Bob Campbell - Seamless, fruity sauvignon blanc with passionfruit, lime blossom and capsicum flavours supported by mouth-watering acidity. Good weight and texture with a lingering finish. A classy wine.

Winemaker "Powerful, tight and elegant. This wine displays intense ripe fruit flavours of passionfruit and white peach, with citrus notes of lime and mandarin pith. The palate has intense concentration and generous weight, balanced by an underlying minerality and tight structure to shape a wine with lively tension and textural balance."

Auntsfield Estate is a family orientated winery based in the heart of Blenheim, New Zealand. Ben Cowley general manager/viticulturist and winemaker Luc Cowley have the aim of creating exciting, individual wines with personality that reflect this specific region.

Auntsfield Estate is proud to have an astonishing heritage, which proves everyone who thinks of Marlborough producers (and of their synonymous Sauvignon Blanc) as one-dimensional, commercial establishments are very wrong…

Auntsfield were Marlborough’s very first vineyard, established as far back as 1873, as well as being responsible for building the first of its kind winery and cellar, which still exist today, lovingly restored to its historical glory.

It was another 100 years before the first of the new era vines were planted in the region.

If you are ever lucky enough to step into this cellar, you will be struck by the cool air, the rich smell of the soil and the feeling of history under your feet. All of these things are what make Auntsfield Estate so authentic. A place where history is still alive in the land, and in the wine.

Auntsfield Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc shows the distinctive characteristics of ripeness, texture and minerality – qualities unique to the ancient Greywacke rock and Loess clay soils of the vineyard. The style is aimed towards a pure expression of its texture, complexity and length, balancing the distinctive Marlborough fruit spectrum and aromatics with richness and mouth feel.

At the northern most tip of the southern island is New Zealand’s most famous region, Marlborough. A region that pioneered an entirely new style of wine and new methods of production, championing stainless steel and temperature controlled fermentation, the Marlborough sauvignon, with its racing acidity, bright, vibrant gooseberry, passionfruit and elderflower aromas took the world by storm when it burst on to the scene.

Since then, Marlborough has managed to form a reputation that is not just based on one game changing grape variety, but has established its place on the world’s stage as a producer of not only premium sauvignon, but also of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and many others, for example, Blank Canvas Pinot Noir was awarded a staggering 97 points from Bob Campbell MW (a score rarely achieved for pinot outside of Burgundy.) Wairau Valley is an ancient river bed of gravelly soils that sits between two mountain ranges. Due to these mountains on either side, the Wairau Valley see’s less rain than the rest of Marlborough. These conditions lead to greater vine stress resulting in wines that show a level of fruit intensity and concentration rarely seen in a Sauvignon Blanc. Wairrau Valley Sauvignon’s are becoming some of New Zealands most sort after Sauvignons.

Based in Marlborough and releasing single vineyard wines from across the Wairrau Valley sub-region is Giesen. One vineyard of theirs in particular is possibly one of Marlborough’s most valued plots, Matthews Lane vineyard. Over one million cuttings from here have been taken and so many of Marlboroughs vines have originated from this tiny, single plot. Giesen’s The Fuder comes from Matthews Lane vineyard, the name coming from the enormous, 1000 litre Fuder barrels that the wine is aged in. One of Marlborough’s most regarded producers is Dog Point, the venture of Ivan Sutherland and James Healy of Cloudy Bay. Dog Point craft incredible wines, their Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc is a stand out, cult level example of this grape variety. Novum produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from specially selected parcels of single blocks from great vineyards to produce their wine and Churton produce exceptional Pinot Noir from a unique micro climate between the sub-regions of Waihopai and Omaka Valleys.

17 Points - Jancis Robinson "Very slightly reductive, struck-match nose and extra-bright fruit with strong passionfruit aromas and a certain amount of delicacy. Chalky finish. Lots of interest here. Very youthful and energetic indeed. Complimenti!"

95 Points - Bob Campbell "Intense, precise sauvignon blanc with grapefruit, citrus, subtle passionfruit and a suggestion of struck flint character. A powerful wine that's long and linear, with strong varietal definition that's made more interesting with a hint of reductive character"

Dog Point wines originate from the experienced and stellar hands of ex-Cloudy Bay magicians Ivan Sutherland and James Healy. A boutique operation which sees Sutherland focusing on care in the vineyard and Healy as winemaker means that in the eyes of many, they are the now the main class act for Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. In addition to Sauvignon Blanc the pair also produces idiosyncratic Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from the Wairau Valley’s unique climatic conditions of generous sunshine, extraordinary diurnal range in temperatures and low rainfall conditions. With all of the grapes coming from Sutherland’s own vineyards, quality control is at its most meticulous with hand harvesting employed over the more widely adopted machine assisted approach taken elsewhere. Fermentation with indigenous yeasts brings an exuberant and crystalline fruit purity hailed by all who taste them. Never dull, always impressive, Dog Point’s wines personify a real benchmark in outstanding winemaking in Marlborough, New Zealand.

At the northern most tip of the southern island is New Zealand’s most famous region, Marlborough. A region that pioneered an entirely new style of wine and new methods of production, championing stainless steel and temperature controlled fermentation, the Marlborough sauvignon, with its racing acidity, bright, vibrant gooseberry, passionfruit and elderflower aromas took the world by storm when it burst on to the scene.

Since then, Marlborough has managed to form a reputation that is not just based on one game changing grape variety, but has established its place on the world’s stage as a producer of not only premium sauvignon, but also of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and many others, for example, Blank Canvas Pinot Noir was awarded a staggering 97 points from Bob Campbell MW (a score rarely achieved for pinot outside of Burgundy.) Wairau Valley is an ancient river bed of gravelly soils that sits between two mountain ranges. Due to these mountains on either side, the Wairau Valley see’s less rain than the rest of Marlborough. These conditions lead to greater vine stress resulting in wines that show a level of fruit intensity and concentration rarely seen in a Sauvignon Blanc. Wairrau Valley Sauvignon’s are becoming some of New Zealands most sort after Sauvignons.

Based in Marlborough and releasing single vineyard wines from across the Wairrau Valley sub-region is Giesen. One vineyard of theirs in particular is possibly one of Marlborough’s most valued plots, Matthews Lane vineyard. Over one million cuttings from here have been taken and so many of Marlboroughs vines have originated from this tiny, single plot. Giesen’s The Fuder comes from Matthews Lane vineyard, the name coming from the enormous, 1000 litre Fuder barrels that the wine is aged in. One of Marlborough’s most regarded producers is Dog Point, the venture of Ivan Sutherland and James Healy of Cloudy Bay. Dog Point craft incredible wines, their Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc is a stand out, cult level example of this grape variety. Novum produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from specially selected parcels of single blocks from great vineyards to produce their wine and Churton produce exceptional Pinot Noir from a unique micro climate between the sub-regions of Waihopai and Omaka Valleys.

94 Points - Stuart McCloskey “The bouquet soars with blackcurrant leaf, pea-pod, passionfruit, gooseberry, grapefruit, lime and a murmur of minerality. Equally, the palate flies with greengage, stone fruits, citrus, herbs and expands beautifully across my palate. Mouth-watering and fully charged to provide immediate satisfaction. Very good value.”   

Bob Campbell "Dry, concentrated Sauvignon Blanc with passionfruit, nettle, oyster shell and mineral flavours. Quite a textural wine with good weight and length. A pretty wine with good regional and varietal identity."

At the northern most tip of the southern island is New Zealand’s most famous region, Marlborough. A region that pioneered an entirely new style of wine and new methods of production, championing stainless steel and temperature controlled fermentation, the Marlborough sauvignon, with its racing acidity, bright, vibrant gooseberry, passionfruit and elderflower aromas took the world by storm when it burst on to the scene.

Since then, Marlborough has managed to form a reputation that is not just based on one game changing grape variety, but has established its place on the world’s stage as a producer of not only premium sauvignon, but also of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and many others, for example, Blank Canvas Pinot Noir was awarded a staggering 97 points from Bob Campbell MW (a score rarely achieved for pinot outside of Burgundy.) Wairau Valley is an ancient river bed of gravelly soils that sits between two mountain ranges. Due to these mountains on either side, the Wairau Valley see’s less rain than the rest of Marlborough. These conditions lead to greater vine stress resulting in wines that show a level of fruit intensity and concentration rarely seen in a Sauvignon Blanc. Wairrau Valley Sauvignon’s are becoming some of New Zealands most sort after Sauvignons.

Based in Marlborough and releasing single vineyard wines from across the Wairrau Valley sub-region is Giesen. One vineyard of theirs in particular is possibly one of Marlborough’s most valued plots, Matthews Lane vineyard. Over one million cuttings from here have been taken and so many of Marlboroughs vines have originated from this tiny, single plot. Giesen’s The Fuder comes from Matthews Lane vineyard, the name coming from the enormous, 1000 litre Fuder barrels that the wine is aged in. One of Marlborough’s most regarded producers is Dog Point, the venture of Ivan Sutherland and James Healy of Cloudy Bay. Dog Point craft incredible wines, their Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc is a stand out, cult level example of this grape variety. Novum produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from specially selected parcels of single blocks from great vineyards to produce their wine and Churton produce exceptional Pinot Noir from a unique micro climate between the sub-regions of Waihopai and Omaka Valleys.

 Wine Companion - Best New Winery of The Year 2019

Fruit from a single vineyard in the Coal River Valley, 60% barrel fermented after a 4 hour skin soak, 40% skin fermented for two weeks and pressed to oak, all natural yeast, partial malolactic ferment while maturing on lees. Bottled unfined and unfiltered

Brothers Matthew and Jonathan Hughes who were born and grew up in Tasmania, planted a minute 2 hectares of vineyard in 2011 in Flowerpot Tasmania, a tiny hamlet with a recorded population of just 73 residents. The Brothers intend to expand the vineyards to a maximum of 3.5 hectares which mainly consist of Pinot Noir with some smaller plantings of chardonnay, syrah, riesling and sauvignon blanc.

Jonny is the winemaker of this family run venture who originally studied winemaking in New Zealand and following this spent the next few years gathering a wealth of experience which included working a vintage at Central Otago’s Felton Road as well as Langehorne Creek, Mornington Peninsula, Barolo, Hunter Valley and Okanagan Valley in Canada before heading back home to Tasmania, working as the assistant winemaker at Moorilla in Hobart where he worked for seven years.

It is the experienced Jonny gained whilst travelling and working in various wineries across the world that has lead to the creation of their Hughes & Hughes range. This range of wines allows Jonny to experiment with a slightly more unconventional approach, and be more daring with his winemaking methods, combining various techniques that he discovered on his travels.

For the Hughes & Hughes range they source grapes from other local vineyards across Tasmania, from quality sites found in various sub-regions such as the Derwent and Coal River Valleys and the D’entrecasteaux Channel to produce either single vineyard expressions or bringing together and blending the grapes from vineyards.

The Hughes & Hughes wines are produced with a focus on the winemaking, working in small batches allowing Jonny to pay attention to the details to create something more unique. This meticulous approach has resulted in exceptional quality wines, a result that has been recognised recently when they were awarded the title of James Halliday’s Best New Winery Of The 2019.

Jonny Hughes wins the Gourmet Traveller WINE 'Young Winemaker of the Year' award - Read more

Positioned just over 400 km from mainland Australia’s south east coast, Tasmania has rapidly gained a reputation for being a premium, cool climate wine region, not just for sparkling wines but also for top quality still wines such as Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Shiraz. With vineyard sites positioned on the north and south east side of the island taking full advantage of the cool, maritime influences and coastal breezes that help to preserve the crisp acidity and freshness that is so important in producing wines of this Calibre. Wine makers in Tasmania utilise the whole region often blending parcels from vineyards across the different sub-regions that each lend its own specific identity to the wines.

Tamar Valley on the north coast is one of the warmer sub-regions with a higher level of rainfall producing fruit with a riper character. Just to the east of this is Pipers River, one of Tasmania’s coolest regions with a terroir dominated by red, ferrosol soils. As we travel south we come to the East Coast region followed by Coal River Valley, Derwent Valley and Huon Valley. Based in the Huon Valley is Glaetzer-Dixon, responsible for producing some incredible wines and one of our favourite Pinot Noirs. Dr Edge is a producer that focuses on the unique expression of each terroir creating three individual, single vineyard Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays each from a different sub-region. Simply named North - from Stoney Rise vineyard in Tamar Valley, East – from Hazards Vineyard in the East Coast and South – from Meadow Bank vineyard in Derwent Valley. As well as these single vineyard expressions Dr Edge also produces a blend of all three named Tasmania.

Based in the Huon Valley is Sailor Seeks Horse who brought a derelict, 6.5 hectare vineyard back to life from which they now produce exquisite Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Hughes & Hughes can be found in a tiny hamlet called Flowerpot, who as well as Pinot and Chardonnay, produce Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc from grapes sourced from growers across the island. Our range of Tasmanian wines is continuously growing and we believe the region is just beginning to discover its potential for world class class Pinot Noir and Chardonnay as still wines as well as the famous sparklings to come out of Tasmania.

Wild and dramatic, cultured and quirky - Read more

New Zealand International Wine Show 2018 - Silver Medal
International Wine Challenge 2018 - Silver Medal
Royal Easter Show Wine Awards 2018 - Silver Medal

Winemaker: "Complex aromas of ripe mandarin, nettle, fresh apricot, baked peach and lemon curd mingle with vanilla and clove spices. A seaside saltiness leads into the palate reinforcing a lovely rich entry that evolves seamlessly through the palate – this finishes with a mouth-watering acidity making you reach for another glass."

At the northern most tip of the southern island is New Zealand’s most famous region, Marlborough. A region that pioneered an entirely new style of wine and new methods of production, championing stainless steel and temperature controlled fermentation, the Marlborough sauvignon, with its racing acidity, bright, vibrant gooseberry, passionfruit and elderflower aromas took the world by storm when it burst on to the scene.

Since then, Marlborough has managed to form a reputation that is not just based on one game changing grape variety, but has established its place on the world’s stage as a producer of not only premium sauvignon, but also of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling and many others, for example, Blank Canvas Pinot Noir was awarded a staggering 97 points from Bob Campbell MW (a score rarely achieved for pinot outside of Burgundy.) Wairau Valley is an ancient river bed of gravelly soils that sits between two mountain ranges. Due to these mountains on either side, the Wairau Valley see’s less rain than the rest of Marlborough. These conditions lead to greater vine stress resulting in wines that show a level of fruit intensity and concentration rarely seen in a Sauvignon Blanc. Wairrau Valley Sauvignon’s are becoming some of New Zealands most sort after Sauvignons.

Based in Marlborough and releasing single vineyard wines from across the Wairrau Valley sub-region is Giesen. One vineyard of theirs in particular is possibly one of Marlborough’s most valued plots, Matthews Lane vineyard. Over one million cuttings from here have been taken and so many of Marlboroughs vines have originated from this tiny, single plot. Giesen’s The Fuder comes from Matthews Lane vineyard, the name coming from the enormous, 1000 litre Fuder barrels that the wine is aged in. One of Marlborough’s most regarded producers is Dog Point, the venture of Ivan Sutherland and James Healy of Cloudy Bay. Dog Point craft incredible wines, their Section 94 Sauvignon Blanc is a stand out, cult level example of this grape variety. Novum produce Chardonnay and Pinot Noir from specially selected parcels of single blocks from great vineyards to produce their wine and Churton produce exceptional Pinot Noir from a unique micro climate between the sub-regions of Waihopai and Omaka Valleys.