Freefall Wines
Kawarau Estate
Mount Michael
Nevis Bluff
Rippon Vineyard
Shaky Bridge
Sleeping Dog
Waitiri Creek
Freefall Sauvignon Blanc 05
Expressive aromas of tropical fruits and gooseberry opitimise this classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. This style of wine is refined, with great length and generous palate weight.
Freefall Sauvignon Blanc 06
Concentrated aromas of tropical fruits and citrus epitomizes this classic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. This style of wine is refined with great length and generous palate weight.
2006 Sauvignon Blanc
Made in a dry style displaying grapefruit and spice aromatics complemented by tropical fruits on the palate. Elegantly textured with a long finish.
2004 Reserve Chardonnay
Displaying lime and tropical fruits this wine is creamy and shows subtle oak handling. A complex wine with a lingering finish.
2005 Reserve Chardonnay
Displays butter and toast aromatics complemented by citrus and tropical fruit flavors. Elegant and balanced with a lasting finish.
2004 Reserve Pinot Noir
Displays black cherries, plums and blackcurrants complemented by spice and mocha notes.
2005 Reserve Pinot Noir
Displays black cherries, plums and boysenberries complemented by savoury notes. Elegantly structured and a great balance of fruit, tannin and acidity – a stunning vintage.
2006 Estate Pinot Noir
The Estate Pinot is harvested from our younger vines, with no whole bunch pressing to retain the purity of the fruit. Wild yeast is still used in fermenting with minimal fining and filtration. Sweet ripe berry fruits predominate in a wine that has been crafted to be enjoyed in its youth or cellared to soften and develop those subtle characters unique to Kawarau pinot noir
Chardonnay
Citrus, slight apricot, melon and vanilla, light-medium body, medium-dry.
Pinot Noir
Slightly earthy, black cherry and strawberry, medium body, medium-dry.
2002 Pinot Noir
91 Points – January 2007 PinotReport: “Medium-deep ruby color; deep, spicy, smoky, earthy aromas; deep black cherry, spice, smoky notes, some sweet oak, good structure and balance; long finish. Deep and interesting with smoky, earthy notes that meld well with the black cherry core.”
90 Points “Editor’s Choice”– December 2005 Wine Enthusiast: “The Product of a great vintage in Central Otago, this wine shows why the region is so promising for Pinot. It delivers earthy, savory, meaty notes that never seem heavy thanks to its rich, velvety texture and copious ripe cherry fruit.”
2003 Pinot Noir
87 Points – July 2007 The International Wine Review: Shows stunning black cherry, blackcurrant and thyme aromatics. This is a rich, strongly textured wine, with a long lingering finish
2001 Pinot Noir
Dark cherry/plum aromas are complemented by toasty oak characters on the nose which follow through on the palate. Firm silky tannins give this vintage great length and persistence of flavor.
2003 Pinot Noir
93 Points – January 2007 PinotReport: “Medium ruby color; forest floor aromas with a nice core of red cherry; complex, earthy, rich red cherry fruit, forest floor notes, silky texture, good structure and balance; long finish. Deep and complex, this is a Pinot that really opens up with some air and will reward a few years in your cellar.”
2004 Pinot Noir
Top 25 New Zealand Wines – May 2007 Food & Wine: “An ethereal mix of wild cherry fruit, earth and hints of licorice”.
Nick’s Notes: A cool year has resulted in a very tight & fine wine that has benefited enormously from the time in bottle (11 months ) before release. In this wine, Rippon’s silica laden soils are expressed by its layered texture and linear journey. The site’s relatively temperate microclimate allows for elegant, not overly dense fruit and a remarkable balance between finesse and power.
88 points - Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar (Sept/Oct. 2007): Medium red with an orange tinge. Aromas of dark raspberry, coffee, smoke and musky underbrush struck me as more Martinborough than Central Otago. Suave, dry and round, with gentle flavors of strawberry, plum, smoke, spices and earth. Finishes with sweet tannins and a note of woodsmoke. (Incidentally, the 2003, which I rated 87+? two years ago, showed lovely inner-palate energy and spicy lift to its complex aromas and flavors of dark fruits and smoky, truffley underbrush, meriting a solid 89 points on my most recent tasting.) Bottled unfined and unfiltered after 16 months in barrel.
2001 Rippon Riesling
Classic mineral and citrus. Crisp acidity with hints of green apple. This is very much in the Alsatian tradition of Riesling.
2002 Rippon Riesling
This wine makes anyone from Wanaka feel right at home. Riesling, one of the noblest varieties for it’s trueness to the land – the flinty dryness of the soil, the subdued elegance of fruit, smells of schist and wildflowers lifting in mid-morning vapor above the lake. Clear acidity bows to precise and ripe flavors; tangelo and pink grapefruit, followed by a tighter citric finish. Ready to drink now and has a cellaring potential of up to 10 years, perhaps longer.
2004 Rippon Riesling
Quince on the nose and green apples with a squeeze of lemon in the palate with quince paste and a nuance of tropical fruit on the finish with a strong yeast lees influence that underpins the wine and a lingering earthiness. A crisp wine that tastes quite dry but with 10 to 11 grams of residual sugar, it is not dry at all – it is the natural high acidity that makes the wine seem so bracing.
2005 Rippon Osteiner *
What a cool wine - cool as in cooool - it's vibrant and spicy with a myriad of fruity flavors that are like summer in a glass. With tropical fruit, red apples and a fresh citrus finish, this gorgeous, fresh, juicy wine will be perfect served chilled.
* Osteiner is a cross between a Reisling and Sylvaner.
2003 Pinot Noir
92 Points – July 2007 The International Wine Review: “Dark ruby in color with complex aromas of ripe cherry, mushroom and spices. On the palate it offers more delicious cherry fruit flavors, nicely integrated cedar/oak notes, with good acidity and a long lasting finish.”
90 Points – December 2005 Wine Enthusiast: “Shows lovely complexity of the nose, blending floral notes with spice and herbs. This is light on its feet, verging on delicate, yet delivers plenty of flavor. Silky tannins and a long finish suggest this has the balance to age, despite not being a massive blockbuster. Elegant.”
2006 Gewürztraminer
Beautifully scented with nashi pear, ginger and floral notes, leading through to a plate of lychee, guava and delicate rosewater. Minerality and a great mouth feel contribute to the balance of this aromatic wine, which is delicious on its own, but comes alive with spicy cuisine. Enjoy now or cellar up to 6 years.
2006 Pinot Gris
Concentrated flavors of nectarine, white peach, melon and quince emerge from this superbly balanced Pinot Gris. A fruit-driven wine with a weighty palate. Enjoy now or cellar 3-4 years to enhance complexity.
2006 Rose
This light and refreshing Rose lifts the spirits with its juicy watermelon, raspberries and caramelized apple flavors, finishing crisp and clean. Best served slightly chilled.
Chardonnay
Light, slightly mineral in character, this wine shows good acidity and balance. Light-medium body, dry.
Sleeping Dogs 2005 Pinot Noir
89 points - Stephen Tanzer’s International Wine Cellar (Sept/Oct. 2007): Bright, medium cherry-red. Complex, rather Burgundian aromas of smoky dark berries, herbs, spices and sexy oak, plus a suggestion of leafy reduction. Sweet, supple and silky, with a liqueur-like ripeness and enticing aromatic character to the flavors of strawberry, raspberry, smoke and spice. Finishes with very smooth tannins and lingering fruit. This is the label of film producer/director Roger Donaldson and is named after his first feature film.
Chardonnay
Ripe pineapple and tropical fruit complement the vanilla and cream notes on this wine. Medium body, medium dry.
Pinot Noir
The slight earthiness complements the black cherry and currant character of this wine. Hints of spice and mint also add to the complexity and character. Medium full body, medium dry.