Hunters Miru Miru NV

Hunter’s Wines is one of Marlborough’s most historic and celebrated wineries, Established in 1979 by Ernie Hunter, the winery gained international acclaim when Hunter’s Sauvignon Blanc won six gold medals at the London Sunday Times Wine Festival in 1986.

Ernie met and married Jane, who came from a family of South Australian grape growers and was a viticulturist herself. Today, Jane runs the winery and is a proud spokeswoman for Marlborough wine and with three decades at the helm, her years of service to the industry have been acknowledged with both an OBE and a CNZM. Hunter’s is now the only Marlborough estate founded in the 1970s remaining in the original family ownership.

The estate comprises over 100 hectares of vineyards in the Wairau Valley, planted to five white varietals and Pinot Noir, all carrying sustainable certification.

Grapes were harvested in February and March to ensure optimal ripeness, balancing acidity and sugar levels suitable for sparkling wine production. The fruit was gently pressed, and the resultant juice was fermented in stainless steel tanks before undergoing full malolactic fermentation. The Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier parcels (49%, 48% and 3% respectively) were kept separate, blending just before Tirage. The wine undergoes secondary fermentation in the bottle, following traditional Champagne methods. The wine spent 18 months on lees.