Johner Estate (pronounced, ‘Yo-ner’) has been a staple in the D&N portfolio for years – we’ve been lapping up their Pinot, Riesling & Chardonnay vintage after vintage and it’s on many a wine list around the country for good reason! So when they offered us an allocation of their premium range of ‘Lime Hill’ Wines, we jumped at the opportunity…

The year is 2013, skinny jeans are peak fashion, the iPhone 5S has just been announced and Karl Johner and his winemaker, Raphael Burki have just planted chardonnay and pinot noir on a special plot in the Wairarapa.

On a hillside a few kilometres north east of their Estate vineyard in Gladstone, 200-280m above sea-level, they secured a plot just over 1ha. Even Bob Campbell MW had a wee tour of it,

“The aspect was great, the soils even greater – a thin layer of clay over limestone-rich sub-soils. Karl was clearly very excited about the potential…”

The winemaking is done in the most gentle way to guarantee a natural product where all the excellence of the terroir comes into its own. These wines are exceptional and made in a traditional Burgundian manner in the winery.

With 0.9ha planted with pinot and 0.3 ha planted in Chardonnay, farmed organically – the production is extremely limited and very premium.

I have now tasted Lime Hill Chardonnay from the 2017, 2018 and 2019 vintages, which averaged 95 points… I have only tasted one more vintage of Lime Hill Pinot Noir which earned 95 points… I recommend stocking up on both wines. Quantities are small and the future is very bright.
– Bob Campbell

Karl Johner learned his art at Geisenheim Wine Institute in Germany’s Reingau region. After which he moved to England and became involved in the early days of the English wine scene. Seeing the wine world through the eyes of English collectors, he realised the untapped potential of grape varieties from his hometown in Germany – the seeds for Karl’s vision were germinating.

In 1985, Karl, with his wife Irene and their children in tow, returned to the Baden area and their hometown of Bischoffingen on the Alsace border, to establish a small winery – Weingut Karl Heinz Johner. This was an 18-hectare estate on the western side of the Kaiserstuhl.

With Karl’s obsession for fine Pinot Noir, his conviction in the capacity of his terroir, and not to mention his inventive almost rebellious belief in doing things differently, he unwittingly attracted some controversy from both winemakers and authorities alike. Eschewing the usual German wine classification, he used oak barrels for his wines, experimenting with must concentration and some other ‘off-piste’ techniques. Consequently, the Johner family became instrumental in transforming the previously simple red wines of their province, into much more complex, rich, and modern expressions. Despite the initial opposition, the young winery established itself as a pioneer of a new German wine style, with an international reputation. In fact, Weingut H. Johner were amongst the first vintners in the region to adapt a quality regime and focus on great Burgundian styled wines.

By the mid 1990’s Weingut Karl Heinz Johner was enjoying critical acclaim. With son Patrick Johner following his father’s footsteps, the family decided to look at new wine regions further afield. The father and son team travelled to Australia and New Zealand. They fell in love with NZ, the cool but dry climate and of course, the wine produced – especially Pinot Noir from the Wairarapa region. Now their vision was to create refined, elegant Pinot Noir in New Zealand.

“Their approach to wine is international rather than dedicated to one or the other. The style of the wines is more in the elegant expression, capturing the bright fruit expression that New Zealand is renowned for, but sufficiently restrained to enable accompaniment with food.” – Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

At Johner they believe in the ‘circle of life’ and in ‘open soil’ viticulture. Adopting European philosophies to the vineyard, coupled with organic and biodynamic practices, Johner Estate has earned a reputation for clean fruit vibrancy, integrated by savoury notes and a minerality that gives backbone, structure, and length of flavour to the palate.

In the vineyards at Johner Estate, the most ecologically sound methods are adhered to, and all wine making practices are hands-on. Johner Estate is also completely self-sufficient. From growing through to the vinification, bottling, labelling, and selling, every process is overseen by the people at the winery and vineyard. At Johner Estate they pride themselves on knowing every single part of the journey that their wines take from the soil to your glass.

In 2010, an important addition to the Johner winemaking team was Swiss winemaker Raphael Burki. He had studied oenology at the same University of Geisenheim as Karl had. Raphael works with a boutique winery, Weinbau Ottiger in Lucerne, Switzerland. Also famed for producing premium and highly sought-after Pinot Noir. Appropriately, his experience and philosophy are in harmony with the Johner family’s too.

“Our wines reflect a more European style, with many layers of fruit, great depth, and a complex structure that lingers on and on’’. – Karl Johner, owner/winemaker

100% hand-picked, whole bunch pressed with fermentation in 500L French oak barrels for 12 months.

Light and bright yellow. Tangy, vibrant Chardonnay with pronounced saline. Lime Hill Chardonnay is an outstanding New Zealand Chardonnay. It’s production is tiny but its fleshy, full body and creamy style more than make up for that. Oyster shell characters. Satisfyingly dry and concentrated wine with fruity acidity helping to drive a lengthy finish. Youthful wine with a promising future.

The very good balance and the high extract allow this wine to develop further over the next 2 to 4 years, to further integrate the acidity and secondary aromas and to gain complexity to be aged for another 4 years.

100% hand-picked, maceration and fermentation on skins for 3 weeks with 20% whole bunch. Maturation on fine lees in French oak barrels (20% new) for 12 months. This wine has been bottled without any filtration or fining process.

Medium red with a garnet core. A nose of dark red, ripe berry fruit medley, with the barest hint of French Oak vanilla bean. The mouthfeel has the perfect juxtaposition of rich intense mid-palate and salivating acidity and tannin.

Incredible value and the potential of cellaring for another 8 years.

This winery holds a special place in our collective Dhall & Nash heart – it was our very first imported American wine over 13 years ago! Obviously, we are big fans of this winery and the new releases are, as always, highly-anticipated and totally spectacular!

Today, we could call Cristom an Oregon Pinot Noir dynasty. It has a team that started off great and keeps getting better and better – as their wines bear testimony to.

Sited in the Willamette Valley’s Eola-Amity Hills, Cristom is one of America’s great heritage properties, with a well-deserved reputation. Winemaking has been under the watch of Steve Doerner, a Jacques Seysses (Domaine Dujac) disciple, who has produced every Cristom vintage since the project’s inception in 1993.

Steve’s winemaking style has always been marked by a high proportion of whole-cluster, which contributes an exotic and wide-ranging aromatic profile to his wines, qualities that deepen with time in-bottle. And now with second-generation owner, Tom Gerrie, at Steve’s side on winemaking duties, the Cristom wines continue with remarkable consistency and grace.

With thoughtful sensitivity and a ton of experience, the winemakers are adjusting the picking time, the amount of new oak and the percentage of whole cluster to ensure the most successful wine possible each vintage. This isn’t to say that the wines do not reflect vintage, but rather that you can be confident that even in years where other Willamette pinot noirs are feeble or overripe, Cristom has been almost shockingly consistent in their capacity to produce excellence.

For us at Dhall & Nash, there always seems to be some indefinable expression of energy in the Cristom wines in their youth making them pleasurable to drink straight out of the gate. But what has always been true still remains – however good the wine is upon release, in 5-10 years’ time they will be that much better!

Cristom manage to deliver compelling aromas and flavours without sacrificing the light silkiness on the palate that is the hallmark of great wine. There is always elegance, depth, balance, and consistency. Even when Steve’s wines are “powerful”, they possess power in proportion, giving the elements context and telling an always compelling story. It is a story of family, vision, stewardship, and commitment. The beauty of Cristom wines is that they continue to be a unique blend of tradition, modernity, and finesse.

Generously, owner-winemaker extraordinaire, Takaki Okada, has made available to Dhall and Nash a limited number of 2013 Folium Reserve Sauvignon Blanc and 2012 Folium Reserve Pinot Noir.

Folium Vineyard’s Takaki Okada has been crafting supremely elegant & complex vinous jewels for more than 10 years. As you Folium fans already know, Takaki is a Japanese winemaker, who reveres the intricacies of French old-world wines and with his American wine schooling he cleverly wrests magical liquid from his Brancott Valley vines. This is not your everyday garden variety Marlborough savvy or pinot!

Not only is Takaki Okada an immensely likeable character – a one-man band doing everything by hand – he is also a meticulous, obsessive, and a detail-oriented passion-driven perfectionist. And rather witty to boot!

Exciting doesn’t adequately describe this wine release. Neither does riveting. This is certifiably enthralling, bewitching stuff. Imagine, if you can, your next Folium wine purchases have been lovingly cloistered in perfect cellar conditions for your tasting pleasure now.

Purity. Elegance. Depth. Persistence.

“Fine with some wax and nuts as well as subtle hints of toffee covering the sweet pear and citrus fruit. Rounded with some richness, this is very stylish and distinctive.”
92/100 Points – Dr Jamie Goode, Wine Anorak

“Dry-farmed, high-density vineyard. 8-9 months on lees to counterbalance the high acidity. Complex mix of citrus, spice, celery, and saline. Finely textured, dry, taut, and really elegant. Mouth-watering freshness.”
17.5/20 Points – Julia Harding M.W., Jancis Robinson.com

“Hand-picked fruit, from vines planted in 1996, on clay soil, WBP and fermented at up to 20°C to 14.0% alc., the wine aged up to 8 months on lees. Bright, even straw-yellow colour with slight green hues. The nose is very fresh with vibrant and concentrated aromas of thirst-quenching white stone fruits, herbs, and gooseberries, along with complexing tropical fruit detail. Dry to taste and medium-full bodied, this has a fulsome mouthfeel with restrained flavour expression. Pure white stone fruits, gooseberries, herbs, and ripe tropical fruit flavours exude a subtle sweetness and richness, building in depth. The fruit is balanced by softly refreshing, lively, ripe acidity, and is carried with good drive to a long, positive, minerally finish. This Sauvignon Blanc has a subtle richness and presence, with pure stone fruit and herb flavours that will become more complex over the next 2-3 years.”
18.5-/20 Points – Raymond Chan Wine Reviews Sept 2014

“Medium ruby-purple in color and filled with aromas of warm mulberries, kirsch and blackberry compote with hints of allspice, cloves and mushrooms. The2012 Folium Reserve PN is a light to medium-bodied wine offering delicate flavours and a silky texture. It finishes with good length.”
90/100 Points – Lisa Perotti-Brown, Robert Parker’s The Wine Advocate

“Lovely cherry and plum fruit with a hint of sweet and sour. Linear and focused with nice brightness. Supple and drinkable.”
91/100 Points – Dr Jamie Goode, Wine Anorak

“… this fresh and elegant unfiltered pinot noir has aged beautifully thanks to its bright track of acidity, a gift from the vintage. Concentrated, complex and long with delicious savoury mature pinot character developing, this is a gem.”
The Wine Society

“Dark, deep, ruby-red colour with youthful purple hues. The bouquet is soft, refined and gently concentrated with aromas of ripe dark raspberry and black cherry fruit harmoniously integrated with notes of raspberry liqueur, black florals, and spices. Funky game and earthy elements emerge with aeration. Medium-bodied, soft, and plush fruit flavours of dark red berry and cherry fruit are melded with spice and earthy game notes. Some earthy nuances add complexity and interest. The palate has a concentrated core, and the mouthfeel features fine-grained tannins that grow, with piquant acidity providing tension and freshness. The wine carries to a fine-textured, dry and elegant finish. This is a soft, gently luscious, fine-textured Pinot Noir with good freshness and dark fruit flavours with a little funky, earthy complexity. Hand-picked fruit destemmed, given a cold soak and indigenous yeast fermented to 13.86% alc., the wine aged in 25% new French oak barrels.”
18.0/20 Points – Raymond Chan Wine Reviews June 2014

These painstakingly handmade wines whose beauty and delicacy are exquisitely revealed after years of aging are ready to be unveiled now!

Folium Vineyards celebrated it’s 10th Anniversary in 2021, Take a look here if you want to learn more about the history of this heartwarmingly boutique kiwi winery.