The wonderfully ideal warm summer of 2018 together with our low yield philosophy produced perfect healthy and flavourful berries with a gentle perfume, ripened to perfection from the 20 year old vines.

A long extended cold soak on the skin extracted the superb flavours and brilliant pink colour. I then let the must progress to its natural (wild yeast) fermentation without any residual sugar. 20% of the wine went into French oak puncheons and its fine lees regular stirred assisting to its remarkable silkiness, complexity and depth. This wine has not been exposed to cold stabilization and fining with only a light filtration to retain the elusive aromas. Natural sediments may show and are testimony of this high quality wine. Perfect in taste, naturally.

From one of New Zealand’s pioneers of Pinot Gris. Stunning opulent aromas of apricots and rock melon. Vivaciously mouth-filling with invigorating fruit driving through the forefront, wonderfully sweet fruit from physiological ripeness, but a crisp balanced finish with added texture. A beautiful long honeyed finish for a dry Pinot Gris with no residual sugar.

Very versatile. One of the white wines with matches practically everything.

The Real Review – 90 points

“Hand-picked grapes were allowed to macerate on their skins before a long fermentation using endemic yeasts. The result is a deep, golden pinot gris with intense dried apricot, pear and spice flavours plus a subtle floral (honeysuckle?) influence.” Bob Campbell

Jancis Robinson – 16.5

“Unexpectedly pink in colour, almost a light bronze. Very unusual to see the colour in the skins of this variety appreciated rather than avoided. Really unusual aroma: toasty, slightly reductive and intriguing. Some sweaty lapsang souchong notes. It smells smoky, as if it is going to be quite tannic. I don't have the analysis of this wine but I would guess it is not bone dry as there is a rounded and slightly viscous weight in the mouth. This is one of those wines that is absolutely not about the fruit, though the orange-plum fruit allows the expression of the tannins and the complex flavours without there being any astringency. Jancis seemed a little ambivalent about the 2017 vintage but I think there is a stroke of genius in the balance here and would imagine it is quite bold in the context of NZ Pinot Gris. Long, smoky finish. Hard to tell how it will age – I might be being far too cautious. Definitely not an aperitif wine. It was a very good partner to roasted vegetables, including some sweeter flavours like butternut squash and beetroot.” Julia Harding

Michael Cooper – 5/5 stars

“Prepare for something different! Estate-grown on the northern side of the Wairau Valley, the 2018 vintage (5*) is a thought-provoking wine, like its predecessors. Orange-hued, from long skin contact with the juice, it was partly oak-aged (20 per cent of the blend was matured for nine months in partly new French oak puncheons). Mouthfilling, it has strong peach, apricot and spice flavours, a hint of strawberry, impressive complexity and a dry, lasting finish. Now in full stride, it's certified organic.”

Wine Enthusiast – 90 points

“A shade lighter than marmalade, this wine sees some skin contact and partial maturation in French oak puncheons. After much swirling, a reductive wet hay and barnyard funk make room for more appealing wildflower and spice notes. The palate wants for a touch more acidity to freshen up the textural richness, but this nevertheless would make an intriguing food pairing. If you're a wild wine fan, this will appeal, otherwise either try the previous vintage or give it more time in bottle.” Christina Pickard