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News | News

Waipara Hills receives an abundance of stars from March Winestate tasting.

Waipara Hills has received a number of fantastic results following the March Winestate magazine tasting, for four 2013 vintage wines.

The 2013 Waipara Hills Equinox Waipara Valley Riesling received a highly acclaimed 4.5 stars. This is the second time 4.5 stars have been awarded to this wine, since its release just last month.

The Equinox wine range is produced in limited quantities by Waipara Hills. All fruit is handpicked from single vineyards and grown locally in the Waipara Valley.

Winemaker, Simon McGeorge is thrilled to receive this accolade; he believes that the Equinox Waipara Valley Riesling is going to age superbly. “It’s really exciting receiving 4.5 stars for a wine that’s still so young and early in its development, keep an eye on [this wine] as it’s only starting to open its wings!,” Simon said.

Full results and judges notes are listed below.

Waipara Hills Equinox Waipara Valley Riesling 2013 ****½

Full-bodied, medium style, estate-grown, hand-picked and barrel-fermented. Richly scented, with generous, peachy, citrusy, spicy flavours, showing good complexity and excellent harmony. Best drinking 2016+.

Waipara Hills Equinox Waipara Valley Pinot Gris 2013 ****

Powerful, fleshy style, estate-grown, hand-harvested and barrel-fermented. Weighty and dryish, with deep peach, pear, lychee and spice flavours, still very youthful. Open 2015+.

Waipara Hills Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc 2013 ****

Freshly herbaceous, slightly nettley bouquet. Grapefruit and green capsicum-like flavours, with some riper, tropical fruit notes, and a dry, tangy, lingering finish. (A slightly ‘greener’ style than past vintages.)

Waipara Hills Waipara Valley Riesling 2013 ****

Tangy, youthful, medium to full-bodied wine with excellent depth of citrusy, peachy, limey flavours. Vibrantly fruity and finely balanced, it’s already enjoyable, but also well worth cellaring to 2015+.

Waipara Hills Pinot Gris - 93 points and 5 stars

The 2013 Waipara Hills Waipara Valley Pinot Gris has just received 5 stars and 93 points in the latest Sam Kim from Wineorbit.co.nz tasting.

“Reaching the ‘outstanding’ category to receive 5 stars is something we constantly strive for”, said Waipara Hills Winemaker; Simon McGeorge. “To be acknowledged so soon after releasing this wine is a great feeling,” Simon said.

Sam described the wine as being “filled with ripe peach, tropical fruit and pear flavours.” He went onto say it was an immediately appealing wine, “it's fragrant and inviting on the nose, and silky-smooth on the palate. The wine shows excellent balance and harmony, and finishes long and juicy.”

Recommended drinking is between now and 2016.

4.5 stars for 2013 Equinox Waipara Valley Riesling

Waipara Hills received 4.5 stars for the 2013 Equinox Waipara Valley Riesling, in the March 2014 issue of Cuisine. The wine is due to be released at the cellar door later this month and we are excited to launch, with a notable 4.5 stars behind us!

The Cuisine panel was quoted saying, “You’d expect balance from a wine called Equinox, and that’s exactly what you get here – sweet highlights anchored to a well-defined structure. Mandarin, lime, baked apple and wet-stone notes contribute to an impressive flavour profile”.

Waipara Hills Winemaker; Simon McGeorge is over the moon with the result.

“It’s really exciting receiving 4.5 stars for a wine that’s still so young and early in its development. Thanks to the Cuisine panel for their insight and to all the Riesling drinkers out there, keep an eye on this wine as it’s only starting to open its wings!”, Simon said.

Waipara Hills also received 3 stars from Cuisine for the 2013 Waipara Hills Waipara Valley Pinot Gris and the 2013 Equinox Waipara Valley Pinot Gris.

Trio of Silver Medals for Waipara Hills at Air New Zealand Wine Awards.

Waipara Hills received a fantastic three silver medals, at the 2013 Air New Zealand Wine Awards. The three award winners were; 2013 Waipara Hills Waipara Valley Pinot Gris, 2013 Waipara Hills Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc and the 2012 Waipara Hills Waipara Valley Chardonnay.

A great result for three outstanding wines! Waipara Hills contributes its success to the combined efforts of Winemaker, Simon McGeorge and Waipara Viticulturist, Jean-Luc Dufour.

Simon is delighted with the acknowledgement and believes it’s the first of many medals following the strong 2013 vintage. “Receiving silver medals for our Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris is very gratifying and a sound endorsement on the overall quality of our wines. I’ll be proud to have the silver Air New Zealand stickers on my wines as I show them off in the coming year, “Simon said.

Jean-Luc has worked on the Waipara Hills Home Block Vineyard, since Pinot Gris was planted there almost 20 years ago. He believes the continued success of the Pinot Gris, hailing from this block, is due to the strict processes when planting the vines.

“The history of our success with Pinot Gris at the Home Block Vineyard goes back to 1995, where we went through the process of selecting the best bud wood for planting. These plants are on their own roots and together with a stony river terrace site, have consistently produced high quality fruit,” he said.

Waipara Hills shines with three Silver Medals at IWSC (UK)

Results have been announced for the 2013 International Wine & Spirits Competition (IWSC UK) and we're delighted to have received Silver medals for 2012 Waipara Hills Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, 2012 Waipara Hills Central Otago Pinot Noir and 2012 Equinox Waipara Valley Sauvignon Blanc. The IWSC was founded in 1969 and is widely considered to be the most prestigious independent competition of its type in the world. There are two rigorous stages of judging. A professional blind tasting of wines, followed by a detailed chemical and microbiological analysis. The wine is subject to a thorough analysis that looks at the levels of minerals and metals that could potentially negatively affect the wine down the track. For example a recently bottled Sauvignon Blanc could be pleasant on the nose and palate but within three months could begin to oxidise due to free sulphur dioxide levels, unnoticeable to the nose this early in its life. For more information on the awards visit http://www.iwsc.net.

Join us at Taste Waipara

We're excited to be part of Taste Waipara. Join us and other producers from the Waipara Valley for a boutique wine tasting experience at Christchurch Casino 17 September. Tickets are limited and only available at www.tastewaipara.co.nz.

Jean-Luc Dufour awarded Pure Gold and more at 2013 Bragato Awards

Big congratulations to our Vineyard Manager, Jean-Luc Dufour, who was awarded Pure Gold and a swag of bronzes at this year’s Bragato Awards!

The Bragato Wine Awards, held each year as part of the Romeo Bragato Conference, are awarded to the grower for viticultural excellence. The competition recognises that growing excellent grapes is the foundation of making wines of true quality.

The competition had 495 entries with 51 gold medals, 107 silver and 181 bronze medals being awarded.

PURE GOLD
2012 Equinox Sauvignon Blanc

PURE BRONZE
2012 Waipara Hills Waipara Riesling (Jean-Luc)
2013 Waipara Hills Waipara Valley Pinot Gris (Jean-Luc)
2011 Equinox Pinot Noir (Jean-Luc)
2012 Equinox Chardonnay (Jean-Luc)

Our Central Otago Vineyard Manager, Duncan Cramp, was also awarded PURE BRONZE for 2012 Waipara Hills Central Otago Pinot Noir.

Two Golds from prestigious Canadian Wine Awards

We're delighted to announce two Gold Medals at the 2013 Selections Mondiales des Vins competition held in Canada.

The results:

GOLD - 2011 Waipara Hills Waipara Valley Pinot Gris

GOLD - 2011 Waipara Hills Central Otago Pinot Noir

The 2013 competition recieved over 1700 entries from 34 different countries. To see the full list of results visit www.smvcanada.ca/

Capturing the Soul of the South - Equinox Release

How does one capture the Soul of the South? By producing a special limited edition range of premium wines that uniquely represent the North Canterbury wine region Waipara Valley.

Equinox by Waipara Hills is proud to announce the new vintage release of its range including 2012 Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling, 2011 Pinot Noir, and a new variety in the Equinox range – the 2012 Waipara Hills Equinox Chardonnay.

Only in a special year is an Equinox wine produced; the fruit needs to express the natural terroir of the Waipara Valley - fortunately the 2012 vintage delivered all that and more. A cool summer delayed the ripening much later than normal helping to retain acidity and develop rich aromatics; a warm stable autumn presented the fruit in wonderful condition.

The 2012 Waipara Hills Equinox Chardonnay was a result of minimal winemaking intervention allowing it to develop and mature at its own pace. Stone fruit and citrus fruit characters burst from the first sip, complemented by subtle smokiness of French oak that will develop further as the wine ages in bottle. “This is the first of this style of wine that we've made here at Waipara Hills - I love the concentration, integration and freshness that we've achieved. Balancing the fruit with the oak, buttery notes with the oily texture and fresh acidity, this wine has a great poise about it.” explains Winemaker Simon McGeorge. Serve slightly chilled accompanied with roasted chicken, seared tuna or pork belly for a cosy Autumnal night in.

Oak influence is a successful feature of the 2012 Waipara Hills Equinox Sauvignon Blanc. Following on in style from the 2011 vintage, it parades class and exhibits an interesting and vibrant palate that reveals a wonderful mixture of smoke, spice, stone fruit and citrus flavours, a perfect accompaniment with seared scallops. All these characters give the wine its line and length and are a true expression of the ‘Soul of the South’.

The Equinox Range gives Waipara Hills Winemaker Simon McGeorge the freedom to make something different. “I love to explore quirkier styles and methods of winemaking, but always with an idea of presenting something that is ultimately very enjoyable. The wines change and evolve, both in the bottle and in the glass as the wine warms in your hands. The wine sitting there in front of you is proof of that” explains Simon.

Equinox wines are made in small parcels; it carries a personal element of patience and winemakers’ craft delivering complexity, and distinctive, aromatic characters - something the Equinox wines are championing.

Waipara Hills Equinox range - RRP $32 - $34 proudly distributed by Hancocks and available at leading fine wine retail stores and restaurants nationwide. Also available online www.waiparahills.co.nz

2012 Waipara Hills Equinox Chardonnay

2012 Waipara Hills Equinox Sauvignon Blanc

2011 Waipara Hills Equinox Pinot Noir

2012 Waipara Hills Equinox Riesling

NV Waipara Hills Equinox Late Harvest Riesling (cellar door exclusive)

For more information, images or to set up a media visit with Waipara Hills, please contact Kate Cameron – Communication, PR and Event Co-ordinator - Phone: + 64 21 222 7858 Email: kate.cameron@nzve.co.nz

Marlborough Harvest 2013

It was a great season in Marlborough with below average rainfall and higher than average growing degree days (the average daily temperature minus 10 added together) and average wind run. Crops were mostly in the optimum cropping range to suit the vineyard. This meant that quality was maximised with good healthy canopies through to harvest with great flavour development and ripening.