15 minute read
Nelson cellar doors open their doors this summer
Sun and Fun in Nelson Wineries
Charmian Smith visits Nelson cellar doors
There are gems to be found at Nelson’s cellar doors.
Many wines, especially from smaller wineries, are not available elsewhere except in a few local restaurants.
I loved the aromatics - riesling, pinot gris and even sauvignon blanc. There are excellent chardonnays and pinot noir can be a star. It’s exciting to discover unusual varieties such as albariño, chenin blanc, würzer, zweigelt, and the increasingly rare gewürztraminer.
Cellar door opening hours are volatile in today’s Covid climate. Check websites or phone before visiting. Some, not included here, require appointments if you want to visit.
Neudorf
Neudorf is Nelson’s most acclaimed winery. Tim and Judy Finn planted it in the 1970s and are still at the helm with Todd Stevens as winemaker and general manager and daughter Rosie (after whom Rosie’s Block vineyard is named) has returned from London to join the team.
The cellar door opens on to a lawn shaded by a large box elder tree planted by the Finns some 40 years ago. Here you can enjoy a tasting, a glass of wine and some light local snacks with the organic vineyard alongside. For those wanting a more in-depth experience, Jude has recently transformed Tim’s old lab into a five-seater, private tasting room.
Neudorf’s wines are precisely balanced, fresh and textural, all fermented with indigenous yeast, and often in older barrels - or even clay amphora as is the wonderfully poised, textural and seriously delicious unoaked Rosie’s Block 25 Rows chardonnay.
Don’t miss the delicately floral and unexpectedly powerful 2000 pinot gris or the mouth-watering fruit of the fragrant Rosie’s Block dry riesling 2021.
A newcomer to their portfolio a few years ago was the Rosie’s Block albariño. The 2021 is refreshing and textural, oozing citrus blossom and elderflower, with a bright, crisp finish.
Chardonnay is Neudorf’s most acclaimed variety, There’s the charming, nutty, creamy citrusy Tiritiri chardonnay 2019 from young vines. and the prized Home Block Moutere flagship. The 2020 Moutere is gloriously harmonious, all citrus, stone fruit and nuts, textural and complex with a mineral backbone and taut, integrated finish. Like earlier vintages this has all the marks of developing beautifully over the next decade or so.
Tom’s Block pinot noir 2019 is one of the most delicious Nelson reds, oozing red cherries and red currants, intense, crisp, taut and textural with savoury undertones and a surge of flavour at the end. neudorf.co.nz
Anna and Chris Seifried.Nelson’s first and largest producer.
Riwaka River Estate
Paul Miles and Amber Robertson’s familyoriented lifestyle on their vineyard, hop garden and olive grove is about as far as you can imagine from their former corporate lives in risk management in London.
“Once you’ve tasted childhood here you don’t want your kids to grow up in London,” Amber said.
They came home in 2008 with their first child and bought the small 18-year old vineyard nestled at the foot of the limestone Takaka Hill. Now with three young children, they offer accomodation and sell wine from their modest tasting room in an old hop barn.
Their philosophy includes regenerative agriculture, staying small and sustainable, producing fine but well-priced, approachable wine released when it is drinking well rather than just after bottling.
Their wine brand, Resurgence, is named after the famous cave just up the road, where the Riwaka river emerges cold, clear and pure from the limestone hillside. It was a place of healing for the Maori, Amber said.
Riwaka may be the smallest winery in the region, but both Paul and Amber are involved in Nelson Wine Growers - he’s the chair and she’s the operations manager. Obviously they haven’t quite relinquished their former business backgrounds!
I was blown away by the Resurgence sauvignon blanc 2021 - the vibrant pungent aromas of ripe gooseberries leap out of the glass and the palate is restrained in comparison - mineral, lime, dry, with lingering fruits on the crisp finish. The minerality of their wines is due to the limestone soils, Amber says.
The 2017 chardonnay is complex, opening to nutty, slightly smoky aromas then hints of spice, marzipan and a crisp, flinty finish.
The 2019 pinot noir is rich, hinting of red currants and forest floor but still with that characteristic mineral undertone. riwakariverestate.com
Flaxmore
Another small, friendly artisan winegrower established by a former corporate couple, Stuart and Patrica Anderson, is Flaxmore. Stuart is from Christchurch and brought his English wife to Nelson on a visit some years ago. She mentioned that if ever they lived in New Zealand, this would be the place - a suggestion Stuart stored away, he said with a laugh.
Leaving their former life on their own terms, they bought 28ha of sloping land in the Moutere Hills in 2006 and planted 9ha of vines in the following couple of years along with 60 different species of native and exotic trees.
Beside their modest cellar door with attached art gallery, there’s a vineyard walk with sweeping views across the Moutere to the snow-topped Mt Arthur and Kahurangi Ranges.
Focussing on vineyard quality, they sold grapes to Neudorf and still do, but since 2018 have produced their own label, with Stuart working alongside winemaker Todd Stevens.
Their wines are fragrant and textural. I loved the Flaxmore pinot gris 2021, aromatic with hints of mineral and spicy fruit, a velvety texture and dry finish. 2020 is the first vintage of their own chardonnay - Neudorf wanted all the grapes, according to Patricia. It’s spicy, with hints of gunflint, intense, complex and textural, beautifully balanced with an elegant fresh finish. flaxmore.co.nz
Moutere Hills
Tucked away up a narrow road in the Sunshine Valley is Moutere Hills’ cellar door and the busy Forsters restaurant - people even arrive for lunch by helicopter. Alistair and Fiona Forster run the acclaimed restaurant in the secluded valley. Glass walls open to a shady courtyard for summer dining, vineyards and views. It pays to book ahead here, but there’s also a cheese platter available for those who haven’t - if there’s a table free! Below the restaurant is the winery and in the old hop barn the Fox ’n' Grape wine bar opens on Friday evenings. In 2012 Rusty Rayne and Lisa Goodson bought the Moutere HIlls vineyard, planted 1995, and adjacent hop gardens. Their wine range includes the reserve Sarau label, named after the original German name for Upper Moutere.
Standouts were the Sarau Reserve chardonnay 2019, creamy, intense, nutty with a juicy acidity; the chenin blanc 2019, oozing apple and pineapple with a crisp, juicy finish and versatile with food; and the syrah 2019, fragrant, textural, redolent with fresh red berries and a suggestion of black pepper and a fresh but velvety finish. mouterehills.co.nz
Wine is about people sharing an experience says Beth Eggers who established Himmelsfeld in 1991. She loves to share her aged wines and talk - not necessarily about the wine but about life in general - with visitors to her small loft tasting room.
A descendant of early German settlers and a former nurse, she bought the land in 1991 and planted a small vineyard and apple orchard. A herd of sheep do the leaf plucking and grass control.
Her interest in wine and particularly aged wines stems from 11 years in Europe where she visited many wineries, she said.
Perhaps surprisingly to those of us who drink wines in their infancy and youth, her 12 and 14 year old wines are not dead but thought-provoking: a golden nutty complex 2009 chardonnay with hints of marzipan; a spicy, complex, textural 2009 cabernet sauvignon; and an intriguing 2010 sauvignon blanc, complex with hints of smoke, tropical fruit, canned peas and mineral that unfolds in the glass. himmelsfeld.co.nz
Wine is about sharing an experience says Beth Eggers of Himmelsfeld who loves mature wine. A shiny turreted building at Heaphy and Kahurangi with North’s Eatery alongside.
Rimu Grove
Patrick Stowe, a Californian winemaker, found his ideal vineyard land on the Bronte peninsula and planted his first grapes in 1995. However, Rimu Grove’s tasting room is in a shed at Mapua Wharf, right next door to its wine bar.
Besides a tasting, you can try a variety of wines by the glass or a 5-wine, themed tasting tree, or you can travel the world in the wine bar’s extensive wine list alongside a pizza or platter.
Rimu’s wines are taut and precise with lovely fruit and mouthfeel. A few years of age allows them to show their best.
Riesling lovers shouldn’t miss the 2016 Rimu Grove riesling with its complex, floral, creamy aromas and delicious, fresh mineral undertones. Stowe likes to age his rieslings before release and this definitely shows the benefit.
Rimu 2019 chardonnay is fleshy and nutty but with a crisp, dry, citrusy finish.
With warm hints of black olive, texture and balance the 2016 Pinot Noir from 25 year old vines is another that benefits from age. rimugrove.co.nz
Heaphy and Kahurangi
Heaphy and Kahurangi share a tasting room with North Eatery located in the original Seifried Moutere vineyard, home to some of the oldest riesling vines in the region, planted in the early 1970s. The original winery has been added to over the years and a turreted, two storey building clad in shiny silver corrugated iron now houses offices alongside a relaxed eatery and tasting room with an open fire in winter and a sheltered outdoor courtyard. Rob and Jodi McIntyre serve a delicious line of sourdough pizzas, platters and other dishes, as well as offering wine tastings.
Heaphy’s wines are simple and easy drinking - I particularly enjoyed the 2020 riesling, hinting of lime, fresh and lively with hint of sweetness and a crisp finish.
The Kahurangi Mt Arthur reserve wines are a step up.
Don’t miss the 2020 Mt Arthur reserve chardonnay, a typically fine Moutere chardonnay, nutty, well balanced and lingering. Or the barrel fermented Fumé blanc 2019, redolent with passionfruit, and freshly cut grass, velvety texture and crisp finish. It goes particularly well with the margarita pizza.
For me, the star was the Mr Arthur reserve riesling 2017 with its developed lime aromas, bright minerality and knife-edge balance between the hint of sweetness and the crisp finish. facebook.com/ heaphycellardoor/
Dunbar Estates.
Some people have expensive and time consuming hobbies, say John and Jennifer Dunbar,
John and Jennifer Dunbar of Dunbar Estates say wine growing is a time-consuming and expensive hobby, but they love it.
referring to their vineyards in the Motueka Valley and in Central Otago.
John, a Dunedin-based orthopedic surgeon, also studied agricultural science and confesses to a long held desire to “own a piece of land to do something with”.
They first bought land in Central Otago and planted grapes which they sell to one of the bigger wineries. But they also had a holiday home at Kaiteriteri in Tasman and couldn’t resist buying a rundown vineyard now transformed with native platings on the hillside where black-faced Suffolk sheep graze behind the neat rows of vines. Tucked up the Motueka valley, they also have a vineyard cottage and cafe with cellar door and where they sell wine from both their vineyards.
Their Nelson riesling 2019 is typically fragrant, light and lively, while the mature 2019 pinot gris is more complex and creamy with a bright finish.
Also for tasting are a fresh dry Central Otago pinot rose 2019, a nutty but restrained and textural Central Otago chardonnay 2020, and a rich dark-fruited but silky and textural Central Otago pinot not 2018.
Also available from the cafe are Central Otago olive oil, Nelson hazelnuts and the chef’s preserves. dunbarestates.co.nz
Kina Cliffs
The idyllic view from Kina Cliffs’ glass-walled tasting room overlooks the vineyard and native bush below and the intense blue of Tasman Bay. There’s no restaurant but they say you are welcome to bring a platter - I can’t imagine a nicer thing to do on a summer day than to have a picnic, a glass of their fresh, easy-drinking wine and relax with the view.
Julie and Alistair Ashcroft planted the steep, north-facing 3.3ha vineyard on clay soils in 2004 with sauvignon blanc, pinot gris and pinot noir. Both keep their day jobs, but when you drive up to the cellar door Paul Herrick comes in from the vineyard to show you the wines.
Kina Cliffs fragrant 2021 sauvignon blanc embodies the view with its hint of mineral, tropical fruit and lively finish. Labour of Love 2021 pinot gris is equally refreshing, hinting of pear, ripe stone fruit and a hint of creamy nuts. kinacliffs.co.nz
Kina Beach
German and Swiss couple Achim Bauer and Karin Schoch left their international business careers to follow their passion for wine. Attracted by knowledge-based wine growing in New Zealand as opposed to the traditionregulated European industry, they studied wine growing in Hawkes Bay before settling for the lovely 4.3ha Kina Beach vineyard overlooking the tidal Kina inlet. They also offer vineyard accommodation.
With their European heritage they bring more focus to wine with food, Karin says, and they age their wine for a few years before release which softens the wine and gives a point of difference.
Don’t miss the nicely balanced reserve chardonnay 2016, barrel fermented, creamy, nutty and textural with underlying oak and a lovely tingly fresh, lingering aftertaste.
Their 2019 rosé has more backbone than some, with lovely hints of strawberries and a textural finish.
Kina Beach’s wines are only available from the cellar door and on line. kinabeach.co.nz
Te Mania and Richmond Plains
Te Mania and Richmond Plains are neighbouring organic vineyards on the stony plains near Richmond that have shared a winery and tasting room for many years. Both are now owned by Lars and Samantha Jensen who established Te Mania in 1991.
Their award-winning wines, typically fresh with pristine fruit characteristic of the plains, can be found in supermarkets and are exported. A small, rustic tasting room offers both labels for tasting.
Don’t miss the delicious, lively 2021 Te Mania riesling oozing ripe apple, grapefruit and lime,
One of the loveliest views - the deck at Kina Cliffs’ cellar door looks over Tasman Bay.
or the 2019 Richmond Plains pinot gris hinting of pears with an attractive nuttiness from lees stirring.
An unusual white pinot noir, Richmond Plains blanc de noir 2021, is a pristine, off-dry white with delicious hints of nectarine and ripe apple.
One of the better Nelson Bordeaux blends I tried is Te Mania Three Brothers 2019, a merlot dominant wine with malbec and cabernet franc. It’s spicy and vibrant oozing attractive red fruits and boysenberries with a crisp, lively finish. temaniawines.co.nz richmondplains.co.nz
Seifried Estate
Seifried Estate is not only the oldest Nelson winery but also the biggest, established by Austrian Hermann Seifried and his New Zealand wife Agnes in the early 1970s.
Seifried’s tasting room, Harvest Kitchen restaurant and the winery are set in extensive grounds surrounded by vines at Appleby on the Waimea Plains.
With a play area and children’s menu it’s family-friendly.
Seifried has four tiers of wine - Rabbit Island, Old Coach Road, Seifried Estate and the top level Aotea.
Well worth seeking out are its less common varieties such as grüner veltliner, zweigelt, gewürztraminer, würzer, and their famous sticky, Sweet Agnes.
I found it fascinating to compare two sauvignon blancs. Floral, herbal and mineral aromas leap out of the glass of the fresh, lively Estate 2021 while the 2020 Aotea is more pungent and fleshy with hints of quince and a lovely crunchy finish.
Seifried Estate gewürztraminer is one of the few in Nelson, but is deliciously fragrant, intensely floral with hints of fresh roses and eau de cologne, and an attractive textural finish.
Don’t miss Seifried’s würzer (a cross between gewürztraminer and müller thurgau) the only one in New Zealand. The 2018 oozes ripe stone and exotic fruit, a little less ebullient than the gewürztraminer, but with a lovely crunchy acidity. Anna Seifried suggests matching them along the same lines - bratwurst is her favourite.
Zweigelt is an Austrian red. The 2019 is incredibly dark with cerise edges, spicy with lovely soft rich fruit, and a fresh finish. seifried.co.nz
Gravity
With expansive views of the Mt Arthur Range and Able Tasman National Park to the west, across Tasman Bay to the Marlborough Sounds on the east, Gravity’s cellar door has one of the most sunning aspects in the region.
It also has a remarkable tiered winery set into the hillside with native plants on the roof. Built in 2006 with no expense spared, it was designed to make world class wines. Grapes are delivered to the top for fermentation, the young wine flows by gravity to the second level for nurturing, and eventually to the lowest level for bottling and warehousing.
It’s also a function centre with stylish underground barrel caves lit by a large chandelier. A tour and barrel tasting with winemaker Brett Bermingham is available.
With an adjoining art gallery, the tasting room offers platters, and, in winter, gourmet pies.
Gravity is part of Booster’s wine stable which includes another Nelson producer, Waimea, as well as Marlborough’s Awatere River and LV (Louis Vavasour), Central Otago’s Bannockbrae and Hawkes Bay’s Sileni - all of whose wines can be tasted at the Gravity cellar door. There isn’t as yet a Gravity label, says Brett, as the vineyards are still being restored after the former owner of what was then called Mahana went into receivership.
Brett says if you can’t find something you like here, give up and I’d agree with him - it was hard to choose favourites from three sauvignon blancs, four chardonnays, four pinot noirs, Hawkes Bay reds of various persuasions and three quite different rosés, but in the end my picks were:
The deliciously rich, creamy and nutty pinot dominant LV methode traditionelle that will put any Champagne of similar price ($59) to shame. It’s the cellar door’s biggest seller according to Brett.
Waimea Nelson riesling 2019, a lovely example, beautifully balanced lime and citrus with a fresh finish.
Bannockbrae Reefers Central Otago riesling 2020, floral and textural with a crunchy acidity and dryish finish.
Of the chardonnays, I was blown away by the LV Marlborough chardonnay 2017, succulent stone fruit supported by stylish oak, harmonious and textural.
Bannockbrae Goldfields Central Otago Pinot Noir 2018, deliciously velvety, lifted berry fruit and hints of five-spice.
Sileni’s Triangle Hawkes Bay merlot 2018 oozed velvety, ripe, spicy plums but finished with a satisfyingly firm grip. gravitywinery.co.nz
