3 August, 2025In News, Wondermakers, Winery Spotlight, Wines

De La Terre Chardonnays

One Variety, One Region, Several Wholly Different Wines

A note from this blog writer: I started at Dhall & Nash in 2015 (I’m well and truly part of the furniture now,) and one of the first tasks I was given as a newbie in marketing was to help organise the launch of De La Terre into our portfolio. Being the first brand of our quite extensive portfolio that I got to work with in any depth, I’ve got a real soft spot for this producer in the Hawke’s Bay. Tony, Kaye and the winery dog, Gracie, are a real pleasure to represent and offer some of the most hands-on, passionate kiwi winemaking there is. Please enjoy.

New Zealand winemakers are pretty special people. For the most part, they’re your classic number-8 wire folks that know their land and their wines like the back of their hand. Many rock swannies and redbands as they work amongst the picturesque vineyards producing wines of world-class calibre.

Tony Prichard is one of these kiwi winemakers – rooted in the Hawke’s Bay, he and his wife Kaye have set up De La Terre, where they produce small volumes of high quality wines with the emphasis on elegance, texture and balance.

We’ve covered De La Terre before if you fancy reading more about the big picture, so today we want to knuckle down into the nitty gritty of some of their most popular wines – their Chardonnays. 

De La Terre makes a range of Chardonnays alongside their other interesting bottlings, and who better to explain than Tony himself?

Tony always sends us such in-depth and compelling descriptions of his Chardonnays that it feels a crime to gatekeep them, so without further ado, here it is from the man himself in all its glory.

De La Terre ‘Mark I’ Chardonnay

Current vintage at time of writing: 2024

‘Mark I’ Chardonnay is a very important wine for us. It used to be just de la terre Chardonnay or de la terre Estate Chardonnay – our entry-level Chardonnay.

Unlike all our other Chardonnays, it never really had a definitive style or personality – it basically fell out of the bottom after I had blended all the higher priced Chardonnays. In 2024, Kaye and I decided to put more focus on this wine – give it a distinct personality and a name.

The style we decided upon was specifically targeted at the type of Chardonnay drinker who is out at the local pub or everyday restaurant and wants a nice bottle of Chardonnay that doesn’t break the bank. Basically, the type of drinker who would normally go for the likes of “Fat & Sassy” Chardonnay or similar.

However, the key to this is providing something at this price point that this type of drinker is likely to appreciate and understand.

We aren’t aiming at a sophisticated, long-ageing, elegant Chardonnay here – simply one with an easily-recognisable flavour and aroma profile with non-aggressive acidity and a bit of mid-palate weight. Also, we wanted to develop a style that we can replicate reliably from one vintage to another – the aim being that the customer gets to see the wine as consistently reliable.

With all that said, the style I have gone for is basically a rich mocha character (from fine toasted French oak) off-set with markedly tropical notes alongside the oak. I’ve intentionally tried to keep the acidity reasonably low so the wine is seen as ‘approachable’.

Note: There are 2 things I would now have done differently to the 2024 Mark I – I would have; 

1. (i) dropped the acidity a touch further and 
2. (ii) created a bit more mid-palate ‘fat.’

Both these things I have addressed in the 2025 wine – but retained the same overall flavour profile. I have one more trick up my sleeve that I may use on the final blend of the 2025 Mark I – but I’ll keep that to myself for now.

The wine is a blend of oaked and unoaked components (barrel fermented and tank fermented). It is also a blend of Chardonnay clones and areas (Havelock North and Ngatarawa Triangle). Different pressing regimes are also a critical part of this type of Chardonnay – as was the use of different yeast to drive the savoury versus tropical notes in the aroma and flavour. 

I would have to say that I am completely comfortable with the initial 2 vintages of this wine. I feel that we managed to hit the style brief fairly accurately – now it’s just a matter of fine-tuning and taking into account any vintage variations that nature may throw at us.

These days, we have quit our Hill Country Estate vineyard and have chosen to focus on Chardonnay (including Methode) and Syrah (also Tannat for the foreseeable future). As such, we see Mark I as an extremely important part of our overall portfolio.

BTW, Kaye came up with the name ‘Mark I’. As stated above, we felt we wanted to give this wine a proper name to accompany the new style. ‘Mark I’ refers to a neighbour who helped out in the cellar in 2024 – he’s an ex-army Colonel and he loves Chardonnay. He was integral in discussing and developing the ‘pub-style’ of the wine with Kaye and myself. ‘Mark I’ may also be seen as ‘classy’ by some as it is sometimes associated with racing cars etc.

Another fun fact – if the trade are enjoying the 2024 Mark I Chardonnay, tell them to wait until the 2024 Barrique Ferment Chardonnay hits the market – it’s a bloody ripper!!

I’ve actually used a few of the techniques I developed for Mark I to fine-tune the Barrique Ferment…”

De La Terre ‘Barrique Ferment’ Chardonnay

Current vintage at time of writing: 2023

“The stylistic signature for our Barrique Ferment Chardonnay is basically a textural ‘food-style’ wine with emphasis on mouthfeel and layers of aroma/flavour. 

While it is fermented totally in 225 litre barrique oak barrels, the wine is not intended to be an ‘oaky’ style as such. Instead, we are chasing the slight rusticity and ‘noise’ you achieve when fermenting in (mainly) seasoned oak barrels rather than the more varietal and fruit-driven characters you get with cooler fermentation of the same juice in stainless steel tanks.

Our intention is to play off the fruit characters of ripe/clean Chardonnay against the savoury notes from a range of winemaking techniques.

As with all our Chardonnays, the fruit is hand picked and whole bunch pressed to ensure maximum control of the juice structure and extraction. The grapes are picked at a specific maturity/ripeness/flavour profile to suit the wine style.

Typically, we ferment in approximately 20 – 25% new and the balance in 3 or 4-year old barrels – mainly French oak but about 25-30% Hungarian as well. The fermentation in mainly older barrels is critical to this style. The characters are markedly different from fermenting in stainless steel, new barrels or even one or two-year old barrels. Most of the overt oak character has been ‘tea-bagged’ out and what you are left with is a porous (to air) and relatively small fermentation vessel with some ‘legacy’ from the previous vintages of use.

To enhance the ‘noise’ in this wine, I ferment very cloudy juice that still contains a reasonably high level of fruit particles – allowing only minimal settling prior to filling the barrels. After yeast fermentation (same yeast every vintage), a portion of the barrels are allowed to undergo malo lactic fermentation to assist with acid balance and mouthfeel.

The wine spends its entire life on full lees (sediment) with regular battonage (lees stirring). This is yet another critical step in defining the style of our Barrique Ferment Chardonnay. Following fermentation and subsequent death of the yeast, the yeast cells break down and release their contents into the wine – creating further layers of savoury and texture.

The wine is bottled, hand-labelled and individually hand-numbered at de la terre.

Summary:

Barrique Ferment Chardonnay

• A complex and textural food style Chardonnay
• Completely barrel-fermented but not intended to be an oaky wine
• Key winemaking techniques to create the ‘rustic’ layers
  • Cloudy juice fermentation
  • mainly older barriques
  • Prolonged time on full yeast lees

We recommend serving this wine at room temperature – and not chilling.”

De La Terre Reserve Chardonnay

Current vintage at time of writing: 2019

“For pretty much all our wines, I start off by writing down a phrase or a few key words to define what I want to see in the glass – i.e. define the style goal for the wine. This gives me a tight focus on how the grapes are handled in the vineyard and what winemaking techniques I use to steer the wine towards this style goal.

For the Reserve Chardonnay, I modified this concept slightly by using a mental picture of sitting down and drinking this wine with a rich/creamy pasta dish like a Carbonara. 

I refer to the Reserve as an ‘old-world’ style of Chardonnay – quite different to the flinty, mineral, lower-oak ‘new-world’ Chardonnays that now have a (deserved) strong presence in the market. Because Carbonara is a rich and robust pasta dish, the wine needed to be full, ripe and creamy-textured. 

The grape/juice concentration needs to be strong so we tightly control the grape yield in the vineyard to ensure each berry has a strong innate fruit concentration (typically less than ~1.5 kg/vine). Furthermore, it needs to have a ripe, stonefruit flavour profile so we always harvest grapes at the riper end of the maturity spectrum (typically around 24 Brix) – at this stage, the grapes are the colour of ripe hay – golden yellow with occasional bronze-coloured sun spots. 

As with all our wines, the fruit is always hand-picked – and at the point of picking, we take a further opportunity to select only the grapes we want for this style. Typically I place markers in the vineyard rows the day before picking so the pickers take only the fruit I want for this style (we take the de-selected fruit for our range of other Chardonnays.)

From the time the grapes are picked, the fruit profile of the wine is largely set. From then on, pretty much all my winemaking effort goes into steering the texture, mouthfeel and balance of the wine towards the rich/creamy style target.

The grapes are pressed very gently, but because we want a rich stonefruit palate, I take a slightly higher press cut than say for my ‘new-world’ style Chardonnay which we call EVB.

Why press slightly higher for this style? – because a lot of the flavour lies in the Chardonnay skins – so it’s a fine balance between getting the flavour profile you want versus over-pressing and extracting coarse/astringent characters. Because this is wine designed to work with strong/rich food, it needs to be powerful to compete. A slightly higher press achieves this.

Furthermore, because we are targeting an inherently stonefruit flavour spectrum , I intentionally allow some passive oxidation of the juice in the press tray. Why – because even a small level of juice oxidation is sufficient to destroy the flavourless varietal thiol precursor flavour compounds in the juice (varietal thiols are the flavourless juice chemicals that famously drive the tropical flavour/aroma of Sauvignon Blanc and are also present in Chardonnay grapes). 

By removing the tropical characters, it exposes the more stonefruit-like flavours of the Chardonnay and allows these to dominate.

The juice receives only a very coarse racking before filling into barrels. Why a coarse racking? This is a largely textural and complexity thing. By leaving a lot of the grape solids in the juice for fermentation, you create a richer and more creamy texture and also develop some slightly more complex flavours than you would otherwise achieve when fermenting the same juice which is much less cloudy.

A signature technique for this wine is to ferment it completely in French barriques – 50% of which are new and the remaining 50% in a mixture of 1 or 2-year-old barrels.

I use the same yeast every year for the Reserve Chardonnay for consistency and after fermentation, the wine spends the whole time on its yeast lees with a significant amount of battonage (lees-stirring). Only the (50%) new barrels undergo a malo-lactic fermentation. I use a malo bacteria that is known for producing only a small amount of the butter flavour – diacetyl. 

Furthermore, I use winemaking techniques to ensure that the diacetyl produced by malo is largely consumed into (non-buttery) compounds as it ages in barrels. Why? – I use malo principally to help the texture and acid balance of the wine – the last thing I want to see in the wine is an overt ‘buttery’ note dominating the aroma and palate.

The technique of battonage is probably one of the keys to this Reserve Chardonnay. As the yeast dies, their crust/shell splits open and the inner yeast components become part of the wine. Battonage increases the breakdown and release of these compounds from the yeast. These compounds hugely improve the (creamy) texture as well as imparting slightly ‘nutty’/complex characters. Even more importantly, I believe battonage technique harmonises the three main aroma and flavour elements of this style of Chardonnay – fruit, oak and microbiological (yeast/malo).

My intention here is for anyone drinking this wine not to see it as a fruity Chardonnay, an ‘oaky’ Chardonnay or an overtly complex yeast-driven Chardonnay – and certainly not a ‘buttery’ Chardonnay – instead the aim is for a harmony or ‘bringing-together’ of the fruit, oak and yeast notes.

Because this is largely a textural Chardonnay and is designed to drink with rich food, it is better to serve it at room temperature.

Clean, ripe hand-picked grapes, gentle pressing and fastidious attention to oxygen management post fermentation mean this wine will comfortably age for 10 years or so from vintage. Over time, the stonefruit characters will increase, as will the texture and creaminess.”

De La Terre ‘Mark I’ Chardonnay	De La Terre ‘Barrique Ferment’ Chardonnay	De La Terre Reserve Chardonnay
Entry Tier – designed for consistency and easy-drinking.	Mid Tier – designed for emphasis on mouthfeel and enjoying with fine food.	Premium Tier – designed for balance and enjoyment, either immediately or after cellaring.
Tropical and mocha notes with mid palate weight and low acidity for approachability.	A rustic, savoury and textural chardonnay with stonefruit and a touch of citrus.	Textural chardonnay with stonefruit notes and a creamy, nutty and complex profile.
A blend of oaked and unoaked components (barrel fermented and tank fermented.)	Apx. 20 – 25% new, remainder in 3 or 4-year old barrels – mainly French oak but about 25-30% Hungarian as well. The fermentation in mainly older barrels is critical to this style.	French barriques – 50% new, 50% 1-2 year-old barrels.

NEW: ‘Hen’s Teeth’ Chardonnay

Current vintage at time of writing: 2024

It’s rare as!

“Hen’s Teeth sits at the top of our Chardonnay range.

The Name

The vineyard where the grapes come from (287) was once an old chicken farm – there was talk of the vineyard being named ‘Chook flat’ – thankfully ‘287’ won out!

This wine will only be made in exceptional vintages and only in relatively small quantities – hence the ‘scarcity’ reference associated with ‘Hen’s Teeth’.

Stylistic Aim

A ‘New-World’ Chardonnay, richer and riper in its fruit profile than EVB but not as broad and fat as our Reserve. The wine is all about the grapes and expressing the terroir of vineyard 287. A range of aromas and flavours from ripe grapefruit through white nectarine and white peach with obvious tertiary characters from wild yeast and toasty French barriques. Although 100% barrel fermented in French barriques, we have intentionally kept the new oak level down at 20%. While drinking well in its youth, this wine will reward careful cellaring for at least 10-12 years.

• 100% clone 548 (small-berry clone).
• Grape source – vineyard 287 in Havelock North
• 2024 was an extremely good vintage!
• Very low crop yield/vine (~1.2-1.5 kg/vine) giving strong concentration
• Harvested at 23 Brix to drive the flavour more in the stone fruit spectrum whilst retaining crisp/fresh acidity and a touch of grapefruit/thiol.
• 100% wild yeast cultured from vineyard 287 using the ‘Pied de Cuve’ technique
• 100% malo but managed to deliver low/no buttery characters
• Barrel fermented in 100% French barriques but only 20% new oak
• Designed for very long ageing (10-12 years easily) and strongly rewards time in the bottle
• Works with a wide range of white meat and fish dishes.

NEW: ‘EVB’ Chardonnay

Current vintage at time of writing: 2024

‘EVB’ is simply the initials of a good friend of ours who helped me lay the mud-bricks when I originally built de la terre winery. We actually named the very first Chardonnay produced by de la terre as ‘EVB Chardonnay’ as a thank you to him. We simply decided to carry the name on here.

Stylistic Aim

A ‘New-World’ Chardonnay aiming for powerful concentration with a definitive acid tension in the palate attack. A tighter, more citrus/mineral-based aroma and flavour profile than the ‘riper/fatter’ Chardonnays in our range.

Tight, linear, ‘flinty’, mineral with complexity/savoriness from the wild yeast fermentation. Lots of interwoven layers unburdened from overt new oak dominance. Here, I basically went about making the kind of Chardonnay I prefer to drink myself.

• 100% Mendoza (small-berry clone).
• Grape source – Vineyard 287 in Havelock North
• 2024 was an extremely good vintage!
• Very low crop yield/vine (~1.2-1.5 kg/vine) giving strong concentration
• Picked early (~20.5 Brix) for intentionally higher acidity and high Thiol concentration (grapefruit/citrus rather than broad stonefruit)
• 100% wild yeast cultured from vineyard 287 using ‘Pied de Cuve’ technique
• 100% malo but managed to deliver low/no buttery characters
• Barrel fermented in 100% French barriques but only 15% new oak
• Designed for very long ageing (10-12 years easily) and strongly rewards time in the bottle
• Works with a wide range of cuisine – especially salt-rich dishes

WILDCARD: ‘Reserve’ Viognier

Current vintage at time of writing: 2018

I refer to this as ‘Viognier for Chardonnay lovers.’

Stylistic Aim

It is (intentionally) barely recognizable as Viognier. A style principally designed to work with food. A long, linear structure and complexity-driven aroma/flavour profile as distinct from the normal Viogniers which are typically fruity with quite a broad/’fat’ mid-palate.

• Fruit from our Hill Country Estate vineyard up on Te Mata Peak in Havelock North
• Very low-yielding vines situated on a very steep terrace. We intentionally keep the vines under stress to ensure low yield/vine and a ‘distorted’ Viognier flavour profile
• Whole-bunch pressed very gently to produce a tight/linear juice structure with real length. Here, I basically use the same pressing regime as for a Methode.
• Very cloudy Juice goes straight to French barriques for fermentation – barrels have typically had 6 or 7 previous ferments through them.
• I am not looking oakiness from these barrels – rather the ‘noise’ and rusticity you get fermenting in this older oak compared to a stainless steel tank (or new French barrels).
• Fermented with a Burgundy-isolate Chardonnay yeast.
• No malo.
• After fermentation, the wine spends its whole time (total ~ 11 months) on full lees to encourage further complexity and improved palate texture.

“Alongside Hen’s Teeth and EVB Chardonnays, I rate Reserve Viognier as one of de la terre’s top white wines.”

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22 October, 2019|In Winery Spotlight

A Bohemian, a Poet and a Dancer Walk into a Wine Bar…

The Bohemian Project is doing things a lil’ differently…

They’re not quite a winery. They’re not quite a vineyard. What they are is a collection of like-minded wine lovers who came together – an amalgamation of all things great about wine.

The cornerstone of Bohemian Wines is collaboration. Head Bohemians, Puneet Dhall & Brandon Nash, collectively have over 30 years experience in the wine industry and they never stop searching for the essence of great wine. After starting up Dhall & Nash together in 2007, they realised they were in a unique position where they could appreciate and see so many different ways of making wines from so many wonderful corners of New Zealand, and each of these were the signatures of winemakers they’d grown to personally know and respect. They knew who they considered to be one of the best Pinot producers in the country, and a woman who was seemingly a jack of all trades and master of all… And so an idea started to form, a vision of curating the best of the best and letting these masters do their thing! A platform where they are free to experiment and create to their heart’s content.

And so came along the Bohemians – The Bohemian, The Poet and The Dancer. A red, a white and a rosé. A collection of beautifully crafted wines from hand-picked masters of craft around New Zealand, who breathe life into characters and notes and bottle them up to present to you.

The Bohemian Pinot Noir

The Poet Pinot Gris

The Dancer Rosé

First came ‘The Bohemian’ flagship Pinot Noir – made by Schubert’s own Kai Schubert in the Wairarapa. Anyone who knows New Zealand Pinot knows Kai is the cream of the crop. In 2015, Lisa Perrotti-Brown of Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate named one of his Pinots as one of the Top Three NZ Wines, where his Pinots were described as “beautiful, perfumed and earthy”.

Then came ‘The Poet’ Hawke’s Bay Pinot Gris. It is made by Julianne Brogden of Collaboration Wines – a highly celebrated New Zealand winemaker with a passion for food, travel and art. She’s been touted as being one of New Zealand’s real ‘up-and-comers’ and frankly, she makes mind-blowingly good drops. She has brought to the table an artfully crafted, refreshing wine, offering delightful aromas and flavours as its recital.

The ‘baby’ of Bohemian is ‘The Dancer’ Hawke’s Bay Rosé. This is something we are incredibly proud of and excited to have in our portfolio. Also made by veteran Bohemian and fan-favourite, Julz from Collaboration Wines, she worked with Bohemian to create something utterly unique – a blend of Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Viognier – unusual and compelling, gorgeous, savoury and so bohemian. We haven’t stopped talking about it since it was released, we simply can’t help it.

2019 Bohemian ‘The Dancer’ Rosé
“Luminescent pale pink colour. A blend of syrah, cabernet franc and viognier. Crisp, dry and delicately flavoursome rosé with raspberry, cherry and subtle crushed herb flavours. A good food wine with attractive and refreshing acidity.”
Bob Campbell (90 points)

2018 Bohemian ‘The Bohemian’ Pinot Noir
Lush, dark summer berry aromas come dancing from the glass, bringing with them notes of plums, exotic spices and liquorice. A smooth and lush entrance of dark plum and forest berries on the palate greets you before introducing an array of spicy notes. Star anise, cloves and an intriguing pepper tone leads to the savoury, mineral core and a delightfully balanced finish that lingers.

2018 Bohemian ‘The Poet’ Pinot Gris
Fresh, green notes adorn the perfume, adding a crisp undertone to the sensory ballad that is ‘The Poet’. Red apple skin, honeydew melon, lychee and ginger account for the rest of this fruity and aromatic composition. A dry character, ‘The Poet’ does not exhibit sweet notes, but instead offers a firm, tight and linear palatable tale, with textured fruity notes of red apple and honeycomb taking the centre-stage. Hold the applause.
NZ International Wine Show 2019 (Silver Medal)

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We would like to take the time to shine a light on one of our New Zealand gems – Hawkshead. Dhall & Nash and Hawkshead go way back. We’ve been working with this fine Central Otago producer for several years and are consistently impressed with the wines year in, year out.

Hawkshead came to be when in 1995, Denis Marshall bought a plot of land in the Gibbston Valley after forging himself a long and successful career in politics, specialising in horticulture and conservation. In 2001 the first Pinot Noir vines were planted, quickly followed with more plantings in 2003. Two years later, he and his equally passionate partner, Ulrike, established the Hawkshead Vineyard Partnership. The focus is on careful land use and soil management, with minimum interference with nature.

Everything about the Hawkshead winery is a nod to nature, from the philosophy behind the viticulture to the meaning behind its name and labels. In 1841, Denis’ ancestor, naturalist William Swainson, settled in New Zealand and named his first home “Hawkshead”. His books, illustrations and folios of beautiful birds and tropical shells are still enjoyed and admired by natural history collectors around the world, and so it was only fitting to choose the name of William Swainson’s colonial home and the original drawing of it as the Hawkshead wine label.

Dhall & Nash Staff Visits

Over the past year, we’ve been sending our staff down to visit with Denis, Ulrike and the winery dogs to help them understand just what makes Hawkshead wines so beautiful…

Michael tells us a little bit about his trip down to the winery in October, 2018:

“A short drive up the Gibbston Valley takes us to a beautiful home where Denis and his wife Ulrike reside. They say the house was designed more around the furniture and kitchen than anything else and it’s filled with the most ornate old wooden cabinets each loaded with gleaming silver and crystal. We have a look at some current and back vintages of their Estate, Gibbston, and Bannockburn Pinots as well as a little look at the Riesling and Rosé.”

2014 Hawkshead Riesling: Slight reduction. Green apple skin, beeswax and lanolin only just starting to show. Balance of complexity between age and fruit characters is excellent. Off-dry (10g/L) with a medium acidity bringing freshness and wonderful clean finish to the wine. – Michael

Showing light kerosene notes, mild reduction, waxy, powdery, lemon and lime. Much rounder mouthfeel now. Spicy, limey acidity, grapefruit again, with a sweeter final impression. 16/20 – Brandon

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2015 Hawkshead First Vines Pinot Noir (Gibbston Valley): Dennis explained this home vineyard was planted as much with a crowbar as a shovel due to the top soil being so shallow and large stones (Schist) littering the land.
Bright ruby in colour. The wine is just finding balance between its intense fruity aromas and the 2 years bottle age brings just a touch of savoury. A wine for both drinking and cellaring. Fresh plum, rhubarb and cherry with lovely fresh mushroom on the palate with ripe, powdery tannins. – Michael

Beetroot, roasted veges reduction to start. Leather, cherry, mint, sweet pea, effortless, natural tannin, with elegance, seeing the schist, spicy, berry, lifted, rhubarb and strawberry fruit characters. Compelling. 17/20 – Brandon

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2017 Hawkshead Estate Pinot Noir: Medium + intensity of aromas, sweet spicy cinnamon and abundant fresh black plum, black cherry and violet florals. The tannins are soft and inviting. Pleasing savoury complexity rounds out the palate for a very well-balanced wine. – Michael

High sulphides, sweet, silky, slightly clipped at this stage. 2017 was a challenging vintage, small crop due to frost, the wine shows a higher acid profile, some perfume, light game and spice notes. 15/20 – Brandon

“Following the reduction (sulphides) we had been finding, a short conversation ensued around screw caps 100% seal on wine. Where by free sulfur without access to oxygen ingress through a cork would be more likely to bind with other available elements including hydrogen, to create hydrogen sulphide. This means the winemaker must be so much more careful of the free sulfur and potential for reduction when it comes to bottling.”

Next up was a visit from Tori, Matt and Owen who enjoyed a tour around the vineyard, lunch at the Bannockburn Hotel and, of course, some wine tasting.

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Julicher Estate is a family-owned boutique Martinborough winery focusing on the production of prestige quality wines with distinctive fruit flavours. All Julicher wines are estate grown on their 20 hectares of vineyards on the Te Muna Terraces. With a range including riesling, sauvignon blanc, chardonnay and pinot noir – these guys really know what it means to pack punch across the spectrum.

The Estate came to be when in 1996, Wim Julicher fell head-over-heels for Martinborough’s secret valley – Te Muna. He snapped up 50 acres and started to plant groves of olive trees and grape vines on the bare farmland. Meaning “to seek the ideal” and having created a truly idyllic spot, it was fitting that the name the Estate itself, would be Julicher.

20 years down the line, Martinborough wines are highly sought-after, Te Muna even more so, and Julicher is one of the best, boasting endless accolades for their wines and a team that clearly loves what they do. They are rated as one of the top 50 wine producers of New Zealand and have established strong distribution and export markets.

Earlier this month, the Dhall & Nash girls flew down to Wellington to experience Julicher Estate for ourselves. After an impressively smooth landing at the notoriously windy Wellington airport, Sue Darling, Wim’s right-hand-woman and all-round superstar picked us up and so began a windy, windy road-trip over the Remutakas back to the Estate.

Buildings turned to houses, houses turned to paddocks, and paddocks turned to vines as the bustling city life dropped away behind, and pulling into the Julicher driveway, it was a breath of fresh air and scenery simply to die for. Vines as far as the eye could see greeted us, as well as the wagging tails and irresistible puppy-dog eyes of the vineyard dogs – Sophie and Jack.

A quick bite to eat and an exorbitant number of belly-rubs for the dogs later, we were off on an Estate tour with the Julicher winemaker – Martin. A big personality with an even bigger belt-buckle, Martin is an attentive yet hands-off winemaker whose passion comes through in his every word and action. “My role is to provide structure and depth to the wine through influence as opposed to intervention” he states.

After introducing us to the vines, block by block, and pointing out the differences even between different rows, the tasting began. Martin pulled barrel and tank samples of the upcoming 2018 wines.

For the 2018 Riesling he has opted for a drier style than the usual off-dry Julicher Riesling. His comments to Brandon earlier in the year were “if the Germans can do it in the Mosel, then why cant we?”. Brandon identified notes of lemon, lime, and honey with a chalk like texture, and expects that this vintage will rate a couple of points higher than the previous ones. Definitely one to look forward to.

The 2018 Sauvignon Blanc is a real treat. Martin is a self-proclaimed ‘Sauvignon Winemaker’. It’s with Sauvignon that he finds a lot of joy and that he works his best magic with. He worked several vintages at Giesen in Marlborough before taking the role as Winemaker at Julicher. During his time at Giesen, Martin took over the reins at the premium, single vineyard end of Giesen – which means unreal top end stuff including the famed Clayvin Vineyard and Ridge Block and of course The Fudor Sauvignon Blanc. It is clear Martin will have a very positive effect on the Sauvignon Blanc program.

The 2018 Chardonnay was in the midst of secondary fermentation when we tasted it. A small blend was made in the glass from three separate barrel samples, as he stated that when he poured the samples separately, the flavours were so vastly different it was hard to get a solid impression of the wine as a whole. When he had done this previously for our dream-duo, Jean-Jacques and John, they had been blown away with how different the characteristics were between the barrels, and so, ever-experimenting, he decided to switch it up with us and see how it went. (Spoiler alert: very well)

The 2018 Rosé – just the thing to impress us girls – is a bit of a 180 from previous styles of Julicher Rosé. Previously a bold magenta-hued juicy powerhouse, the 2018 has taken inspiration from Provencal rosé and is a far more pale, delicate hue. It was just about ready for bottling when we tried it and we came back raving. This facelift is one we are all dying to see the finished result of.

Julicher Estate produces two different Pinot Noirs – the Estate and the 99 Rows. Regarding the 99 Rows Pinot, which is the Julicher second-tier Pinot, Martin said “The difference is with this wine, is that it was never a second-tier wine made to be a second tier wine. It’s a second-tier wine that was made to be a first-tier wine. It was never treated any differently to the estate wine, and in fact it’s not until you start making barrel selections that the ’99 Rows’ and ‘Estate’ selections are identified. If you treat the barrels differently from the start, then the second-tier wine will taste like it.”

All up we got to taste samples from five barrels, all treated the same way, with equal care and attention. Martin helped to explain just what his favourite aspect was of each barrel. He explained which barrels he was thinking about using to create base notes, and which ones he wanted to build the mid-palate. He told us which ones he thought he would use for structure, and which he thought were already pretty well-rounded. An idea of what will be going into the prestige Estate selection and which will go into ’99 Rows’ is already starting to form. Though, as fair as always, nothing is ruled out yet and right now, they are all just beautiful Julicher Pinot. Brandon noted in his visit that he tasted the same line-up. “From an early, first picked block showing red berries and freshness, to savoury reductive deeper notes, and then building in texture and length as we tasted across a thrilling set of components that will make up the Estate Wine and their famed 99 Rows Pinot Noirs. Wayne and I left this tasting feeling like Julicher is in good hands.”

Feeling suitably wined, it was time to be dined. Back at the house, we felt so welcome and relaxed it was hard to believe we weren’t regulars. An afternoon spent on the couch enjoying antipasto platters was followed by a phenomenal home-cooked meal and a long night of wine and fantastic conversation (and even a cheeky glass of Wim’s special Soju).

So far, three different Dhall & Nash groups have had the pleasure of visiting Julicher this year, and we have one more lucky group due to pop down before December, and it’s fair to say the rest of us who’ve already experienced all they have to offer, would trade places for a second round in a heartbeat. Fine hosts, boutique wine, vineyard views and wagging tails? It doesn’t get much better. Julicher Estate put on a show and we are so wonderfully thrilled to be a part of helping our customers get a taste of what they’re all about through their scrumptious wines.

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2015 Marion’s Vineyard Pinot Noir & 2015 Block B Pinot Noir

The 2015 vintage in Wairarapa consisted of a windy spring and wet spell over the New Year that was followed by a hot, dry summer. This led to a smaller more concentrated yield which translated beautifully into the wine.

Due to this lower yield, the wines are more exclusive than ever. We have a tiny allocation available with most of it already spoken for. (Please click the bottles for more info)

2015 Marion’s Vineyard Pinot Noir

Beautiful dark ruby hues, a seductive earthy bouquet, lingering notes of poached Black Doris plums, exotic spice, dark chocolate and fine mineral notes.  A composed wine with an entrance of rich Ghana chocolate, fresh dark cherries and five spice. A wonderful earthy concentration, notes of leather and forest floor showing textured tannins and a powerful mineral drive. A wine to be embraced and aged.

“Medium-bodied Pinot Noir with attractive rose petal, cherry, berry and spice flavours. Elegant and quite linear wine with surprising power and length. A smooth-textured Pinot that can be appreciated now but promises more with bottle age.”
Bob Campbell (95 points)

2015 Block B Pinot Noir

Dark ruby hue, a seductive bouquet showing the complexity and a depth of perfumed violets and floral notes, layers of dark luscious cherries and alluring exotic spices wrapping around a savoury earthy heart in Schubert’s classic Block B style. Beautiful, elegant and silky entrance of fresh dark cherries, a seam of exotic spices entwined with physical tannins with a layered powerful core of forest floor, notes of leather and fine of toasted oak. A truly beautiful example which will cellar well over time.

“Moderately dark, even ruby-red colour, a little lighter on the rim with garnet hues. The nose is elegantly proportioned with good depth of ripe, dark-red and black-berried fruits with a core of dark herbs and minerals, unfolding violet floral notes. The nose possesses firmness and fine concentration, revealing liquorice and spices. Medium-full bodied, the palate features rich and mouth-filling flavours of ripe dark-red and black-berried fruits entwined with dark herbs violets, spices and minerals. The wine has a deep, rounded core and the palate shows impressive presence while retaining style. The fruit is supported by fine-grained tannin extraction and fresh, lacy acidity, and the wine carries with good linearity to a long, black-fruited and spicy finish. This is a rich, dark-red and black-
fruited Pinot Noir with herb, spice and mineral notes on a fine, firm-lined palate with impressive structure and presence. Match with lamb, beef and venison dishes.”
Raymond Chan (18.5 points)

These phenomenal wines won’t be around for long, if you’re interested in tracking down an allocation please don’t hesitate to contact us at info@dnfinewine.com

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Later on this month, I am co-hosting an event at Auckland’s Beirut, to celebrate the debut of their new executive chef.  Diners will experience dishes from chef Alex’s exciting new menu, expertly paired with wines from one of the prize stallions in the Dhall & Nash stable – De La Terre. Click here for more information.

The brain-child and personal project of one of Hawke’s Bay’s most celebrated winemakers (Tony Pritchard, 15 years at Church Rd), De La Terre is a family-run vineyard and winery with an uncompromising approach to exceptional winemaking.

The very first time I met Tony last year, I was blown away by his encyclopædic knowledge, and passion for his craft. Tony is a trained food scientist as well as a legendary winemaker, and happily tells how he will sacrifice ‘varietal expression’, in order to produce a wine that is food-friendly. Visits to his custom-built winery often involve a delicious offering from their famous pizza oven to accompany his exceptional wines.

Unsurprisingly, his Chardonnay and Syrah are exemplary. But for me, the real stars are the 5 expressions of Viognier – a particularly fussy varietal, seldom seen outside of it’s spiritual home of the Northern Rhône. I have never experienced a more thrilling Viognier than the 2015 Ridgeline – Tony actually hand-selects specific bunches from his Viognier plantings for this very special wine, based on ripeness and concentration.

I highly rate all of Tony’s wines, and encourage you to discover them.

-Hannah

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6. 2013 Folium Vineyard Reserve Pinot Noir: Famously the home of Ponsonby the goat, which just happens to produce some outstandingly vibrant Pinot Noir. Smoky cherry, gentle tannins and touch of maelo.

Winemaker Takaki Okada lives and breathes his beloved vineyard, living nestled amongst the vines as to provide them with the most detailed and attentive care possible. Implementing an admirable organic philosophy, the vines are not just certified, but thriving. This elegant, striking organic wine really walks the walk.

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Central Otago is a kiwi claim-to-fame when it comes to winemaking, as the wines hailing from it’s beautiful soils are praised around the world – particularly it’s Pinot Noirs. The esteemed grape makes up more than 75% of the regions plantings, and thrives in the mountainous, lake-dotted environment.

On May 2, 1895, Italian viticultural expert Romeo Bragato told the Otago Chamber of Commerce that the region was “pre-eminently suitable” for winemaking. However the first grapes planted in the region were by Jean Feraud, a French gold miner, in 1864. The large number of European settlers in the area for the Gold Rush of the 1880’s clearly helped boost the demand for wine in the region over this period. The region even won its first gold medal for “Burgundy” in Sydney in 1881. However a rise in the popularity of stone fruit growing took the region by storm up until the late 1950’s.

The overall landscape is dominated by sweeping mountain ranges, rivers, lakes and semi-arid inland basins, not to mention it is the only non-marine wine region in New Zealand. The structure of the land is based around 7 stratifications of terraces – all of which have differing soil types but share a free draining gravel at the base.

To learn more about this diverse and stunning wine region, click here.

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8. 2013 Aurum Mathilde Pinot Noir: Aurum is in both name, and wine – a golden star of Pinot. Named for the winemaker’s eldest daughter, Mathilde exudes smoky bramble elegance with refinement and class.

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From Central Otago – Denis Marshall of Hawkshead reports:

“We are celebrating; and delighted to report that the 2016 vintage year was one the best we have ever experienced in Gibbston; valley of the vines in Central Otago. That is good news as we celebrate our 10^th vintage. Spring arrived with the usual frosts but they were not severe and did not damage precious tender buds so we were off to an excellent start.” Read more

In Marlborough, Takaki Okada of Folium Vineyards had a rushed start to vintage:

“Harvest 2016 was started with a small panic.

During my business trip in US, I found several posts online of the beginning of harvest 2016. I asked my winemaker friends if they have started. And the answers were NO!! What a relief!

Normally I have a cup of tea when I am back from overseas trip, but this time I directly run into the vineyard. Fruits were almost ready to pick.” Read more

In the Wairarapa, Kai Schubert and Marion Deimling of Schubert wines have high hope for the 2016 vintage:

“We started picking on the 21st March with our first Pinot Noir harvest, which was a week earlier than usual for us. With the weather on our side, of glorious warm blue sky days, the fruit arrived at the winery in very beautiful, healthy and in pristine condition.” Read More

Up in the sunny Hawke’s Bay, Tony Pritchard of De La Terre is still pinching himself:

“Despite winemakers getting excited before Spring 2015 about talk of another warm El Nino pattern, the pre-Xmas pattern left many of us concerned.

You can never be sure how the season is going to progress and there is no guarantee that you will ‘catch up’ on a cool start to a season.” Read More

In beautiful Matakana, Toby Gillman is very pleased with the intensity of the wines:

“2016 in Matakana started with an unusually warm and muggy summer.  High night-time temperatures and humidity increased the disease pressure in the vineyard, so through January and February the focus was on keeping the vines and grapes clean.” Read More

By all accounts, an exciting vintage. We cannot wait to sample the results! Thank you to all of our contributing winemakers for sharing their experiences.

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