15-Sep-2017
With 80 ha of vineyards and a modern, well-equipped winery, Matahiwi Estate is one of the most significant wine producers in the greater Wairarapa. Proprietor Alastair Scott has had good success with the Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris and Pinot Noir from the home vineyards, and the Chardonnay sourced from Hawke’s Bay. The wine are seen under the ‘Estate’ label, with an accessible ‘Mt Hector’ brand, and a flagship label named ‘Holly’ for Alastair’s daughter. The long-serving and talented Jane Cooper, winemaker since 2002 left last year to pursue other interests. It has just been announced that Miles Dinneen, former winemaker at Crossroads in Hawke’s Bay, and with over 20 years of experience and an excellent record of winning top medals at wine shows, has joined Matahiwi as chief winemaker. Already, he is busy finishing off the 2017 vintage wines. It will be very interesting to see what Miles will bring to Matahiwi. In the meantime, I review the 2016 ‘Holly’ Pinot Noir, arguably the company’s flagship, made by Jane Cooper and blended by her assistant Briony Carnachan. www.matahiwi.co.nz
