“Tusmore Park means a lot to me. Once the site of a mixed farming property that included grapevines for wine making, today it’s a park that brings together families and friends for picnics and parties. We would meet there often for celebrations, my grandmother and her 4 sisters would bring a plate of something special to share. A big family with big appetites, great good and excellent wine, shaded from the sun under the old trees. Our Tusmore Park range of wines celebrates the best things in life. Walk, relax, enjoy!”

Cheers Andrew.

The 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon displays aromas of plum, blackcurrant and blueberries with subtle red capsicum and dark chocolate notes. An easy drinking style that is medium bodied and shows typical ‘cool climate’ Cabernet characters. The fruity and herbaceous flavours are well balanced in this wine and the mouth-feel is soft with powdery tannins.

Tusmore Park Shiraz 2006

Initially floral and spicy, this 2006 Shiraz unravels itself to reveal flavours of forest fruits and plum. A soft, enjoyable wine with spicy fruit and subtle tannins that show poise and balance beyond its years.
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Tusmore Park Sauvignon Blanc 2009

This wine is varietal Sauvignon Blanc and is true to the regional definition of this popular variety. Passionfruit and pineapple flavours sparkle in this wine that also reveals grassy and herbaceous undertones. With these flavours lingering on the palate and a refreshing acidity driving this wine, you can be assured that you will be left wanting more.

Little Yering Chardonnay 2009

Great intensity with mineral notes, white nectarine and citrus flavours. This wine shows a creamy, nutty complexity with freshness and elegant. Medium weight with clean citrus fruit supported by well integrated French oak and balanced acidity. Great structure and length in the finish.

88 Points ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2012 Edition
Yering Station as a 5 Red Star Vineyard ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2012 Edition

Little Yering Cabernet Shiraz 2008

A blend of 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Shiraz. Aroma of dark cherry and blackberry characters with hints of leather and nutmeg spice. A concentrated palate showing ripe, elegant dark berry fruit with great intensity and weight, complemented by soft, fine grain tannins. Great mouthfeel and structure with a powerful and persistent finish.

87 Points ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2012 Edition
Silver Medals ~ Matthew Jukes Great Australian Reds 2010
Yering Station as a 5 Red Star Vineyard ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2012 Edition

Little Yering Pinot Noir 2010

Lifted perfume of violets and lavender. All spice intertwined with gamey, briary red and black cherry fruits. Complimented with subtle vanillin oak. The palate is soft and juicy. Lovely mix of elegant fruit savoury spice and earthy undertones. Supple tannins and velvet like finish.

92 Points ~ James Halliday Top 100 Aussie Wines 2011
Yering Station as a 5 Red Star Vineyard ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2012 Edition

Yering Station Range

Yering Station Chardonnay 2008

With a focused mineral backbone, this house style chardonnay shows notes of citrus, grapefruit and cashew with a long and precise finish.

95 Points ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2011
Yering Station as a 5 Red Star Vineyard ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2012 Edition

Yering Station ED Pinot Noir Rosé 2008

100% Pinot Noir. Elegant lifted red-fruit aromas of cherry and red currant with rose hip, Turkish delight and spice. Delicate fruit flavours on the palate, complemented by floral notes and subtle tannins. Mouth watering softness with a crisp and trademark “extra-dry” finish.

94 Points ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2010 Edition
Yering Station as a 5 Red Star Vineyard ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2012 Edition

Yering Station ED Pinot Noir Rosé 2010

100% Pinot Noir. Elegant lifted red-fruit aromas of cherry, red currant and rose hip. Delicate fruit flavours complemented the floral notes and subtle tannins with a classic “extra-dry” finish.

94 Points ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2012 Edition
Yering Station as a 5 Red Star Vineyard ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2012 Edition

Yering Station Yarra Valley Heathcote Shiraz Viognier 2007

A blend of 95% Shiraz and 5% Viognier. Fragrant perfumed and classy with loads of dark fruits, spice, pepper, blackberry jam and violets. Structured with precision and intensity. Lots of flavour and pristine fruit with classic Shiraz Viognier characters. Very long and focused.

Bronze Medal ~ NZ International Wine Show 2011
94 Points ~ Tyson Stelzer, Wine Business Monthly 2010
93 Points ~ The West Australian 2010
94 Points ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2010 Edition
Bronze Medal ~ NZ International Wine Show 2010
Yering Station as a 5 Red Star Vineyard ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2012 Edition

Yering Station Pinot Noir 2009

Aromas of violet, lavender buds. All spice mixed with blackberry fruits. The palate offers rich, mouth-filling briary fruit. Complex cedar spice, savoury hints and lovely juicy fruit centre with a clean long finish.

93 Points ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2012 Edition
Yering Station as a 5 Red Star Vineyard ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2012 Edition

Yering Station Pinot Noir 2010

Dark cherry, blackberry and vanilla bean spice with brooding richness. Lovely lifted violet perfume sweetness. The palate offers integrated red/black cherry fruit create a platform balanced by velvet tannins overlayed by oak spices. Expressive wine of an exceptional cool climate harvest.

Gold Medal ~ Royal Hobart Wine Show 2011
94 Points ~ Tyson Stelzer, Wine Taste Weekly 2011
Yering Station as a 5 Red Star Vineyard ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2012 Edition

Reserve Range

Yering Station Reserve Chardonnay 2010

Classic white peach/pear with citrus undertones. Delicate cinnamon spice compliments the toasty barrel fermentation creaminess. The palate is pristine and complex. The fruit centre expresses purity and focus. Grapefruit minerality combined with toasty oak spices enhances a very long, elegant finish.

Bronze Medal ~ International Wine & Spirit Competition 2011
Yering Station as a 5 Red Star Vineyard ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2012 Edition

Yering Station Reserve Shiraz Viognier 2006

A blend of 95% Shiraz and 5% Viognier. Lifted aromas of dark berries, pepper and spice with hints of violets and liquorice that complement the toasty, mocha oak. A concentrated palate revealing intense flavours of blackberries, spice and cedar. Tightly structured with toasty French oak characters and fine grained, persistent tannins. A complex wine that finishes long and powerful.

95 points ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2011 Edition
94 points ~ The Penguin Good Australian Wine Guide 2009
Gold, Trophy for best red wine & Trophy for best Shiraz ~ Yarra Valley Wine Show 2007
Gold ~ Victorian Wine Show 2007
Gold ~ Royal Adelaide Wine Show 2007
17.5/20 ~ Jancis Robinson.com
Yering Station as a 5 Red Star Vineyard ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2012 Edition

Sparkling wine

Yarrabank Traditional Method Cuvée 2007

A blend of 54% Chardonnay, 46% Pinot Noir. Pale wheat straw in colour. The nose displays lovely gala apple & lemon meringue pie. Cracked yeast with a great freshness. The palate offers an incredible line of intensity. Grapefruit & lime provide a wonderful backbone of minerality balanced by a really fine mousse. A creamy middle palate finishes clean & focused.

95 Points ~ James Halliday Top 100 Wines, The Weekend Australian Magazine, 2011
Yering Station as a 5 Red Star Vineyard ~ James Halliday Australian Wine Companion 2012 Edition

1. In 50 words, introduce Kumeu River Wines.
Kumeu River is a small winery located near Auckland in the north of New Zealand, owned and operated by the Brajkovich Family. We specialise in white and red table wines, particularly Chardonnay, that reflect our unique cool climate growing conditions. The wines have great varietal aroma, palate texture and refreshing balanced acidity.

2. How did you feel to be the first MW in New Zealand?
This was a great honour. I passed the exam in 1989, so I am now a member of the “21 Club”: Those MW’s who have been members for more than 21 years. Masters of Wine are well known to have a great understanding of wine style from an international perspective, so this certainly helped to establish Kumeu River’s credibility and reputation as a producer of world-class quality table wines. It gave a great deal of credence to the new and unusual things we were already doing at Kumeu River.

3. How would you introduce Chardonnay to the ABCs(Anything But Chardonnay)?
Chardonnay is, quite simply, the best dry white wine variety in the world. You ignore it at your loss. A few mediocre experiences should not dissuade you from finding a true expression of the variety, such as our Kumeu River Chardonnay, which will delight and satisfy, as well as refresh.

4. What are the most famous regions and styles of Chardonnay around the world?
Burgundy is the home of Chardonnay. The Cote de Beaune produces the most classical examples, such as Corton-Charlemagne, Meursault, Puligny-Montrachet, and Chassagne-Montrachet. Chablis is the most crisply zingy expression, and the Maconnais gives many lovely examples too. However, not all producers are created equal, and unfortunately many of them in these traditional areas do not produce wines that are as good as they could, or should, be.
Chardonnay has found a niche throughout the new world, but too many wines have too much alcohol, wood and butteriness to ever be called refreshing. At Kumeu River we strive to have a nicely poised vibrancy and balance in our wines so that they may be the perfect accompaniment to food, particularly seafood and poultry.

5. What makes Kumeu River Chardonnay special?
The climate and soil of Kumeu are unique, and over a period of nearly 4 decades we have shown Kumeu to be very well suited to producing Chardonnay. The clay soils hold moisture well, which means we do not need to irrigate. The water is released slowly during the summer so that the vines do not grow too quickly, and the fruit can ripen slowly but fully. Our cool maritime climate, greatly influenced by the nearby oceans, gives a freshness and zest to the fruit aromas and flavours. We produce the wines in oak barrels, using the wild yeasts from the vineyard, thereby producing an even truer expression of our unique terror.

6. What is your favourite drink after a hard day and why?
A cool, refreshing glass of Kumeu River Pinot Gris makes a wonderful aperitif. The floral, almost tropical fruit flavours are augmented with a slight residual sweetness to give an uplifting taste. This tastes great on its own, but will also match up with food. Chardonnay, on the other hand, really does demand to be matched up with food to really show its best qualities.

7. What is your latest wine purchase and why?
Telmo Rodriguez Gaba do Xil Godello, from Spain. I am very interested in new, alternative varieties, and in other interesting wine areas such as those of Spain. This wine comes from a relatively cool region, and varieties such as Godello, Verdejo and Albarinho may also be well suited to our own cool conditions in New Zealand. It is a very good wine, understated and full bodied, and it goes beautifully with food.

Michael Brajkovich, MW
Winemaker, Kumeu River Wines.

Courtesy of Wilson Daniels

Brewed with 100% malted grains, including the use of some crystal and wheat malts to deliver superior flavour and mouthfeel. A combination of three hop varieties produce a crisp bitterness as well as the characteristics hop flavour for which true pale ale are renowned.
Vale Ale is full, fruity and hoppy and has an alcohol content of 4.5%. Some live yeast cells from the secondary fermentation will remain. Thus giving a natural cloudy appearance.

Winner of Hottest 100 Australian Craft Beers 2010 Trophy ~ The Local Taphouse
Silver Medal ~ Asia Beer Awards 2010
2 Silver Medals ~ Sydney Royal Beer Competition 2010
Silver Medal ~ International Beer Challenge, London 2009
2 Silver Medals ~ Australian International Beer Awards 2009
Trophy and Gold Medal ~ Australian International Beer Awards 2008

A south Australian beer company that brews the internationally-awarded VALE/ALE and VALE/DRY. VALE ALE was launched in May 2008 and it’s now pouring on tap at leading venues around Australia and available internationally in bottles.

In 2010, VALE/ALE was voted #1 in the Annual Local Taphouse’s Hottest 100 Craft Beers.

“… we were served a dozen Pinot Noirs blind, including burgundies from Marquis d’Angerville and Domaine Fourrier. Both my favourites in the line-up came from New Zealand, one of them is Martinborough Vineyard Pinot Noir 2009 that was rich but beautifully balanced. I was convinced, incidentally, that it had been made by another star of Martinborough, Ata Rangi.”

“Consistently over-performing New Zealand Chardonnays have included Millton’s biodynamically grown Clos Ste Anne from Gisborne and Kumeu River’s example from Mate’s Vineyard near Auckland, all of which are very far from the New Zealand super-crisp, technically perfect but ultimately rather soulless norm.”

“… while Man O’War’s Valhalla 2010 Chardonnay from the Auckland playground of Waiheke Island provides more evidence that New Zealand (like Ontario and cooler parts of Australia and South Africa) can make seriously fine, ageworthy answers to white burgundy…”

Read the full article HERE

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Recent Awards:

Sydney International Wine Competition 2012

Blue Gold and Top 100 Wines
Bird in Hand Shiraz 2009
Hunter’s Chardonnay 2010

Blue Gold Award
Lanson Brut N.V.
Man O’ War Valhalla Chardonnay 2010
Stella Bella Semillion Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Highly Commended
Tohu Mugwi Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Bird in Hand Chardonnay 2010
Nest Egg Chardonnay 2010

Read more: http://www.top100wines.com/wines/summary-new.asp?section=top100&Year=2012

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Royal Easter Show Awards 2012
The 2012 Royal Easter Show Wine Awards is the 59th time the wine judging competition has been run, it is the oldest and longest running wine show in New Zealand.

Gold
Giesen The Brothers Sauvignon Blanc 2010
Stoneburn Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Hunter’s ‘Miru Miru’ 2008

Silver
Hunter’s Sauvignon Blanc 2011

Bronze
Highfield Sauvignon Blanc 2011
Tohu Pinot Noir 2010
Tohu Reserve Pinot Noir 2010
Hunter’s Riesling 2010

Read more: http://www.royaleastershow.co.nz/wineawards/full-article.php?id=64

Lastest Achievements:

Top Trophies for Cliff Edge Shiraz 2010 at the Sydney Royal Wine Show 2012

Best Shiraz
Best Red Wine
Best Wine of Show

Read more: http://www.sydneyroyal.com.au/wine.html

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No.10 ranking for Langi Shiraz on Langton’s Top 100 2011 by demand

The Top 100 wines by demand is the first time a list of this nature has been produced. It looks at the number of bidders for each lot of wines auctioned over the previous 12 months. It takes a different approach to the supply and demand equation.

Distinguished wines on Langton’s Classification of Australian wine 2010

Read more: http://www.langtons.com.au/Magazine/Features.aspx?MagazineId=443

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Outstanding ratings from James Halliday

Langi Shiraz 2009 – 97 points
Langi Shiraz 2008 – 96 points
Langi Shiraz 2007 – 95 points
Langi Shiraz 2006 – 96 points
Langi Shiraz 2005 – 96 points (our current vintage)

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- See the full MOUNT LANGI GHIRAN range here -