A couple of minutes after arriving at Onslow for this inaugural tasting of wines from the Two Terraces Vineyard, I was laughing with owner Ian Quinn that “I knew you and Linda before you were famous!” To see so many top winemakers present for this event is testament to the hard graft and success that Ian and Linda Quinn have put in, and achieved, in a few short years. I’d been given the heads-up by Kate Radburnd that if I was visiting Hawke’s Bay then I should make time to go and see this newcomer – back in 2020 (pre-COVID).
Fast forward to 2025, and they now have nineteen different winemakers – taking sixty one different parcels of grapes – lining up at their gate to get some of the premium fruit for their wines. It reads like a ‘who’s who’ of Hawke’s Bay wines. Warren and Lorraine from Bilancia are here to show off their first ‘Two Terraces’ Chardonnay (unreleased as yet – form a queue…). The ‘old school’ sees Tony Bish with his new wine, Radburnd, Smith & Sheth and Easthope alongside the new guard of Helio, Halcyon Days, Tawhiti, Three Fates, Decibel and Amoise.
There are four Masterclasses through the day – I manage two of them. In the first Ian takes us through the ‘Two Terraces story’ and we taste a range of white and reds; then ‘Chardonnay’ which I sneak into late and luckily get to try four more amazing examples. The wines show a finesse and elegance, with a few signature bits and pieces woven throughout. A savoury phenolic thread that Tony Bish settles on calling ‘culinary herbs’ – I’d written down ‘tarragon’ as a tasting note in the Chardonnays… certainly.
There is a brisk acidity as well. They can get a thirty degree diurnal range in temperatures – from 3 degree mornings to 33 degree afternoons. I see a lighter, more raspberry red berry fruit flavour to the reds than you’d see if somewhere like Gimblett Gravels. A few wines are made where that style is blended to balance wines from the plains. A lifted floral note pops up in a few of the wines I’ll taste today too.
Many of the winemakers will trust the fruit to the point where indigenous ferments are the norm. The soil health encouraging a diverse range of plants alongside the vines, and the rude health of what comes off as a crop doesn’t need any prepackaged yeasts to help it along. The diversity of those using the grapes also helps foster a rich sense of community in Hawke’s Bay. As Amy from halcyon days explains – there are small labels – who don’t own their own vineyards – who can only exist if they have access to places like this.
It is the winemakers who have sought out the coveted fruit that comes off this riverside terrace. The growers have just had to come up with ever-more elaborate ways of keeping everyone happy, with lists and sub-lists balancing wants and connections. When they first planted, the plantings of Gamay Noir and Chenin Blanc came from suggestions from winemakers, and Ian is keen to keep up dialogues with what the producers are looking for. They tend to have an open door policy – to the point where a rarity that is a collection of independent makers gathering together in one place to talk about one thing – does actually happen – in the lounge of the Quinn’s house overlooking the top terrace.
Here are my thoughts on the wines I tasted at the Masterclass:
Tony Bish Wines Two Terraces Vineyard Chardonnay 2023
Pale gold colour in the glass. Dry, zesty with a pithy phenolic line that sits well with the direct drive of acidity. More peach, baking spice and nutty oak deeper into the palate.
Bilancia Two Terraces Vineyard Chardonnay 2024
Shy at first, with an elusive perfume of almond, pear and lemon peel, but expands into a generous palate that is plush, juicy and has the fruit framed with rich oak.
Smith & Sheth CRU Quinn Chardonnay 2022
Peppery and funky, with a reductive flintiness on the nose. A dry, chalky fruit tannin also adds interest. Powerful through the middle, with plenty of lush peach and citrus.
Radburnd Chardonnay 2021
A more exotic profile to this one than the other Chardonnays. Full-bodied but also fine and elegant. A swish through the palate with crisp acidity into a mealy texture at the finish.
Smith & Sheth CRU Heretaunga Albariño 2024
This also has fruit from the excellent Howell Vineyard included. White peach, satsuma, golden apple and white pepper. A spicy palate shows a pop of fruit with a zip of acidity.
Three Fates x Gordon Russell Chenin Blanc 2024
A bright straw gold colour. Greengage, quince, lychee and green herbs. Filled with energy, it also packs a punch at 14% alcohol. A nip of tannin, a hint of oak as well perhaps?
Amoise Gamay Noir 2022
An opaque garnet red with a light touch of raspberry, redcurrant and pepper. Earthy and quite Pinot-like in the floral, lifted perfume. Finishes dry, with a touch of spice.
Easthope Gamay Noir 2020
A bolder expression, with much more extraction resulting in structure, depth and body. Rosehip, pomegranate and candied plums. Quite serious but still juicy and approachable.
what a wonderful glimpse into the Hawke’s Bay wine community coming together. As someone who works hands-on every day (just like winemaking, but with wires), there’s something in that collaborative spirit, precision, and attention to detail that resonates deeply. Tasting notes like “culinary herbs” and those sharp diurnal contrasts—so intriguing. Thanks for sharing a bit of the passion behind the pour!
excellent coverage.