruit flavours with spicy nuances, finishing long and delicious. Gorgeously styled with rich tones of ripe fruit intensity backed by juicy acidity. Sam Kim - Wine Orbit.

A sturdy, mid-weight red showing layers of raspberry, black cherry, and a hint of liquorice. Smoky oak and a core of stony minerality add depth, while firm, drying tannins provide structure and grip. It’s a bold, slightly untamed style that promises to reward a few years tucked away in the cellar.

Vinification

All fruit is estate grown organically, with the majority of the clone being Mendoza. All our Chardonnay is hand harvested and whole-bunch pressed,
but they are lightly crushed first, this allows the juice to be extracted at very low pressures. Each parcel of fruit is kept separate and vinified and aged
individually. The juice is allowed to oxidise pre-ferment which makes the final wine more vibrant, long-lived and intensely flavoured as finished wine.
All parcels take most of the lees from pressing to barrel for wild fermentation and are aged in French oak with 25% being new. To keep the structure of
this wine, we allowed only 50% of the barrels to go through spontaneous malolactic fermentation, with no battonage. The total time in barrel is about
10 months before being combined into one blend in mid-February, The wine stays in stainless steel tank for 6 months on lees which allows for the acid
to become precisely defined and adds texture - then finished with no fining and only gentle filtration.

Wine
Green gold with silver flecks.
Aromas of grapefruit, orange zest, grilled white stonefruits, chared applewood with underlying peach blossom and oystershell.
Fresh citrus dominates with crunchy nectarine, crystalized pineapple, sweet baking spice and a saline minerality in support. A fine acid structure is
coated with a silky texture to give a long complex finish.

Hand-picked and fermented with natural vineyard yeasts and aged in 20% new French oak barrels and 38% in a concrete Tulipe for 12 months before settling in a concrete Tulipe on light lees for a further 5 months. Bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Slightly hazy, lemon golden hue. Complex aromas of grilled nuts, citrus fruits, florals and a hint of lemon rind. Mouth-watering acidity drives the wine with laser focus, flavours of citrus fruits, toasted nuts and a creamy texture gives the wine body and weight. A classic North Canterbury Chardonnay that is fully ripe and saline.

A razor-sharp Riesling that keeps its cards close to its chest. Flint and citrus peel edge around a core of dry, chiselled fruit, while subtle spice lingers in the background. Brisk acidity slices through, creating a taut, electric structure. Beneath it all, the first whispers of smoky sweetness and mellow honey hint at what’s to come. It wraps up with a firm, grippy finish that leaves a lasting impression.

2022 FIELD OF FIRE CHARDONNAY

Season summary
Under the influence of La Nina, the vines had good growth and good flowering conditions which resulted in solid yields. 200mm in February had us on edge, but diligent viticulture and a dry March and April allowed us to hang the fruit out till the end of April and achieve optimum ripeness. The resulting wines are an elegant expression of our Waikari farm.

Tasting note
Green lemon hue. Complex nose of minerals, flint, lemons and limes. Taught yet rich and concentrated, flavours reminiscent of lime and samphire. Fine and compact phenolics frame the wine and drive the long, moreish, mineral finish.

Viticulture
Planted between 2000-2002 at 11,111 vines/ha and a second planting in 2018, farmed biodynamically from inception. This unique, south-east facing site has varied soils, graduating from top to bottom on the slope, through primarily shallow (10-15cm) glauconitic clays over well drained limestone. Harvest date: 29 April 2022.

Winemaking
Crushed and soaked for 4 hours prior to pressing. Wild ferment, in aged
French oak barrels. 12 months on lees in barrel, then aged on light lees for
5 months in stainless steel prior to bottling unfined and unfiltered in
September 2023.

Chemical Analysis
pH:3.3
Alcohol: 13%
TA: 7.0g/L SO2: 50ppm
Other additives: None
Suitable for Vegetarian/Vegan: Yes

2022 ANGEL FLOWER PINOT NOIR
Season summary
Under the influence of La Nina, the vines had good growth and good flowering conditions which resulted in solid yields. 200mm in February had us on edge, but diligent viticulture and a dry March and April allowed us to hang the fruit out till the end of April and achieve optimum ripeness. The resulting wines are an elegant expression of our Waikari farm. 

Tasting note
Light garnet hue. With a beautifully expressive nose of rose petals and dried herbs, the complexity leaps out of the glass. Silky texture, with crushed red fruits and with a velvet mineral acidity. Fine tannins support this elegantly floral and savoury expression of Angel Flower in 2022. Great length, subtle flavours that linger long. A elegant wine that has understated power.

Viticulture
Planted between 2000-2002 at 11,111 vines/ha and farmed biodynamically from inception. A beautiful, very steep, north-facing block. Coarse, shallow soils that enhance the aromatics; 15% clay, 5-10% active lime. Harvest dates: 20 April 2022

Winemaking
Carefully hand sorted, fully destemmed and fermented with wild yeasts using infusion methods for 21-27 days. Settled in tank before being transferred to French wooden barrels. Elevage of 18 months, then bottled unfined and unfiltered.

303 cases of 6 x 750ml bottles produced.
pH:3.91
Chemical Analysis
Alcohol: 13.5%
TA: 5.0g/L SO2: 50ppm
Suitable for Vegetarian/Vegan: Yes

2022 EARTH SMOKE PINOT NOIR

Season Summary
Under the influence of La Nina, the vines had good growth and good flowering conditions which resulted in solid yields. 200mm in February had us on edge, but diligent viticulture and a dry March and April allowed us to hang the fruit out till the end of April and achieve optimum ripeness. The resulting wines are an elegant expression of our Waikari farm.

Tasting note
Vibrant garnet with great clarity. The nose has brooding aromas of dark fruits, spicy complexity and florals. Dense, compact palate with a core of umami raspberries and a savoury, resinous complexity surrounded by soft fine tannins and a saline, palate-activating structure. A pure, vibrant and expansive expression of Earth Smoke.

Viticulture
Planted between 2000-2002 at 11,111 vines/ha and farmed biodynamically from inception. An expansive, east-facing slope.Strong, beautifully structured soils; 30% clay, 15% active lime.

Winemaking
Carefully hand sorted, fully destemmed and fermented with yeasts from the vineyard, gently fermented using infusion methods for 21-27 days. Settled in tank before being transferred to French wooden barrels. Elevage of 18 months, then bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Chemical Analysis
Alcohol: 13%
TA: 5.2g/l SO2: 40ppm
Suitable for Vegetarian/Vegan: Yes
410 cases of 6 x 750ml bottles produced.

2022 LION'S TOOTH CHARDONNAY

Season summary 

Under the influence of La Nina, the vines had good growth and good flowering conditions which resulted in solid yields. 200mm in February had us on edge, but diligent viticulture and a dry March and April allowed us to hang the fruit out till the end of April and achieve optimum ripeness. The resulting wines are an elegant expression of our Waikari farm.

Tasting note
Pale lemon straw hue. Mineral complex nose of mandarin, cashew nuts, and crushed limestone. Great depth. Taught, focused flavours envelop the palate. Lemon curd, mandarin peel, nutty flavours unfold. Great length and drive with saline acidity.

Viticulture
Planted from 2000-2002 at 11,111 vines/ha and a second planting in 2018, farmed biodynamically from inception. Steeply inclined, east facing home block. Beautiful soils, with nut and crumb structure and great mineral fertility: 30% clay, 15% active lime. Harvest date: 28 April 2022.

Winemaking
Crushed and soaked for 2 hours prior to pressing. Wild ferment, in aged French oak barrels. 12 months on lees in barrel, then aged on light lees for 5 months in stainless steel prior to bottling unfined and unfiltered in September 2023.

Chemical Analysis
Alcohol: 1 3 % pH: 3.29
TA: 6.8g/L SO2: 50ppm
Other additives: None
Suitable for Vegetarian/Vegan: Yes
409 cases of 6 x 750ml bottles produced.

The name Mon Cheval is in homage to the owner's champion racehorse, Under Cover Lover, whose winning ways helped the dream of making wine possible. The 2.2 hectare vineyard is found at the entrance to Weka Pass in North Canterbury, and is planted with Pinot Noir and only a small amount of Riesling.

Silver Wing Ceramic Sauvignon ticks lots of boxes from the funky, earthy aroma notes to the fresh bright acidity that gives Sauvignon Blanc its refreshing edgy flavours. And it also ticks the vegan box. 

Winemaker Andrew Fox focusses on low intervention winemaking methods, including no filtration which may result in lees sediment in the wines, which is harmless and looks like small crystals. 

Silver Wing wines are made by Andrew Fox in the Waipara Valley, North Canterbury.  

Vinification

Our Estate grown grapes are hand harvested, then whole bunch pressed gently over several hours. The must settled overnight before being racked off gross solids taking only fluffy lees. Fermentation is allowed to proceed slowly at low temperature and stopped when the sugar, acid, alcohol and phenolics are in balance. We hold the wine at a cool temp for the remainder of it’s time in the cellar to retain its natural co2 spritz from primary ferment. The wine is racked and spends 6 months on fine lees before bottling.

Wine

Pale green gold and silver streaks. Delicate notes of apple blossom, honeysuckle, mandarin zest with mineral undertones.On the palate - lime oil, fleshy stone fruits, ripe red delicious and tangerine peel. Bright acidity gives the palate freshness and is balanced with generous fruit sweetness. These aspects are accentuated by the natural spritz retained from fermentation which give a lift in the midpalate. The reprise is long and lingering with a satisfyingly crisp clensing texture.

Tech

Parcel 1: Picked 31/03/23 pH: 2.96 TA: 9.20 Brix: 20.5

Parcel 1: Picked 04/04/23 pH: 2.92 TA: 9.20 Brix: 21.7

Final Wine: Bottled 28/03/24 pH: 2.86 TA: 8.17 Alc: 10.3% RS 27.8g/L