With age comes character.

Dark garnet with a crimson edge within a deep plummy hue.

 The first aroma from this wine gives a hint to the depth and complexity that lies beneath, hidden for now in the glass. Layers of graphite, brown spice and wild herbs sit across dark plummy fruit. Ripe dark cherries, dark rose petal and a hint of sous bois are all coiled very tightly in a compact bundle of aromatic intensity.  This one will take some time to show its true depth and complexity.

 The palate opens with intense fruit concentration over a core of powerful soft tannin. There are layers of textural phenolics pushing up against fruit plushness which impress and excite.  This wine, our 8^th vintage of the black label, without doubt shows in its shape and structure that it is unequivocally of the Hawkesbury vineyard.

 A fine line of acidity suggests a long and exciting evolution.  It will start to hit its straps at five years old and continue for at least another five, perhaps much more.

 (PJ: I feel like I need a side of espresso martini with this wine to ensure I stay focused for long enough to see the detail unfold over time in the glass.)

 Food – Spicy pork belly.

Dark garnet with a crimson glow, it’s almost opaque at the centre of the glass

The aroma opens with spicy dark cherry and a hint of fresh cinnamon over thyme and a wonderful waft of liquorice.  There is a lift of whole bunchy graphite on the nose with depth coming from dark rose petal and a hint of violets. Excellent depth and complexity while showing opulent fruit density.

Rich and generous dark cherry fruit entry opening to an expansive and plush texture with layers of spice and subtle earthy notes.  The tannin is enveloped in a silk cushion of fruit fullness and reassuring weight.

This wine finishes with a fine beam of acidity which brings freshness and vibrance as well as an almost infinite length – true to brief; generous and rewarding.

Cellaring – Up to five years, perhaps more but it’s unlikely to survive unopened!

Food – Would go perfectly with Peking duck pancakes.

Mid lemon base with a bronze to pewter hue.

Ruby grapefruit across gentle stone fruit perfume with mineral and talc - some apple crumble. The faintest waft of cinnamon and yellow flowers gives way to a touch of autumnal leaves, peach, and nectarine with a hint of almond and brioche.

The silky yet textural entry leads powerful stone fruit and spicy apple, a hint of anise adding complexity. Supple but powdery tannins with a chalky carry give line and length. Gently zippy almost umami like, but with a plush core of Rainer cherries. The palate line has a distant horizon setting persistence, with rose petals falling through the line of sight that just keeps going. One of life’s great lessons is to never waste a sunset, and you get a beautiful one here.

This wine is all about the fruit profile, which holds a purity and definition in a unique manifestation. 100% 777 clone Pinot Noir, whole bunch pressed, cold settled and racked cloudy to ferment with a neutral yeast strain before extended lees contact to build texture. In essence the winemaking is straightforward, and the vineyard is the hero here.

Food: Start with some Sashimi, move onto Takoyaki and Tempura Prawns before a big bowl of Udon Noodles with some spice. If you have finished the bottle, get another, and break out the Hibachi with some Wagyu, this wine will bring it to life.

There’s an old red wine adage “The bigger the bottle the better it ages”.

We bottle a very small amount of Magnums every year. Perfect for special events, dinners
 and gifts.

There’s an old red wine adage “The bigger the bottle the better it ages”.

We bottle a very small amount of Magnums every year. Perfect for special events, dinners
 and gifts.

The jeroboam bottle is supplied in a wooden box.

 Every sense is activated from the first pass, this wine is all about depth and complexity.

Spice, wild herbs and brooding plummy fruit emanate from the glass with an airy perfume.  Intriguing brown spice rack and graphite infuse with leafy sous bois aromatics. The nose is highly detailed - compact and focused - it should open impressively with time.

Very fine and silky entry, plenty of structure over a precise and linear framework. Delicate form with harmonic acidity driving line and length.  The balance between fruit, tannin and acid is special and suggests a fascinating voyage ahead.  Detail, perfumed aromatics, silk-like texture and subtle persistence define this year’s A1.

Compelling now but definitely one for the cellar, 5 to 7 years to the high plateau of evolution.

Food – Birds: big or small, wild or farmed, but duck with potatoes roasted in said bird’s fat would be perfect.  Salad, as usual, entirely optional.

Unquestionably fruit driven from the moment of opening – gorgeous, rich Central Otago sensations - a festoon of dark plum and rose petal florals fill the glass. 

There is depth and concentration of aroma with subtle graphite, Turkish delight and a slatey mineral lift. So ready on the nose, but foremost this wine is hospitably fruit driven.

Plush and pillowy entry with plenty of weight and texture to the dark fruit-focused core, plums and cherries galore. Very good power and intensity with generosity, cut through with fine acidity and layered tannin structure.

Plush and comforting but with poise – opera, not ballet.

Cellaring – now to 5 years

Food – Any Lamb from Yotam Ottolenghi, some middle eastern influence and a squeeze of lemon juice over the top to get your tastebuds really going.