In 2014 the opportunity came along to purchase a nearly abandoned oceanfront vineyard on scenic Waiheke Island. They got to work resurrecting the property, reviving what was salvageable and re-planting new areas. This gave them the chance to focus on their passion of Syrah and Marsanne and thoughtfully plant the vineyard in a way that could achieve the type of wine that they wanted to make. This meant things like high density planting (5,500 - 6,666 vines/ha), variety and rootstock selection based on the slope and aspect, and multiple clones to aid in complexity.
The vineyard is a natural bowl shape with very steep slopes of heavy clay and a multitude of different aspectsand sun exposures. It is also heavily influenced by the ocean. In order to respect this unique site, the vines are all hand-worked and managed organically (though they’re not certified at this stage).
