Lorenzo the Magnificent is made from the incredible 2024 Hawke’s bay grape harvest. The wine takes inspiration from Italian adventures and stories of the Renaissance patron of the arts, Lorenzo de Medici. A blend bringing together the noble grape varieties of Bordeaux and Tuscany – 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Sangiovese.

In Ollie’s experience, he has never come across such a spellbinding wine. The blend speaks of the earth, with captivating aromas of the purest of dark fruits encased in bramble and wood smoke and a fine seam of graphite. Texturally the wine is rich and structured with plush tannins derived from perfectly ripe red grapes. 

The grapes are harvested meticulously by hand, then destemmed before being fermented and aged in Italian ceramic and clay vessels. The use of Clay Amphorae, handmade in Hungary, allows for longer skin contact with the wine after fermentation which helps to build rich, velvety tannins and texture. Ollie also had a chance introduction to a local potter John Gisborne who had made a beautiful 120 litre clay egg that came very close to floating away during the huge flood of 2023. It survived and became the perfect vessel to age the pressed Sangiovese wine. Gravity is used for wine movements within the cellar and natural settling without filtration. May contain traces of romance.

Each bottle has a unique wax seal to ensure authenticity and presented in a premium gift box.

 225 bottles produced. 

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.

Ruby is a wine of energy, rarity and lifeforce. Carbonic
Sangiovese from the biogro certified Osawa Vineyard in the
Mangatahi Terraces, Hawkes Bay and ‘white’ Pinot Noir from the
biogro certified Grava vineyard on the dry river flats in
Martinborough.

Campari like nose; morrello cherry, bitter orange, ruby
grapefruit. There is a drive of salivating acidity given shape
by chalky phenolics. It sits somewhere between dark rose and
chilled red.

Organically farmed Pinot Noir and Syrah from Martinborough and Bridge Pa.

A savoury, crunchy, whole bunch offering sitting at a Pinot Noir weight with flavours that are firmly Syrah

Vineyard:
The Pinot Noir comes from the excellent Grava vineyard which is certified
organic, farmed by Alistair and Karla. The vines are grown on the terraces of
the Ruamahanga river providing alluvial deposits making silt loam soils.

The Syrah comes from the prestigious Bridge Pa Triangle and is also farmed
organically. These soils are free-draining red metal soil, overlaid by alluvium-derived loess, volcanic ash, and greywacke, a composite left behind by the Ngaruroro River that once flowed through the valley thousands of years earlier.

Winemaking:
The Pinot was hand picked and destemmed to a fermenter that was 2 days later topped with hand picked whole bunch syrah. Gentle cap management during fermentation and lightly pressed off of skins 10 days later. The wine was left
to age in seasoned french barrels and undergo malolactic fermentation for 7
months. Racked to tank, the LDR is bottled unfined and unfiltered.

Tasting Notes:
A light savoury style wine with aromas of tamarillo, redcurrants and whole
bunch stemminess. Undertones of cherries, spice and crunchy woody herbs add to
feel that the wine is equal parts savoury and vibrantly fresh.

Technical Notes:
pH 3.79, Titratable acidity 5.4g/L, Residual sugar- dry

Ian and Linda Quinn are among the few growers of the Gamay grape in New Zealand at their Two Terraces Vineyard in Mangatahi, Hawke's Bay. This lovely wine made by Haydon Penny is the made from their vines and in relatively small volumes.

It's extremely aromatic with red fruit flavours and offers a beautiful mix of bright red fruit and earthy notes. Light and lively on the palate, with a crunchy texture and loads of cherry and strawberry, with just a hint of spice. Move over rose…… Gamay is here! Serve slightly chilled.

Grenache was first planted by Villa Maria in 1996 on a small patch of ground on the Ngakirikiri Vineyard in Hawke’s Bay and used to make a reserve wine.

This new addition to Esk’s Artisanal range is made from those grapes. Smooth, soft red with more noticeable acidity than southern French Grenache. Very classic Grenache aromas of red fruit and a smooth texture with elegance and without any hint of new oak flavour or any oak influence.

Commercial description

Zweigelt, one of the most exciting Austrian varieties combines the best qualities of its parents St Laurent x Blaufrankisch. Think of the spice character of Syrah and the floral notes of Malbec. Stunning complexity, wonderful vivid acidity - a flavour powerhouse with elegant structure and a lingering finish. Built to last…

The vitality and exuberance of aromas is mouth-watering before the wine even reaches your palate. Intense ripe blackcurrant and plum jumps out at you like a sucker punch, enveloping Szechuan pepper, cloves, and a hint of nutmeg. Perfect balance in a powerhouse wine as it bursts with vibrant acidity, dark fruit at the core and firm tannins. dark, brooding and savoury melt with freshness on the long, long finish. A wine drinking wonderfully now in its youth but will soften as it matures. A collectors dream...

Commercial description

The ancient, dark-skinned grape variety from Georgia delivers wines that command attention and, at our tiny yield level, devotion. At such concentration, Saperavi with its natural high level of fruit sugar, tannin and acidity turns in a seductive powerhouse like no other wine. Complex, multi-dimensional, structured, and elegant - a wine to truly cherish.

This wine will bring the most critical wine lover to wine heaven. The gorgeous intense, inky colour metamorphoses into a savoury lusciousness. One of the tasting team called it a sexy Georgian in a glass. Deep, rich and packed with black fruit almost jumping out of the glass. Maturing in new barrels refined the powerful tannins to a classy elegance. Rich and complex, multi-layered with an staggering backbone of fruit, acidity and tannin, each sip giving you more and more pleasure. A dazzling wine experience for a wine to cherish. Tasted July 2022.

"The Swiss couple make wonderful handmade reds and whites from an array of grapes, from Viognier to Nebbiolo. In fact, the barrel of Nebbiolo they make is like something from the best of Barolo. Unfortunately, they are tiny production." James Suckling, October 2022 (Suckling is internationally regarded as one of the world's most influential wine critics.)

The wine that dreams are made of must have been a Nebbiolo. A gorgeous wine balanced and poised with heady aromas of floral and light red fruit. On the smooth, juicy palate, polished tannins support succulent cherries, prunes, wild herbs and truffle. It’s already delicious and accessible but will age like your best Barolo or Barbaresco.

Tasting Nebbiolo is an arresting experience because the floral and light red fruit aromas suggest a wine much lighter than it is. Tasting blind it is easy mistaken for a great Grand Cru Burgundy with its firm grip of the pronounced acidity and ethereal structure. This Nebbiolo is without rival, we felt transported to Piemonte, reminiscing of wild herbs, cherries, truffles and prunes. The silky, soft texture and delicious sweetness of the extracts, upheld by a great acidity enough to make the mouthfeel velvety and seductive. A truly regal wine - pure, elegant and perfectly balanced that will last forever if you have the heart to keep it aside.

The Abarino Brothers consist of winemaker Ollie Powrie, Shaye Bird and Ant Saunders who all share a passion for Albarino and a wealth of experience in the NZ wine industry. This is their Gisborne release with oodles of varietal typicity in the form of zingy zesty flavours, bright acidity and a splash of salinity. The perfect match for seafood.