Ra Nui believe that the wine is in the grape, focus is primarily on the vineyard, everything that comes after is meant to capture and preserve quality of fruit. Grapes are grown to the time honoured traditions of healthy soils, ample sun and good old fashioned love of the job. Much of the harvest is picked by hand, to be treated to a combination of new and old world vinification techniques, the ultimate aim being being to achieve a Sauvignon Blanc as articulate as a cornucopia of freshly cut fruit, decidedly Marlborough in a glass.

$2699each $323DOZEN EACH DOZEN Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from three Wairau sites. Cob Cottage is at the southeast corner of the valley, on the road just south of Blenheim. Summer Valley vineyard lies 800 metres to the south of Cob Cottage and is a particularly warm microclime. Roughan Lee is a small block that lies between the township of Renwick, in the heart of the valley, and the banks of Omaka River. Fruit is immediately transported to the winery, passed through a receival bin and straight into the press. Juices are cold settled over forty eight hours and racked away from gross lees before inoculation to an aromatic strain of yeast. A long cool ferment follows, a portion in French oak barriques for several months on fine lees.

Clear, brilliant pale straw. The nose exhibits initial citrus characters which then give way to more dominant tropical fruit characters, passionfruits and mango. On the palate the tropical flavour is stronger still with pineapple and pear, crisp acidity and a lengthy finish. A full bodied purist style of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc to accompany consomme, fresh fishes or wet cheese.

$3699each $443DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Rabbits and livestock coexisted on the Central Otago sheep station for many years, but the four legged grazers couldn't keep up with the nocturnal activities of wild bunnies and became hopelessly outnumbered. They were driven off the land and were last seen heading north. The owner of Rabbit Ranch tried a number of measures to clean the property of rabbits but was unsuccessful. In the end, Mr McGregor decided to find a recipe for rabbit, appetizing to all, which would rid him of his rodent problem, while providing a suitable culinary match to his own, home grown Pinot Gris wine.

$2599each $311DOZEN EACH DOZEN Being a mutation of Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris revels in the same growing conditions which have made Central Otago known around the world for rich Pinot Noir wines. A long slow ripening period with cool nights and warm days, ripens grapes to the fullest. Rabbit Ranch was once a high country sheep station with an acreage or two of productive vines. The property fell into decline after the second world war, until direct descendants of the original proprietor, Warren and Betty McGregor decided to replant the vineyard, the rest as they say is history. Rabbits still run wild on the property, fuelled by high altitude Pinot Gris grapes, some are reputed to be the size of ponies, but that could be another tall story.

Pale straw colour with citrus hue. As soon as you lift the glass this wine will literally leap into your senses like the startled rabbit it is. It is bounding with fresh fruit aromas and flavours of the vegetable garden, apples, pears and honeysuckle. This wine is a veritable smorgasbord of tastes. A mineral acidity backbone and an off dry finish that gives the wine a delicious structure and refreshing style. Apparently it is the energizer bunny's favourite tipple.

A 19th century grazier with a sheep station overrun by rabbits, Mr. MacGregor tried unsuccessfully to reduce the population by catching them and turning them into pies. The locals took up the challenge but the plague continued. Eventually MacGregor decided to plant vines and make a decent Pinot Noir to go with all the pie he was eating. Rabbit Ranch is made to a very soft, fruit forward, low tannin style. Beautifully aromatic, textural with the characteristic Otago richness, clean and endowed with exquisite balance, a wine to be savoured and supped.

$3099each $371DOZEN EACH DOZEN Central Otago makes a distinctive style of Pinot Noir that's recognized around the world for it's concentration of flavour and earthy, gamey qualities. Rabbit Ranch is a commune of vineyards which were once part of a high altitude sheep station in the Cromwell Basin of Central Otago. Vines are predominantly planted to light, stony soils on the remains of an ancient glacial riverbed. A long slow ripening period with cool nights and warm days as the autumn harvest approaches, ripens grapes to the fullest. The growers have enlisted the expertise of Pinot Noir specialists Chard Farm, to craft an early drinking, fruit forward wine in a lighter style with all the requisite Central Otago regionality.

Bright, eye red colour. Sweet nose with ripe berry scents, hints of briar patch and a whiff of gun smoke. A solid palate exhibiting layers of bramble and cherry flavours, supported by earthy tannins, barnyard and stalk complexity, lightly framed by a delicate veneer of chocolatey oak. A generously flavoured Pinot wine with fine fruit characters to accompany game birds, hare or pink lamb.

$2999each $359DOZEN EACH DOZEN

The frigid climes and inhospitable terroirs of Cromwell Basin are idyll for Sauvignon Blanc of defined Central Otago regionality. The combination of chilled winds and stony alluvial soils enthuse vines to yield small crops of parched and intensely flavoured grapes, brimming with vigorous fruit characters, while offering the balance and structure for the realization of bold white wines in suave old world styling. The Sauvignon Blanc of choice to accompany braised white meats, the freshest fried fish, or a gourmandise blanquette de lapin.

$3099each $371DOZEN EACH DOZEN

Light, bright straw hues. Fresh fruit aromas followed by fragrances of the market garden, tomatoes, herbs and green bean. Conspicuously solid Otago palate of passion and grapefruit flavours, capsicum and pungent garden characters. A veritable smorgasbord of ripe fruit and green vegetables throughout.

Central Otago is renowned for its stunning scenery of rugged mountains and picturesque lakes. Rockburn is bounded on the west by mountains whose seaward slopes are covered by rain forest, to the east is a barren, moon Iike landscape that receives less than 25mm of rain a year. Situated between these extremes, Rockburn's vines yield a stunning wine, one has only to taste a Gibbston Valley Pinot Noir to be completely won over by its elegantly perfumed nose, lifted violet fragrances and earthy, forest floor sensations on the rich, generous palate.

$4099each $491DOZEN EACH DOZEN Pinot Noir clones 10/5 and 5, 6 and 115, 667 and 777 are harvested off vines trained to vertical shoot position. A mostly Parkburn vineyard wine from fruit grown to a top cover of 10cm to 15cm loam soils over river gravels, a minor component of Gibbston fruit comes from a somewhat similar terroir. Windy climes enjoying plenty of heat and mid summer light yield parcels of well ripened, reduced Pinot Noir berries. Fruit is place into seven tonnes fermenters and treated to several days cold soak followed by a week of plunging and ferments. Upon completion, batches are macerated for a week or two before transfer to a high proportion of new, exclusively French oak barrels for ten months maturation. Alcohol 14.0%

Dark purple. Lifted nose of blue florals and intense raspberry/ cherry fruit, delicate florals enhanced by of dark chocolate notes. A pure expression of Central Otago on the palate, deeply layered with vibrant flavours of red and black cherries, rich mocha characters and forest floor complexity, all supported by a length of supple silky tannins, resolving on a long, lingering, fully aromatic finish. Pinot Noir of remarkable elegance, integrity and balance.

Pioneer Block One lies just east of Blenheim township, it was once part of the Wairau flood plain and accumulated layers of idyllic, deep free draining soils over the millennia. This is the vineyard where Saint Clair discovered the remarkable quality of fruit which was to become the world famous Wairau Reserve. It is often one of the very last blocks to be harvested, its mineral intensity and rich salty finish makes a lengthy, memorable wine.

$3399each $407DOZEN EACH DOZEN Vines on Block One are planted to fertile, pebbled alluvial silts overlying sand subsoils. The lie of land is rather flat and the proximity to the coast makes it a cooler site, with slower ripening than the majority of inland Marlborough. Carefully monitored throughout the ripening period, serious attention is given to determining the precise time for vintage. Harvesting takes place during the cool of evening as grapes achieve maximum flavour maturity and physiological ripeness. Fruit is pressed off as quickly as possible to minimize skin contact, juices are cold settled and vinified through the action of choice yeast in controlled fermenters at cool temperatures to retain power and intensity of fruit.

Pale straw hues. Powerful and intense aromas of blackcurrant, gooseberry and passionfruit, fragrant with notes of freshly cut grass. A silky textured palate showing luscious ripe grapefruit and green guava flavours, grapefruits and underlying mineral characters. Chalky in texture before a long, lingering finish, ,rinking beautifully right now alongside salmon or live cooked mussels.

$3899each $467DOZEN EACH DOZEN

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