Millton Chenin Blanc

James and Annie: December 2007

It might seem curious to include a New Zealand producer on a site that is devoted to Loire wines. There are, however, good reasons for this. As far as I know James and Annie Milton produce the only serious Chenin Blanc in New Zealand and Chenin Blanc is both the Loire’s most significant gift to wine and the greatest and most versatile grape in the world.

Including fine producers of Chenin Blanc from other parts of the world is entirely appropriate. After all the birthplace of Chenin is Anjou, probably around Bouchemaine, so producers like the Milltons, as well Ken Forrester, Teddy Hall and others in South Africa, are outposts of Loire excellence, although they have the undoubted misfortune of living far from the wonderful valley. See links in right column under Chenin outposts.

The following is an extract from a two-part article I wrote on the Circle of Wine Writers trip to New Zealand in November 2007. I was able to stay on for another 12 days, so was able to make a special journey to Gisborne to see Annie and James.


4th December 2007 James and Annie Millton at Millton Vineyard, Gisborne
My final visit in New Zealand was to see James and Annie Millton at their biodynamic vineyard in the Gisborne region. As Millton Vineyard is a strong candidate for making the best Chenin Blanc outside the Loire Valley and I have long liked their Chenin, I had to visit them before I left NZ.


Within moments of meeting James he was complaining that Gisborne was off the radar of the New Zealand Wine Growers and wanted to know why the Circle trip hadn’t come through this region. Although there is no doubt that making a special effort to visit Millton Vineyard was – vaut le voyage, it is also easy to see why Gisborne is often left off the itinerary of visiting writers. In short the place is out on a limb. It’s just over 200 kilometres from Napier to Gisborne and its 200K of hard driving – up and down and round an endless series of sharp bends. Driving north towards Opotiki is just more of the same, although, of course, there is some fine scenery.

Another reason is that there are few producers in Gisborne, although Montana has substantial plantings, particularly Chardonnay, and has their Lindauer plant based here. There are just 11 wineries listed in Cuisine Wine Country.

A block of Chenin Blanc@Millton Vineyard

Gisborne is the most easterly town in New Zealand. James and Annie set up their vineyard in 1984 and went biodynamic in 1985, so they were amongst the first in the world to do so. I was lucky to have the chance to have a vertical tasting of their Chenins from 2000 through to 2006, although the 2002 was missing as there is none left. The styles vary considerably from vintage to vintage depending on whether there is any botrytis. All had lovely fruit characters and good balancing acidity and plenty of life left in them. James kindly pulled out an 1985 Millton that was still wonderfully fresh – far more impressive than a Marc Bredif 1986 Grande Année that he also kindly pulled out. The Grande Année was dilute and uninteresting. Fortunately the other treat – a 1964 Vouvray from Bourillon d’Orleans – upheld the Loire’s reputation.