VITICULTURE The fruit for this wine was sourced from our Gimblett Road vineyard on the famous Gimblett Gravels. The soils on these sites are stony and free draining. Our vineyard team used expert canopy management to achieve optimum ripeness, flavour and balance in the grapes. The very small crop loads resulted in deeply concentrated fruit. The 2024 growing season was warm and dry, allowing for the grapes to be picked at ideal maturity, delivering intense and characterful wines.
WINEMAKING
Machine-harvested and fully destemmed fruit was crushed into stainless- steel fermenters. Fermentations were managed with daily air rummaging. The wines were tasted daily during long post-ferment macerations and pressed once optimal tannin extraction was achieved. Hard pressings were excluded. After malolactic fermentation, the wines were racked into French oak barriques and matured for nine months. 30% of the barrels were new. This wine is vegan. Reaching New Zealand shores in 1838, pioneering French missionaries founded a legacy. From their many accomplishments, now interwoven throughout history, came New Zealand’s first winery, Mission, in 1851.
New Zealand Winegrowing
Central to the success of New Zealand as a world-renowned wine growing region is the temperate maritime climate and the free- draining alluvial soils. The growing season is long, providing perfect conditions for slow ripening and full flavour development. Cool nights and warm days retain fruit acidity which lends a freshness and vibrancy, highly characteristic of New Zealand wine styles.
Sustainability Practices Mission has strong sustainability credentials as a founding member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand and holding ISO 14001 environmental certification since 1998. With organics and organic conversions underway in some vineyards, Mission has an ongoing commitment to sustainable viticulture and winemaking practices. In 2007, the Mission winery underwent a multi-million dollar upgrade designed to maximise energy and water efficiencies. Today, Mission is proud to produce some of New Zealand’s finest wines in the most environmentally friendly manner.
Red fruit and darker berry fruit notes, sweet spices, pepper and fine, full structured tannins. This is a complex and complete wine full of vibrancy. Best paired with food.
Cellar potential
This wine was made in a style that will reward cellaring. It can age for 5
to 10 years from the vintage date. When young, this wine will be vibrant
and fruity. More savoury complexity will develop over time.
Alcohol percentage
14%
Residual sugar
Dry
Acidity
4.8 g/L
REGION
Hawke’s Bay
Located on the east coast of the North Island, Hawke's Bay wine region is one of the warmest winegrowing regions in New Zealand. The long and warm growing season provides for excellent ripening conditions and full flavour development.
New Zealand Winegrowing
Central to the success of New Zealand as a world-renowned wine growing region is the temperate maritime climate and the free-draining alluvial soils.
The growing season is long, providing perfect conditions for slow ripening and full flavour development. Cool nights and warm days retain fruit acidity which lends a freshness and vibrancy, highly characteristic of New Zealand wine styles.
Soils
Gravel beds, free-draining alluvial soils and stony terraces.
Growing season
Warm and dry delivering intense and characterful wines.
