Takapoto Estate wines have come a long way since their first vintage in 2012, but the drive and ethos to produce the best has been a constant throughout.

If there is one thing to really appreciate about the wines, it’s that they are made by hand and created with love using handpicked premium fruit.

The Takapoto Estate pinot noir has twice topped the world at the prestigious IWSC awards and also taken the New Zealand producer of the year crown twice.

But it doesn’t stop there. Winemaker Alex Coldicutt is extremely hands-on in his and involved in every step of the process, from growing the grapes, crafting then packaging the wine, and eventually selling it.

However, he believes less is more when it comes to making wines for this very special boutique label and aims to let the grapes speak for themselves, without too much interference.

As the grapes approach ripeness, Alex is out amongst the vines tasting, analysing and then tasting again, searching for the optimal time to start the harvest and winemaking processes.

Early on he learnt his trade from foundation Takapoto winemaker Andy Anderson who planted the seed that grew into Alex’s addiction of viticulture and winemaking. Andy passed the mantle to Alex when he died in 2019.

Takapoto Estate creates wines that are fitting to the terroir in which they grow. The grapes are carefully nurtured at its Maungatautari property on the shores of Lake Karapiro, but Alex also draws from Central Otago for its flagship pinot noir creations, using grapes sourced from Bannockburn and Gibbston, as well as Hawke’s Bay for reserve chardonnay.

Alex sets a very high standard and is rigorous when it comes to hand-sorting or fruit-thinning, ensuring only the best grapes make it to the final product.

These are mostly single vineyard wines with minimalist intervention and using natural fermentation to bring out the very best in flavours, and honouring the terroir, climate and all those involved in bringing it from vine to table.