At Culley Wines we aim to create fresh, vibrant, fruit-driven flavours that capture the essence of New Zealand's premium wine region. All wines in the Culley range may be enjoyed with or without food. They are perfect for drinking now, or may be cellared for a year or so.
Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc
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The Sauvignon Blanc grapes for this wine are harvested in the early morning and processed immediately.
After cool fermentation in stainless steel tanks the wine is bottled early to capture the unique flavours of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.
This wine displays vibrant gooseberry and passionfruit aromas and has excellent balance, an intense flavour and a lengthy finish |
| Winemaker |
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Neill Culley |
| Vintage |
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2008 |
| Region |
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Marlborough |
| Wine Style |
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A vibrant wine crafted in the classic style of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc - intense aromas, zest and persistence. Generous stone-fruit, gooseberry and capsicum flavours are bound together by lively acidity and fine texture. |
| Vineyards |
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Culley Sauvignon Blanc grapes are grown in vineyards located on either side of the Wairau Plains. Differences in soil structure, temperature and rainfall across the Wairau create a multitude of Sauvignon Blanc characters. The broad flavour spectrum allows us to achieve the desired style. |
| Winemaking |
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The philosophy behind Culley wines is to “capture the essence” of the region, and for that reason, the winemaking approach is to let the natural fruit characters be conveyed. Upon harvest, the fruit was immediately pressed to retain the delicate flavours and aromas. The juice was cool fermented in stainless steel, and then allowed to rest in tank for several months prior to bottling. |
| Cellaring |
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Best enjoyed upon release and over the next 2 years. |
| Accolades |
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2008 Culley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc: Bronze Medal – NZ Royal Easter Show 2009
2007 Culley Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc: **** Winestate Special Edtion 2007 "Classic New Zealand sauvignon blanc nose of passionfruit and green nettles. Outstanding fruit flavours – long and intense on a lightweight and elegant palate."
Silver Medal - Royal Easter Show Wine Awards 2008
Silver Medal - International Wine Challenge 2008
Commended - Decanter World Wine Awards 2008 |
Marlborough Riesling
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The key to great Marlborough Riesling is to determine when the grapes' flavour is at its most intense. As harvest draws near, I spend much time in the vineyard tasting grapes to determine the optimum picking date. The grapes are picked and processed quickly and then cool fermented.
This dry Riesling displays inviting citrus and lime aromas. It provides an enjoyable balance of intense fruit flavours, great length and a zesty lime finish. |
| Winemaker |
|
Neill Culley |
| Vintage |
|
2008 |
| Region |
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Marlborough |
| Wine Style |
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A dry Riesling displaying inviting citrus and ginger aromas. On the palate, lingering Granny Smith and lime flavours are enhanced by a zesty finish. This wine can be enjoyed either as an aperitif, or with fresh NZ seafood or even spicy Asian dishes. |
| Vineyards |
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The grapes for this wine are grown in the Omaka and Brancott regions of Marlborough’s Wairau Plains. |
| Winemaking |
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The grapes were harvested and immediately pressed to ensure the juice retains the delicate flavours and aromas of the grapes. After a long cool fermentation, the wine is left to age in contact with yeast lees for several months. It is then bottled to retain the essence of Marlborough’s terroir. |
| Cellaring |
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This wine will reward careful cellaring for up to 5 years. |
| Accolades |
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2007 Culley Marlborough Riesling: BRONZE MEDAL - International Wine Challenge 2008 |
Marlborough Chardonay
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The grapes for this wine are from two vineyard sites: one with free-draining stony soil that produces fine aromatic wine, and one on clay soil that produces wine with richer flavours on the palate. This unoaked style of Chardonnay is cool fermented and aged in stainless steel tanks for several months before bottling.
The Culley Marlborough Chardonnay displays classic ripe stone fruit and lifted citrus aromas. It is a rich, full-bodied wine with a delightful lingering finish. |
| Winemaker |
|
Neill Culley |
| Vintage |
|
2008 |
| Region |
|
Marlborough |
| Wine Style |
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An delicious unoaked wine displaying the classic characters of Marlborough Chardonnay - Lifted aromas of ripe stone fruit and citrus lead to rich flavours of peaches and baked custard. A soft textural wine with fine acidity. |
| Vineyards |
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The grapes for this wine are from the Yarrum Vineyard located in the Brancott Valley region of Marlborough. |
| Winemaking |
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The grapes were harvested and immediately pressed to ensure the juice retains the ripe fruit flavours and aromas. After a cool fermentation, the wine is left to age in tank for several months which helps develop the soft texture, before blending and bottling. |
| Cellaring |
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This wine will reward cellaring for up to 2 - 3 years |
Marlborough Pinot Gris
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A wine rich in both character and texture.
Pear and cinnamon aromas are complemented by generous baked apple and honey characters on the palate.
The flavours linger with a touch of spice and a crisp finish. |
| Winemaker |
|
Neill Culley |
| Vintage |
|
2008 |
| Region |
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Marlborough |
| Wine Style |
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A wine rich in both character and texture. Pear and cinnamon aromas are complemented by generous baked apple and honey characters on the palate. The flavours linger with a touch of spice and a crisp finish. |
| Vineyards |
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The grapes are harvested from young vines at the Homestead Block, Brentwood vineyard. The warm 2008 growing season has produced ripe fruit, but the cool Marlborough nights have retained the grapes’ natural acidity, which intensifies and adds lift to the flavours. |
| Winemaking |
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The juice underwent a long, cool fermentation in stainless steel vats to capture the essence of Marlborough Pinot Gris. Following this, the wine was stored on the yeast lees, with periodic stirring, for several months to impart further texture, before being bottled early. |
| Cellaring |
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This wine will reward cellaring for up to 2 years |
Marlborough Pinot Noir
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This wine is produced from three sought-after Pinot Noir clones, 667, 777 and 115. Each clone is harvested and fermented separately before it is blended and aged in French oak.
The wine displays a bouquet of dark cherries, plums and cinnamon. It has rich and generous flavours, excellent balance and silky tannins. |
| Winemaker |
|
Neill Culley |
| Vintage |
|
2008 |
| Region |
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Marlborough |
| Wine Style |
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This Pinot Noir displays fragrant cherry and red berry aromas with traces of thyme, mushroom and other earthy characters. The palate is lively, but also generous, with a long, silky finish. The wine is crafted to be enjoyed while youthful, fresh and vibrant. |
| Vineyards |
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A selection of Pinot Noir clones (667, 777, 115 and 5) are grown on the stony, infertile soils of the Rapaura sub-region in Marlborough. Each clone contributesa unique characteristic to the final blend. Despite a cool start, the 2007-2008 growing season experienced warmer than average temperatures which contributed to good flavour development in the grapes. Higher than average rainfall during October and December promoted good canopy growth, which allowed us to pick slightly early and retain the delicate aromas. |
| Winemaking |
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When the grape flavours and maturity were considered to be optimal, each clone was harvested separately. In the winery, the fruit was destemmed and cold soaked for 4 days, prior to fermentation in open vats. Hand plunging was used for the gentle extraction of colour and tannin. The wine was then lightly pressed and matured in French oak. |
| Cellaring |
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Best enjoyed upon release and over the next 3 years |
| Accolades |
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2007 Culley Marlborough Pinot Noir:
Bronze Medal - Royal Easter Show Wine Awards 2008
Bronze Medal - Decanter World Wine Awards 2008
Commended - International Wine Challenge 2008
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Waiheke Island Chardonnay
| Winemaker |
|
Neill Culley |
| Vintage |
|
2008 |
| Region |
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Waiheke Island |
| Wine Style |
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An elegant Chardonnay possessing a refined, yet substantial flavour profile - Citrus and stonefruit characters are complemented by a mineral twist with a nutty complexity. A touch of natural acidity provides lift, and ensures this wine will age gracefully. |
| Vineyards |
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A blend of 4 different clones from three different vineyard sites on Waiheke Island. The vineyards are low-yielding, and managed using traditional techniques such as hand shoot thinning and leaf plucking. |
| Winemaking |
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Each batch is hand-harvested, and immediately whole bunch pressed. The juice is cold-settled, and then racked to a combination of stainless steel and French oak barriques for fermentation. This allows for both aromatic intensity and oak complexity. The wine underwent a maturation of 10 months in the same vessels, with regular lees stirring to impart further texture to the palate. |
| Cellaring |
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Great drinking now and over the next 3-5 years |
Waiheke Island Cabernet Merlot
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A rich yet refined blend of the Cabernets and Merlot, this combination delivers fragrant aromas, and a soft, rounded palate with fine tannin. Cassis, violets and blackcurrent leaf aromas, are followed by rich plum and berryfruit flavours. Hints of tobacco leaf and cedar will continue to develop over time. |
| Winemaker |
|
Neill Culley |
| Vintage |
|
2008 |
| Region |
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Waiheke Island |
| Wine Style |
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A rich yet refined blend of the Cabernets and Merlot, this combination delivers fragrant aromas, and a soft, rounded palate with fine tannin. Cassis, violets and blackcurrent leaf aromas, are followed by rich plum and berryfruit flavours. Hints of tobacco leaf and cedar will continue to develop over time. |
| Vineyards |
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The grapes are grown on a sunny hillside slope above Onetangi, Waiheke Island. Low-yielding vines on soft rock and clay soils are managed using traditional techniques of hand shoot thinning and leaf plucking. |
| Winemaking |
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Each variety was hand-harvested at optimum maturity, and crushed into open top fermenters. Following a period of cold soaking, the fermentations were hand plunged to ensure the gentle extraction of colour and tannin. The wine was then lightly pressed to French oak barriques for maturation of 11 months, prior to blending and bottling. |
| Cellaring |
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This wine will reward careful cellaring for up to 6 years |
| Accolades |
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2007 Culley Waiheke Island Cabernet Merlot: BRONZE MEDAL – NZ Royal Easter Show 2009 |
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