Mount Brown Estates

Great wines that are estate-grown, made and bottled in the Waipara Valley
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About Mount Brown Estates

Care and control over the whole process from vine to bottle

Mount Brown Estates was established in 2003 by Catherine Keith and her father Tony after discovering a tiny, abandoned vineyard in the foothills of Mount Brown in Waipara.

The Lime Loader vineyard was planted in 2006, and in 2013 the winery was built in the vineyard so that the grapes have no distance to travel after harvest. All Mount Brown wines are estate grown, made, and bottled, by the family, now entering the third generation.

North Canterbury is a delightful region, another glacial valley with a maritime climate, rather like the more famous Marlborough region to the north. Being significantly further south the climate in North Canterbury (Waipara) however, is cooler with low rainfall and favours Riesling and Pinot Gris along with Pinot Noir and of course Sauvignon Blanc.

With the third generation now on board, their responsibility for the land is passed on with an ever-growing understanding of the relationship between the land, the region, and the fruit.

Lucien Albrecht wine
Vineyard first planted

2000

Partners since

2019

Featured Wine

Sauvignon Blanc

Mount Brown Estates Wines

Estate-grown, delicious wines that offer amazing value for money
Lucien Albrecht Cremant Brut 2020

Sauvignon Blanc 2023

Fragrant and expressive, with a smoky profile. Ripe yet pure and well-defined honeydew melon and green papaya, with gentle leafy undertone. Crisp acidity. Generous ripe fruit in the finish. (FG).

Alison’s comment: To be honest, many people would struggle to identify this as not from Marlborough, and only the price gives it away. Amazing value.

Jancis Robinson Purple Pages:
16.5 points

Lucien Albrecht Riesling Réserve 2020

Pinot Gris 2023

My personal favourite with delicious notes of pear, peach and quince on the palate, firm acidity and a touch of residual sugar (7g/L) to give the wine good palate weight and length. Great as an aperitif or with many different foods. A versatile crowd pleaser and tremendous value for money.

Lucien Albrecht Riesling GC Spiegel 2019

Riesling 2023

An off dry style of Riesllng with fermentation stopped when the fruit sweetness and acidity are in balance (this year 27 g/L). Classic lemon and lime flavours make this an ideal wine to drink before or after a meal especially on a warm day.

Lucien Albrecht Pinot Gris Reserve 2020

Pinot Noir Reserve 2023

Both this, and the standard Mount Brown Pinot Noir, are bursting with sour cherry flavours; the refreshing acidity of the wine is perfectly balanced with the full fruit on the front of the palate. An ideal food wine, the Reserve Pinot has supple tannins and medium mouth weight, a perfect  accompaniment to slightly richer foods and fattier meats. Goes very well with spicey foods too.

Supporting Mount Brown Estates

VinAccessGlobal Partners since 2019

A few words from Alison, VinAccessGlobal Founder

“Mount Brown Estates was one of the very first wineries we welcomed into our portfolio back in 2019. I finally made it to the winery in September 2023, by which time we had found importers in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea.

A few words from Catherine Keith, Mount Brown Estates Founder

“Alison and her team have introduced us to multiple new partners across the Asia region and have been pivotal in helping grow that business. They’re easy to work with and being a small team are very responsive.”

World icon

VinAccessGlobal has been supporting Mount Brown Estates to find importers across Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia and South Korea