 |
 |
|
| A wine of pure Barossa fruit by a master who loves Shiraz and is devoted to the valley he calls home. Grant Burge has been awarded every major trophy and medal in Australia, including the Montgomery, Stodart, Brisbane Club and Jimmy Watson. Grant Burge» |
|
| Twice Gold Medal Challenge International du Vin! Moscatel and Gewürtztraminer grapes, grown to estate vineyards on the mountains of the Upper Penedes, form the backbone of fruit for Viña Esmeralda, a delicate but strunningly fragrant wine. The dry fig and raisin characters of Moscatel de AlejandrÃÂa give Esmerelda it's luscious and flavourful palate, fleshed out by the orange of Frontignac or Moscatel de Grano Menudo as the Spanish say, further enhanced by the complex aromaticness and spice of the vivacious Traminer.. Torres» |
|
| Meshach William Burge 1843-1942, was Grant's great grandfather, a central figure in establishing the Burge vineyards and estate. He was eleven years of age when his family moved from Wiltshire to the Barossa, where he toiled to develop what has grown into a thriving viticultural, wheat and sheep property near Lyndoch. Grant Burge» |
|
| Earnscleugh Valley was the site of a gold rush in the 1860s, the industrious miners dug a watercourse through the valley which today serves to nourish the world's southernmost appellation of Pinot Noir. The Last Chance is a small scenic terrace, planted to a special Burgundy clone of Pinot Noir which yields a magnificently structured, generously proportioned wine. Two Paddocks» |
|
| Have you ever imagined yourself sipping on a luscious effervescent red wine? Vixen makes makes it very real. Your friends will be jealous, past party escorts will seem dull by comparison and all eyes will be on you as you stride into your next party with Vixen on your arm. Fox Creek» |
|
| Brookland Valley Estate made a conspiuous impression through their stirling efforts at Cabernet Merlot when they claimed several significant trophies, including the hotly contested Qantas Best Wine of Show. Expressing fully the generous palate structure and aromatic richness of the stylish Margaret River Cab Merlot accord, beautifully perfumed, bramble flavoured wine, brimming with the quality and elegance which has earned Brookland Valley Estate a five star reputation. Brookland Valley» |
|
| The enthusiastic maritime climes of Martinborough are heaven sent for a style and quality of Sauvignon Blanc to rival the world's finest. Mother nature sets the stage, but ultimately it is the thoughtful viticultural practices of the Palliser Estate team, which ensures a harvest of ripe and intensely flavoured Sauvignon Blanc at every vintage. Palliser Estate» |
|
| Stella Bella have won resounding critical acclaim and a reputation for producing artisanly crafted Margaret River wines of great expression, personality and quality. Stella Bella have established an almost peerless reputation after receiving numerous accolades at significant competitions, including coveted Gold and Mission Hill Trophy at the London International, the only southern hemisphere Chardonnay to win such a prestigious award.. Stella Bella» |
|
| Tim Knappstein began his apprenticeship under the family owned Stanley Wine Company. Within a decade, Tim had won more than 500 show awards, gold medals and trophies for the premium Leasingham range. Riposte» |
|
| Widely regarded as one of New Zealand's leading winemakers, Alan McCorkindale has over three decades experience at crafting some of the South Island's most memorable vintages. McCorkindale's efforts have claimed many trophy and gold at prestigious competitions including twice International White Wine of Year at the distinguished London International Wine Challenge. Munamuna» |
|
| The inaugural release of Hanging Rock Shiraz was vintage 1987 and what an event it was, immediately claiming gold and inspiring comparisons to Grange by the industry press. From from fruit grown to the estate Athols Paddock, a complex Heathcote style, more Syrah than Shiraz, boasting several trophies and over fifty gold to its distinguished history, big, powerful and rich, yet exhibiting an elegance and finesse that's rare in Australian wine. Hanging Rock» |
|
| A passionate, family owned and operated winery who've been rewarded with highly coveted Royal Melbourne Gold for their impressive Langhorne Creek reds. Temple Bruer have been waving the magic wand with their brilliant efforts at Merlot, scoring further medals at the Small Winemakers and Rutherglen Wine Shows. Temple Bruer» |
|
Mahi
About Mahi - the Winery
Mahi
Mahi began in 2001 with an idea being to show the individuality of valleys and vineyards in Marlborough, to recognize and celebrate the rich diversity of soils and clime throughout the greater Marlborough region
Brian Bicknell had been making wine in different parts of the world for about 15 years before deciding to return to New Zealand and settle in Marlborough. Arriving in 1996 he could see that vineyards in the different valleys of Marlborough produced remarkably unique profiles. At the time, most of Marlborough’s wines were made as regional blends with many individual site characteristics being lost. In other areas of the world distinctive sites were being celebrated and so an idea was hatched to create a label that promoted different vineyard sites across Marlborough to show the region had true depth and complexity. Wine reflects both the place and the people involved, you can have a great site, but if the management is poor, or the owners too greedy, then this will be reflected in the fruit and the wines.
Brian’s winemaking style for Mahi is to allow the vineyards to speak through the wines, with the wines being made in a very hands off manner. The primary emphasis for all of Mahi’s wines is texture, aiming for wines that give real palate satisfaction rather than fruit bomb styles. The very first harvest was from a vineyard located in the Conder’s Bend part of Marlborough. An area Brian was familiar with. Initial quantities were tiny from this small 1.5 hectare parcel of Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir from the Byrne vineyard. Mahi now manages the vineyard organically and are thrilled to still be working with the site that started it all.
In 2003 Twin Valleys Vineyard was included into the Mahi family. Located at Fareham Lane in a distinctive part of Wairau Valley, an area of slightly cooler temperatures and longer ripening times. A series of elegant Chardonnays have come from this parcel. From 2006 onwards Pinot Noir and Gewurztraminer have also been made. In 2007 the owners purchased a site close by at Guernsey Lane and planted it to Sauvignon Blanc.
In 2004 an opportunity to take some Sauvignon Blanc from a vineyard closer to the sea presented itself and since then the Francis Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc has been produced. The Francis family has a long history with Brian and Nicola as Polly Francis had worked five vintages with Brian and worked the first vintage at the Mahi winery in 2007.
Having a winery was a long held dream as it allowed for total control of the winemaking process and also gave Mahi a home. The first vintage of Mahi in its new home was 2007. A lease of an excellent vineyard was taken up and another very good grower was also added. The greater numbers of vineyards meant that the focus at Mahi was broadened and in 2007 the first regional Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc was produced.
Mahi work hard to maintain a close relationship with the vineyard owners. It is possible to make okay wines from mediocre grapes but it is impossible to make the wines that Mahi want to be associated with without access to great fruit, grown by great people. It is the key to be associated with people who have the right sites, vineyards which are planted with the appropriate varieties, growers with the passion and experience to manage the vineyard so that great grapes are produced. It is an art and a science to manage a vineyard through a season and as each season is different from the others, good growers learn something new every year. With this in mind, the Mahi team acknowledge the impact that experience has on making particular decisions for a parcel of land.
If someone has been working with the same parcel over many years, they build up a real knowledge of how their vines will respond to different seasons. It is a matter of great pride at Mahi that they are still involved with the vineyard which kicked Mahi off, the Byrne property on Bedford Road. Mahi may also mention that they are still associated with all the growers they have ever worked with. At the Mahi cellar door are photos and stories of all the growers, you can taste the wines while reading the stories of these special places and people.
|
|
