Rippon Mature Vine Pinot Noir: Central Otago's Living Heritage

The land at Rippon has been in the Mills family since 1912, when Percy Sargood, great-grandfather of winemaker Nick Mills, purchased a high-country station on the western shores of Lake Wanaka. The vineyard's name traces back even further, to Emma Rippon, an ancestor who was the first in the family to take the surname Mills. Rolfe Mills, inspired by the schist-slope vineyards of Portugal's Douro Valley during his service as a submarine lieutenant in World War II, began experimental plantings in 1975 and committed to commercial viticulture in 1982. Lois and Rolfe Mills are recognised as part of the 'first five' pioneers of the modern Central Otago wine industry. Nick Mills, their son, took over winemaking in 2003 after extensive training in Burgundy, immediately beginning the transition to biodynamic farming.

• Family ownership of the land dates to 1912; commercial winegrowing began in 1982 after experimental plantings from 1975
• First commercial vintage released in 1989; Rolfe and Lois Mills among the founding pioneers of the Central Otago wine industry
• Nick Mills (fourth generation) took over winemaking in 2003; trained at Domaine de la Romanee-Conti, Albert Mann, and JJ Confuron in Burgundy
• Vineyard named for Emma Rippon, a maternal ancestor; Tinker's Field named after Rolfe Mills, known to friends as 'Tink'

Rippon's 15-hectare vineyard sits at approximately 380 metres elevation on the western shore of Lake Wanaka, with a north-facing escarpment that maximises sun exposure during the growing season. The site lies on the 45th parallel south, within Central Otago, New Zealand's only region with a true continental climate. The soils are formed at the meeting point of ancient terminal moraines and coarse glacial gravels, all underpinned by schist, providing excellent drainage and a distinctive mineral signature. Lake Wanaka acts as a large thermal mass that moderates frost risk and extends the ripening window, with Ruby Island providing additional shelter. Nick Mills has noted that this lake influence means his site tends to ripen fruit at lower potential alcohol than other parts of Central Otago, yielding wines of precision rather than weight.

• North-facing escarpment at approximately 380 metres altitude on the western shore of Lake Wanaka, 45th parallel south
• Soils: schist-based terminal moraines and coarse glacial gravels; shallow topsoils of glacial and alluvial origin over decomposing schist bedrock
• Central Otago is New Zealand's only wine region with a continental climate, producing the country's most pronounced diurnal temperature swings
• Lake Wanaka's thermal mass moderates frost risk and ripening conditions; Ruby Island provides further shelter for the vineyard's microclimate

The flagship Rippon Mature Vine Pinot Noir is sourced from all fully established Pinot Noir vines across the property, many planted from 1982 onward on their own ungrafted roots. It is described by the estate as 'the farm voice of a distinct parcel of land.' Two single-block wines, Emma's Block and Tinker's Field, come from the oldest and most distinct parcels, with Tinker's Field bottled separately only in exceptional vintages, and a special 'Bequest' bottling made without added sulfur in the finest years. Younger vine fruit is released under the Jeunesse label. Winemaking is minimal: hand-harvesting into 10kg cases, wild yeast fermentation in 2-tonne stainless-steel fermenters, extended skin contact of 10 to 28 days depending on parcel, with aging in predominantly used French oak barrels. Wines are bottled unfined and unfiltered.

• Mature Vine Pinot Noir blends all fully established parcels, vines planted from 1982 onward, mostly ungrafted on own roots
• Single-block labels include Emma's Block (clay-schist, more floral and delicate) and Tinker's Field (north-facing pure schist, more structured and powerful)
• Winemaking: wild yeast fermentation, 2-tonne stainless steel fermenters, 10-28 days skin contact per parcel, aging in predominantly used French oak, no fining or filtration
• Six varieties produced: Pinot Noir, Riesling, Gewurztraminer, Gamay, Sauvignon Blanc, and rare Osteiner (Riesling-Sylvaner cross with roughly 1 hectare planted)

When Nick Mills took over the estate in 2003, the vineyard already had nearly three decades of dry-farmed, chemical-free cultivation. He immediately began converting to biodynamics, and Rippon is now fully Demeter-certified. The estate operates as a self-sustaining system: no herbicides, pesticides, or synthetic fertilizers are used. Vines are dry-farmed with no irrigation, forcing deep root development into the schist substrate. The majority of vines are ungrafted, a practice that maintains direct expression of the schist soils but carries heightened phylloxera risk. Biodynamic preparations, cover crops, and on-farm composting maintain soil biology, and all work is undertaken by hand. The estate's philosophy centres on minimising intervention in both vineyard and winery to allow the character of the site to speak through the wine.

• Demeter-certified biodynamic; no irrigation, no pesticides, no herbicides, no synthetic fertilizers since Nick Mills took over in 2003
• Majority of vines ungrafted on own roots, maintaining direct soil expression; dry farming forces deep root penetration into schist bedrock
• On-farm composting, cover crops, and biodynamic preparations used to maintain soil health and biodiversity
• Minimal intervention in the winery: wild yeast only, no temperature control, no fining, no filtration, and no additions beyond a small amount of sulfur

Rippon has achieved consistent international recognition for both wine quality and its extraordinary setting. The estate has featured multiple times in the World's Best Vineyards rankings, placing 15th globally in 2021 and earning the title of Best Vineyard in Australasia at a previous edition. James Suckling awarded 97 points to both the 2020 and 2021 Mature Vine Pinot Noir, with Decanter awarding 95 points to the 2020 vintage. The Wine Advocate has consistently scored Emma's Block and Tinker's Field at 94 points and above. Eric Asimov of the New York Times described Rippon wines as 'gorgeous, textured and precise, with an earthy minerality running through them,' while James Suckling has called the estate's Pinot Noirs 'highly collectible.'

• World's Best Vineyards 2021: ranked 15th globally; Best Vineyard in Australasia at a prior edition of the same awards
• James Suckling: 97 points for both the 2020 and 2021 Rippon Mature Vine Pinot Noir; Decanter: 95 points for the 2020 vintage
• The Wine Advocate has awarded 94+ points to single-block wines Emma's Block and Tinker's Field across multiple vintages
• Acclaimed by Eric Asimov (New York Times) and featured in Forbes, Decanter, and Vinous as one of New Zealand's benchmark producers

Rippon welcomes visitors to its cellar door by appointment, seven days a week, with tastings conducted in an intimate format of no more than six guests. Tastings last approximately 30 minutes, include four to six current vintage wines, and are provided free of charge. The estate has no onsite restaurant, as the team's focus is on the wines and the land. The Rippon Hall, a striking venue constructed from compacted earth taken from the Rippon hillside and timber from the estate's own larch forest, is available for weddings, events, and concerts, and serves as the tasting space. The vineyard is accessible by foot or bicycle along the lakeside Millennium walkway from Wanaka township, with the estate located at 246 Wanaka-Mount Aspiring Road.

• Cellar door open 7 days by appointment only; tastings are intimate (maximum 6 guests), approximately 30 minutes, and free of charge
• No onsite restaurant; visitors are encouraged to dine in Wanaka before or after their tasting
• The Rippon Hall, built from on-site materials including compacted earth and estate larch timber, serves as tasting space and events venue
• Accessible by foot or bike along the lakeside Millennium walkway from Wanaka; address is 246 Wanaka-Mount Aspiring Road