We started working in Australia in 1998 with a view to making our New World portfolio even more diverse. As we were looking for grapes with more finesse and depth, we explored the region of Victoria and found exactly what we wanted.
Whilst in Victoria we went for inland vineyards on higher grounds to find fresher style of Shiraz, we also discovered great places like Langhorne Creek in South Australia to get more complexity in some of our blends with fruity Cabernet Sauvignon or softer Shiraz.
In 2009, we also started our Magpie Estate cooperation, a Rhône-oriented winery born in 1993 thanks to Rolf Binder and Noel Young. The winery is in Barossa, where we are now able to produce outstanding Grenache, Syrah and Mataro from outstanding vines, some of which are over 50 years old. As Rhône aficionados ourselves, this partnership meant more than just making great wines, but also allowed us to broaden the reach of our winemaking philosophy in Cairanne.
As a result, we can now cover entry-level wines such as Shiraz and Chardonnay, but also lift our blends with higher quality Langhorne Creek components or be more specific and premium in Barossa.
I was very lucky to travel to Australia and New Zealand in 2018. Our main goal was to really master our wines and our approach surprised some of our partners; we are very picky with quality and the finesse of our wines. For us a generic wine doesn’t have to be boring. We must adjust and customise until they are interesting and different.” – Samantha Bailey
The same diverse approach motivated our first move to New Zealand in 2000, looking to produce not just any Sauvignon Blanc, but the best we could in Marlborough. All these years later, the awards still being won for MOKO are a true statement of our quality. In a region where 93% of production is Sauvignon Blanc, we want to show the best to our customers.
We are also always on the hunt for great Pinot Noir whether they are from Otago for freshness or Canterbury (South Island’s Capital) for a more Burgundian and finer approach.
We really do believe there is a lot more to discover in Australia and New Zealand. Our appetite for interesting wines is pushing our curiosity for other regions and we look forward to bringing even more exciting wines to life in the future!