Puriri Hills

New Zealand's Bordeaux Blend Specialist, Grown in the Clevedon Hills

Puriri Hills sits in the Clevedon hills, a short drive south-east of Auckland. Judy Fowler founded the vineyard in 1996 with a single aim. She wanted to make right-bank Bordeaux blends that could stand alongside the world's best.

The first four acres went in during 1997, planted to Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Some of those vines were later identified as Carmenère, a variety almost nobody grows in New Zealand. Further plantings followed in 1998, 2000 and 2001, adding Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.

Everything happens on the property. The fruit is grown, fermented, barrel-aged and bottled on site, then held in temperature-controlled cellars. The first blended red came in 1999 from temporary facilities. A purpose-built winery followed in 2004, and the 2005 vintage was the first made inside it.

Patience is what sets Puriri Hills apart. The winery holds its wines back and releases them five to eight years after the vintage. Buyers get a wine that is already drinking well, rather than one that needs another decade in the cellar.

The range runs in three tiers. Estate is the entry point and the easiest introduction. Harmonie du Soir sits above it with firmer structure and more depth. Pope is the flagship, made only in the strongest years.

"Puriri Hills just might be New Zealand's best-kept wine secret. As the founder, Judy Fowler, says '... we make impressive wines in all vintages and spectacular wines in outstanding years.' Elegant and very collectable reds that are clearly built to last."

- Bob Campbell MW, on The Real Review's number one ranking of Puriri Hills as NZ Winery of the Year 2020

"Surprisingly more accessible than the more firmly structured Harmonie du Soir label and the entry-level Estate label, this is elegance on a grand scale with a truly impressive depth of dark berry, floral, violet, spice and subtle savoury and dried herb notes. It's a wonderful demonstration of power delivered with great subtlety. A generously proportioned wine that promises to be a long-distance runner."

- Bob Campbell MW on the 2013 Pope, rated 99 points

"Puriri Hills is truly different from other New Zealand producers. A Bordeaux blend specialist, it releases its wines five to eight years after the vintage, ensuring that the newly launched wines are ready to drink upon release."

- Rebecca Gibb MW, in Decanter Magazine

"A reflection of the excellence that 2013 gifted us in New Zealand. Complex and lengthy finish. A true investment wine likely best from 2030."

- Cameron Douglas MS on the 2013 Pope, rated 98 points