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.
Learn more about the producer and its wines on the official Puriri Hills website.
Browse the Puriri Hills shopping range to compare current wines, vintages and prices.
