Dead Flowers is a field blend of Pinot Noir and Gewurztraminer from a single vineyard in Waipara. It is a white and red co-ferment - partly on skins and partly direct pressed. It is then aged in a mixture of oak, tank and amphora.

Crunchy and fresh with mad florals and spicy Pinot textures. Light red in colour and chillable.

A steep vineyard in Omihi that was established in 1999 has now been renamed as Damsteep (aptly enough) and is home to the grapes that find their way into this pretty aromatic Pinot Noir with its smooth and savoury flavours of fruity red berries, wrapped in firmly structured earthy notes and a lingering, silky finish. This is a great drink now from a very good vintage for quality and it will age well for up to five years, possibly longer. It was bottled unfined and unfiltered with minimal sulphur.

Doctors Flat Pinot Noir is a full bodied, dark and age worthy take on Central Otago Pinot Noir by winemaker Steve Davies, who used 22% whole bunch fermentation in this wine, which is made entirely from his three hectare vineyard in Bannockburn, Central Otago, where schist sub soils, clay and fine silt all provide Pinot Noirs with depth and weight. This full bodied, dark Pinot Noir was made from three Dijon clones of Pinot; 115, 777 and 114 and aged for 12 months in French oak, 24% new.

Drinks well now and can definitely age for at least five to six years, and then some...

An expressive full bodied sparkling wine made from 50% Pinot Noir and 50% Chardonnay, given extended lees ageing time to enable the wine to develop complex creamy aromas and layers of flavours with strawberries, nectarine, white peach and freshly baked sourdough bread.

Winemaker notes say that the extended lees time has infused the wine with a delicious umami savoriness, making this 2020 vintage a perfect match for crayfish, oysters and other kaimoana. 

Section 94 is one of New Zealand great white wines, made from a small portion of vineyard land that was named Section 94 on the country's original lands and survey map. It's the brainchild of the highly experienced viticulturist-winemaking duo, Ivan Sutherland (one time Olympic medal winning rower) and James Healy, the grapes are 100% barrel fermented in new French oak followed by aging in oak. Complex, great and long lived maverick wine.

Layers of depth with nutty aromas and full bodied with dry flavours. Drinks well on release and can also age, as this example shows. It is 100% Sauvignon Blanc but is not labelled with the varietal as Sutherland and Healy want to highlight what's possible from the land first and foremost.

All the grapes in Ata Rangi Sauvignon Blanc are hand picked and sorted into portions, many of which go through whole bunch fermentation on skins in large oak barrels which provides smooth, dry flavours and textures. The remaining portions are fermented in stainless steel to retain fruit freshness and crisp characters, which make for a vibrant and complex expression of Sauvignon Blanc from the Wairarapa. 

This is an exceptional wine which shines a new light on New Zealand's well worn Sauvignon theme. Try it!

The name Ata Rangi is Maori for dawn sky and was chosen to portray the new beginning that the start of this winery represented for founder Clive Paton in the late 1970s.

Stonecroft has the oldest Zinfandel vines in New Zealand which originally came from California and now make this deliciously robust, smooth, plummy tasting red in Hawke's Bay. It's a big red but drinks well now thanks to ripe grapes and the accessible flavours of the Zinfandel grape variety. 

All grapes in this wine were hand picked grapes, fermented in stainless steel with hand plunged twice daily to extract tannins and weight gently. The finished wine was matured for 17 months in American oak, 30% new. Only 100 cases were made.

* Zinfandel is popular in California and also grown in Puglia, southern Italy, where it is known as Primitivo, due to being one of the first grapes to ripen each year, hence the name 'Primi'. It originally comes from Croatia where it is known as Crljenak.

Mills Reef Winery has a well deserved reputation for making some of New Zealand's creamiest, most approachable and delicious Chardonnays from Hawke's Bay grapes. This wine is a great example with its full body, dry flavours and creamy textures. 

Mills Reef winery is in Tauranga. Its owners source their grapes from Hawke's Bay and Marlborough.

Fromm -  "A bright and pure Pinot with good fruit weight and sweet spicy undertones. Layered and harmonious with a structural complexity yet offering lovely drink now approach-ability."

One of New Zealand's best Gewurztraminers - rich full bodied, medium sweet style nicely balanced by refreshing high acidity due to the cool climate of the South Island. 

Its aromas are of ripe mandarin, rose and Turkish Delight with notes of fresh ginger that complement the richness of this great white from Mat Donaldson and his talented winemaking team at Pegasus Bay Winery in the Waipara Valley, North Canterbury. 

North Canterbury is the heart and soul of New Zealand's greatest Rieslings, including this aptly named classic from Terrace Edge - it's made from grapes grown on a vineyard along the edge of the Waipara River. 

This wine is a full bodied, medium dry Riesling with ripe citrus, peach and honey flavours. It's made from hand-picked grapes and is fermented to a near-dry style while retaining richness from the residual sugar, which is balanced by Riesling's naturally  high acidity. 

This wine is certified organic. 

* Terrace Edge was named the New Zealand Organic Vineyard of the Year in 2018 and this year was named Aotearoa New Zealand Organic Winery of the Year. 

Fabulous Chardonnay from Karl Johner's vineyard at Gladstone in the central Wairarapa, a cool climate which accentuates the crisp fresh acidity that balances the full bodied, creamy nuances in this lovely wine. 

Great value for money and a wine that combines creamy flavours with freshness.

Mon Cheval is a small family owned wine brand in the Waipara Valley, which is the heart of the North Canterbury wine scene - one of New Zealand's highest quality Pinot Noir regions.

Deep and ripe Pinot Noir from a selection of five vineyards in Waipara. Great concentration and oodles of fruit. 

About the winery...

"The company takes its name from an early Canterbury resident, surveyor and farmer, Englishman Charles Torlesse. He gave his name to the Torlesse mountain range which part circles the Canterbury Plains and was at one time the largest land owner and farmer in North Canterbury and founder of the nearby town of Rangiora. Interestingly, the name Torlesse is given to the underlying bedrock from which most New Zealand soils are derived ? Torlesse, the terroir of New Zealand!



Our winery first started its life as a farm woolshed. In 1987 it was converted into a winery for Glenmark Wines by John McCaskey and Torlesse Wines moved to Waipara in 1991 and still share the production facilities. Many additions have made the winery self-sufficient in all aspects of winemaking from crushing to bottling, a claim that some wineries can not make."

Elegant and robust Syrah from the hand of Rod McDonald - one of New Zealand's masters with this varietal. Plush dark fruit forward flavours lead into a full bodied, dry and spicy Syrah with a long and savoury finish.