The Hunting Lodge is a unique 80 acre estate located just 35mins drive from the CBD in the heart of Auckland's wine country. With a Cellar Door & Lawn Bar, Restaurant, roaming gardens and event spaces, as well as a fully functioning winery and bottling works.
We wanted to create a range of wine that showcases the best wine regions in the country, but also captures the pioneering spirit of New Zealand wine — the search for something new and interesting. So, we decided that our wine range should evolve with the seasons, allowing you to discover something unique compared to the commercial styles produced in Marlborough.
The Hunting Lodge Seasonal Organic Pinot Noir 2020
94 Wine Orbit
A wolf in Burgundian cloak. From a single vineyard site on the hills of the Southern Valleys, this is Marlborough Pinot Noir at its best – vibrant, complex and serious. Underneath the varietal Pinot charm, lies a brooding side wine with a dark, seductive richness. The perfect balance of dark cherries and red plums with mocha highlights, wild mushrooms and thyme. Fragrance, fruit sweetness and purity with firm yet silky tannins. Organically grown with biodynamic principles and genuine passion. Every now and then the stars align and the combined attributes of terroir create a perfectly balanced Pinot Noir with all the sophistication and complexity that make it the most talked about grape variety.
The Hunting Lodge Seasonal Organic Sauvignon Blanc 2022
94 Wine Orbit
A pungent Sauvignon Blanc which has been grown with biodynamic principles and is fully Biogro certified organic. A mouth-tingling blend crafted from ripe fruit grown in the hills of Marlborough’s Waihopai Valley, this expressive Sauvignon Blanc delivers a punch of aromatics and flavor that NZ’s flagship varietal has become famous for. Intense aromas of passionfruit, blackcurrant, grapefruit and grassiness will slap you in the face screaming this is pure Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The palate is rich and concentrated, packed with peach, pineapple, capsicum and fresh herbs, all supported by a backbone of lively acidity which provides great length.
The Hunting Lodge Homeblock Sauvignon Blanc 2020
96 Decanter
2020 was a dream Vintage in Auckland. Warmer and drier than average growing conditions delivered pristine fruit, perfectly balanced and loaded with both concentration and juicy acidity. This is Savvie but not as you may know it! We’ve taken the iconic NZ variety ripened on some of the oldest Sauv Blanc vines in the country and let it express itself. With no winemaker intervention during fermentation except for the provision of French oak barriques, the result is layers of complexity and a wild edge. Pungent and smoky with dried sage, tropical and citrus fruit aromas dominating the nose. The palate reveals grilled pineapple and green mango flavors with a generous serving of savory, toasty oak. A thin line of pure minerality runs the length of this wine while chalky acidity delivers poise and tension to the palate. Expect more richness and texture to develop with some time in bottle.
Expressions Sauvignon Blanc 2022
93 Wine Orbit
Vivacious - a wine which expresses the full spectrum of Marlborough. From the sunbaked, ancient riverbeds of the Wairau to the cool, dry terraces of the Awatere Valley - tropical punch meets herbal intensity and varietal purity. A passionfruit, pineapple and grapefruit medley dressed in dried sage, blackcurrant bud and gooseberry. The big, mouth-filling palate is restrained by chalky acidity which gives length and structure while subtle minerality and capsicum notes bring both complexity and Sauvignon typicity. Overt and intense, this wine reflects the dramatic and diverse landscapes of Marlborough. In this case, aroma and flavor speak a thousand words.