Dr John Harris and Dr Marilyn planted Māori Point Vineyard in 2002, on Maori Point Road at the end of Lake Dunstan, close to Terras in Cromwell. Matt Evens joined the team in 2014, followed by his wife, Dr Maggie Evans joined Maori Point in 2011. All of them are hands-on in the business; John and Matt make the wines on-site, using wild yeasts, avoiding filtering and minimizing the usage of sulfites. Applying organic regimes to viticulture, although they are not certified, both are important factors in their style and quality.
The soils are loess over schist deposited by the Lake Hawea glacier around 200,000 years ago and are very low in fertility. It is surmised that this results in lower yields of grapes with greater concentration.
Maori Point Estate Pinot Noir will be the second released Pinot Noir of 2019, followed the 'Gold Digger' Pinot Noir. An excellent vintage with concentrated fruit and ripeness, similar to 2017 but with more balance and finesse. In my opinion, the 2019 Pinot Noir showcase their hands-off winemaking style brilliantly, one of the most delicate and silky Pinot Noir that I've tasted from Maori Point Vineyard. Read my review below.
