We had the pleasure of meeting Rippon owner/proprietor Nick Mills a few weeks back, and it's safe to say we were blown away by his passion and incredible depth of knowledge.
His wines were absolutely gobsmacking. We love being able to share wines like these with all of you (and snaffle some for ourselves)...
Rippon Vineyard is one of the most breathtaking sites in Central Otago.
For over a century the Mills family has farmed this small patch of earth on the banks of Lake Wanaka. Nick Mills is the fourth generation of his family to walk the rows on Rippon. He and his family now farm the site according to biodynamic principals.
The Mills family and Rippon are intrinsically linked. There's a deep connection to the land which Nick translates into their superlative wines. He speaks of the farm as if it's a part of himself: "Whenever we have a decision to make on the farm, we ask ourselves, 'What would Rippon want us to do.'"
"These wines are seriously incredible with age. Ever tried one old? You should. Epic. One of the great producers of anywhere, with one of the greatest views over their wonderful site."
Pinot Noir, Gamay, Riesling and Gewürztraminer all excel at Rippon. The wines are made with patience and love.
In the wines of Rippon, you can sense everything that is transcendent about terroir-driven winemaking where the voice of a place is heard through the wines it produces.
"Mills’s wines from one of the most dramatically-sited, cool climate vineyards in the world, are consistently the most evocative of any that I have come across from New Zealand..."
We have all seven Rippon wines available. When you read Mike Bennie and Jancis Robinson's extraordinary reviews of the current releases, you'll see why Rippon is one of the most hallowed names in NZ wine.
These wines are rare and highly sought-after. Precious little makes it across the ditch. Don't miss these outstanding New-World vinous benchmarks.
"Emphatically one of the world’s great Pinot Noir producers."