Millton Riverpoint Viognier 2016

‘Millton Vineyards & Winery’ was New Zealands’ first organic and biodynamic wine estate. Established in 1984 by James and Annie Millton in Gisborne have nurtured vines in the region that date back to 1871. Annie’s father actually had a vineyard on site at ‘Opou’ vineyards in the 1960s, and after returning from gaining their extensive experience in France and Germany, the couple came back with a new vision in their eyes. They had done extensive research and replanted major plots of the land to lay the foundations for what we know as the legendary ‘Millton Vineyards’ to date.

‘Millton’ was the first producer ever in New Zealand to gain a Bio-Gro certification for organic wine production in 1989 and later biodynamic certification Demeter in 2009. Back in the 80’s people thought organics and biodynamics was a fallacy and a feat too hard to achieve with no real benefit. The Millton’s certainly didn’t see things this way - and the proof was in the pudding - or grapes in this case. Straight off the bat ‘Millton’s’ early vintages were not only impressing consumers, but wine judges in New Zealand and all over the world. Today their reputation still holds as strong, you will constantly find them in high-end restaurants, wine bars and dining rooms across the world.

‘Millton’ has four distinct brands: ‘The Millton Single Vineyard’, ‘Crazy by Nature’, ‘Clos de Ste’ and most recently ‘Libiamo’. Anne wines are from small volumes of ultra-premium Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Viognier and Syrah. Further down the hillside are the ‘premier cru’ plantings of Chenin Blanc, Viognier, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, Riesling and Gewürztraminer, all of which create the ‘Millton Single Vineyard Estate’ wines. ‘Crazy by Nature’ offers a Chardonnay, Dry flinty Chenin Blanc and an award winning Malbec, Syrah and Viognier blend. If you have to try any of the Millton wines we recommend not missing out on their Chenin Blanc. We won’t go into too much detail but this wine is unmissable.

Millton’s philosophy is about treating the land well and having it in turn treats you well. A famous quote from dear James is that “We are not standing on dirt, but the rooftop of another Kingdom”.

For more information on Millton and their wines, visit their website.