Today New Zealand's wines are well understood and beloved by folks for their readiness to be enjoyed young, their fresh crispness and fruit forward flavour profiles - but this was a long time coming, and today we're going to visit the one that started it all, Mission Estate.

The First Wines Of New Zealand From French Missionaries

Much as its name suggests, Mission Estate was first built in 1851 by the early French Catholic Marist missionaries who had journeyed to New Zealand. When these missionaries had gotten to their new home, they began to establish everything they needed to carry on practicing their faith - which invariably included growing wine vines that would allow them to produce sacramental wine that was consumed as part of their worship. These became the first wine vineyards in New Zealand.

These Marist missionaries had first reached New Zealand in 1838 on the blessing of the then Pope, and had first settled near the Ngaruroro River at Pakowhai. Wine-making was helmed by Brother Cyprian Huchet who was the son of a winemaker in France's Loire Valley, and thus he became Mission Estate's first Cellar Master, and it was under him that Mission Estate recorded New Zealand's first ever commercial sale of wine. The missionaries would also build a two-storey house that would be known as the La Grande Maison or "The Big House", which became the landmark that Mission Estate would tied to.

How Mission Estate Made New Zealand's Famous Hawke's Bay

Yet just a few decades on, it would become apparent to the missionaries that the land they were on was vulnerable to periodic flooding and thus it would be a constant threat if they were going to root themselves there. It was thus decided in 1909 that they would cut up the Mission building into eleven sections, rolled onto logs and then pulled over to their current site today at Hawke's Bay - which also happened to be considered New Zealand's most prized vine growing location!

Over the next century, New Zealand's first and oldest surviving winery would go on to achieve many more first's, such as producing New Zealand's first Methode Traditionelle sparkling wine, and would continue to expand and grow. By 1992, after having spent some eight decades in Hawke's Bay, it would finally come time for the Marist seminary to leave the area and head on over to Auckland. Today the winery is not only a leader in sustainable growing efforts, but also operates the Mission Restaurant on its premises and regularly organises an annual concert. In celebrating its 170th anniversary in 2021, the Mission Estate received a fresh look with new labels too.

Into Mission Estate's Vineyards

Today Mission Estate operates out of two primary areas - Hawke's Bay and Marlborough. Hawke's Bay is located on the east coast of North Island and is the warmest growing region in New Zealand, with the long and warm season creating riper fruit for more fruit driven wines. Here the main varietals grown are Chardonnay, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah, with small blocks of Semillon and Cabernet Franc. In Marlborough on the South Island, the climate is much cooler, and is also one of New Zealand's sunniest and driest places, again producing intense, fruit driven wines. Here Mission Estate grows Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Pinot Gris.

Today we'll be trying Mission Estate's Cabernet Merlot cuvee which comes harvested from the Hawke's Bay vineyard, where the soils feature gravel beds, and are alluvial in nature with stony terraces - it is 65% Cabernet Sauvignon and 35% Merlot, and was matured in French oak barrels for 12 months before being released.

I was able to try this at Singapore's Wine Connection Wine Tasting Fair where they've put Mission Estate's wines in stores and restaurants as part of their 2025 collection! 

Let's go!

Wine Review: Mission Estate Cabernet Merlot Reserve 2021, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand

Tasting Notes

Colour: Dark Ruby

Aroma: This is darker and riper, opening up with a deep earthiness of tobacco, freshly toiled soil, along with dark cherries and raspberries. It's got loads of richness, with this rustic and deep earthiness.

Taste: Medium-bodied here, the freshness carries through. It's giving blackberries, raspberries, dark cherries, both in fruit form, dried and in jams. These fruity tones are well layered with a moderate amount of richness, backed up by some lightly drying tannins.

Finish: Those drying tannins carry through and surface into the finish. More on blackberries and cherries, some clove spices as well, that all leads into a nice and clean finish. Great structure here, very clean and crisp.

My Thoughts

A solid New Zealander here, this is a proper red with quite alot going on for it. It's got quite some nuance and is well layered between earthy and fruity tones, with a backdrop of lightly dry tannins canvassing it giving it a very nice and clean structure, crisp outlines, it's held together really well, with a really nice precision where it's just falling apart or getting everywhere. It comes, it shows itself, it cleans itself out - that's a solid demonstration of balance and control right there. It's also really fresh, with a moderate amount of richness that is again held up again those lightly dry tannins - such textural harmony! A solid, solid pick! This would go well with pasta and does the trick for a not-so-boozy midday wine.

Kanpai!

@111hotpot