Mount Brown Estates
Great wines that are estate-grown, made and bottled in the Waipara Valley Learn moreAbout 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.
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
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
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.
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.”