Omihi Waipara
New Zealand Wine
Black Estate
Black Estate is a remarkable
place for wine.
A family owned vineyard on the warm, sunny slopes of the Waipara Valley, where the vines grow through clay and limestone soils to produce intense wines completely expressive of this site.
Our wines are hand crafted using artisan techniques and a dedication to creating exceptional Waipara Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Riesling.
Vineyard
Omihi, Waipara. New Zealand.
Latest News
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Tasting Room & Restaurant
Swing by, taste our wines, local food and enjoy the view
Here's our sample menu. We're picking our grapes through April so if you are up here, you may just catch some of harvest in action. The leaves are turning golden too. We love Autumn.
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Rolling Riesling Day at C1 Christchurch!
Get your ticket for Riesling & Rooftops in the Chch CBD!
Black Estate, with friends Pegasus Bay and Tounge in Groove Wines are pouring Riesling with matched Waipara Valley food on Saturday 16 February at C1 espresso in the ever changing Christchurch CBD. $30 gets you 5 tastings matched with food and one coffee tasting to finish. Stations are at our roof top vineyard, in the courtyard and in the basement! Rolling good times! Email wine@blackestate.co.nz or call us on 03314 6085 for tickets.
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Black Estate's Tasting Room & Restaurant
Food and Wine at our place
The Black Estate Tasting Room is now open. Sitting above our vineyard overlooking outrageously beautiful views of Waipara Valley, you can enjoy a wine tasting, boards of locally sourced fresh food. Great coffee too. Here's the menu (please note that it does chnage a bit depending on what's growing). Open 10am - 5pm, closed Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Call us on 03 314 6085 or email bookings@blackestate.co.nz to book.
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An intimate night at The Engine Room
Winemaker's Dinner at Auckland's The Engine Room, Auckland. Quite a combo.
Winemaker Nicholas Brown will present five Black Estate wines, matched to five thoughtful courses created by the renowned Engine Room kitchen. Good and honest food - true and expressive wines - quite a combo. This intimate dinner will host only 40 guests. Tickets are $110 per person. Book soon with The Engine Room, Ph. 09 480 9502
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Jane Skilton MW nails it.
5 Stars and 'oodles of character' for our Pinot Noir 2010
Jane Skilton MW wrote heartening words about what we are doing at Black Estate and our wines in the Sunday Star Times. You can read them on her blog mottledoyster.co.nz She said of our Pinot Noir 2010, "This intensely fragrant single vineyard pinot has a delightful redcurrant jelly and raspberry character. A savoury edge gives structure and balances the dense, fleshy fruit. Attractive now yet better in a couple of years." Rad.
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A star is born
Alistair talks to Pinot 2013 about vineyard yeast
On this Pinot2013 Blog, Alistair talks about creating ferment starters from our Pinot Noir block. Nice live cross!
Planted in 1993, Black Estate Vineyard consists of eight hectares of Pinot Noir and Chardonnay vines rooted in soil uniquely characteristic of the region.
Waipara has a long and dry autumn, ideal for ripening fruit. The cool nights retain freshness, whilst warm days build concentration.
Waipara has a long and dry autumn, ideal for ripening fruit.
The vineyard is carefully handled through the change of each season by Vineyard Manager Alistair Blair. Alistair is eagerly assisted by the rest of the family who almost always do exactly as they are told. A detailed focus is on thoughtful winter pruning, maximising soil health and restricting yields using sustainable practices.
Read more about Black Estate Vineyard
A Brief History of Wine
- 0008
AD. - Site of Black Estate formed during mid-Holocene period
- 1993
- Black Estate planted by Russell and Kumiko Black
- 1999
- First Black Estate Chardonnay and Pinot Noir Vintages released
- 2007
- Black Estate purchased by the Naish Family
- 2008
- First Black Estate Riesling released
- 2010
- Black Estate 2007 Pinot Noir wins IWSC Trophy
The Season Report
Harvest 2012
'Twas a cool wet spring with a slow increase in ground soil temperatures. Regular rain events carried into early summer which led to cool, modest flowering. The rain meant a lot of grass growth and slow canopy growth since the deep roots didn't warm up. Cooler temperatures and rain events continued through to Autumn so harvest commenced 2-3 weeks later then normal. And then the sun came out! Giving us a warm and sunny run for ripening. The delay meant the harvested fruit was physiologically ripe but lower in brix. Our chardonnay fermentations had an even journey to completion; Pinot Noir fermentations revealed complex aroma and good acidity; and the Riesling has been fermenting at a slow relaxed simmer retaining a lot of aroma. We are surprised and very happy with the quality and complexity of the wines harvested. Compost has been spread on the vines for an enriching restful winter, pruning has started the new cycle ahead.
Wines
Our wines are made using traditional techniques. Under the direction of winemaker, Nicholas Brown, all fruit is hand picked and sorted. Nicholas firmly believes the best wines are made in the vineyard and that the winemaker merely guides the grapes into unique wine completely expressive of its site.
More on Nicholas' winemaking philosophy.
Black Estate
Riesling 2011
A rich bouquet of lime, white peach, lemon cordial, gingernut, and wet riverstone. The pallet is dense and integrated with nectarine, mandarin, and lime coating rich and supportive phenolics. Underlying ripe acidity persists and creates a lingering finish. Off dry.
Black Estate
Pinot Noir 2010
A deep bouquet of dark forest fruits, black plum, cherry stone, iron filings and fertile earth. The pallet is silken and open with fine tannin followed by dense and supple fruit. The finish is lingering and savoury showing great power of Omihi's clay.
Omihi Series
Chardonnay 2011
Complex and integrated bouquet of white floral, grapefruit, lemon honey, brioche and hazelnut. Mealy, with fresh mineral notes like sea spray. The palate is broad, and enveloping with saline minerality that carries, persists and freshens giving this wine a dense and complete structure.
Omihi Series
Pinot Noir 2010
A single vineyard wine with a brambly bouquet of dark fruits, exotic spice, fresh earth and broken chalk. It's supple, dense, elastic, velvet like. Chalky soils emerge by way of a crisp and freshening mineral finish. True to its sandstone/limestone soils.
Black Estate
Chardonnay 2011
A complex bouquet of subtle spice and toasted brioche, white peach, nectarine, poor mans orange, and almond meal. The palate is tight, layered and focused, with a dense texture, concentrated fruit and a salivating persistent mineral finish.
order
Stockists
Perhaps Sir or Madam would like to try the Black Estate?
Christchurch
- Vino Fino
- Ballantynes
- Provence Fine Foods Akaroa
- Traiteur Merivale
- Liquorland Riccarton
- Liquorland Rangiora
- Super Liquor Papanui
- Super Liquor Edgeware
- Super Liquor Halswell
- Super Liquor Barrington
- Rare Fare
- The Village Grape Sumner
- Decant
- Pukeko Junction
- Peter Timbs Meats
Wellington
- Regional Wines and Spirits
- Floriditas
- Matterhorn
- The Whitehouse
- Arbitrageur
- The Tasting Room
- The General Practitioner
- Trade Kitchen
Auckland
- The French Cafe
- Caros Wine Merchants
- Tabou Kingsland
- The Village Winery (Mt Eden)
Central North Island
- Advintage
- Scenic Cellars
- Hillsdene Wines
South Island
- Henry's Liquor Timaru
Australia
- Vranken-Pommery Australia
- NZ Wine Online
United Kingdom
- Lea & Sandeman
Japan
- Village Winery Ltd.
Poland
- vinoteQ
- Oriensa
Netherlands
- TJ's Cellar Door Amsterdam
Wine Making
Let's talk grapes
Nicholas Brown
- Winemaking & Viticulture Consultant
Ever since the first release of Black Estate the potential of the site could be tasted in the rich and expressive wines produced. Now after fifteen years the vines at Black Estate have developed root systems that penetrate deep into the earth, exploring further the complex soils beneath them. The vines' discoveries are amplified at harvest in the form of rich and concentrated fruit with a depth of aroma and flavour that can only come from mature vines allowed to speak of their special surroundings.
With this in mind the role of the winemaker is truly gentle and guiding.
More on Nicholas' winemaking philosophy.
For a winemaker, working with wine grown from a site like Black Estate is a pure joy. We hope you enjoy drinking the wines as much as we have enjoyed making them.
Row 57, between 56 and 58, is a quiet achiever.
Pssst, join the Black List
At Black Estate we like to look after our friends. Get yourself 'Blacklisted' and receive updates about the wine, vineyard and seasonal special offers.
Contact
Tasting Room
Open 10am - 5pm
Thursday - Monday
Bookings +643 314 6085
Office +643 314 6086
614 Omihi Road
RD3 Amberley
New Zealand
If we seem friendly and obliging,
that's the wine talking.
Rod Naish
Director
Rod and Stacey, and their family, are the proprietors of Black Estate. Rod has 40 years experience in professional horticulture and business management. He is also a proud father-in-law to Nicholas and Alistair.
Nicholas Brown
Winemaker
Along with his role at Black Estate, Nicholas crafts wine for selected wineries and vineyards in Waipara Valley, where he has worked since 2002. Nicholas was winemaker at Daniel Schuster Wines between 2006 and 2009 and has learnt much from vintages spent in Marlborough, Chianti, Barolo, Napa and Oregon.
Penelope Naish
Marketing
Penelope manages the marketing, exporting and general business at Black Estate. She is Rod's daughter, Nicholas' wife and mum to Arthur and Sylvia. Before Black Estate, Penelope practiced corporate law in Christchurch, Auckland and The Netherlands.
Alistair Blair
Vineyard & Sales
Alistair has worked with organic produce and is now a viticulture specialist after several years working with vines in Waipara. Alistair is also the local salesman for Black Estate wines.
The kind of place a man can really get some thinking done.
The region,
Omihi Waipara, New Zealand
Black Estate vineyard lies on the idyllic, sunny, limestone and clay slopes of Omihi in the picturesque Waipara Valley, 45 minutes from Christchurch in New Zealand's South Island.
Waipara Wine & Food District is one of the 5 main wine districts of New Zealand. It is renowned for the production of cool climate varieties especially, distinctive Rieslings, Pinot Noir, and fine Chardonnay. This is a fast growing Wine District, offering an exciting diversity of limestone and clay slopes and soils on gravel plains.
