What the Winery Says...

The Aurora Vineyard was first planted in 1998.This vineyard was developed with a singular focus: to make wines of uncompromised quality which reflect the unique terroir of Bendigo, Central Otago. 

The vast majority of the vineyard is planted in various clones of Pinot Noir (Clones 10/5, 115, 116, 5, 667 and 777).  This clonal variation provides significant complexity of flavour to our Pinot Noir. The remainder of the vineyard have been planted in a combination of Riesling, Pinot Gris and Syrah. Growing Syrah in Central Otago is unusual, however Bendigo is one of the warmest areas in the Cromwell basin and we have utilised our hottest terrace for our Syrah plantings. 

Our wines are crafted solely from grapes grown in The Aurora Vineyard. A growing and winemaking philosophy of low crop yields, sympathetic vineyard management, hand picking and as little intervention in the winery as possible is reflected in the wines we produce.  The Aurora Vineyard is a fully accredited member of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand. All of these wines were made by multi award winning wine maker Carol Bunn from grapes grown by Tom Topping and his vineyard team.

2008 was the perfect growing season in Central Otago. We were blessed with an early spring and a glorious long warm autumn.

What we Say...

Well where to start Aurora have produced an excellant Syrah in Pinot Noir country. This is a luscious Syrah with aromas of cracked pepper and underlying spicey fruits. This is a luscious Syrah with aromas of cracked pepper and underlying spicey fruits. Vibrant spicy aromas with understated power. The palate is all about finesse with fine grained tannins, intensity of fruit and a long, long finish.  Cool climate shiraz doesn't get much better than this.

The palate is rich and dense, excellent spice (cracked pepper) combining very well with the velvety tannins. These supple and savoury notes in a syrah are normally not found outside of the Rhone Valley. To summarise this is a superb wine from Aurora, drinking fabulous now but can enjoy for next 4-5 years. Want something from Otago, but bored of Pinot Noir? Try this beauty.

Awards and Accolades.

Silver Medal: - Royal Easter Show NZ 2010. "Oustanding" - Winewise Magazine, June 2010.