Puriri Hills

Puriri Hills founder, Judy Fowler, was inspired by the Grand Cru wines of Pomerol and St Émilion from the right bank of Bordeaux in France.  From the inception of Puriri Hills, Judy’s objective has been to make wines that stand alongside those great French wines and yet are uniquely from this terroir. 

Located amongst the green rolling hills to the south-east of Auckland in Clevedon, the wines are grown, made, bottled and stored in temperature controlled cellars on the estate.

The first plantings were in 1997 and the vineyards now have vines of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Carmenère, Cabernet Sauvignon and Malbec.   The maritime climate provides a long cool growing season that allows the vines to express a different set of aromatics, elegant nuances and characters than would be achieved in hotter growing regions. 

Traditional French and European winemaking practices are used and after bottling the wines are held on the estate for up to 5 years until they enter their drinking window.   This unwavering focus on quality ensures Puriri Hills make some of New Zealand’s best Bordeaux style red wines every vintage and spectacular luxurious wine in outstanding years.