Te Motu

Waiheke Island's Original Bordeaux Pioneer

Te Motu takes its name from the original Maori name for Waiheke - Te Motu Arai Roa, meaning "island of long shelter." It is a name that speaks of protection and permanence, both of which define this vineyard's character.

The Te Motu story began in 1988 when the Dunleavy family secured 30 acres of prime vineyard land in the Onetangi Valley. As one of the earliest pioneers of the Waiheke wine movement, their vision was clear from the start - to master wines of the Bordeaux style, built predominantly from Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The first vines went into the ground in 1989. The first vintage of Te Motu followed in 1993.

More than three decades later, Te Motu remains a benchmark for Waiheke Island red wine - and one of the most compelling arguments for New Zealand's place among the world's great Cabernet-growing regions.

A Taste of the Land - Onetangi Valley Terroir

The Onetangi Valley is one of the finest sites in the world for growing Cabernet and Merlot. Jurassic-age Waipapa Group soils - originally rock, largely converted to clay minerals over millennia and refined by decades of careful soil testing and element application - provide the foundation for wines of extraordinary complexity and structure.

Te Motu's north-facing position retains warmth overnight, driving the development of the natural phenolic compounds that define the taste, colour, and mouthfeel of serious red wine. The unique mesoclimate of the valley supports a long, slow, steady growing season - the kind that builds wines designed to evolve in the cellar for decades.

Balance in All Things - The Te Motu Philosophy

The winemaking philosophy at Te Motu is straightforward but demanding: grow the best possible fruit, handle it as little as possible, and let the vineyard speak. The less a wine is intervened with before bottling, the more of the land remains in the glass. Most years, crops are green harvested to achieve physiological ripeness at moderate alcohol levels - concentration through restraint rather than extraction.

The result is a range of wines that repays patience. Te Motu's flagship Bordeaux blend is among New Zealand's most age-worthy reds, built to improve over 10 to 20 years in bottle. Alongside it, the Kokoro, Kuikui Syrah, and the Dunleavy range offer exceptional quality across a range of styles and price points.

Te Motu wines are available at Great Little Vineyards at Orakei Bay Village in Remuera, Auckland, and online for delivery across New Zealand. Visit the Te Motu website to learn more about the vineyard and current releases.