Clearview Estate

Clearview Estate's story begins not in 1986, but in 1916, when Spanish-born wine pioneer Anthony Joseph Vidal began planting grapes on the property at Te Awanga that would become known as Vidal's No. 2 Vineyard. Vidal, who also established the Vidal winery in Hastings, recognised the unusual viticultural promise of the Cape Kidnappers coastline, where maritime breezes and high sunshine hours combined with free-draining gravelly soils. The vineyard fell into neglect over subsequent decades, and by the mid-1980s the property was overgrown and the original 1915 homestead in disrepair. In 1985, Tim Turvey was reportedly told that the Te Awanga coastline was too cold to grow wine grapes successfully. He disagreed, and in 1986 he and business partner Helma van den Berg purchased the historic Vidal No. 2 Vineyard. Through the winter of 1988 the two hand-grafted and planted the first new vines, restoring the property block by block. Clearview Estate Winery Ltd was incorporated in time for the inaugural red wine vintage in 1989, and the first Reserve Chardonnay followed in 1991, taking the trophy for top wine at the Royal Easter Show on debut. The Vidal family's century-old olive tree, which still grows near what is now the restaurant terrace, became the namesake of the Old Olive Block Bordeaux blend. Turvey and van den Berg designed and built the winery themselves, adding the cellar door and Mediterranean-inspired restaurant in 1992 as the business grew.

• Property first planted by Spanish-born pioneer Anthony Joseph Vidal from 1916 onwards as Vidal's No. 2 Vineyard, with a 1915 homestead still preserved on site
• Tim Turvey and Helma van den Berg purchased the neglected historic property in 1986 and hand-grafted the first new vines through the winter of 1988
• Clearview Estate Winery Ltd incorporated for the inaugural red wine vintage in 1989; first Reserve Chardonnay released in 1991 and took the top wine trophy at the Royal Easter Show
• Cellar door and restaurant added in 1992; the century-old olive tree planted by the Vidal family inspired the Old Olive Block flagship Bordeaux blend

Clearview's portfolio is anchored by the Reserve Chardonnay, one of New Zealand's longest-running prestige Chardonnays and a near-permanent fixture in the country's top critical rankings. Hand-picked from mature Te Awanga vines, it is barrel-fermented and matured in French oak with typically 40 to 50 per cent new wood, then put through full malolactic and extended lees stirring for a rich, textured style that has won gold medals at the New Zealand International Wine Show for the 2020 and 2022 vintages, among many others. Above the Reserve sits Endeavour Chardonnay, the white flagship made only in exceptional years, whole-bunch pressed and fermented in 100% new French oak barriques, then matured on lees for over a year with regular battonnage. Basket Press Merlot is the red counterpart, also produced only when the vintage warrants. The Old Olive Block is a single-vineyard Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc drawn from the block surrounding the historic Vidal olive tree, a long-standing trophy winner and one of the estate's most recognisable labels. The Reserve Cabernet Franc has built its own reputation as a stylish, peppery, sweet-fruited expression of the variety, rare among single-varietal bottlings of Cabernet Franc in New Zealand. Black Reef Blush, named after the Black Reef along the Cape Kidnappers coastline, is the long-running rosé built around the rare French hybrid Chambourcin and a parcel of Bordeaux varieties; it accounts for roughly a third of total estate production and is the bestseller at the cellar door.

• Reserve Chardonnay: launched 1991; barrel-fermented and matured in French oak (typically 40 to 50 per cent new) with full malolactic and lees stirring; gold medals at the New Zealand International Wine Show for the 2020 and 2022 vintages
• Endeavour Chardonnay: white flagship, made only in exceptional vintages; whole-bunch pressed and fermented in 100% new French oak barriques with over a year on lees
• Old Olive Block: single-vineyard Bordeaux blend of Merlot, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Cabernet Franc from the block surrounding the century-old Vidal olive tree
• Black Reef Blush: long-running rosé from Chambourcin and Bordeaux varieties; named for the Black Reef on the Cape Kidnappers coastline and accounting for roughly a third of estate production

The Clearview vineyards sit on the coastal curve of Te Awanga, only metres from the Pacific Ocean and well south of the Gimblett Gravels and Bridge Pa terraces that dominate the inland Hawke's Bay conversation. The soils are free-draining gravelly alluvial deposits laid down by historic river action, identical in principle to the broader Hawke's Bay pattern but distinguished here by their proximity to the sea. The maritime influence is the defining factor: cooling onshore breezes moderate summer afternoon heat, reduce frost risk in spring, and extend the growing season by suppressing humidity-driven rot pressure. Hawke's Bay as a whole records some of New Zealand's highest sunshine hours, and Te Awanga benefits from that solar load while gaining the additional moderation of sea air, producing fruit with both phenolic ripeness and preserved natural acidity. Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Sauvignon Blanc, and the hybrid Chambourcin all ripen successfully on the estate. The Old Olive Block parcel, named for the surviving Vidal olive tree, sits closest to the historic homestead and produces the deeply concentrated Bordeaux-blend fruit that defines the wine of the same name. Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) certification covers the vineyard, with the team working to reduce environmental impact across viticulture and winemaking.

• Vineyards located only metres from the Pacific Ocean on the Te Awanga coast, well south of the better-known Gimblett Gravels and Bridge Pa terraces
• Free-draining gravelly alluvial soils combined with maritime breezes; the sea air extends hang time, reduces humidity rot pressure, and preserves natural acidity
• Te Awanga sub-region records its own microclimate within Hawke's Bay's high-sunshine envelope, suiting Chardonnay, Syrah, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, and Chambourcin
• Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) certified; the Old Olive Block parcel surrounds the century-old olive tree planted by the Vidal family circa 1916

Tim Turvey built Clearview's reputation on a robust, complexity-driven house style that has never apologised for ripe fruit, generous French oak, or textural weight. The Reserve whites are hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed, and barrel-fermented in French oak with a meaningful new-oak component, typically 40 to 50 per cent on the Reserve Chardonnay and 100 per cent on the Endeavour flagship in declared vintages. Wild and cultured yeasts work alongside one another depending on parcel and vintage, with full malolactic fermentation softening the acid line and extended lees stirring (battonnage) building palate weight. Reds are open-fermented with extended skin maceration, basket-pressed for the top tier, and matured in French oak. Many of the prestige bottlings have historically been bottled unfined and unfiltered to preserve texture and aromatic complexity, with the Endeavour wines in particular noted for unsulfured, unfiltered handling during their extended barrel maturation. The arrival of Australian-born winemaker Matt Kirby for the 2015 vintage continued the established Clearview approach while introducing the sensibilities of a winemaker trained in marine biology and culinary work before formal study at La Trobe University in Melbourne and senior roles at Knappstein Enterprise Winery in the Clare Valley. Kirby's earlier vintages in China, Burgundy, Austria, and the United States added breadth to a house style already known for confident handling of barrel-fermented Chardonnay and dense, structured red blends.

• Reserve Chardonnay: barrel-fermented and matured in French oak (typically 40 to 50 per cent new) with full malolactic and extended lees stirring for textural weight
• Endeavour Chardonnay: 100% new French oak barriques in declared vintages only; over a year on lees with battonnage and historically unsulfured, unfiltered handling
• Reds: open-fermented with extended skin maceration; basket-pressed for the top Basket Press bottlings; matured in French oak with many prestige reds bottled unfined and unfiltered
• Matt Kirby (winemaker since 2015) trained at La Trobe in Melbourne after marine biology and culinary careers; senior winemaker at Knappstein in Clare Valley before joining Clearview

Nearly four decades after Tim Turvey and Helma van den Berg first walked the overgrown Vidal No. 2 Vineyard, Clearview Estate remains family-owned and owner-operated, an increasingly rare structure for an established New Zealand winery of its profile. The Mediterranean-inspired restaurant has matured into one of Hawke's Bay's most established wine-tourism destinations, sitting on the Cape Coast cycle trail and trading on a brunch and lunch menu built around local seafood, dairy, meat, and produce drawn from the estate's own kitchen gardens, alongside private functions, weddings, and seasonal tasting platters in the evenings. The historic 1915 Vidal Homestead has been preserved as self-catering accommodation, allowing guests to stay on the original Vidal property. Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand (SWNZ) certification covers the vineyard, with the wider operation extending sustainability practices into the restaurant through local sourcing, recycling, composting, and food-waste sharing with local livestock. The winery continues to collaborate with Te Awanga growers, artisans, and tourism operators to position the sub-region as a sustainable food and wine destination distinct from the better-known inland Hawke's Bay corridors. Matt Kirby's tenure as winemaker is now a decade in and the Reserve Chardonnay continues its multi-year run of top critical recognition, with the Three Rows and Endeavour Chardonnays adding new dimensions to the white-wine portfolio.

• Family-owned and owner-operated by founders Tim Turvey and Helma van den Berg through nearly four decades of continuous ownership
• Restaurant and cellar door added 1992; Mediterranean-inspired menu on the Cape Coast cycle trail, with the 1915 Vidal Homestead preserved as on-site self-catering accommodation
• SWNZ certified across the vineyard; restaurant extends sustainability through local sourcing, recycling, composting, and food-waste sharing
• Matt Kirby a decade into the winemaker role; Reserve Chardonnay continues its long run of New Zealand International Wine Show gold medals and top critical rankings