New Zealand adventure day 8, Rippon
My last visit in Central Otago was with Nick and Jo Mills at Rippon. This is a stunning property on the edge of the lake at Wanaka, and it was one of the significant pioneers of viticulture in Central Otago. Nick’s father planted a commercial vineyard here in 1982 with 30 different varieties, and since then the focus has shifted to Pinot Noir and Riesling, with a bit of Sauvignon Blanc and Gamay (that turns out not to be Gamay, but that’s a separate story.
There was a fascinating snippet from Nick about how Rolfe may have got his ideas about the suitability of Central for viticulture. Percy Sargood, grandfather of Rolfe, went to listen to Romeo Bragato lecture about viticulture at the Dunedin Chamber of Commerce in 1895. Bragato had been touring New Zealand advising on the suitability of different regions for viticulture, and had singled out Central as being interesting. Rolfe spent a lot of time with Percy (he was bought up by his single mother with help from his grandparents): had it been this that sparked his interest?
Farming here is meticulous, and is biodynamic. The team gather each morning at 7 am (in the summer) and then will often spend a couple of hours hand hoeing together to keep the understory free of weeds. There’s a sense of togetherness here.
It’s important to understand Rippon in the context of its history, and the history that predates the forming of the large Rippon station. I’ve detailed this in a write up from a visit back in 2016 here: https://www.wineanorak.com/newzealand/rippon.htm
Rippon today is making some of the most interesting, articulate and focused wines in Central Otago, and so it was great to spend a good portion of time tasting through the latest vintages, as well as looking to the past a bit. These aren’t glossy, showy wines, but are all about texture, depth and mineral extract. Nick has been here since 2002, and he gets his place, and his winemaking brings out the best. ‘Shape, feel and form is what matters,’ he says. ‘Not fruit.’
2024 is looking very promising. And we also tasted the 2012 Tinkers Field, a vintage that celebrated 100 years on the land, and 30 years of winegrowing. It was quite beautiful.
After the tasting, it was time for a dip in the lake, then dinner with the family.
Full report to come.
