Kingston Estate Winery
This family run wine estate has been owned by the Kingston Family since the 1920’s. The family originally comes from the U.S and they spend time between the two countries. Originally a cattle ranch it was partially converted to vineyards in 1998. 200 acres of northern facing hillside are dedicated to premium cool climate vines. The property is planted to Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir and Syrah. The soils are made up of red clay loams with decomposed granite. The vineyard site itself, is cool even for Casablanca, partly due to the altitude (1640 ft). This means that the fruit must stay on the vines for a very long time to ripen, particularly the Syrah. Low yields (2-4 tonnes/acre) are the key to ripening this fruit in such a marginal climate.
The winery itself is a wonderfully designed, if not practical, gravity fed facility. The wines are made by the talented young winemaker, Evelyn Vidal, with the occasional assistance of winemaking consultant Brian Kosuge. Unusually, she partially ferments the Sauvignon Blanc in 200 litre stainless steel barrels, which allow for lees stirring and maturation. The Pinot Noir and Syrah are made using indigenous yeasts, with open tank fermentation followed by maturation in French oak barriques. While the Syrah has recently garnered a lot of international attention, it is the Pinot Noir that shines particularly brightly.
This is a unique property, a wonderful winery, possessing a great winemaker and has stylish wines…the perfect combination for success.
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