2023 · Hawkshead Riesling

Hawkshead is an artisan, founder-owned winery in the Gibbston Valley of Central Otago, established by Denis Marshall and Ulrike Kurenbach after they bought the farmland in 1995. They planted their first Pinot Noir vines in 2001 and continue to own, operate and make the wines themselves. The vineyard lies on gentle north-facing slopes, with a focus on sustainable, minimal-intervention land use and careful soil management, without formal certifications noted. Hawkshead produces Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris, Riesling and Rosé, aiming to express Central Otago’s diverse terroir through vibrant, approachable wines with complexity and elegance. Its Pinot Noir includes fruit from Gibbston, Bannockburn and Lowburn, while the Riesling is noted for mineral character, fresh acidity and bottle-aging potential.