Deeply perfumed aromas of dark berries & the old vine Zin's intrinsic briary spiciness. Layered bright berry fruit flavours with complex spice undertones. Low yields in the vineyard preserved the vibrant natural acidity & balanced tannins. Long, persistent finish. ...

Deeply perfumed aromas of dark berries & old vine Zinfandel's woody spiciness. Layered bright fruit flavours reminiscent of a rich berry pie with a toasted crust. A vibrant acidity & balanced tannins thanks to low yields in the vineyard which continue through the long, persistent finish. 90% Zinfandel, 10% Durif. ...

Pale gold in colour. Mineral & dusty nuances are enhanced with crisp & floral aromas. Complex & full-bodied, the palate has notes of pear & dried apricot. A crisp acidity elevates the wine's fruit profile & leaves a fresh finish. ...

Aromas of minerally dark fruit with underlying confectionery notes. Richness of ripe blackberries & dried cherries on the palate with supple texture, balanced by Barberas vibrant acidity. Spicy undertones add elegant complexity. 100% Barbera. ...

Wild berry patch aromas & scents of freshly baked bread. Varietal aromas of raspberries, blackberries with Zinfandels typical briary spiciness reflect the excellent 2009 vintage. Ever-present acidity enhances the finish & fine, dusty tannins add complexity, mouthfeel & structure. There are also layered nuances of flavour with cracked pepper, tilled soil & a hint of creamy oak. Balanced & elegantly structured. ...

This wine has the spicy, lushblack fruit of the Alexander Valley along with mingling briary & raspberry notes, & the elegant structure of thecooler Dry Creek Valley. Balanced & long on the finish with supple tannins & good levels of acidity. ...

Full of the spicy, lush black fruit of the Alexander Valley. Briary & raspberry flavours emerge on the palate along with the structure of the cooler Dry Creek Valley. Balanced & elegant. ...

The 2011 Sweet Agnes is shaping up to be a sensational drop yet again. The generous nose has luscious stone fruit, mandarin & fragrant Daphne elements in the background. The palate has good entry with concentrated ripe summer fruits & zesty mouth watering acidity leaving a clean, lingering finish. Using 100% Riesling fruit, the grapes were hand selected at the peak of ripeness with a large portion of the fruit shrivelled & raisined, caused by natural dehydration. The grapes were then gently pressed to release a very concentrated intensely flavoured juice. The sweetness level of the juice was 38° Brix. The fermentation was initiated immediately & continued for about two & a half weeks. During this time, the wine was monitored & tasted regularly. The young wine was then filtered & stabilised before bottling in July 2011. The residual sugar in the wine is 204g/L. The Brightwater Vineyard was planted with Riesling in 1999. These vines are grown in an extremely stony area of the vineyard, where water & nutrient levels are low. This helps to restrict the plants vigour & crop at low levels. To further enhance the aromatics we removed leaves to allow light penetration & air movement around the fruiting zone. DOUBLE GOLD: San Francisco International Wine Competition, USA, 2012 PURE ELITE GOLD: Air NZ Wine Awards, NZ, 2011 GOLD & Best in Class: International Wine & Spirits Competition, UK, 2011 TROPHY Best Young Sweet: International Sweet Wine Challenge, Australia, 2011 GOLD: International Sweet Wine Challenge, Australia, 2011 GOLD: NZ International Wine Show, NZ, 2011 5 Stars: Cuisine Magazine, NZ, January 2012 95 Points: Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, NZ, 2011 4 Stars: Winestate Magazine, Australia, 2011 ...

The 2012 Aotea Sauvignon Blanc illustrates the light vintage the Nelson region had, with the wine showing a concentrated punch of varietal power on the nose. Lifted passionfruit, feijoa plus tropical guava notes come out on the nose. The palate has lovely entry with mouth-filling passionfruit, sweet red pepper & nettle notes. Well proportioned natural minerally acidity gives definition & direction to the wine & leaves lasting flavours. Aromatic & fresh Sauvignon Blanc flavours were encouraged prior to vintage through careful canopy management. The fruit was de-stemmed & pressed immediately after harvest & a cool fermentation was initiated in stainless steel tanks to retain the clean, fresh aromatic fruit characters. The Aotea Sauvignon Blanc 2012 was harvested from our Estate grown Brightwater Vineyard, which is located 15km from the coast & sheltered from the south by the Richmond ranges. The vines are grown in an extremely stony area of the vineyard, where water & nutrient levels are low. This helps to restrict plant vigour & to crop at low levels. To further enhance the aromatics we removed leaves to allow light penetration & air movement around the fruiting zone. 2012 was a cool growing season characterised by particularly low yields due to a cool wet December flowering period. Fortunately Nelson enjoyed a good settled autumn after a cool summer. This enabled very light crops to be harvested in good condition with real fruit concentration & quality. ...

The Aotea Sauvignon Blanc illustrates the light vintage the Nelson region had, with the wine showing a concentrated punch of varietal power on the nose. Lifted passionfruit, feijoa plus tropical guava notes come out on the nose. The palate has lovely entry with mouth-filling passionfruit, sweet red pepper & nettle notes. Well proportioned natural minerally acidity gives definition & direction to the wine & leaves lasting flavours. Aromatic & fresh Sauvignon Blanc flavours were encouraged prior to vintage through careful canopy management. ...