John Hancock, one of New Zealand’s icon wine industry people has made a fresh start. For those with good memories, John arrived from Australia to join Delegats, making the company’s very successful Muller-Thurgau in the late 1970s and through the 1980s, and the outstanding 1982 Chardonnay. John then went on to establish Morton Estate, pioneering New Zealand Chardonnay barrel-fermentation along with the likes of Paul Mooney of Mission and Michael Brajkovich at Kumeu River. His next move was establishing Trinity Hill as one of the top producers in the Gimblett Gravels as well as building a range of fully representative Hawke’s Bay wines there with Warren Gibson.
After a number of years in an ambassadorial role with Trinity Hill, John left at the start of this year to return to ‘hands-on’ winemaking creating a business that his two sons could be involved with and take over. This is ’Hancock & Sons’; with elder son William (‘Willy’) who has 4 vintages under his belt, and Michael who has a business orientation. The company is focussed on Hawke’s Bay wines, the first from the 2018 vintage, made from contracted fruit, at the Moana Park facility. Here, I review the inaugural releases, the 2018 ‘Lillies’ Rosé and Bridge Pa Chardonnay. I understand there are other wines with greater complexities in the works. www.hancockandsons.co.nz
