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21 August 2018

Hawke's Bay Wine Auction 2018
Block out 10th November 2018 because Hawke's Bay Wine Auction is back in town! We have something terribly good to offer for this year's auction and you don't want to miss. General Admission is only $50 which includes. View more

Date of Publication: 10, August 2018

Elephant Hill is proud to support our local charities- Hawke's Bay Wine Auction and Cranford Hospice. Hawke's Bay Wine Auction is a perfect event for wine lovers or art collectors. Get up close and personal with winemakers and taste a wide range of Hawke's Bay wine and canapes! 

Although 2017 vintage was a particular difficult vintage for many wineries in terms of weather, Elephant Hill is still able to produce our special limited edition wine- Stone Syrah from Gimblett Gravels. For the 2018 Hawke's Bay Wine Auction, we will be offering a quarter barrique of this exceptional wine. 
Buy your ticket now

17 July 2018

The Most Grammable Restaurants In New Zealand
We are truly blessed to be in the "fruit bowl of New Zealand" where some of the greatest produce is just next door! View more

Name of Media: Remix Magazine

Date of Publication: 26 June 2018

To learn more about the restaurant or if you wish to make a booking, please visit our restaurant site

www.elephanthill.co.nz/restaurant

To read the full Remix article, please click the link below.

 

 

11 June 2018

Top New Zealand Wineries 2018 & Certificate of Excellence, The Real Review
Elephant Hill ranked no. 9 in the Top Wineries of New Zealand 2018 and received Certificate of Excellence from The Real Review. View more

Name of Media: The Real Review

Date of Publication: June 04, 2018

The Top Wineries list is a national benchmark that shows where your favourite winery is ahead of its peers. The Real Review Certificate of Excellence is an annual award that helps build and reinforce a winery’s reputation. Certificate of Excellence recipients are determined by a proprietary algorithm, which takes into account the rating and recency of reviews by The Real Review team over the assessment period. To qualify, a winery must have a minimum number of commercially available wines reviewed and maintain a minimum rating average.

To know more about Top New Zealand wineries, visit https://www.therealreview.com/wine-regions/nz/top-wineries/2018/

 

 

1 June 2018

2015 Elephant Hill Reserve Chardonnay awarded Best in Show at Decanter World Wine Awards 2018
View more
The largest and one of the most influential wine competitions in the world, Decanter World Wine Awards 2018 (DWWA), has awarded Elephant Hill 2015 Reserve Chardonnay Best in Show and 97 points. According to Decanter, the competition is judged by some of the top wine experts from around the world and is trusted internationally for its rigorous judging process.

Elephant Hill winemaker Steve Skinner commented: “Our ethos quite simply is to produce the best possible wines that express their vineyard, variety and vintage. Over our ten year history, we have carefully watched how our vineyards perform and mapped out the various blocks and varieties. Te Awanga is an excellent sub-region for growing Chardonnay. Clay soils and a reliable sea-breeze from the nearby Pacific Ocean further enhance the expression of our coastal vineyard. 2015 was a very strong vintage: a warm season, with below-average rainfall, which allowed us to take multiple hand-picks of Chardonnay from our 4 Te Awanga sub-blocks. The 2015 Reserve is predominantly blended from Clone 15, which is used for its citrus flavours and lively acidity. The remainder of the blend is Clone 95, which contributes tropical fruit flavours and richness. These two clones were picked over 7 dates in early-to-mid March.”

The Best in Show is the ultimate accolade at the Decanter World Wine Awards. In a separate tasting, the four Co-Chairs select the ‘Best in Show’ from the Platinum winners. 2015 Elephant Hill Reserve Chardonnay was one of three New Zealand wines awarded Best in Show.

Ends.

For further information, please contact:
Kalos Chan, Marketing and Communication Executive, Elephant Hill
kalos@elephanthill.co.nz
Tel: +64 6 872 6066

Date of Publication: June 1, 2018

20 February 2018

Press Release: Elephant Hill partners with Elephant Family
View more

Date of Publication: Feb, 2018

We Are Family!

New Zealand’s Elephant Hill is to partner with Elephant Family - an international charity organisation committed to the conservation of the endangered Asian elephant.

The winery is launching a bespoke series of its ‘Le Phant’ wines, available initially in Asia, and will donate a percentage of each bottle sold to the charity. The wines will carry tailor-made labels featuring elephant sculptures from Elephant Parade®, a social enterprise that runs the largest art exhibition of decorated elephant sculptures in aid of elephant conservation, which have exhibited in over 24 cities around the world. The latest ‘Elephant Parade’ 101-strong herd (in recognition of the 101 elephant corridors created by the charity to enable safe passage to fresh feeding grounds) arrived in Mumbai in February 2018: India being home to the world’s largest population of Asian elephants.

Elephant Hill’s Andreas Weiss explains, “We have been long-time supporters of wildlife and humanitarian projects. There is a large wooden elephant sculpture in the grounds of our winery which was shipped over from Myanmar in recognition of my late father Roger Weiss’s philanthropic work there. We couldn’t think of a more perfect partnership for Elephant Hill than Elephant Family.”

Elephant Family trustee Ruth Powys echoes the sentiment: “While the world inhabited by wild elephants may seem a long way from New Zealand, the heart of Asian elephant territory lies equidistant between our headquarters in London and Hawke’s Bay, and it seems fitting that such an iconic, global animal is receiving support from this truly international partnership.”

Elephant Family is an international NGO dedicated to protecting the Asian elephant from extinction in the wild. Since 2002, Elephant Family has funded over 160 conservation projects and has raised over £10m through public art events to help fund pioneering projects across Asia to reconnect forest fragments, prevent human-elephant conflict and fight wildlife crime. www.elephant-family.org.

- ends - 

Note to Editors:

Elephant Parade® statues are created by artists and celebrities, each Elephant Parade statue is a unique art piece. The life-size, baby elephant statues are exhibited in international cities and raise awareness for the need of elephant conservation. Limited edition, handcrafted replicas and a select range of products are created from the exhibition elephants. 20% of Elephant Parade net profits are donated to elephant welfare and conservation projects via NGO, Elephant Family.www.elephantparade.com


 

 

 

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12 December 2016

New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc widens its scope
American wine critic Patrick Comiskey has written a fantastic article exploring New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. View more

Name of Media: LA Times

Date of Publication: 9th December

 

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7 December 2016

Benchmarking Shiraz and Syrah from elsewhere
Richard Hemming MW recently reviewed and compared syrah from well known Rhône producers Ogier, Perrin and Vernay to Hawke's Bay Elephant Hill syrah. View more

Name of Media: Jancisrobinson.com

Date of Publication: 5th December 2016

 

JANCISROBINSON.COM

 

 

 

6 December 2016

Will Lyons, Let it Flow
Will Lyons, writer for The Times has compiled a list of wines to match perfectly with the festive season ahead. He recommends the 2013 Elephant Hill Syrah for Boxing day which will have "fussy relatives purring into their glasses." View more

Name of Media: The Times

Date of Publication: 6th December 2016

Click here to read the full article

 

 

30 November 2016

Gourmet Traveller Wine
We are very excited to announce two of our wines have been chosen to feature in Gourmet Traveller Wine's 20th Anniversary issue.

Our 2014 Reserve Merlot Malbec Cabernet and 2014 Reserve Syrah scored the highest in Gourmet Traveller Wine's Top 100 New Release New Zealand Reds. View more

 

4 November 2016

Joanna Simon's Wine of the Week: 2014 Elephant Hill Syrah
Joanna Simon is an award-winning wine writer, food journalist and magazine editor. She recently reviewed the 2014 Elephant Hill Syrah awarding it her Wine of the Week. View more

 

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1 November 2016

Sam Kim's Latest Elephant Hill Reviews
Well known Wine Judge Sam Kim recently reviewed the Elephant Hill 2015 Sauvignon Blanc, 2015 Chardonnay and 2016 Pinot Gris. View more

27 October 2016

Elephant Hill 2014 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc a "Citrus-Driven Little Number"
Managing Editor of Decanter Amy Wislocki recently tasted the 2014 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc awarding the wine 91 points. View more

Name of Media: Decanter

Date of Publication: 21st October 2016

Decanter, Elephant Hill 2014 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

 

12 October 2016

Syrah The 'Perfect Next Step' for Pinot Lovers
"Syrah's easy-going nature and spicy charm makes it the perfect next step for Pinot Noir lovers according to Steve Skinner, Chief Winemaker at Elephant Hill" View more

Name of Media: The Drinks Business

Date of Publication: 11th October 2016

 

10 October 2016

Syrah Tasting at Benares in Mayfair
Captured by The Drinks Business, The Week In Pictures. Wine Maker Steve Skinner recently hosted a Syrah tasting at Atul Kochar's Michelin-Starred Indian restaurant Benares in Mayfair. View more

Name of Media: The Drinks Business

 

28 September 2016

Tom Cannavan's review of Elephant Hill 2013 Syrah
Scotland's well know wine expert Tom Cannavan recently reviewed the Elephant Hill 2013 Syrah. Creator of wine-pages.com Tom included our syrah in his "Wine of the Week." View more

Click here to see the full review and video wine-pages.com

 

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28 September 2016

Bob Campbell MW Wine of the Week
Bob Campbell MW has included our Elephant Hill 2014 Reserve Syrah in his Wine of the Week. Awarding the wine 96 points and describing as "Deep, inky syrah with dark berry, liquorice, black pepper, violet, floral and smoky oak flavours. A powerful and slightly closed wine with serious cellaring potential. Firmly structured with bold, ripe tannins. An exciting red." View more

28 September 2016

Wines to Match with Game by Hamish Anderson
Wine writer for The Telegraph Magazine, Hamish Anderson includes the Elephant Hill 2014 Syrah in his favourite "Wines to Match with Game." View more

Name of Media: The Telegraph Magazine

 

19 September 2016

Global Syrah Masters: The Results
Patrick Schmitt, Editor-in-Chief at The Drinks Business has published the results from the Global Syrah Masters. View more

The UK competition is judged by an expert panel of Master Sommeliers, Masters of Wine and Senior Buyers. The 2013 Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah was awarded a Master medal which is the highest accolade for this competition.

To read the full article click here: Global Syrah Masters: The Results

 

Elephant Hill 2013 Reserve Syrah

 

 

19 September 2016

Big Bay Red - Bob Campbell MW
We have had fantastic pre-release feedback for our 2014 Reserve Merlot Malbec Cabernet. We are thrilled the wine scored 96 points from Bob Campbell MW and featured in Cellar Talk. View more

 


 

 

Bob Campbell Cellar Talk

 


 

 


 

 

 

15 September 2016

2013 Elephant Hill Syrah reviewed by Jancis Robinson MW
Well respected wine critic, journalist and wine writer Jancis Robinson recently reviewed the 2013 Elephant Hill Syrah. Confirming 2013 was a stellar vintage Jancis awarding our syrah 17 points. View more

 

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26 August 2016

2014 Reserve Syrah & 2014 Reserve Merlot Malbec Cabernet Reviews by Sam Kim
After an epic 2014 vintage Sam Kim well known wine judge, reviews the 2014 Reserve Syrah and 2014 Reserve Merlot Malbec Cabernet. View more

2014 Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah

 Wonderfully harmonious and immensely attractive, this outstanding Bordeaux blend shows complex aromas of cassis, blueberry, floral and toasted almond with hints of dried herb and game. The palate delivers superb concentration and rounded mouthfeel, enhanced by silky texture and gorgeous fruit purity. The wine is brilliantly structured by seamlessly integrated fine, chalky tannins, providing excellent structure and length. A wine of considerable presence, destine to evolve magnificently.

96 points

2014 Elephant Hill Reserve Merlot Malbec Cabernet

This exceptional offering, by a top-notch winery, from a stellar vintage, exhibits power and richness while remaining poised and balanced. Glorious aromas of black/blueberry, raspberry coulis, violet, clove and cedar with nuances of black pepper and olive lead to a concentrated palate that is pristine and plush with layers of silky texture and stunning fruit intensity. Tannins are supple and beautifully melded into this graceful syrah.

95 points

http://www.wineorbit.co.nz/

 

 

25 August 2016

Raymond Chan Reviews the 2014 Reserve Syrah & 2014 Reserve Merlot Malbec Cabernet
Well respected wine writer Raymond Chan recently reviewed the 2014 Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah and 2014 Reserve Merlot Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon. View more

2014 Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah

Very dark, black-hued purple-red colour, near saturated. The nose is elegantly presented with sweet and ripe aromas of blackberry fruit with subtle layers of plums, boysenberries and notes of blue fruits, along with sweet oak, Asian spices and hints of black pepper. The whole cluster stalk componentry is integrated and lends depth and nuance. Medium-full bodied, the palate features sweet and rich, ripe and luscious flavours of blackberries, black plums, boysenberries and hints of blue fruits. The mouthfeel is opulent, with sweet oak and spice layers adding to the richness. The fruit is supported by very fine-grained tannin grip and extraction, and enlivened by balanced acidity. The wine carries to a long, lingering, reserved finish. This is a beautifully ripe and sweet fruited Syrah with spice and oak layers and fine-structured palate.

19.0-/20 points

2014 Elephant Hill Reserve Merlot Malbec Cabernet Sauvignon

Very dark, deep, near impenetrable black-red colour with purple hues. The nose is firm and intensely concentrated with well-ripened, sweetly aromatic black berry and black plum fruits along with subtle spice notes and nutty oak, unfolding red and violet floral elements providing an intriguing aromatic fragrance. Medium-full bodied, the palate features rich and sweet, ripe fruit flavours of blackberries, dark-red plums, liquorice, unfolding nuances of boysenberries and blue fruits. Spice and oak unfold to add layers of interest. Fine-grained tannins provide a firm, linear, and concentrated heart, but the wine retains elegance and proportion. The acidity is integrated and fruit richness and power drives the wine to a long, dry finish of spicy plums and redcurrants.

18.5+/20 points

http://raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz/

 

10 August 2016

2013 Reserve Syrah Triumph
The Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah from the highly acclaimed 2013 Vintage has been awarded a Masters Medal at The Global Syrah Masters 2016 in the UK. View more

The Global Syrah Masters Competition began in 2015 as an addition to the Drinks Business Global Master Series and the 2016 version will be this year's biggest and most extensive blind tasting of Global Syrah. The expert panel of judges made up of Masters of Wine, Master Sommeliers and Senior Buyers including Drinks Business Editor-in-Chief Patrick Schmitt MW judged entries from all over the world. The 2013 Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah was awarded a Master medal which is the highest accolade for this competition.

To learn more about the wine click here: 2013 Reserve Syrah

 

16 June 2016

Elephant Hill Airavata Syrah ranked #1 in Comparative Tasting against the French
On 19 May Hawkes Bay Wine held a comparative Syrah tasting against the famous Northern Rhone Syrahs of France. The venue for this event was New Zealand Central in Shanghai, China. Led by Fongyee Walker, Founder of Dragon Phoenix and Michael Henley, Chairman of Hawkes Bay Wine Growers, 10 Syrah wines were selected for a comparative blind tasting made up of 5 from Hawke’s Bay and 5 from the Northern Rhone in France. Vintages spanned from 2004 to 2013. The event was attended by 25 invited Chinese Wine Trade and Media who were presented with the 10 wines in a blind tasting and asked to comment and rank them in order of preference. View more

The Hawkes Bay wines excelled with the Elephant Hill Airavata Syrah 2009 ranked number 1 followed by the E. Guigal La Mouline Cote Rotie 2006, Chapoutier La Mordoree Cote Rotie 2011, Trinity Hill Homage 2007 and Rod McDonald Te Awanga Syrah 2013 rounding out the top 5.

Fongyee Walker said, “A lot of excitement and debate was generated by the blind tasting. When the wines were revealed, there was a great buzz that the top wine was a Hawke’s Bay one. Hawke's Bay Syrahs showed their quality tonight and for me they are delicious, sexy wines and importantly great value”.

Roger Weiss, Proprietor of Elephant Hill commented “The focus at Elephant Hill has always been to make wines of the highest quality that can compare with the very best in the world. Syrah is Elephant Hill’s flagship variety and we see a great future for Syrah from Hawke’s Bay. For me this result shows that our wines belong at the very top and that we have the climate, soils and people to continue achieving this. An important point to note is the excellent value in the Hawke’s Bay wines in comparison to the wines from France”

This event forms part of a 3 year marketing initiative by Hawke’s Bay wineries to raise the profile of Hawke’s Bay wines in China.

Fongyee Walker is a specialist Wine Consultant, Wine Judge and WSET Certified Wine Educator in China. She co-founded Dragon Phoenix Wine Consulting, one of China’s premier wine training and consultancy companies. She has extensive judging experience around the world including Chile, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand and London. Having passed her MW written and tasting exams she is currently working on her MW research project on viticulture in China.

To view more information on Elephant Hill Airavata Syrah click here http://www.elephanthill.co.nz/icon/2013-elephant-hill-airavata-syrah

 

14 June 2016

Jesse Mulligan's top 11 dishes from Hawke's Bay
TV comedy guy and eating out editor for Viva Magazine, Jesse Mulligan shares his top 11 dishes from restaurants around Hawke's Bay. View more

Name of Media: Viva Magazine

With an honest and refreshing approach to food blogging Jesse visited Elephant Hill and had the following to say "Elephant Hill is a fantastic winery restaurant with great staff, a beautiful fit-out and wonderful food. This beautiful creation is scallop sashimi, served with passionfruit, crispy shallots and a range of colourful garnishes. Light and fresh with a background of south east Asian flavours, this is a beautiful dish to eat with a view of the sea." 

To read the full article click here http://www.viva.co.nz/article/food-drink/where-to-eat-in-hawkes-bay-2016/?ref=vivafbpage

 

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13 June 2016

Cuisine NZ Bordeaux Blends Tasting Results
We are delighted our 2013 Elephant Hill Reserve Merlot Cabernet has been awarded a 5 star rating and ranked in the top 5 of its class in Cuisine magazine. View more

Name of Media: Cuisine magazine Issue 177

Date of Publication: 8 June 2016

"In New Zealand, the Bordeaux blend is at its best in Hawke’s Bay, and the region has a longer story of success with these grape varieties than any other in the country. In this Cuisine tasting, Hawke’s Bay wines dominated, with the excellent 2013 and 2014 vintages looking the goods."

Click here to read the full article https://www.cuisinewine.co.nz/cuisine-tasting/nz-bordeaux-blends-2016-3/

 

 

10 June 2016

Jo Burzynska's top picks for Reds and Roses
Jo Burzynska, wine editor of the New Zealand Herald's Viva Magazine and author of Wine Class: All you need to know about wine in New Zealand, describes the 2013 Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah as "dense and taunt plum fruit with notes of stony mineral and fragrant sweet spice."
View more

Name of Media: Viva Magazine

Date of Publication: 11th May 2016

To read Jo Burzynska's full review and top picks for Reds & Roses click here https://www.dropbox.com/s/rr91vmoid292fbx/Jo Burzynska's top picks for reds and roses.pdf?dl=0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 May 2016

TravelSort review by Hilary Stockton
Hilary Stockton, founder of popular travel blog TravelSort visited Elephant Hill recently on a trip to celebrate her 10th wedding anniversary. View more

The Verdict

 

"While we didn't have time this trip for a wine tasting, I highly recommend Elephant Hill for lunch, while staying at the Farm at Cape Kidnapper's. We enjoyed many delicious meals in New Zealand, but this was my favorite lunch to date."

To read the full review click here: http://travelsort.com/blog/elephant-hill-winery-restaurant-review-hawkes-bay-new-zealand

 

 

8 April 2016

All about Syrah by Cameron Douglas
Cameron Douglas, New Zealand's first and only Master Sommelier describes our 2013 Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah as an "elegant, full and richly textured bouquet." View more

To read the full article "All about Syrah" by Cameron Douglas click here http://bit.ly/1YhLVdo

 

7 April 2016

A new Breed of Syrah by Joe Czerwinski
Joe Czerwinski, Managing Editor of Wine Enthusiast Magazine, has written a great article on Hawke's Bay Syrah and claims 2014 Elephant Hill Syrah as the Editors choice. View more

To read the full article click here. http://bit.ly/25MapBm

 

 

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15 February 2016

Raymond Chan's "Wine of the week"
Raymond Chan has included our 2013 Elephant Hill Merlot Malbec in his wine of the week. View more

 

A blend of 46% Merlot, 45% Malbec and 9% Cabernet Franc, from the company’s ‘Gimblett’ and ‘Triangle’ vineyards, hand-picked to 13.5% alc., the wine aged 12 months in 28% new French oak, then a further 6 months on lees in tank. Very full, near saturated black-red colour with youthful purple hues. The nose is elegantly concentrated with well-packed aromas of ripe black plum fruit with red and black currants, spicy oak and red and black floral perfumes. Medium-full bodied, rich, plush and succulent flavours of red and black plums are the feature on palate. Harmoniously melded layers of juicy and sweet red berries and currants are infused with spices and some oak lift. The fruit is supported by very fine, supple tannins and lacy, enlivening acidity, and the wine flows with vibrancy and richness to a very long, sweet, plummy and spicy finish. This is an elegantly concentrated, rich, lush and juicy Merlot and Malbec blend with a fine, supple structure. Match with lamb, beef and venison dishes over the next 5-7 years. 18.5+/20 points

 

www.raymondchanwinereviews.co.nz

 

 

 

2 February 2016

David Williams's Kiwi Fix: Three great New Zealand wines
David Williams, wine journalist and regular contributor to The Guardian includes the 2013 Elephant Hill Syrah in his Three great New Zealand wines. View more

Name of Media: The Guardian

Date of Publication: 31st January 2016

"They’re the masters of sauvignon, but what else can they do? Here are three bottles that display New Zealand’s strengths."

To read the full article click here kiwi-fix-three-great-new-zealand-wines

 

28 January 2016

Decanter's Eight exciting New Zealand wines to try
We are excited to have our 2013 Elephant Hill Syrah included in Decanter's Eight exciting New Zealand wines to try. View more

Name of Media: Decanter

Date of Publication: 25th January 2016

 

Decanter's tastings director, Christelle Guibert, has picked out eight exciting New Zealand wines to try from a recent tasting in central London.

 

Click here to read the full article eight-exciting-new-zealand-wines-to-try


 

12 January 2016

Rebecca Gibb MW, Wines of the Year 2015: Super-Sixty Chardonnays
Master of Wine and highly regarded wine journalist Rebecca Gibb has included the 2013 Elephant Hill Reserve Chardonnay in her "Wines of the year 2015: Super-Sixty Chardonnays." View more

 

Surprisingly understated, refined and complex Chardonnay. Gentle on the palate yet has an innate energy. The vineyard sits meters from the Pacific coast and a fresh, sea breeze-like essence flows through the wine. High quality, French oak-derived nutty aromas combine with a whiff of smoke, white nectarine and citrus. Pour me a third glass.

Click here to read the full article Wines of the Year 2015: Super-Sixty Chardonnays
 

 

 

7 December 2015

Top new Hawke's Bay trio
Joelle Thomson is an award winning wine writer and has judged at wine competitions in both New Zealand and Australia. View more

Name of Media: Drinksbiz

Date of Publication: December 2015 / January 2016

To read Joelle's review of the 2015 Elephant Hill Rose, 2013 Elephant Hill Airavata and 2013 Elephant Hill Hieronymus click here Joelle Thomson - Drinksbiz 

 

 

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25 November 2015

Raymond Chan's Recent Review of the Elephant Hill Icon Collection
In November last year, I paid a visit to Elephant Hill, where Steve Skinner, his viticulturist Jon Peet, general manager Gunter Theis, and marketing manager Vince Labat presented me with a selection of wines, which included barrel samples of some 2013 Reserve and Icon reds. I was extremely impressed with what I tasted, and the release of the ‘Reserve’ wines since, have confirmed their superb quality as I saw them then. Now, the ‘Icon’ wines have been released, and I have the opportunity of reviewing what I saw were stunning samples a year ago. The Icon wines are indeed rare and exceptional, made only in the best years. One could not ask for a better year than 2013 in Hawke’s Bay. Here are my reviews of the ‘icon’ 2013 ‘Airavata’ Syrah and ‘Hieronymus’ Bordeaux-Blend. View more

‘Airavata’ is the king-god of Elephants in Hindu mythology. MS and 470 clones from the Gimblett Gravels and MS clone fruit from the Te Awanga sites, co-fermented with 1% Viognier and 30% whole clusters to 13.5% alc., the wine spending 14-21 days on skins and aged 17 months in 60% new French oak. Very dark, near saturated black-hued purple red colour, very youthful in appearance. The nose is elegantly concentrated and penetrating with a complex amalgam of ripe black berried fruits melded with savoury black herbs from whole clusters, black pepper, liquorice, and Asian and Middle Eastern spices. The fruit is refined in presentation with an aromatic and perfumed lift alongside black mineral notes. Medium-full bodied, the palate is elegant in proportion and extremely refined in presentation, with a very concentrated and tight core of ripe black berried fruits, liquorice, spices and minerals. Black pepper and tar elements, with suggestions of herbs and firecracker oak and reductive nuances add to the complexity of flavour. The extraction is very fine-grained, but lends considerable structure, the acidity integrated, providing energy for the wine to carry to a very long, tightly concentrated lingering finish. This is a beautifully tight and elegantly concentrated Syrah with black fruits, spices and complex detail, carried by very refined, but serious structure. Match with slow cooked game meat dished over the next 10-15+ years. 

Raymond Chan Wine Reviews  


2013 Elephant Hill Hieronymus      20/20 points

‘Hieronymus’ means ‘one with s sacred name’ in Greek and Latin. The name here pays tribute to the Weiss family ancestor Hieronymus Ebner von Eschenbach, Lord Mayor of Nuremberg. 60% Cabernet Sauvignon from the company’s Gimblett Gravels vineyard and 20% each Merlot and Malbec from the Triangle Vineyard co-fermented to 13.7% alc., the wine aged 17 months in 80% new French oak. Very dark, black-hued, vibrant purple-red colour, very youthful in appearance. This has a finely proportioned, tightly concentrated, smooth and silky presented nose of ripe blackcurrants, cassis liqueur and blackberry fruit, along with suggestions of sweet black plums, melded with iron-earth and black minerals, and some spicy oak toast nuances. Medium-full bodied, the fruit flavours of ripe blackcurrants and blackberries are plush, sweet and vibrant with excellent freshness and vitality. The mouthfeel is lush, lively and full of verve and energy, with beautiful acid tension. The extraction and concentration are impressive, but the tannins very fine-grained, forming a tight and taut core with drive and linearity. As the wine flows, subtle iron-earth, minerals and spices lift the fruit profile, and the wine carries to a very long, lingering finish with richness, freshness poise and balance. This is a classically constructed rich, refined and structured Bordeaux blend with beautiful vitality to match the texture and richness. Serve with lamb, beef and venison over the next 15+ years. 

Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

 

 

19 November 2015

Elephant Hill's New Releases by Yvonne Lorkin
In a few short years Elephant Hill, under the guidance of winemaker Steve Skinner, has become a colossus due to its award-winning contribution to world-class wine production. It's on the pricey side, but worth every cent. View more

Name of Media: Hawke's Bay Today

Date of Publication: Tuesday, November 17, 2015

Elephant Hill Airavata Syrah 2013     

This Airavata (meaning 'the king-god of elephants') is impenetrably deep and inky, unfolding a peacock's tail of violets, dried herbs, seasoned leather and heady, spice-driven Christmas cake aromas. in the mouth it has incredible depth and complexity, elegant, feminine fruit concentration and smoky, nutty nuances on the finish.

5 stars 

Elephant Hill Hieronymus 2013    

Using a whopping 80 per cent new French oak barrels has produced a cage fighter of a wine. Solid, masculine, sinewy and fierce - with tightly coiled tension and massive reach on the palate. With lifted dried herb, liquorice and cocoa characters on the nose, deep smoked berryfruit flavours, it's definitely got style and weight.

5 stars 

Elephant Hill Gimblett Gravels Syrah 2013  

With a tiny splash of co-fermented viognier to add floral lift to the pepper, plum and concentrated berry backbone. In the mouth it's beautifully balanced and boasts dusty, graphite-like tannins. Fresh and full of life, it's a limited cellar door and wine club members- only release.

5 stars 

 

13 November 2015

Geoff Kelly Reviews the Icon Collection
Senior judge and wine consultant Geoff Kelly reviews the 2013 Elephant Hill Airavata and 2013 Elephant Hill Hieronymus. View more

2013 Elephant Hill Airavata        19/20 Points 

Ruby, carmine and velvet, wonderful freshness and density, the deepest and richest colour in the set. Bouquet is extraordinary, incredibly rich, fragrant but not exactly floral (yet), much cassis, darkest plum, some blueberry, plus at this stage rather much oak vanillin. It smells very young. The world changes when you taste it. Immediately there is a velvety concentration of fresh aromatic berryfruit of a depth and mouthfeel not previously achieved in New Zealand syrah. Flavours like aromas are youthful in the extreme, tending oaky at this pre-release stage, and it is hard to penetrate the wine. But there is no escaping the richness, concentration and texture of this dark plum and cassis-laden palate. It seems the richest wine on the table, and the dry extract at 31.9 g/L later confirms that is likely to be the case, being of a quality rarely achieved. It is the highest measured in the syrah bracket, noting that few have been measured. Yet the wine is not at all 'heavy', in any sensory way. This wine is all promise at this stage, everything is there except obvious florality. I fully expect the bouquet to develop surprisingly in bottle, like the Villa Maria. The whole wine will gradually unfold, and in five years will almost certainly score higher. In the Regional Wines tasting, four people rated this the top wine, at the blind stage. This is a syrah to ensure you secure literally a lifetime supply. It should cellar for 10 – 25 and maybe 35 years. It will be referred to for years to come, as a benchmark New Zealand syrah.

2013 Elephant Hill Hieronymus       19/20 Points 

A glorious colour, among the deepest. Bouquet is wonderfully aromatic, clean, and fresh, reminiscent of a young Ch Montrose (in a way), deepest berry notes and violets. The depth of berry, coupled with perfect ripeness retaining full aromatics and freshness, yet with no hint of leafyness or stalks, is West-Bank Bordeaux at its best. It is more fragrant, and suppler, than the other high-malbec wine, The Patriarch. Arguably (or in principle) it would be a finer or even more subtle wine without malbec, but in this season, with appropriate ripeness even in that difficult grape, it does not let the wine down. It is one of the bigger wines on the table, and in its aromatic Medoc styling showing beautiful ripeness and real richness (also clearly over 30 g/L dry extract), it is very good indeed. Cellar 10 – 35 years, perhaps longer, with great anticipation. 

www.geoffkellywinereviews.co.nz

 

10 November 2015

The Release of The Icon's
The 2013 vintage has been hailed as one of Hawke’s Bay’s truly exceptional vintages giving us the quality of grapes good enough to make our Icon wines. View more

Sam Kim, Wine Orbit offers the following reviews of our Icon range.

2013 Elephant Hill Airavata      98 Points 

Made using grapes from estate vineyards in Gimblett Gravels and Te Awanga, this is an exceptional syrah. Undeniably impressive and completely delicious already, yet the wine is built to last. Aromas of dark plum, blueberry, floral and subtle spice with hints of cedar and black olive complexity on the nose. The palate is powerful and graceful at the same time, and delivers outstanding fruit concentration and mid palate density, beautifully enhanced by velvety texture and abundance of supple tannins. The wine is flowing and multi-layered, and offers a huge potential to develop magnificently. At its best: 2020 to 2033.  

2013 Elephant Hill Hieronymus       98 Points 

A spectacular red. This is dramatic and breath-taking, while remaining sophisticated and refined. A beautifully composed Bordeaux-style red, the fragrant bouquet shows cassis, dark plum and cedar characters with nuances of smoked meat, violet and tobacco. The palate is superbly concentrated and focused, yet expansive and plush, and exhibits awesome power and intensity. It is wonderfully structured by fine, chalky tannins, and remains elegant and persistent to the finish. A blend of estate grown cabernet sauvignon (60%, Gimblett Gravels) and 20% each malbec and merlot (Bridge Pa Triangle). A must for wine enthusiasts and collectors. At its best: 2020 to 2035. 

http://www.wineorbit.co.nz/

 

9 October 2015

Wine Spectator, October 2015
In the October issue of Wine Spectator Maryann Worobiec focussed on New Zealand doing a thorough tasting review of over 400 New Zealand wines and writing a great piece titled ‘Smooth Sailing’. View more

We are delighted with the scores and reviews for our wines. The 2013 Reserve Syrah scored 92 points, the second highest score for that variety and the 2013 Reserve Chardonnay was given 90 points putting it in the top ten for that variety.

To read the article click here https://www.dropbox.com/s/49yz60zg5dnp12w/Wine Spectator.pdf 

 

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2 September 2015

Michael Cooper's reviews of the Elephant Hill Reserve Collection
Michael Cooper is a well known and celebrated New Zealand wine writer. His books have won international acclaim and he is also New Zealand editor of Australia's Winestate Magazine.

Recently Michael Cooper tasted our Reserve Collection and offers the following reviews. View more

2013 Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah

“The estate-grown 2013 vintage (5*) was harvested in 15 separate hand picks in the Gimblett Gravels (85 per cent) and at Te Awanga (15 per cent), blended with a splash of Viognier (1 per cent), and matured for 15 months in French oak barriques (35 per cent new). Still a baby, it has dense, purple-flushed colour. Powerful, fresh and supple, it is mouthfilling, with highly concentrated, ripe blackcurrant, plum and black pepper flavours, fine-grained tannins and lovely depth and harmony.”

5 stars

 

2013 Elephant Hill Reserve Merlot Cabernet

“The impressive 2013 vintage (5*) is a blend of Merlot (64 per cent), Cabernet Sauvignon (35 per cent) and Malbec (1 per cent), hand-picked in multiple 'passes' through the company's vineyards in the Gimblett Gravels and Bridge Pa Triangle. Matured for 15 months in French oak casks (40 per cent new), it is dark, with a fragrant, rich, slightly chocolatey bouquet. Mouthfilling, it has dense, vibrant blackcurrant, plum, spice and nut flavours, showing excellent freshness and complexity, and fine-grained tannins.”

5 stars


2013 Elephant Hill Reserve Chardonnay

“The debut 2012 (4.5*) was estate-grown at Te Awanga. The bouquet is rich, peachy, toasty and nutty; the palate shows real power, in a highly concentrated style woven with fresh, tight acidity. The immaculate 2013 vintage (5*) was hand-picked, fermented with indigenous yeasts, and matured for a year in French oak barrels (30 per cent new.) A very classy wine, with a fragrant, complex, slightly smoky bouquet, it is mouthfilling and intense, with pure, vibrant, searching fruit flavours, well-integrated oak, and a long finish.”

5 stars


 

26 August 2015

Bob Campbell MW reviews the Elephant Hill Reserve Collection
Bob Campbell MW recently reviewed our Elephant Hill Reserve Collection and offers his thoughts on our newly released wines. View more

2013 Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah

“Dense, rich and vibrant Syrah with plum, chocolate, mocha, vanilla, black and white pepper, plus a suggestion of floral and subtle herb flavours. Big, generously proportioned wine, with a strong oak influence and good cellaring potential.”

95 points 5 stars        

 

2013 Elephant Hill Reserve Merlot Cabernet

“Rich and flavoursome red with ripe berry, plum, violet and spicy oak flavours. It's a blend of Elephant Hill's Gimblett and Triangle vineyards which perhaps explains the powerful, ripe fruit flavour (Gimblett?) and savoury influence (Triangle?). Well structured with ripe tannins that allow accessibility but suggest good cellaring potential.”

95 points 5 stars

 

2013 Elephant Hill Reserve  Chardonnay

“Beautiful Chardonnay with precision, power and subtle complexity. From Hawke’s Bay’s coastal Te Awanga region that’s cooled by sea breezes. Citrus/grapefruit, mineral, biscuit and toasty nut flavours underpinned by taut acidity that helps drive a lengthy finish. Great food wine. Very impressive. Thoroughly deserves its “Reserve” status.”

95 points 5 stars  

    

2014 Elephant Hill Reserve Sauvignon Blanc

“Weighty, textural Sauvignon Blanc with impressive concentration and mouth-feel. Melon, perhaps nectarine and mineral characters with a seasoning of nutty yeast lees. I like the wine's balance of acidity and fruit/alcohol sweetness. It promises to become even more interesting with bottle age. Good food wine.”

93 points 4.5 stars

 

 

23 July 2015

Pre-Release Elephant Hill Reserve wines reviewed by Raymond Chan
Raymond Chan belives that Elephant Hill has quickly grown since its establishment in 2003 to become the consummate contemporary Hawke’s Bay wine producer of wine that shows the breadth and depth of Hawke’s Bay as a growing region, offering value, but also wines that rival the very best made in the region. View more

Gunther Thies, the managing director, and owners Reydan and Roger Weiss are extremely pleased with these latest 2014 and 2013 ‘Reserve’ wines, a forward step for the company, being the produce of superior vintages.

To read Raymond Chan's reviews click here

 

8 July 2015

Sam Kim's recent review of the Elephant Hill 2014 Chardonnay
Sam Kim, Wine Orbit, recently reviewed our Elephant Hill 2014 Chardonnay, and offers the following tasting notes.
View more
"From their Te Awanga vineyard, this hand-picked, indigenous yeast/barrel fermented (Burgundian, 25% new) chardonnay is immensely appealing on the nose showing white nectarine and rockmelon with nuances of vanilla and cedar. The palate is focused and elegantly weighted, and delivers excellent fruit concentration and silky texture, brilliantly structured by bright acidity. It is beautifully layered and smooth to the finish. At its best: now to 2019."

He then went on to award it 5 stars and 93 points.

View and purchase Elephant Hill 2014 Chardonnay

 

8 July 2015

Raymond Chan reviews the Elephant Hill 2014 Chardonnay and awards it 5 stars.
Raymond Chan explains "The Chardonnay in recent vintages has demonstrated the finer style that loses nothing in the way of complexity and interest to wines from the warmer, inland districts." after he awarded the Elephant Hill 2014 Chardonnay 5 stars & 18.5+/20. View more
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8 July 2015

Elephant Hill 2013 Merlot Malbec named "best red in New Zealand" at the 2015 International Wine Challenge in London.
The Trophy for Best New Zealand Red Wine at the 2015 International Wine Challenge in London was awarded to our Elephant Hill 2013 Merlot Malbec. The win is the latest in an already impressive list of accolades for this wine, including scoring 95/100 points and five stars from Bob Campbell MW, winning gold medals at the 2015 Easter Show Wine Awards and China Wine and Spirits Awards, and earning five stars from Sam Kim at Wine Orbit and 4.5 stars from Australasian wine magazine, Winestate View more

To take the Best NZ Red Wine honour at the International Wine Challenge, the 2013 Merlot Malbec was pitted against more than 200 other red wines entered from New Zealand. Elephant Hill proprietor Roger Weiss is justifiably proud of the winery’s achievements.

“This is a very good win for us and we are thrilled that our wine has been awarded such a high honour by a global wine competition as prestigious as the International Wine Challenge.

“Our 2013 Syrah also won gold and trophies as Champion Wine of Show at the Spiegelau International competition and now the 2013 Merlot Malbec has won the Trophy for Best New Zealand Red Wine. It is a clear indication to me that the hard work is paying off and also very gratifying seeing as though our more premium 2013 Reserve and Icon wines are still to be released later this year,” says Weiss.

Now in its thirty-second year, the International Wine Challenge (IWC) is accepted as the world's finest and most meticulously judged wine competition. The rigorous judging process involves each medal-winning wine being tasted on three separate occasions by a minimum of 10 judges.

Charles Metcalfe, co-Chairman of the IWC said: “We are delighted to see so many great wines from so many different countries. We do our best to find the top wines out of the thousands of wines that are entered. These wines are the best of the best from a more diverse range of countries than ever before.”


 

10 April 2015

Bob Campbell gives Elephant Hill 2013 Merlot Malbec 5 stars
Bob Campbell, Master of Wine, has judged wine professionally in twelve countries, contributes regularly to wine publications around the world and has lectured on wine in many countries. His speciality is New Zealand wine which he reviews from an international perspective. He gained his Master of Wine qualification in 2000. View more

We are delighted to share his latest review of the Elephant Hill 2013 Merlot Malbec:

"Dense and decadent red with dark berry, plum, chocolate/vanilla, liquorice and a suggestion of spicy oak. Very impressive wine from an outstanding vintage where Merlot was the star, at least at regional level. Fruit flavours are supported by soft, chewy tannins. Approachable now but with obvious cellaring potential. Great value at this price. "

5 Stars is equivalent to a GOLD MEDAL and the 93-95 points is considered by Bob as, "Excellent. Top quality wine, strongly recommended".

 


 

3 April 2015

Winestate Recent Release Results
Winestate Magazine has just completed their latest reviews of our new release wines. View more

Elephant Hill Hawke's Bay Viognier 2013

Scented, weighty wine, fleshy, with lush stonefruit flavours, hints of spices and nuts (from partial barrel fermentation), a slightly oily richness and a creamy-smooth finish. Intensely varietal, harmonious wine, already hard to resist.

 

Elephant Hill Hawke's Bay Sauvignon Blanc 2013

Mouthfilling, crisp, vibrantly fruity wine, estate-grown near the coast at Te Awanga. Tight and lively, with sweet fruit characters and fresh, strong, tropical fruit flavours, showing a touch of lees-aging complexity. Excellent example of the regional style.

 

10 March 2015

What do cricket and Art Deco have to do with each other?
As a part of the Cricket World Cup Campaign, Tourism New Zealand took some time out in Hawke's Bay to showcase this beautiful area and surrounds. They included the Legends of Cricket Art Deco Match at Clifton Cricket Club as well some fantastic shots of Elephant Hill. View more

To see the clip click here

 

16 February 2015

Wine match of the week with Fiona Beckett
Fiona Beckett from http://www.matchingfoodandwine.com/ was delighted with our pairing of Seared Tuna with sesame and the Elephant Hill 2013 Syrah. View more

Her final meal in New Zealand, here at Elephant Hill, made such a grand impression on her that she named it her wine match of the week!

To read more about her thoughts click here.

 

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16 January 2015

Rebecca Gibb - My New Zealand Reds of the Year 2014
Rebecca Gibb - Editor of Wine-searcher.com - recently released her list described as "My Seven Superlative Reds" reviewed in the past 12 months" View more

In the words of Rebecca....."some of the best reds I've reviewed over the past 12 months reflect New Zealand's ability to produce classy Bordeaux styles as well as sexy Syrah, particularly in the warmer climes of Hawke's Bay."

We were delighted to have our 2013 Syrah included on this list and with this recognition we are very excited about releasing our 2013 Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah later this year.

To see what Rebecca Gibb has to say about our 2013 Elephant Hill Syrah click here.

 

9 January 2015

The Wine Enthusiast Magazine - Top ten Global wine destinations for 2015
Hawke's Bay and Elephant Hill have featured in The Wine Enthusiast Magazine as a top ten Global wine destination for 2015 View more

"This bucolic region excels at classic Bordeaux varieties, while Syrah is angling to become the area's flagship wine. Beyond the bottle, however, the landscape, food and people are, as the country's marketing slogan campaign says, 100% pure New Zealand. In this grape-growing paradise, rumpled hills sprinkled with sheep are intersected by rivers and hug a spectacular curved bay along the Pacific coast of the North Island, while sheltering ranges tuck vineyards in from the west. Warm, dry summers and long autumns—mixed with a maritime climate—keep grapes healthy and happy. Because Kiwis have a strong affinity for the outdoors, athletically inclined wine lovers can pursue both health and happiness, cycling a network of well-organized biking trails between winery visits and farm-to-table repasts. —Lauren Mowery"

Read more...

 

20 November 2014

Raymond Chan calls Elephant Hill "Class and a Taste of Luxury"
Raymond Chan recently visited Hawke's Bay and Elephant Hill and caught up with our Managing Director Gunter Thies, Marketing Manager Vince Labat, and Winemaker Steve Skinner. View more

Part of this visit was a preview wine tasting featuring some of our upcoming releases from the 2013 vintage.

From Raymond "They will be wines to seek out when they are released, and savoured over the next decade plus."

Click here to read more.....

 

4 November 2014

Food and Wine Classic, Hawke's Bay with Roger Jones, Restaurant and Wine Consultant
Roger Jones, Restaurant and Wine Consultant, recently spent some time in Hawke's Bay for the opening of F.A.W.C!. View more

In the words of Roger....."For 10 days min November, Hawke's Bay is transformed into a food and wine Mecca attracting thousands of people from all over the world to divulge and celebrate the bounty that the area produces"

"I was lucky to be involved in some of the events and what really struck me was the community spirit and the breadth of knowledge the guests and audiences have for their food and wine. This is the third year of the celebrations and it continues to grow and last year a winter series was also established. Hawke's Bay as a premium wine region is fast building an international following, there has been a great deal of investment in the industry. Wineries such as Craggy Range and Elephant Hill are putting in the infrastructures to build legacies, not just for the quick buck."

Click here to read more


 

12 October 2014

Sam Kim reviews names Elephant Hill 2013 Syrah his 'Wine of the Day'
Sam Kim, from the Wine Orbit, has named the Elephant Hill 2013 Syrah to be his wine of the day! View more

Sam Kim has been involved for the past 28 years in New Zealand hospitality, wine retail, importing and distribution, as well as running wine courses and master classes.

This month he has reviewed the Elephant Hill 2013 Syrah and the Elephant Hill 2013 Chardonnay

Elephant Hill Syrah 2013 94 points, 5 stars

Champion Shiraz/Syrah and Champion Wine of Show at the 2014 Spiegelau Wine Competition, this is a hugely promising Syrah. The wine exhibits outstanding fruit purity with elegant complexity - black plum, blueberry, smoke and cedar. it's concentrated and refined on the palate showing gorgeous fruit weight and velvety texture, and finishes superbly long and smooth. Supple tannins provide excellent structure and length. At its best 2015 to 2023.

Elephant Hill Chardonnay 2013 Hawke's Bay 93 Points, 5 Stars

A richly flavoured chardonnay, the complex bouquet shows yellow peach, mango, ripe citrus and vanilla characters. The palate is concentrated and expansive with creamy texture and excellent mid palate weight. A beautifully proportioned chardonnay showing plenty of delicious flavours. At its best: now to 2018.

http://www.wineorbit.co.nz/home


 

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11 October 2014

Sam Kim reviews Elephant Hill wines October, 2014
Sam Kim names the Elephant Hill 2013 Syrah to be his wine of the day.... View more

Name of Media: Sam Kim Wine Orbit

Date of Publication: October, 2014

To read more about this and his review of the 2013 Chardonnay click on the links below:

Elephant Hill 2013 Syrah

Elephant Hill 2013 Chardonnay

 

1 September 2014

Elephant Hill Viognier wins Trophy at 2014 Romeo Bragato Wine Awards
The 2013 Elephant Hill Viognier, a single Vineyard wine from the Elephant Hill Te Awanga Vineyard in Hawke's Bay was awarded the Trophy for Champion other White Wine at the 2014 Romeo Bragato Wine Awards. View more

Steve Skinner, Winemaker at Elephant Hill said "Winning the trophy for our Viognier is a fantastic endorsement for our coastal Te Awanga vineyard and for the work of our viticulture and winemaking. The Te Awanga vineyard is a great site for our white wines and our Syrah."

The Romeo Bragato Conference is the largest and one of the most important conferences to grape growers and wine makers on the New Zealand calendar. The Bragato Wine Awards, held each year as part of the conference are awarded to the grower for viticultural excellence. The competition recognises that growing excellent grapes is the foundation of making wines of true quality. Trophies are awarded to the top wine from each varietal class judged.

Elephant Hill is a family owned vineyard and winery estate producing premium New Zealand wines. Owner Roger Weiss says, "This is a great achievement by the team. Since the beginning our vision was to make wines from our own vineyards that truly represented the region and where the quality was amongst the very best in Hawke's Bay and New Zealand. Our philosophy is a dedication to uncompromising quality in everything we do and I am delighted to see the hard work bearing fruit."

 


 

9 August 2014

Elephant Hill 2013 Syrah wins Champion Wine of Show at the 2014 Spiegelau International Wine Competion
The 2013 Elephant Hill Syrah was awarded the prestigious Champion Wine of Show at the 2014 Spiegelau International Wine Competition. View more

Steve Skinner, Winemaker at Elephant Hill said "Winning the Syrah trophy and the Champion Wine of the competition is fantastic. This is a great endorsement for the work we are doing in the winery and vineyards. We believe with the right focus and methods Hawke's Bay in New Zealand can make world class Syrah and there is a good future ahead."

The 2014 Spiegelau International Wine Competition awarded 85 gold medals, 199 silver and 536 bronze medals. Commenting on the Elephant Hill Syrah, Chief Judge Mike DeGaris said, "This was an exceptionally strong class with outstanding wines from both Australia and New Zealand." He continued, "This wine exhibited everything desirable in top quality Syrah but with added complexity and elegance."

Elephant Hill is a family owned vineyard and winery estate producing premium New Zealand wines. Owner Roger Weiss says, "This is a great achievement by the team. Since the beginning our vision was to make wines from our own vineyards that truly represented the region and where the quality was amongst the very best in Hawke's Bay and New Zealand. There is much anticipation as we have not yet released our 2013 Reserve Syrah or our super premium 2013 Airavata Syrah. Our philosophy is a dedication to uncompromising quality in everything we do and I am delighted to see the hard work bearing fruit."

 

19 July 2014

Elephant Hill 2012 Reserve Syrah receives 5 stars from Raymond Chan
In Raymond Chan's 'Wine of the Week' our Elephant Hill 2012 Reserve Syrah has been awarded 5 stars. View more

In the words of Raymond Chan "This is a rich, supple, spicy-oaky Syrah with harmonious layers of flavour'

To read the full review click here

 

20 June 2014

Raymond Chan Wine Reviews Elephant Hill 2013 Syrah and Le Phant and gives them both 5 stars
View more

Name of Media: Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

Date of Publication: June, 2014

Raymond Chan says "The Elephant Hill wines have consistently impressed with their elegant style over recent years and their completeness, especially in the reds is sure to become more apparent as winemaker Steve Skinner fully utilises the 17 ha of Gimblett Gravels vines and 15 ha of fruit from their Bridge Pa Triangle vineyard to complement the original 25 has planted at Te Awanga.  Following an outstanding 2013 vintage, the new release wines are to be anticipated.  Here, I review the 2013 ‘Le Phant’ Bordeaux blend and Syrah.  They show beautiful aromatics, fine ripe tannins and finesse of style, with good potential to develop well."


 

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10 June 2014

Elephant Hill Restaurant wins "Best Winery Restaurant" CUISINE NZ GOOD FOOD AWARDS 2014
Fantastic news for Elephant Hill restaurant who were last night awarded the "Best Winery Restaurant" at the Cuisine Magazine Good Food awards 2014.
Head Chef Ashley Jones says, "We are delighted, the Cuisine Good Food Awards are the most important awards in the restaurant industry in New Zealand. We have been a finalist for the last 4 years and winning this year is a great achievement. It has been one of our goals we have strived for which makes it all the more gratifying." View more

Cuisine has been the country's best food magazine for 27 years and its prestigious Cuisine NZ Good Food Awards (previously known as the Restaurant of the Year Awards) have long been the benchmark for the best eateries. Head Judge Kerry Tyack says, "A year after its introduction, it's heartening that both restaurant operators and diners have discovered the true value of the Cuisine NZ Good Food Awards chef's hat rating system. It seems everyone is benefiting from its transparency, its authority, its fairness and its reliability." With a score of 15.5/20 and being awarded a 1 Hat, Elephant Hill is in the top 15 restaurants in the country. A panel of expert judges assessed a shortlist of around 80 restaurants throughout the country for the Cuisine NZ Good Food Awards 2014. Each restaurant was visited anonymously by judges who paid for their meals. The top-scoring restaurants were then revisited to determine the winners of the awards.

The judges remarks on Elephant Hill, "Accomplished chef Ashley Jones has been here since the beginning and is inspired by his locale - both land and sea. His duck confit, served with shiitake and thyme arancini and truffle powder, is rich, earthy and delicious. The fish of the day (often bluenose) is respectfully poached in coriander and mint-infused coconut milk to create a sensational dish. A light coconut mousse is cleverly matched with cool mango parfait, pretty passionfruit pearls and crisp coconut tuile."

Managing Director of Elephant Hill, Gunter Thies says, 'This competition is judged by independent professionals and is the pre-eminent restaurant competition in the country. The award is an excellent reflection of the hard work, dedication and skill of our team. The vision has always been an absolute commitment to quality in everything we do from the vineyards, to the winery and the restaurant. Being awarded a Hat and winning the Best winery restaurant award is a very proud moment for us all at Elephant Hill"

 

15 April 2014

Elephant Hill 2013 Viognier receives 5 stars from Cuisine Tasting
The Cuisine Magazine results have just been released for the Viognier tasting.

The 2013 Elephant Hill Viognier was one of only 2 wines to receive 5 stars. View more

John Saker and his tasting panel made the comment: "This wine is liquid hedonism....sweet nectarine, peach, rose-petal and apricot flavours sing out from an attractive texture. A line of acidity adds freshness and verve. This lovely, moreish drink would go well with seared gurnard tacos served with a piquant salsa."

For more details http://cuisinewine.co.nz/wine/elephant-hill-viognier-2013/

 

3 April 2014

Huon Hooke reviews the Elephant Hill 2012 Syrah
Huon Hooke, wine writer for the Sydney Morning Herald and huonhooke.com has recently reviewed the Elephant Hill 2012 Syrah.

2012 Syrah - Huon Hooke 95 points View more

Very deep,dark red / purple colour. Dusty white pepper and spice aromas, with hints of ginger and blueberry. The palate is full and ripe, extremely intense, highly structured and with ample but soft tannins. A weighty style for this region: full bodied and deep, with length and legs for aging.


 

25 February 2014

Anthony Rose: 'I am full of admiration for New Zealand'
Fantastic to see the rest of the world is beginning to hear more about our amazing wines from both Hawke's Bay and this beautiful country New Zealand! View more

24 February 2014

Sam Kim Reviews Elephant Hill Jan - Feb 2014
View more

Name of Media: Wine Orbit

Date of Publication: Jan - Feb 2014

“Our latest wine reviews from well-known New Zealand Wine Critic Sam Kim of Wine Orbit.”

 

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17 February 2014

Gourmet Traveller Wine panel showcases NZ reds.....and they don't disappoint
Gourmet Traveller Wine regular panelists including: Peter Bourne, Peter Forrestal, Huon Hooke, Sophie Otton and Nick Bulleid where charged with a highly anticipated tasting of New Zealand's growing diversity of red grape varieties. View more

For more details on how Elephant Hill's classic Syrah fared click on the link below.

Gourmet Traveller Wine - featuring the 2012 Syrah (4685 KB)

 

16 February 2014

Gourmet Traveller Wine - Red Highlights - NZ Syrah
View more

Name of Media: Gourmet Traveller Wine

Date of Publication: Feb - Mar 2014

 

 Gourmet Traveller Wine - featuring the 2012 Syrah (4685 KB)

 

 

30 January 2014

Raymond Chan Wine Reviews Elephant Hill wines
Raymond Chan is a highly respected wine advisor in the New Zealand wine scene with over two decades of wine judging, retailing and writing experience. Raymond recently reviewed a selection of Elephant Hill's wines with some outstanding results. A selection of which are: View more
Elephant Hill Hawke's BaySauvignon Blanc 2013 - 4 stars
Elephant Hill Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2012 - 5 stars
Elephant Hill Hawke's Bay 'Reserve' Chardonnay 2012 - 5 stars
Elephant Hill Hawke's Bay Le Phant 2012 - 4 stars
Elephant Hill Hawke's Bay Syrah 2012 - 4 stars
Elepahnt Hill Hawke's Bay 'Reserve' Syrah 2012 - 5 stars

Click here to read Raymond's full review

 

25 November 2013

Elephant Hill Wins Champion Syrah Trophy
Elephant Hill wins Champion Syrah Trophy at Air New Zealand Wine Awards

Great news for Elephant Hill who have just been awarded with the prestigious Air New Zealand Wine Awards Trophy for Champion Syrah for their 2012 Elephant Hill Hawke's Bay Syrah. View more

Steve Skinner, Winemaker at Elephant Hill said "Receiving this trophy is fantastic and we are delighted as Syrah is a very important focus for us and this award is hugely gratifying after what was a tough vintage. It also backs up our dedication and belief in hand crafting our wines from 100% hand picking in the vineyard to small batch winemaking in the winery allowing for the attention to detail and focus required to blend the best Syrah possible."

The Air New Zealand Wine Awards are the premier wine competition in New Zealand. This year's competition saw 1,379 wines entered across 16 different classes. A total of 655 medals were awarded - 111 gold, 196 silver and 348 bronze. Organised and owned by New Zealand Winegrowers, the Air New Zealand Wine Awards competition is well known for its rigorous judging process. It is considered the country's most prestigious wine competition and is regarded as the official competition of the New Zealand wine industry.

Chair of Judges and Master of Wine, Michael Brajkovich and his team described the Elephant Hill 2012 Syrah as "Ripe and gamey cherry and black fruit characters with smoky, toasty oak to match. Full bodied ripe berry fruit palate with long earthy tannins to finish."

Elephant Hill is a family owned vineyard and winery estate making premium New Zealand wines. Owner Roger Weiss says, "This is a great achievement by the team. Since the beginning our vision was to make wines from our own vineyards that truly represented the region and where the quality was amongst the very best in Hawke's Bay and New Zealand. Our philosophy is a dedication to uncompromising quality in everything we do and I am delighted to see the hard work bearing fruit."

Other recent results for Elephant Hill:
Trophy & Gold Medal, Hawke's Bay A&P Wine Awards - 2012 Elephant Hill Syrah
Trophy & Gold Medal, Hawke's Bay A&P Wine Awards - 2011 Elephant Hill Chardonnay
Gold Medal, Hong Kong Wine & Spirits Awards - 2011 Elephant Hill Chardonnay
Double Gold, China Wine & Spirits Awards - 2011 Elephant Hill Chardonnay
Gold Medal, China Wine & Spirits Awards - 2011 Elephant Hill Pinot Noir
Gold Medal, China Wine & Spirits Awards - 2011 Elephant Hill Hieronymus

 

20 November 2013

Interest keen for Hawke’s Bay wines at Hong Kong fair
View more

Name of Media: Business.Scoop

Date of Publication: November 2013
Elephant Hill Estate and Winery and Moana Park manned the Hawke’s Bay Winegrowers Inc. stand that was part of the Hong Kong International Wine and Spirit Fair held over three days earlier this month that attracted over 20,000 buyers. 

For Vince Labat, Elephant Hill's Marketing and Sales Manager who helped man the stall, it was a motivating experience. "There's a relly ggod vibe and positivity within the ong Kong wine market. It's a really large and prosperous wine buying market and there's great buoyancy there.

 

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24 October 2013

Hawke's Bay A&P Wine Awards 2013.
Elephant Hill was surprised and delighted to be the winner of two of the trophies awarded. The Hawke’s Bay A&P Wine Awards are a unique regional awards which are the largest regional wine competition in New Zealand. View more

Name of Media: Elephant Hill

Date of Publication: October, 2013

 Hawke's Bay A&P Awards (320 KB)

 

12 September 2013

Our 2011 Elephant Hill Chardonnay receives rave reviews
Raymond Chan Wine Reviews - 4 stars!!

You all knew our 2010 Chardonnay was a real star - now we're getting fabulous reviews for our 2011 Chardonnay. A real must to add to your online and Cellar Door orders. View more

4 June 2013

Dreams Come True with Koru Care
Koru Care New Zealand are celebrating 30 years of making dreams come true and Elephant Hill is delighted to be a part of this great cause. View more

Join Koru Care and Alison Leonard for an evening of entertainment and fine dining. Enjoy a 3 delicious course meal matched with a selection of stunning Elephant Hill wines plus silent Auctions & a pop quiz, all the while supporting a fabulous charity.

Just $100 per person - space is limited so secure your reservation by calling 09 523 2456 or email info@korucare.co.nz

6pm, Saturday 6 July

See the attached document for further details - we look forward to seeing you then.

 

 Dreams Come True with Koru Care (2001 KB)

 

23 April 2013

Elephant Hill 2013 Vintage Staff
Two of our vintage team members are German this year, therefore the team sat down and enjoyed Zwiebelkuchen (Onion Pie) and Federweisser (fermenting wine or must), a tradition in Germany during harvest, and got to know each other a bit better. View more

Name of Media: na

Date of Publication: na

Casey, 21
Casey is a born and bred Hawkes Bay girl. She is a third year wine student at EIT and if she isn�۪t busy making wine or studying she also works in our cellar door. Her uncle is the wine maker at a Hawkes Bay winery and therefore she grew up tasting wines and developing the passion for it. She can�۪t wait to finish her course so she can do vintages abroad and bring her knowledge back to the Hawkes Bay. Keep your eyes out for this young winemaking gem.

Lloyd, 26
Lloyd has been working in the wine industry since 2009 and this is his second vintage at Elephant Hill. He is a Hawkes Bay boy and after figuring out that a Bachelor in Maths & Physics isn�۪t very sexy he changed his career and did a Master in Wine Science. His talent and skill belies his young age and he has risen through the ranks at impressive speed, resulting in his appointment to assistant winemaker at Futo in Napa Valley, California. He is a great worker and we hope we will be welcoming him again next year.

Hans, 19
Hans, also known as ���Hoover-Hans�۝ (because he is addicted to grapes and likes to hoover them up) grew up on his family winery in the Pfalz, Germany . It is called Weingut Peter Stolleis and lies on the famous Neust�_dter Weinstra�_e. His family specialises in Riesling, and wow what a great Riesling they produce! Hans brought a bottle over for us to taste; very impressed! The winery is celebrating their 150 year jubilee this year; makes Elephant hill with its 10 years look very young. We were however very happy when Hans told us, that he is learning so many different winemaking techniques from us, like wild yeast fermentation for example, which he will present to his father on his return.

Felix, 20
Felix is from Rheinhessen, Germany and his family owns a winery called Weingut Hennes. Their speciality is also Riesling with a huge focus on quality instead of quantity. Felix knew of Elephant Hill through our General Manager G�_nter Thies and is fascinated by New Zealand, the hospitality and friendliness of the people. As a young boy Felix always wanted to be a chef! Luckily his family convinced him that the working hours in a kitchen are very unsociable and he should rather become a winemaker. He skypes a lot with home and also reports the new winemaking techniques he is learning. He can�۪t wait to trial them himself during his next vintage back home in Germany in September.


  Casey 

    

 Lloyd 

  

  Hans 

   

Felix 

 

 

15 April 2013

Raymond Chan Wine Reviews Elephant Hill 2012 Aromatics, Rosé and Older Reds
View more

Name of Media: Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

Date of Publication: April 2013

Raymond Chan reviews the following Elephant Hill wines and gives our newly released 2011 Hieronymus 5 stars.

2012 Pinot Gris
2012 Gewürztraminer
2012 Rosé
2011 Hieronymus
2009 Merlot

Click here to read the reviews in full.

 

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11 April 2013

Autumn Update at Elephant Hill by Tweet2eat
Ryan Jennings of Tweet2eat dined at Elephant Hill this week. Read his comments of our new Autumn menu and click on the link below to read the full article. View more

"Beef tartare has always been a favourite dish of mine and it's been a while since I've seen it as a regular choice on a Hawke's Bay menu. The trick with a good tartare is getting a good texture to balance out what is essentially raw beef. The puffed black rice covering the tartare achieves exactly that while the pickled chioggia lended acidity and bite. Vince recommended the Pinot Noir or Syrah which are both fantastic matches to the dish. I also got to try the 2012 Gewurztraminer which makes a fresh alternative to the tried and true Pinot Gris variety.

Click here to read Tweet2eat's full article

 

21 March 2013

4 star recognition for our 2010 Chardonnay
2010 Elephant Hill Chardonnay receives 4 Stars and ranked 16th out of 119 Chardonnays tasted by wine writer Yvonne Lorkin. Dish Magazine Chardonnay Tasting Panel April-May 2013 View more

For the latest Dish Tasting Panel three judges blind-tasted 119 chardonnays from around the country. Of the wines entered, twenty-two were judged four stars or higher.

The 2010 Elephant Hill chardonnay was ranked #16 in the top wines of the tasting.

FROM THE JUDGES
16. Elephant Hill HB Chardonnay 2010 $29 4 Stars
Hints of grain, toast, honey, stonefruit abound in this wine plus there�۪s a rich palate, nice balance, good length and texture. ���Really attractive ripeness in the mid palate will make this a real crowd-pleaser,�۝ commented Yvonne Lorkin.

19 March 2013

Easter & Anzac Day 2013 - Opening Hours
We look forward to welcoming you to Elephant Hill this coming Easter weekend & Anzac Day. View more

EASTER

Our Restaurant is open all weekend for lunch & dinner with NO holiday surcharge. 
The Cellar Door is open 10am - 5pm daily except Good Friday as required by law.
ANZAC DAY
Our Restaurant is open for lunch & dinner with NO holiday surcharge.
The Cellar Door is open 1pm - 5pm as required by law.

 


 

19 February 2013

Raymond Chan’s ‘Wine of the week’
View more

Name of Media: Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

Date of Publication: February 2013
Elephant Hill ‘Le Phant Blanc' Hawke's Bay 2011  A blend Viognier, Pinot Gris and Gewurztraminer hand-picked and WBP, and fermented in stainless-steel, 5% of the Viognier in barrel, to 13.5% alc. and 8.5 g/L rs. Brilliant, very pale straw-yellow, very pale on rim. This has a very refined, elegant and beautifully delicate, aromatic nose of yellow florals with hints of exotic tropical fruits and rose-petals unfolding subtle herb elements. Off-dry to taste, very fine and delicate and subtly expressed flavours of rose-petals and exotic florals and fruits are interwoven harmoniously. This is very finely textured and smooth in mouthfeel, with restrained richness and hints of unctuousness, allied to fresh, lacy acidity. The flavours carry though to a near ethereal finish that lingers with beautiful floral notes. An intriguingly harmonious and beautifully refined, subtle, aromatic wine, this will match Thai, Japanese and Vietnamese cuisine over the next 4+ years. 18.5-/20 Jul 2012 RRP $22.00

5 February 2013

Wine: A name to remember by John Hawkesby
John Hawkesby writes ... If syrah spins your wheels, then Elephant Hill deserves your attention. View more

The Hawkes Bay winery, a close neighbour to the revered Clearview Estate, is rapidly coming of age.

Te Awanga may not be on the main Hawkes Bay wine trail but with its sea views and coastal zephyrs it's a lovely spot, boasting two of the best vineyard restaurants in the country.

Click here to read the full article

 

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5 February 2013

Degustation Dinner Series for 2013
We are pleased to announce the dates for our 2013 Degustation Dinners. View more

Friday 26 July
Friday 30 August
Friday 27 September

Your evening will include a fabulous 7 course dinner created by our Chef Ashley Jones with matching wines selected by our Winemaker Steve Skinner, and transportation to & from Havelock North, Hastings & Napier areas. The cost is $165 per person.

Menus will be advised closer to the dates.

 


 

31 January 2013

Hawke's Bay Syrah a hit with the "Masters"
Hawke's Bay Syrah is a hit with the 'Masters' - Matthew Jukes Master of Wine and Hendrik Thoma Master Sommelier discuss the Elephant Hill and Trinity Hill Syrahs - We are delighted, this is a fantastic endorsement for both of these wines. View more

20 December 2012

2011 Elephant Hill Pinot Noir receives 5 star rating with ENO World Wine
Elephant Hill's 2011 Pinot Noir was chosen in the top 6 out of 40 NZ Pinot Noir wines submitted to the ENO World Wine Tastings and received a 5 Star rating. View more

Click here to read the full article - ���New Zealand: Not only Sauvignon Blanc�۝ from The German Wine Publication, ENO World Wine.

 

12 December 2012

Coastal Winery Expands by Joelle Thomson
Joelle Thomson writes about Elephant Hill's expansion in the Hawke's Bay region with her interview with Steve Skinner. View more

Read the full article on the pdf link below.

Coastal Winery Expands by Joelle Thomson (694 KB)

 

5 December 2012

Raymond Chan gives our Airavata Syrah 5 stars!!!
Elephant Hill 'Airavata' Hawke's Bay Syrah 2009 ***** View more

'Airavata' is the Hindu king-god of elephants and is the label for exceptional releases. This is the third such wine, the previous being a Sauvignon Blanc and a 2009 Viognier. Hand-picked Syrah fruit with a small percentage of Viognier and warm-fermented with a portion of whole clusters to 13.6% alc. The wine spent 14-18 days on skins and aged 20 months in French oak barrels. Full, saturated black-red colour, with youthful purple hues.

Click here to read the full review


 

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3 December 2012

Big Happenings On The Hill by Yvonne Lorkin
View more

Name of Media: Yvonne Lorkin - Bay Of Plenty Times

Date of Publication: December 2012

Before you ask, there is no actual spot on the map named Elephant Hill.

Yet driving up the striking, palm-lined driveway towards the winery restaurant, you can indeed cop a glimpse of a sunbaked, hillside vineyard behind the building, while right in front of this architectural masterwork stands an enormous wooden elephant. So there you go, they've got a hill, they've got an elephant, and now - after a decade of pursuing food and wine perfection - they've got a reputation for being a true-blue Hawke's Bay's success story.

Read the full article here.

 

14 October 2012

Thirst Magazine recommends 2011 Elephant Hill Rose
View more

Name of Media: Thirst Magazine

Date of Publication: October 2012

Editor Don Kavanagh rounds up the pick of the wines he's tried in the last month and recommends the best by-the-glass options for bars and restaurants.

Click the pdf link below to read Don's recommendation for our 2011 Elephant Hill Rose

 Thirst Magazine recommends 2011 Elephant Hill Rose (564 KB)

 

 

9 October 2012

Drinksbiz Magazine
View more

Name of Media: Drinksbiz Magazine

Date of Publication: October 2012
King Of The Hill
Hawke's Bay is the most diverse wie region in the country, which is why winemaker Steve Skinner from Elephant Hill is spreading the risk with new vineyards, writes Editor Joelle Thomson.

Read the full article in the link below.

 Drinksbiz "King Of The Hill" Feature (1114 KB)

 

19 July 2012

Sam Kim Reviews Elephant Hill Wines July 2012
View more

Name of Media: Sam Kim Wine Reviews

Date of Publication: July 2012

Read Sam Chan's full reviews on the pdf link below for the following wines:

2011 Elephant Hill Le Phant Blanc - 4 stars
2011 Elephant Hill Pinot Noir - 4.5 stars

 Sam Kim Wine Reviews July 2012 (81 KB)


Click here to go to Wine Orbit Wine Reviews

 

 

4 July 2012

Michael Cooper reviews Elephant Hill Wines
View more

Name of Media: Michael Cooper’s NZ Wine Buyers Guide

Date of Publication: July 2012

2009 Elephant Hill Airavata Syrah – 5 Stars
Set to flourish for a decade, the 2009 vintage (5*), released in 2012, was estate-grown at Te Awanga and barrel-aged for 20 months. Dark and youthful in colour, it's a very 'complete' wine, mouthfilling, with deep, very ripe, plummy, gently spicy flavours. Powerful and densely packed, but not tough, it is finely textured, with layers of flavour; drink now or cellar.    

2010 Elephant Hill Chardonnay – 4.5 Stars
Grown near the coast at Te Awanga, in Hawke’s Bay, the 2010 vintage (4.5*) is a very elegant style. Hand-harvested, fermented with indigenous yeasts in French oak barriques (40 per cent new) and lees-aged for 11 months, with no use of malolactic fermentation, it’s still youthful, with good weight and concentrated, vibrant grapefruit, peach and nut flavours that build across the palate to a crisp, dry, sustained finish. A stylish, finely poised wine, it's well worth cellaring to mid-2013+.  

2011 Elephant Hill Rosé – 4 Stars
The delicious 2011 vintage (4*) was made from Pinot Noir grapes, hand-picked at Alexandra, in Central Otago, and then transported as whole bunches to the Hawke's Bay winery for processing (including some barrel fermentation.) Bright pink, it is a basically dry style (3.5 grams/litre of residual sugar), but not lacking in charm, with strong, strawberryish, spicy flavours, a hint of apricots, and lovely freshness, delicacy and harmony.

Click here to go to Michael Cooper's NZ Wine Buyers Guide

 

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2 July 2012

Bob Campbell Reviews Elephant Hill wines
View more

Name of Media: Bob Campbell Wine Reviews

Date of Publication: July 2012

2009 Elephant Hill Airavata Syrah 93/100
"Airavata" is the king god of the elephants according to Hindu mythology - it is Elephant Hill's flagship label. Dense, powerful wine it is elegance on a grand scale. Dark berry, spice/anise, liquorice and violet flavours are evident in this intriguing and distinctive wine. A wine with impressive potential.  

2010 Elephant Hill Chardonnay 90/100
"Purity and energy" seem to be a theme in the wines of this premium Bay producer. This Chardonnay is no exception with very fine and focused flavours that are supported by a thread of mineralilty and fruity acidity. The wine is fruit focused with citrus/grapefruit and hints of white peach. While not exactly weighty the Chardonnay does have a very appealing and ethereal texture. Classy Chardonnay.

2009 Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah 89/100
Vibrant, edgy Syrah with lifted peppery and bright berry flavours with hints of floral/violet characters. A juicy, mouth-watering and elegant wine that's very food-friendly. Supple Syrah with surprising power and length.

2010 Elephant Hill Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 88/100
A selection of the best hand-picked fruit, whole-bunch-pressed and aged for six months in oak on the lees. The result is a weighty wine, richly textured and moderately complex with bright herb and zesty tree fruit flavours underpinned by chalky, mineral characters. An impressive example of a Hawke's Bay Sauvignon Blanc.  

Click here to go to Bobs Wine Reviews

 

27 June 2012

Raymond Chan Wine Reviews of Elephant Hill Wines
View more

Name of Media: Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

Date of Publication: June 2012

Read Raymond's reviews (on the pdf below) for the following wines:

2009 Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah - 5 stars
2009 Elephant Hill Airavata Syrah - 5 stars
2009 Elephant Hill Merlot - 4 stars
2010 Elephant Hill Reserve Sauvignon Blanc- 4 stars
2010 Elephant Hill Chardonnay - 4 stars
2010 Elephant Hill Syrah (lot 2) - 4 stars
2011 Elephant Hill Gewurztraminer - 4 stars
2011 Elephant Hill Le Phant Blanc - 5 stars

 

 Raymond Chan Wine Reviews (167 KB)

 

Click here to go to Raymond Chan Wine Reviews

 

18 June 2012

Sam Kim Reviews Elephant Hill Wines June 2012
View more

Name of Media: Sam Kim Wine Reviews

Date of Publication: June 2012

Read Sam Chan's full reviews on the pdf link below for the following wines:

2010 Elephant HIll Chardonnay - 5 stars
2009 Elephant Hill Merlot - 4.5 stars
2011 Elephant Hill Gewurztraminer - 4.5 stars
2010 Elephant Hill Reserve Sauvignon Blanc - 4.5 stars
2009 Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah - 5 stars
2010 Elephant Hill Syrah - 5 stars
2009 Elephant Hill Airavata Syrah - 5 stars

 Sam Kim Wine Reviews June 2012 (92 KB)

Click here to go to Wine Orbit Wine Reviews

 

 

8 March 2012

Jancis Robinson endorses the "new" New Zealand
View more

Name of Media: UK Financial Times

Date of Publication: March 2012

Read the full article from the UK Financial Times.

 

 Jancis Robinson endorses NZ wines (154 KB)

 

 

6 March 2012

NZ Travel & Wine story featuring Elephant Hill
View more

Name of Media: Toronto Star

Date of Publication: Sept 2011

Travel Editor, Jim Byers from the Toronto Star writes about Elephant Hill.

Click here to read Jim's article

 

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6 March 2012

Elephant Hill's 2011 Pinot Gris is discussed by Jeremy Corbett & Sara Tetro
View more

Name of Media: Air New Zealand Wine Awards

Date of Publication: Nov 2011

Watch Jeremy Corbett & Sara Tetro(model and judge of NZ’s Next Top Model) discuss Elephant Hill’s Award Winning 2011 Pinot Gris on YouTube on “Through The Grapevine”.

 

8 September 2011

Elephant Hill 2009 Syrah wins International Trophy at Decanter World Wine Awards 2011
View more

Name of Media: Decanter

Date of Publication: Sept 2011
Elephant Hill’s 2009 Syrah won an international trophy for best Red Rhone Varietal over £10 at the Decanter World Wine Awards.
As one of the wine industry’s most coveted international wine show, all wines were tasted by a judging panel comprising of 214 expert judges and 30 Regional Chairs including 58 Masters of Wine.

22 August 2011

Sam Kim Reviews gives 5 stars to Elephant Hill 2009 Le Phant
View more

Name of Media: Sam Kim Wine Reviews

Date of Publication: Aug 2011
Elephant Hill Le Phant 2009 Hawke's Bay 93 points 5 stars

What a lovely wine. A blend of Merlot/Cabernet Franc, it's ripe and richly flavoured while showing restraint and structure. The nose is beautifully fragrant, displaying dark plum, cassis, spice and subtle cedary oak characters. It's succulent and smooth, and beautifully defined on the palate with a pleasant dry finish. At its best: now to 2015.

22 August 2011

Elephant Hill 2010 Syrah scores 5 stars
View more

Name of Media: Sam Kim Wine Reviews

Date of Publication: Aug 2011
Elephant Hill 2010 Syrah Hawke's Bay 94 Points 5 stars

Elephant Hill has quickly established as a serious Syrah producer. And this is another stunning effort that will only get better with time. It's beautifully perfumed on the nose displaying dark plum, cherry, spice and floral characters with a hint of nutty oak notes. The palate is ripe and generously flavoured with velvety texture and fine, supple tannins. Perfectly harmonised, this refined expression of the variety is quite gorgeous to drink now already. At its best: now to 2016.

21 August 2011

Elephant Hill 2010 Syrah Wins Gold
View more

Name of Media: www.nziws.co.nz

Date of Publication: Aug 2011
Elephant Hill 2010 Syrah wins Gold at the NZ International Wine Show 2011.

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31 March 2011

A Wooden Elephant But No hill
View more

Name of Media: www.winevaulttv.com Jason Bryant

Date of Publication: Apr 2011

Elephant Hill wine reviews of 2010 Sauvignon Blanc 5 stars, 2009 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 5 stars and 2010 Viognier 4 stars... click here to read

 

28 February 2011

Bay Wines Scores in OZ Redzone
View more

Name of Media: Hawke's Bay Today

Date of Publication: Mar 2011

Hawke's Bay's Elephant Hill wins three trophies for its 2009 Syrah at the 2011 Sydney International Wine Competition... read more

 

2 February 2011

Reserve Syrah 4 stars 16.5 points from Stephen Brook
View more

Name of Media: Decanter UK

Date of Publication: Feb 2011

Elephant Hill Reserve Syrah 4 stars 16.5 points from Stephen Brook.  Brooks pick of NZ Syrah.  "Ripe but cool, elegant blueberry nose.  Sleek and intense, fine acidity".... click here to read more

 

31 January 2011

Stunning 30 page feature on NZ
View more

Name of Media: Gourmet Traveller Wine

Date of Publication: Feb 2011

Elephant Hill mentioned in "Top Secrets list of wineries that regularly punch above their weight"... read more

 

31 January 2011

Review of NZ wines
View more

Name of Media: Perswijn The Netherlands

Date of Publication: Feb 2011

Review of NZ wines including top score of 5 stars awarded to Elephant Hill 2009 Syrah and 4 stars to Elephant Hill 2008 Chardonnay... read more

 

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31 January 2011

2009 Syrah has triumphed at the 2011 Sydney International Wine Competition
View more

Name of Media: Sydney International Wine Competition

Date of Publication: Feb 2011

Elephant Hill’s Hawke’s Bay 2009 Syrah has triumphed at the 2011 Sydney International Wine Competition scooping an outstanding three trophies for best lighter-bodied red wine, best red table wine and winning the coveted best wine of the competition... click here to read more

 

23 January 2011

Reviewed by Rebecca Gibb
View more

Name of Media: NZ Herald

Date of Publication: Jan 2011

Elephant Hill 2010 Sauvignon Blanc reviewed by Rebecca Gibb... read more

 

1 November 2010

2008 Pinot Noir scores 4 stars
View more

Name of Media: Cuisine Magazine

Date of Publication: Nov 2010

Elephant Hill 2008 Pinot Noir scores 4 stars in Cuisine November 2010 issue... read more

 

31 October 2010

Elephant Hill features in Great NZ Wineries promotion
View more

Name of Media: Kia Ora Magazine

Date of Publication: Nov 2010
Elephant Hill features in Great NZ Wineries promotion in Air NZ magazine... read more

27 October 2010

Finalist in 2010 Hawke's Bay Business Awards
View more
Next

26 October 2010

2008 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc Review
View more

Name of Media: Hospitality Thirst Magazine

Date of Publication: Oct 2010
Elephant Hill 2008 Reserve Sauvignon Blanc reviewed by Peter Saunders for wines for seafood matching... read more

18 October 2010

2009 Rania Review
View more

Name of Media: Hospitality Magazine

Date of Publication: Oct 2010
Elephant Hill 2009 Rania dessert wine reviewed in Menu Matching with Cameron Douglas... read more

28 September 2010

2009 Rania dessert wine wins gold medal
View more

Name of Media: New Zealand International Wine Show

Date of Publication: Sept 2010

Elephant Hill 2009 Rania dessert wine wins gold medal at New Zealand International Wine Show. Elephant Hill 2010 Sauvignon Blanc scoops silver and both 2010 Pinot Gris and Viognier win Bronze.

 

6 August 2010

Feature - Cuisine Restaurant of the Year
View more

Name of Media: Hawke's Bay Today

Date of Publication: Aug 2010

Elephant Hill Restaurant features in Hawke's Bay Today 48 Hour Feature Story on Cuisine Restaurant of the Year Hawke's Bay Finalist 2010... read more.pdf

 

28 July 2010

Feature - Elephant Hill Syrah
View more

Name of Media: Hospitality Thirst Magazine

Date of Publication: July 2010
July Edition features Elephant Hill 2008 Reserve Syrah and 2009 Syrah... read more

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19 July 2010

Featured in Cuisine
View more

Name of Media: Cuisine Magazine

Date of Publication: July 2010
Elephant Hill featured in Hawke's Bay featured story... read more

23 June 2010

Cuisine Restaurant of Year Awards 201
View more

Name of Media: Cuisine Magazine

Date of Publication: June 2010
Elephant Hill Restaurant nominated as finalist in Cuisine Restaurant of Year Awards 2010... read more

22 June 2010

49,000 hits a day from NZ wine fair
View more

Name of Media: Wine Assessments Canada

Date of Publication: June 2010
WINE ASSESSMENTS CANADA Julian Hinter article posted on www.vintageassessments.com which has about 49,000 hits a day from NZ wine fair held in Toronto June 2010... read more

18 June 2010

Review of Elephant Hill 2009 Syrah
View more

Name of Media: NZ Herald Canvas Magazine

Date of Publication: June 2010
Smells of boysenberry, dark chocolate and anise.  On the palate, ripe juicy black fruits.  A great balance of spice and fruit sweetness. Wine Writer John Hawkesby... read more

8 June 2010

Lodge features in Trends
View more

Name of Media: Trends Bathroom Magazine

Date of Publication: June 2010
ELEPHANT HILL LODGE BATHROOM FEATURES IN TRENDS BATHROOM June 2010 Clear Sighted Glass walls or frameless windows introduce a sense of space to a project - and a contemporary flair... read more

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1 June 2010

A match made in Heaven
View more

Name of Media: NZ Herald VIVA Magazine

Date of Publication: June 2010
Pairing food and wine well adds spark to a dining experience.  Story features Elephant Hill 2009 Syrah and Juniper crusted venison with port food match by writer Jo Burzynska... read more