The Vineyards:

Alluviale Red Wine

We source the fruit for our red wine from two vineyards on Gimblett Road, at the centre of the Gimblett Gravels district.

Gimblett Gravels represents 32 wineries and winegrowers in the premium wine growing area of Hawke's Bay, on New Zealand's North Island. The area combines the French concept of terroir with modern day thinking to define, protect and market wine. Gimblett Gravels defines its area according to a tightly specified soil type.

The district, which includes the internationally acclaimed Gimblett Road, has a reputation for producing high quality red wines from Bordeaux red varieties and Syrah. The Gimblett Gravels appellations is strictly determined by the gravely soils laid down by the old Ngaruroro River, which were exposed after a huge flood in the 1870s. The area is up to three degrees Celsius warmer during the day in summer and autumn, compared to most other areas of Hawke's Bay. The evenings are warmer because of thermal conductivity in the stony soils.

Only vineyards in the geographical area with 95% of their land in the gravely soils are eligible to become members of Gimblett Gravels. Wines bearing the Gimblett Gravels brand must be 95% from the district. Random internal audits are undertaken to protect the Gimblett Gravels integrity. Wines produced in the Gimblett Gravels district target the ultra-premium market in New Zealand and markets in the United Kingdom, Europe, the United States, Australia, Japan, and Canada.

Click here for the Gimblett Gravels appellations website.

Alluviale White Wines:

Alluviale Blanc is created from grapes grown in two vineyards in the emerging sub-region of Mangatahi. This area has a reputation for producing high quality white wines from the Bordeaux white varieties Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon and other aromatic whites.

These elevated, north facing terraced vineyards span the Ngaruroro River Valley. Over thousands of years the river has regularly flooded the valley, each time depositing another layer of stoney gravel.

While the area experiences warm temperatures during the day in summer and autumn, the nights are normally a lot cooler as a result of the elevation and proximity to the mountains. This great diurnal shift results in wines of remarkable purity and intensity.