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A fantastic day was had by all last Wednesday (15th February). Forty guests from Queenstown and Wanaka joined us in Bannockburn for the annual Akarua Clay Bird shoot and to celebrate the launch of our new sparkling wines with a sumptuous lunch in the vineyard.
Congratulations to Grant Hattaway from Pier 19 who took away the Akarua Trophy this year for his top score in the clay bird shoot!
We have had a fantastic reception to our new bubbles and are thrilled to offer a new Central Otago Methode Traditionelle range to our customers.

Talk about excited! The Cellar Door is buzzing about the inaugural release of our Methode Traditionelle wines. Akarua Brut NV and Akarua Rose Brut NV are now available from the Cellar Door and from fine wine stores around the country from February 1.

The 50 hectares of prime vineyard land planted at Akarua’s winery site in Bannockburn, to Pinot Noir and Chardonnay, combined with the continental climate of Central Otago, are perfectly suited to the production of quality sparkling wines. The temperatures throughout the growing season in Bannockburn result in a large diurnal temperature range, which is also a significant characteristic of the Champagne region.

Akarua is extremely fortunate to have secured the expertise and guidance of Dr Tony Jordan to develop the Akarua Methode Traditionelle range. Tony has worked alongside Akarua’s winemaker Matt Connell to craft this new range of wines and is a partner in this exciting new Akarua venture. Tony’s considerable experience in sparkling winemaking includes working with many notable sparkling wine producers including Domaine Chandon (Australia) and Cloudy Bay. Through his own company Oenotec p/l, he consults on sparkling wine production to companies in the UK, China and Australia.

Stylistically the Akarua sparkling wines are wines of character that reflect the power of Pinot Noir and the subtlety Chardonnay grown in the Central Otago terroir. Maturation in old oak and extended yeast age in bottle add subtle complexity to the vibrant aromas and flavours, and to the silky long, crisp palate.

Akarua Noir Ice 2011 is hedonistic and amazing. The colour is like a pink sapphire and the aroma is of fresh pinot grapes with a delicate musk / rose petal nuance coming through. Decadently sweet with a texture like thick nectar, the concentration is incredible and the taste is scintillating and bright with tangelo-like acidity penetrating the spun sugar sweetness. The pinot noir grape taste exudes through the wine and the finish is like macerated strawberries covered with a fine clear toffee.

Just 10% alcohol by volume, this 375-ml bottle has a cork closure that is covered with wax. Just 2666 bottles of this 100% Pinot Noir ice wine were made. A single bottle costs $40 – quite simply a steal. Dial up www.akarua.com and get in quick – you may still get it delivered for Xmas. With 204 g/l residual sugar, it really is a sweet wine lover's treat.

Made from 100% Pinot Noir from the ‘Clutha’ block of Akarua’s estate vineyard in Bannockburn, frozen and pressed, the must fermented to 10.0% alc., 204 g/L rs with a TA of 10 g/L.  Pale pink colour with some depth and the faintest purple hues, pale on rim.  This has a lively, pure nose of strawberry fruit with a little steely freshness along with hints of honeysuckle and caramel.  Intensely sweet, this has has an extremely unctuous and viscous texture, thick, lush and dense with rounded mouthfeel, carrying bright strawberry and honey flavours that blossom in the mouth.  Excellent racy acidity underlines the length of the palate, providing sufficient cut to prevent cloying, and leads to a soft, long finish with subtle flavours of honey, red berry fruits and florals.  This is a lush, decadent and unctuous dessert wine with beautiful strawberry and floral notes to make it a match with rich summer-fruit puddings over the next 5-7 years. 2,666 bottles made.  (375 ml)  18.5+/20  Dec 2011  RRP $40.00   

Fantastic review in from Bob Campbell in Australian Gourmet Traveller Wine  (100 Top New Release Wines).
Bob has given Akarua Pinot Noir 2010 95 Points and 5 Stars in this latest edition:
"Strong, sweet fruit flavours with pronounced plum, dark cherry, cassis and anise characters. Luscious wine that's restrained by fine, ripe tannins. A classy pinot noir that's easy to appreciate.

Michael Cooper has just released his 2012 edition of the definitive Buyers Guide to New Zealand Wine. This book has become somewhat of a bible for NZ wine consumers and certainly the 2012 version is a much thicker book than its predecessors. Michael has given some great ratings and reviews on our range of wines, so be sure to check them out on our review pages.

Well known Australian winewriter Nick Stock has just released his 2012 edition of The Age Good Wine Guide. This book is a firm favourite in Australia and gives readers a comprehensive guide on purchasing wine.
Akarua Pinot Noir's received fantastic scores in the book:
 - Akarua Reserve Pinot Noir 2009, 93 Points
 - AKarua Pinot Noir 2009, 93 Points
 - AKarua Pinot Noir 2010, 94 Points
 - AKarua Rua Pinot Noir 2010, 92 Points
Check out our review pages for the full commentary on the wines from Nick.

We have just released the new vintages of Akarua Riesling and Akarua Pinot Rose 2011! It is fantastic to get these great spring and summer wines to our cellar door as daylight savings arrives.

Matt & David have just returned home from a recent international sales trip visiting our distributors. On a well earned day off they took to Matt's favourite pastime of fishing and had the luck to strike a superb day in Vancouver fishing for the elusive King salmon  - they say they did pretty well with seven caught - we will take your word for that guys!

Akarua Pinot Noir Reserve 2009 has made it into the First XV lineup for the Great Trans-Tasman Red Wine Challenge held on Friday 16th September.
Each nation was represented by fiteen wines; eight forwards (Syrah/Shiraz) and seven backs (Pinot Noir) selected by team captains. Teams consisted of four judges and were headed up by a well known wine personality from each nation. Noted NZ expert Bob Campbell MW represented the Kiwis with Cameron Douglas MS, Corey Hall (The Gemwine Company), and Simon Nunns (Coopers Creek), whilst wine writer and critic James Halliday led the Australians in battle with Australian sommeliers Andrew Philpot, Patrick White and Matt Sweiboda.
The eight team members participated in a blind tasting on Friday morning to score each wine. The wines with the highest points made the "First XV" selection and were unveiled at a media tasting in the NZ2011 Business Club Lounge in The Cloud on Queens Wharf.

Akarua Reserve Pinot Noir 2009 as been awarded a double gold and trophy runner up at the prestigious Five Nations Wine Challenge, with Akarua Pinot Noir 2010 also awarded a gold medal. This is an invitation only event made by the 5 judges representing the countries of: Australia, Argentina, South Africa, New Zealand and Chile.

"I've tasted this lovely wine three times this year - and it keeps getting better. A deeply coloured Bannockburn red with densely packed cherry, plum and spice flavours, it has hints of chocolate and coffee, ripe, smooth tannins and an enticingly perfumed bouquet. A steal".

The 2010 vintage is shaping up to be a cracker with news today that Akarua Pinot Noir 2010 and Akarua Rua Pinot Noir 2010 have been nominated for Winestate's Wine of the Year. This is as a result of both wines picking up Gold/5 Stars in Winestate's annual NZ Pinot Noir Tasting.
"I always had high hopes for the 2010 wines as the vintage was very similar to the outstanding 2009 year. The Pinot Noirs have great fruit intensity and depth of character". Akarua Winemaker Matt Connell

News just in this morning. Akarua Pinot Noir has picked up a Gold Medal at NZIWS - the largest wine show in New Zealand. A whopping 2080 entries with 199 Gold Medals awarded. A great accolade for the 2010 and goes nicely with the recent Decanter Gold Medal win for Akarua Rua Pinot Noir 2010.

What a wonderful site to wake up to on Monday morning with the vineyard blanketed in a cover of white. The snow has certainly provided challenges to the vineyard crew who are still well entrenched in the pruning season. What a sight to behold though.

www.bobswinereviews.com Strong sweet fruit flavors with pronounced plum, dark cherry, cassis and anise/spice characters. Luscious wine thats restrained by fine, ripe tannins. Very classy Pinot Noir thats easy to appreciate.

Akarua have revamped their wine club to include 3 tiers of wine membership. This will enable many more wine lovers to have access to Akarua wines as well as receiving special benefits such as Riedel glassware and freight free deliveries within New Zealand.

Akarua has been invited to submit two of our Pinot Noirs (Akarua Pinot Noir 2009 & Akarua Reserve Pinot Noir 2009) into the prestigious Five Nations Wine Challenge.
This is the only wine show in the world where the wines entered come in exclusively by invitation from the five Judges. Bob Campbell MW has selected the New Zealand entries. The other countries represented in the Challenge are Argentina, Australia, Chile and South Africa.
The winners will be announced in Sydney on September 9th 2011.

More than 12,200 international entries in the Decanter World Wine Awards 2011 did not deter Akarua’s Rua Pinot Noir 2010 from receiving a Gold medal in this stellar line up. This is a significant achievement for this new vintage release wine which is Akarua’s introductory wine in a lineup of three Pinot Noirs in their portfolio. Over 121 medals were awarded to New Zealand wines in the show with only a small proportion awarded to Gold medals, eleven in total. Pinot Noir made up over half this gold medal tally, with six awarded to New Zealand Pinot Noirs.
Akarua Rua is made from fruit off Akarua’s estate in Bannockburn, which is the largest privately owned single estate in Central Otago. Typically Central Otago in style Rua has a core of juicy black berry fruit, with layers of savoury highlights and a soft but bright finish. Widely regarded as a wonderful value for money offering, this endorsement, which has been judged by ten renowned international judges, cements this status further.
Akarua Winemaker Matt Connell is delighted. “We are focused on providing consistently great wines from our Akarua vineyard, which will introduce wine lovers from all around the world to the delights of Central Otago wines.” Akarua Rua 2010 has also made it on to Decanters World Wine Awards Top 8 Pinot Noir List at number four.
Akarua has enjoyed a string of successes with their 2009 vintage wines; Champion Pinot Noir Trophy at the Royal Easter Show 2011 for Akarua Pinot Noir 2009 and Gold Medals in the Air NZ Wine Awards 2010 and the NZ International Wine Show 2010 for Akarua Reserve Pinot Noir 2009. The team at Akarua is confident of another great year with such a positive first showing for the 2010 vintage.

One of the most prestigious wine shows in the world, the Decanter World Wine Awards 2011 has awarded Akarua's Rua Pinot Noir 2010 a Gold medal.
This is a wonderful achievement for Rua 2010 which was released onto the market only last month. A testament to the winemaking skills of the Akarua team, Rua  spends 10 months maturing in French oak barriques and is made in a typical Central Otago style with a core of juicy black berry fruits and layers of savoury highlights.
Already with a very loyal following, Rua will now be set for further success.

In 2011 the Royal Easter Wine Awards introduced a new category into the competition called “Heritage” that assesses an extra dimension of quality – how well a wine ages.

Entrants in this category were invited to submit three wines based on the following criteria:

White Wines: must include a current vintage, one three years older and a third at least six years older than the current vintage.

Red Wines: must include a current vintage, one four years older and a third at least eight years old.

The Heritage Trophy is awarded to the trio of wines that the judges rate highest as a group.

Akarua was delighted to receive a Highly Commended in this category – the only Pinot Noir Producer to be recognized in the six groups of producers that were Highly Commended and in the running for the overall Heritage Trophy.

It was particularly heartening to read in a judging report from Bob Campbell MW that the Akarua entry (Akarua Pinot Noir 2009, 2006 and 2002) had actually come out as the top red wine in the tasting of red wines entered into the Heritage category.

The Heritage Trophy went to the Hunters Riesling line up, but we feel particularly proud to have come in at second place, and this gives our consumers even more reason to feel confident in knowing that Akarua wines will age and cellar superbly.

Just as the 2011 grape harvest gets underway in Bannockburn Central Otago, Akarua’s winemaker Matt Connell has been celebrating another trophy win.

Akarua Pinot Noir 2009 has been awarded the Royal Easter Show Trophy for Champion Pinot Noir adding to the recent gold medals for Akarua Reserve Pinot Noir 2009 at the Air New Zealand Wine Awards and the New Zealand International Wine Show.

Matt Connell is thrilled with this latest Pinot Noir Trophy, especially as the 2009 vintage is Matt’s first at Akarua.

“It is pretty humbling that out of 21 gold medals to be awarded in the Pinot Noir category that Akarua Pinot Noir 2009 has picked up the overall Champion Pinot Noir Trophy. It is certainly a testament to a combined team effort in the vineyard and in the winery. I am also delighted to have a Highly Commended in the inaugural Heritage category as it demonstrates that consumers can have great confidence that Akarua wines will age and cellar well”.

Akarua Pinot Noir 2009 (RRP$35) typifies what Matt Connell, believes is the amalgamation of a wonderful vintage year, unique vineyard site, climate and soil. It has resulted in a wine with lovely fruit intensity, concentration and balance. Grapes were harvested from the Akarua Estate Vineyard in Bannockburn, where the handpicked fruit is cropped to only two kilograms per vine. In the winery each parcel of grapes is kept in separate cuvées in order to express the characteristics of each vineyard block. The wine then spends 10 months in 30% new French barriques. These components are later blended to make Akarua Pinot Noir and Akarua Reserve Pinot Noir – the two flagship Akarua wines.

The Akarua Pinot Noir style is soft and beguiling with ripe berry fruit flavours, velvety texture and a generous length. “With increasing vineyard maturity our Akarua wines are showing greater and greater complexity and completeness.”

Akarua is Central Otago’s largest family owned single vineyard winery and is committed to sustainability having attained New Zealand Winegrowers Sustainability accreditation for both the winery and vineyard. They are also the first winery in Central Otago to package their wines in lightweight glass.

For more information, please contact Kathryn Pettit (03) 445 0897, Kathryn@akarua.com

Akarua is delighted with the recent gold medal achievement at the Royal Easter Show for their Akarua Pinot Noir 2009, adding to the recent gold medal awarded to Akarua Reserve Pinot Noir 2009 at the Air NZ wine awards and the NZ International Wines Show.

Akarua Pinot Noir 2009 (RRP$35) typifies what Matt Connell, Akarua Winemaker and General Manager believes is the amalgamation of a wonderful vintage year, unique vineyard site, climate and soil. It has resulted in a wine with wonderful fruit intensity, concentration and balance. Grapes were harvested from the Akarua Estate Vineyard in Bannockburn, where the handpicked fruit is cropped to only 2kg per vine. The wine spends 10 months in 30% new French barriques and demonstrates a style that is soft and beguiling with ripe berry fruit flavours, velvety texture and a generous length of flavour.

Akaura was also one of six wineries to pick up a Highly Commended in the inaugural Heritage Category at the Royal Easter show; each set of wines includes a current vintage with two other older vintage wines three of four years older. This category was presided over by three of Australasia’s foremost wine judges and has been introduced so that wine lovers can assess how their cellared wines might age.  Of the six sets of wines awarded Highly Commended, Akarua was the only one to be awarded for Pinot Noir with their Akarua Pinot Noir 2009, 2006 and 2002 vintages.

Matt Connell is thrilled with these latest accolades, especially as the 2009 vintage is Matt’s first at Akarua. “It is wonderful that out of 21 gold medals to be awarded in the Pinot Noir category that Akarua Pinot Noir 2009 has been recognised. It is a testament to a combined team effort in the vineyard and in the winery. To also receive a Highly Commended in the inaugural Heritage category is particularly pleasing as it demonstrates that consumers can have great confidence that Akarua wines will age and cellar well”.

Akarua is Central Otago’s largest family owned single vineyard and winery and is committed to sustainability having attained New Zealand Winegrowers Sustainability accreditation for both the winery and vineyard and also packaging their wines in lightweight glass making Akarua the first winery in Central Otago to do so.

We caught up with winemaker Matt Connell as he arrived in UK to launch his first four wines from the
2009 vintage at Akarua; Central Otago’s largest family owned, single vineyard and winery. With him was
owner & CEO, David Skeggs, now at the helm of the business which his father established in 1996.

Download full Q & A with Matt Connell & David Skeggs (PDF, 400KB)