Our Wines
Our range of wines and olive oil.
Kerner Estate Wines
2009 Kerner Pinot Gris
The fruit for this Pinot Gris was handpicked on April 3rd, 2009, from our estate vineyard which surrounds our house in the Fareham Lane area of Marlborough.
The vineyard is located at the western end of the Wairau Valley, an area that suits the styles of wines we like. This site is slightly elevated and is some distance from the sea. Therefore, the temperatures are cooler, meaning the grapes ripen slower, retaining and intensifying the flavour of the grapes.
After hand picking, the bunches were whole-cluster pressed and drained straight into French oak barriques for fermentation. As we wanted this wine to represent our ‘place’ as truly as possible, we allowed the native yeast from the vineyard to complete the ferment and give greater complexity to the wine.
The ferment proceeded slowly in the cool cellar, and the wine was then left on the yeast lees, the dead yeast cells, for ten months. These lees give the wine more weight and depth, and also protect it from oxygen as it ages.
The wine is a rich, succulent food wine. Floral notes on the nose, ripe honeydew melon flavours, and crème caramel shine through on the mid palate. This wine has a texture, weight and depth reminiscent of the finest wines from Alsace.
Harvest analysis:
Date April 3rd, 2009
pH 3.31
TA 8.10
Brix 24.20
Bottle analysis:
pH 3.42
TA 7.20
Alc. 14.00%
RS 3.1g/l
2009 Kerner Estate Pinot Blanc
This Pinot Blanc was hand-picked on April 3rd, 2009, from our estate vineyard which surrounds our house in the Fareham Lane area of Marlborough.
The vineyard is located at the western end of the Wairau Valley, an area that suits the styles of wines we like. This site is slightly elevated and is some distance from the sea. Therefore, the temperatures are cooler, meaning the grapes ripen slower, retaining and intensifying the flavour of the grapes.
After hand-picking, the bunches were whole-cluster pressed and drained straight into French oak barriques for fermentation with native yeast from the vineyard. We prefer using these indigenous yeasts as we believe it makes for a more complex wine, one that represents more truly the vineyard that it comes from.
The ferment proceeded over about three months in the cool cellar, and the wine was then left on the yeast lees, the dead yeast cells, for another seven months. These lees help give the wine more weight and depth, and also protect it from oxygen as it ages.
The wine shows a range of fruit characters, from grapefruit to apples, peaches and pears, giving a rich and complex wine supported by crisp acidity. Spice from the barrel fermentation is also evident, but as we use older wood it is not overpowering, adding weight and texture without coarseness.
There is not a lot of Pinot Blanc planted in Marlborough and this wine shows the attributes of growing this variety in a cool site. A smokey flavour from the grapes helps make this an ideal wine to go with seafood.
Harvest analysis:
Date April 3rd, 2009
pH 3.31
TA 8.0
Brix 24.0
Bottle analysis:
pH 3.47
TA 6. 2
Alc. 14.2%
RS 2.6g/l
2009 Kerner Estate Pinot Noir
This Pinot Noir was handpicked on March 31st, 2009, from our estate vineyard which surrounds our house in the Fareham Road area of Marlborough.
The vineyard is located at the western end of the Wairau Valley, an area that suits the styles of wines we like. This site is slightly elevated and is some distance from the sea. Therefore, the temperatures are cooler, meaning the grapes ripen slower, retaining and intensifying the flavour of the grapes.
We have planted three Dijon clones that we use for this wine, each imparting slightly different characters in the vineyard and the winery, and all adding extra layers of complexity to the wine.
After hand picking, the bunches were sorted over a triage-table before being destemmed, and then tipped into the fermentation vat. The juice sat with the skins for five days before the native fermentation started, utilising the indigenous yeast from the vineyard. At this stage, we started hand-plunging the ferment three times per day.
Once all the sugar had been fermented, the wine was put into French oak barrels where it matured for ten months, with each clone kept separate. Once we felt it was ready the wine was taken from barrel and blended, prior to a light fining with an organic egg-white, and then bottled, unfiltered.
The wine delivers a stunning bouquet of distinct black and red berries, spices and cloves. On the palate, it is beautifully layered and complex, followed by a finish of rich black fruit all the way through.
Harvest analysis:
Date: March 31st, 2009
Clone 667: pH 3.38, TA 6.8, Brix 25.5
Clone 114: pH 3.38, TA 7.5, Brix 26.0
Clone 777: pH 3.42, TA 6.8, Brix 26.0
Bottle analysis:
pH 3.67
TA 5.90
Alc. 14.7%
RS 1.2g/l
Splendiferous 2011 Sauvignon Blanc
This vibrant new wine exhibits lovely tropical aromas on the nose. Fresh and crisp, showing ripe passion fruit on the mid-palate. It has a citric quality both in taste and mouthfeel with a pleasant touch of minerality on the finish.
This single-vineyard, all free run wine can handle a variety of dishes. Pairs well with creamy seafood, spicy Asian cuisine, and rich Italian sauces.
Picking Date: 13 April 2011
Brix 22.4
pH 3.08
TA 9.6
ALC 13%
Bottle Analysis:
pH 3.19
TA 7.4
RS 4.1g/l
ALC 13%
2009 Kerner Estate Chardonnay
The grapes for this exceptional chardonnay were hand picked on April 6th, 2009, from our estate vineyard which surrounds our home in the Fareham Lane area of Marlborough, New Zealand.
The vineyard is located at the western end of the Wairau Valley, an area that suits the styles of wines we like. This site is slightly elevated and is some distance from the sea. Therefore, the temperatures are cooler, meaning the grapes ripen slower, retaining and intensifying the flavour of the grapes.
The low-cropped fruit was hand picked prior to being hand sorted at the winery, and whole-cluster pressed. The juice was run straight into aged French barrels where it sat prior to fermenting with the natural yeasts from our vineyard. By using this time-honoured, hands-off approach, we allow the wine to express its personality as truly as possible. After fermentation, the wine rested in the barrels for ten months prior to bottling.
The wine truly reflects the vineyard with aromas of stone fruit and apple on the nose, leading to a smooth, creamy palate with hints of lemon meringue. Supported by good acidity, a strong mineral streak, and a long, powerful finish, this rich and textured wine is a pleasure to drink now and will age beautifully over the next several years.
Harvest Analysis:
Date: 6 April 2009
pH 3.22
TA 9.0
Brix 24.8
Bottling Analysis:
pH 3.42
TA 6.7
Alc 14.4
RS/l 1.9