Recent reviews

Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW, October 2011

Mission Jewelstone Cabernet Merlot 2009
94/100
Deep garnet-purple colour and complex scents of black currant, warm blackberries and anise with nuances of dried plums, cinnamon stick, dark chocolate and vanilla. Concentrated and full bodied in the mouth, it gives high acidity, firm very fine-grained tannins and a long spicy finish. Delicious now, it should evolve nicely through 2020+.

Mission Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2010
91/100
Pronounced notes of ripe pink grapefruit, green mango and passionfruit with hints of cedar, lemongrass and pineapple paste. Medium bodied and very crisp in the mouth, it gives a great concentration of tropical and toast flavours, finishing long and zesty.

Mission Jewelstone Chardonnay 2009
91/100
Abundance of hazelnut, meal and butterscotch aromas over notes of warm apricots, apple tast and cantaloupe. Medium bodied with a silken texture, it fills the mouth with toasty, nutty, apple crumble flavours with medium-high acif and a long finish.

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Janis Robinson (UK), Gimblett Gravels tasting 6 Oct 2011

Mission Jewelstone Cabernet Merlot 2009
At a recent tasting of eight Gimblett Gravels and eight top red Bordeaux in Hong Kong led by Lisa Perotti- Brown MW this wine came third after Haut- Brion and Mouton. Much has been made of this, as you can imagine. 54% Cabernet Sauvignon, 39% Merlot, 7% Cabernet Franc. Dark crimson. Sweet nose and attractive balance and readability. Far from the most aggressive and exaggerated examples of the current Gimblett Gravels releases, this wine could probably be mistaken for a red Bordeaux. Appetising with lovely balance and life. Very long. Very nice wine.

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Bob Campbell, Taste Magazine

Mission Syrah 2010
BEST VALUE NZ SYRAH
Pure, focused wine that's 'not too heavy and not too light' as well as being highly drinkable. And at this price ($16.50), it offers outstanding value.

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Yvonne Lorkin (NZ)

Mission Huchet Syrah 2007
Impenetrable and glossy in the glass, the elegantly spicy aromas of dark chocolate, pepper, rose and sweet smoke are followed by ripe plum and berryfruit flavours and an addictive velvety texture. It's an incredibly sexy, saucy syrah.

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Cuisine Magazine, August 2011

Mission Jewelstone Cabernet Merlot 2009
Steve Smith described this as a 'big rumbling wine' and the other judges heard that rumble too, praising its dense, sweet, plummy fruit, floral aromatics, savoury, charry touches and ultra-long finish. The superb fruit character is backed by typical cabernet, Bordeaux-like austerity in outstanding balance. A wine for a luxurious dish. What about venison with Italian mustard fruits.

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Michael Cooper's Buyer's Guide to New Zealand Wines 2011

5 STARS

Mission Jewelstone Hawke's Bay Chardonnay 2007
This wine has shone since the super-stylish 2002 vintage, grown in Central Hawke's Bay. The 2007, grown at Te Awanga, near the coast, is powerful and tightly structured, with highly concentrated stonefruit flavours woven with appetising acidity, and lovely length. The 2008 vintage, grown in the Gimblett Gravels, was fermented and lees-aged for 18 months in French oak casks (40 per cent new.) It's a stylish wine, but still very fresh and youthful, with mouthfilling body, strong, ripe, tropical fruit flavours, biscuity oak and a tight, crisp finish. It needs more time; open mid-2011+.

4 1/2 STARS

Mission Jewelstone Hawke's Bay Cabernet Sauvignon 2008 
The powerful, boldly coloured 2008 vintage is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (86 per cent) and Cabernet Franc (14 per cent), grown in the Gimblett Gravels and matured for 18 months in French oak casks (half new.) Firm and youthful, it is fragrant, with ripe, sweet fruit characters, dense blackcurrant, plum and spice flavours, and powerful tannins. It's built to last; open 2013+.
 
Mission Jewelstone Hawke's Bay Cabernet Sauvignon/Merlot/Cabernet Franc/Petit Verdot 2007 
The 2007 vintage is a Gimblett Gravels blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (46 per cent), Merlot (31 per cent), Cabernet Franc (19 per cent) and Petit Verdot (4 per cent), matured in French oak barrels (73 per cent new.) Dark, it is sweet-fruited and complex, with rich flavours of blackcurrants, spices and herbs, a hint of coffee, and firm tannins.