Highfield Estate, New Zealand
History of Highfield Esate
Established in 1989, Highfield Estate was purchased from a Marlborough grape growing family by the international partnership of Shin Yokoi (Japan) and Tom Tenuwera (UK) in 1991.
The philosophy of the company is to produce ultra premium, food friendly wines for the international market and increasingly for fine New Zealand restaurants and specialist market sectors.
Winemaker, Alistair Soper makes Highfield’s classic Marlborough wines only when consistency of quality and style is possible. Limited production, defined styles and rigorous de-classification ensures the making of consistently high quality wines. Individual grape and soil characters are respected and made into generous wine styles.
Highfield Estate principally makes dry white wine, described as generous and succulent with varietal clarity. The utilization of temperature controlled, stainless steel fermentation technology is imperative for the aromatic wines while the underground cellar is used for barrel fermentation and maturation which acknowledges respect for time honored winemaking practices. Designated areas for the vinification and maturation of the sparkling wine, Elstree, and the gravity systems for Pinot Noir typify the specialist environments designed for the retention of quality and style of Highfield’s ultra-premium wines.
Winemaker - Alistair Soper
Educated with degrees in Commerce and Arts, in 1994 Al decided to turn his passion for wine to a career. After completing a Post-Graduate Diploma in Viticulture and Oenology, he then paid his winemaking dues at Grove Mill for four years while also working vintages in Oregon, Bordeaux and the South of France.
Al was appointed Highfield Winemaker in January 1999 and has since made his mark with a range of award winning wines. He is especially interested in crafting wine styles that enhance, and are enhanced by, great food.
At Highfield, the goal is to make the finest quality Marlborough wines, expressive of their natural characteristics and nurtured with the bare minimum of winemaking influence. "When you have exceptional grapes, minimalism is the chosen path for making great new world wines".
Favorite Variety: Pinot Noir
Also Loves: Skiing - water & snow, Mountain biking, Cooking
Marketing & Sales - Russell Hooper
Russell joined Highfield mid 2000.
Responsible for Highfield's brand and determined to see Highfield and its supply chain prosper are features of his commitment. "Marketing, for me, is reflecting the culture of your company. When your company's culture is consistent in its pursuit of excellence, I can't think of a better place to contribute. Highfield is like that".
Favourite Variety: Chardonnay and Syrah
Easiest Vintage I've Sold: 2004
Hardest Vintage I've Sold:1995
Best Remembered Wine: Sega Sicilia 1970
Most Embarrassing Wine Moment: Addressing a wine club tasting, a two year old oak aged Sauvignon Blanc, corked and extolling its virtues as classic Marlborough Chardonnay.
Wine Related Ambition: Making Highfield an ultra-premium new world wine brand.
Also Loves: Cooking, Squash, Biking, Fishing
Pinot Noir - A History
New Zealand Pinot Noir is currently flavour of the month with local and international consumers and judges. But this somewhat temperamental grape has a history dating back to the mid 1970s when Pinot Noir plantings were first undertaken in Auckland.
Over the following decade plantings took place in Martinborough, Hawkes Bay, Marlborough and Central Otago. The success of these planting has enabled New Zealand to become a world-class producer of high quality Pinot Noir in a relatively short time.
Pinot Noir plantings in New Zealand now cover 3000ha and are forecast to reach 4000ha by 2007. Marlborough now has 45 per cent of New Zealand’s Pinot Noir and continues to grow.
While Martinborough became the initial benchmark for Pinot Noir, Otago was for a time the Prima Donna as wine writers sought somewhere new to write about. Now it’s Marlborough Pinot Noir winning top accolades at international wine competitions.
Marlborough’s Highfield Estate is leading the way and recently won the Air Sea Global Perpetual Trophy for Best Pinot Noir of Competition at the 2005 Sydney International Wine Competition.
The trophy winning wine, Highfield Marlborough Pinot Noir 2002, also won gold medals at the recent WINPAC (wines of the Pacific Rim) 2005 Competition in Hong Kong and the 2003 Royal Hobart Wine Show. And other Marlborough Pinot Noir wines have shared Highfield’s success at international competitions.
Highfield Estate managing director David Direen says these successes clearly demonstrate that the Marlborough region is capable of producing high quality, internationally award-winning Pinto Noir.
Highfield Estate winemaker Alistair Soper created the award-winning wine and freely admits Pinot Noir is his favourite varietal. He says the Sydney accolade is confirmation that Marlborough can produce a Pinot Noir that is not only full-bodied and concentrated but also rich in fruity flavours.
"Marlborough has the right ingredients for creating great Pinot Noir as it flourishes in areas that enjoy cool temperatures and low rainfall. It is a very exciting time to be winemaking and the emerging quality and recognition of Pinot Noir from Marlborough confirms my belief that we live in a very special part of the wine world."
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