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Hawke’s Bay Vineyards - Hawke’s Bay Vineyards - Hawke’s Bay Vineyards - Hawke’s Bay Vineyards

Our Hawke’s Bay Vineyards

Hawke’s Bay’s location on the east coast of New Zealand’s North Island gives it some unique advantages. With access to plenty of sunshine, it is usually warm and dry, and protected by mountain ranges from New Zealand’s predominantly westerly wind.

However, there’s more to it. The vineyards near the coast get exposed to afternoon sea breezes that create a cooler band, whereas inland vineyards are warmer. Further inland, as altitude increases, vines experience a greater daily temperature range heating up and cooling more rapidly.

Overall, the range of temperatures, rainfall and soil types combine to create microclimates that have been proven ideal for many different styles of wine.

Riverview Vineyard

Riverview has been described as “the jewel in the crown” of our Hawke’s Bay vineyards and consistently produces exceptional Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah.

Moderately elevated and facing east-north-east, Riverview’s free-draining shingle plains in Hawkes Bay slope gently to the flinty Ngaruroro river. It receives the sun early in the morning, and the upper terraces are particularly warm as they are protected by hills from the predominant westerly wind.

The legendary 1995 Black Label Chardonnay, 2000 and 2002 Coniglio Chardonnay all awarded gold and the trophies for “best chardonnay in the world” at the London International Wine Challenge, all originated from Riverview.

Main Grape Varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, MC varieties

Kinross Vineyard

Kinross is The Wine Portfolio’s largest Hawke’s Bay vineyard. Facing south on the banks of the Ngaruroro River, it is a little warmer than Colefield and around 2°C cooler than Riverview.

The site doesn’t receive sun until later in the morning, but total sunshine hours are still high as it receives more afternoon sun than the other vineyards. Deep, free-draining alluvial soils produce fruit that generally exhibits flavours that are fresh, young and intense.

Main Grape Varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer

Tantallon Vineyard

One of the warmest of The Wine Portfolio’s Hawke’s Bay vineyards, Tantallon enjoys all day sun and also the lowest rainfall at around 700mm per annum. In cooler years, it produces excellent Chardonnay with intense fruit flavours. Tantallon has also produced outstanding Merlot, typified by plummy, blackberry flavours. While some Hawke’s Bay vineyards may experience extreme temperatures in hot years, Tantallon is sufficiently close to the coast to get relief from cooling sea breezes.

Main Grape Varieties: Chardonnay, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Merlot, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec

Campbell’s Brook Vineyard

The rolling hills to the south shelter Campbell’s Brook from cool winds and also act as a thermal reflector directing the sun back to the vineyard. The site gets all day sun and is the warmest of all The Wine Portfolio’s Hawke’s Bay estates. Nestled at the foot of a hill, this uniquely protected site rarely experiences frost and has a lower rainfall than many of the other vineyards. Bordeaux style reds do extremely well in the free-draining alluvial soil.

Main Grape Varieties: Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Gewurztraminer

Colefield Vineyard

Slightly more elevated than Riverview, Colefield is the coolest of The Wine Portfolio’s Hawke’s Bay vineyards. While the site is flat and receives all day sun to warm the deep, shingly soils, it is relatively exposed to wind which tends to keep the upper part of the vines cooler.

The growing conditions are particularly suited to Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir. Colefield consistently produces outstanding examples of these, with the Sauvignon Blanc exhibiting strong, tropical aromas of passionfruit and gooseberry, and Pinot Noir notable for aromas of black cherries and plums.

Main Grape Varieties: Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris

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Our portfolio includes 16 distinct brands, each of which represents a unique story, flavour profile and style of winemaking. Together they cater to a range of tastes and occasions.

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