Taking cues from Pinot Noir's homeland of Burgundy, the Rippon estate makes naturally pure and expressive wines, but they do it from the shore of a glacial lake, Wanaka, at the foot of the Southern Alps. Just looking at the landscape, it's no surprise that this is a place for distinctive wines: cold nights and extra-long, temperate days throughout Summer imbue the wines with layers of clear and intense aromas and sleek textures energized by mineral sensations.
The Rippon estate began as a true labor of love for founders Rolfe and Lois Mills since the Central Otago didn't have the booming commercial wine scene it does today. After some toes-in-the-water trials, the couple planted their first Pinot Noir vines in 1982, making it Central Otago's first commercial vineyard in around 100 years. Given the mostly untouched landscape, it was only appropriate that they farmed organically from the start. When their son Nick took up the torch in the early 2000s, he brought lessons learned from his time in BWe've got an exciting pair of wines that capture the intensity of New Zealand's dramatic Central Otago valley. Taking cues from Pinot Noir's homeland of Burgundy, the Rippon estate makes naturally pure and expressive wines, but they do it from the shore of a glacial lake, Wanaka, at the foot of the Southern Alps. Just looking at the landscape, it's no surprise that this is a place for distinctive wines: cold nights and extra-long, temperate days throughout Summer imbue the wines with layers of clear and intense aromas and sleek textures energized by mineral sensations.
The Rippon estate began as a true labor of love for founders Rolfe and Lois Mills since the Central Otago didn't have the booming commercial wine scene it does today. After some toes-in-the-water trials, the couple planted their first Pinot Noir vines in 1982, making it Central Otago's first commercial vineyard in around 100 years. Given the mostly untouched landscape, it was only appropriate that they farmed organically from the start. When their son Nick took up the torch in the early 2000s, he brought lessons learned from his time in Burgundy (Domaine Confuron and Domaine de la Romanee-Conti) and Alsace (Albert Mann) to the vine-growing and winemaking at Rippon, even making it a certified biodynamic estate. The vitality in the soils and maturity of the vines give Rippon's wines great natural depth and grace, though bottle production is naturally quite limited.urgundy (Domaine Confuron and Domaine de la Romanee-Conti) and Alsace (Albert Mann) to the vine-growing and winemaking at Rippon, even making it a certified biodynamic estate. The vitality in the soils and maturity of the vines give Rippon's wines great natural depth and grace, though bottle production is naturally quite limited.
WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - "The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc is chalky and grassy, with beeswax, pressed flower, juniper, wind anemone and white pepper. I love the dried hay character here; it makes for a clothy, textural wine of presence and detail. The vines were planted from 1987 to 1993 on own roots and were unirrigated, biodynamically farmed and low-yielding. The wine spent three months on the primary lees, with 50% in barrel (neutral oak) and the balance in tank. It is unsulfured, with no additions or adjustments to the must. 13% alcohol, sealed under Diam."
The Rippon estate began as a true labor of love for founders Rolfe and Lois Mills since the Central Otago didn't have the booming commercial wine scene it does today. After some toes-in-the-water trials, the couple planted their first Pinot Noir vines in 1982, making it Central Otago's first commercial vineyard in around 100 years. Given the mostly untouched landscape, it was only appropriate that they farmed organically from the start. When their son Nick took up the torch in the early 2000s, he brought lessons learned from his time in BWe've got an exciting pair of wines that capture the intensity of New Zealand's dramatic Central Otago valley. Taking cues from Pinot Noir's homeland of Burgundy, the Rippon estate makes naturally pure and expressive wines, but they do it from the shore of a glacial lake, Wanaka, at the foot of the Southern Alps. Just looking at the landscape, it's no surprise that this is a place for distinctive wines: cold nights and extra-long, temperate days throughout Summer imbue the wines with layers of clear and intense aromas and sleek textures energized by mineral sensations.
The Rippon estate began as a true labor of love for founders Rolfe and Lois Mills since the Central Otago didn't have the booming commercial wine scene it does today. After some toes-in-the-water trials, the couple planted their first Pinot Noir vines in 1982, making it Central Otago's first commercial vineyard in around 100 years. Given the mostly untouched landscape, it was only appropriate that they farmed organically from the start. When their son Nick took up the torch in the early 2000s, he brought lessons learned from his time in Burgundy (Domaine Confuron and Domaine de la Romanee-Conti) and Alsace (Albert Mann) to the vine-growing and winemaking at Rippon, even making it a certified biodynamic estate. The vitality in the soils and maturity of the vines give Rippon's wines great natural depth and grace, though bottle production is naturally quite limited.urgundy (Domaine Confuron and Domaine de la Romanee-Conti) and Alsace (Albert Mann) to the vine-growing and winemaking at Rippon, even making it a certified biodynamic estate. The vitality in the soils and maturity of the vines give Rippon's wines great natural depth and grace, though bottle production is naturally quite limited.
WINE ADVOCATE 95 POINTS - "The 2023 Sauvignon Blanc is chalky and grassy, with beeswax, pressed flower, juniper, wind anemone and white pepper. I love the dried hay character here; it makes for a clothy, textural wine of presence and detail. The vines were planted from 1987 to 1993 on own roots and were unirrigated, biodynamically farmed and low-yielding. The wine spent three months on the primary lees, with 50% in barrel (neutral oak) and the balance in tank. It is unsulfured, with no additions or adjustments to the must. 13% alcohol, sealed under Diam."
