Morton Estate wines have been part of the New Zealand winescape for more than 30 years.
Established in 1978 by Morton Brown the company was sold to current owner John Coney in 1995. The first vineyards were planted at Riverpoint in Hawke’s Bay and today provide some spectacular fruit for a robust and well-managed wine programme. Other vineyards were established in Marlborough allowing the company to expand its wine portfolio and stay competitive in a burgeoning market.
Morton Estate does chardonnay particularly well. In fact, since winning the Trophy for ‘Best Chardonnay in The World’ at the prestigious International Wine Challenge Competition in 1997 the accolades for and attention to Morton Estate wines has been significant. In 2002 they were awarded the Schenker Trophy for Best Wine Producer at the International Wine & Spirit Competition, and in 2005 and 2006 Decanter Magazine awarded Morton Estate’s Coniglio 2000 and 2002 (respectively) Best Chardonnay over £10 in the UK market.
The quality of Morton Estate wines is unassailable; in fact, Georg J. Riedel – of Riedel Stemware - so loved the Morton Estate Coniglio Chardonnay when he tried it in one of his own glasses that he served it with dinner for Christmas 2010, says Fiona MacDiarmid - Morton Estates director of sales and marketing.
Morton Estate produces a wide and varied range of wines with a few older vintages still available. You could say that they have wine for all tastes from entry level to complex fine dining expressions. For my restaurateur readers: I would nudge you towards Black Label, Single Vineyard and Coniglio wines first - and the IQ3 methode traditionelle is something I hasten to add to the mix.
As a large privately owned wine company, the need to maintain quality is paramount and Morton Estate achieve their standards by having their own dedicated team to look after a well-established nursery, five vineyards in the Hawke’s Bay and two vineyards in Marlborough. There are five wine makers, each with their own specialty and contribution to the final range: Sharon Goldsworthy, Peter Scott and John Arlidge look after the Hawke’s Bay wine production; Paul McIntyre and Roger Millard focus on the wine from Marlborough.
Chardonnay, viognier, pinot gris, syrah, montepulciano and several Bordeaux varietals are cultivated in the Hawke’s Bay. For the Marlborough vineyards sauvignon blanc, riesling and pinot noir are grown for still wines. Most of the wines are screw top closed although special bottlings under cork are arranged from time to time.
A key point of difference for Morton Estate is their non-vintage, vintage and specifically aged sparkling methode traditionelle wines. The Hawke’s Bay vineyards are the sole location for the material that goes into these wines. The minimum entreillage time (time spent on lees) for the brut NV is 18 months; five years for the Vintage and three to five years respectively for the IQ3 and IQ5 wines. IQ means ‘Improving Quietly’. The Blanc de Blanc is a delicious aperitif while the Vintage 2002 is a fine wine and great with food.
I have tasted and enjoyed many of the Morton Estate wines over the last decade and a half so it’s hard to pick a favourite - though the full-bodied, rich and expressive Coniglio Chardonnay is a must-try next time a Morton Estate rep calls by. There is a tasting room located in Newmarket (Auckland) called Morton House and they’re open every day from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm.