By chance, an exceptional parcel of Syrah was in need of a home…
instead, it found a garage.
Ollie
The moment struck at a Chateau in Beaujolais. A couple of kiwi backpackers, Ollie and his wife Rebecca exploring France in their battered VW van, parked up for the ‘99 grape harvest. By day hand harvesting grapes and the evenings were spent with other vintage workers tasting wines in the dimly lit Chateau courtyard. Every wine had a story. The vineyards, the growers, the makers, and the crazy seasons past. Ollie knew then that his future was in wine and returned to NZ to study viticulture and winemaking at EIT, Hawkes Bay.
More grape harvests in vineyards and wineries across New Zealand and France ensued.
Ollie took on the role of Chief Viticulturist for Villa Maria Estate in 2007. Mentored by Sir George Fistonich, Ollie lived his dream and at the end of each vintage would bring home a small parcel of grapes to ferment into wine in the garage.
Small batch, handcrafted wines
Hand harvested Chardonnay from the legendary Lyon’s vineyard in Hawke’s Bay. Planted in 1996 in the stoniest site on the western bank of the Gimblett Gravels. A field blend of Mendoza, Clone 15 and Clone 95 Chardonnay. 12 months in new and seasoned French oak barrels.
Intensely perfumed with summer peach, citrus and lime flower alongside roasted almonds. Medium bodied palate with lovely richness and complexity and notes of peach and vanilla cream.
This concentrated wine has so much potential and will reward cellaring as it relaxes and unfolds.
Stephen Wong MW - 94 Points
Gary Walsh, Wine Front - 94 Points
Lorenzo the Magnificent is made from the incredible 2024 Hawke’s bay grape harvest. The wine takes inspiration from Italian adventures and stories of the Renaissance patron of the arts, Lorenzo de Medici. A blend bringing together the noble grape varieties of Bordeaux and Tuscany – 62% Cabernet Sauvignon and 38% Sangiovese.
In Ollie’s experience, he has never come across such a spellbinding wine. The blend speaks of the earth, with captivating aromas of the purest of dark fruits encased in bramble and wood smoke and a fine seam of graphite. Texturally the wine is rich and structured with plush tannins derived from perfectly ripe red grapes.
The grapes are harvested meticulously by hand, then destemmed before being fermented and aged in Italian ceramic and clay vessels. The use of Clay Amphorae, handmade in Hungary, allows for longer skin contact with the wine after fermentation which helps to build rich, velvety tannins and texture. Ollie also had a chance introduction to a local potter John Gisborne who had made a beautiful 120 litre clay egg that came very close to floating away during the huge flood of 2023. It survived and became the perfect vessel to age the pressed Sangiovese wine. Gravity is used for wine movements within the cellar and natural settling without filtration. May contain traces of romance.
Each bottle has a unique wax seal to ensure authenticity and presented in a premium gift box.
225 bottles produced.
An extraordinary Cabernet Sauvignon from the Gimblett Gravels of Hawke's Bay. Perfectly ripe Cabernet Sauvignon was harvested in pristine condition from the Cornerstone Vineyard block 3 on the 11th of April 2024.
The destemmed berries filled an Hungarian amphora. The fermentation was lightly plunged daily and once complete the amphora was sealed up on skins and seeds for 200 days. Finally pressed to an Italian ceramic spherical vessel and aged for 5 months prior to bottling.
Wonderful blackfruits, purple flowers, bramble and dried tobacco notes. A lovely brooding palate with richness and svelte tannins that go on forever.
96 Points - Gary Walsh, Wine Front.
95 Points - James Suckling
