One to watch: The Landing

You’ve just got to care,’ says vineyard manager Tereza Byrne, adding with a laugh, ‘I know all the vines individually.’ This meticulousness is a large part of why The Landing’s wines are turning heads.

When US-based Kiwi Peter Cooper bought a spectacular 400ha coastal farm on Northland’s Purerua peninsula in the north of New Zealand’s North Island in 1999, the plan was simply to create house sites for family and friends.

Twenty-six years later, The Landing has become something far more, with its 13ha vineyard and winery shifting the quality paradigm of Northland wine, underpinned by a deep commitment to land, history and sustainability.

The site itself is extraordinary. Overlooking the Bay of Islands, it includes six private beaches, sweeping hill country and layers of human history, including pā sites (historical Māori fortified settlements) and former Māori gardens.

And nearby Rangihoua Bay is where English-born missionary Samuel Marsden first came ashore in 1814 (the source of the winery’s name), marking some of the earliest encounters between local Māori and European settlers.

Luxurious hideaway

Today, guests might arrive by helicopter or by superyacht, or wind their way along the peninsula’s gravel roads. Those with (very) deep pockets may stay in one of four striking residences. Fabulously private and ultra-luxurious, they’ve hosted the likes of former US president Barack Obama and singer Dua Lipa.

The service is understated rather than starstruck – many staff have been with the property since its inception – offering laidback warmth and phenomenal attention to detail. Activities include heritage tours, boat trips, nocturnal kiwi walks, or simply enjoying a glass of wine on the cellar door lawn in front of the stylish winery.

Sustainability is a strong focus. More than a million native trees and other plants have been propagated in an on-site nursery and planted across the estate, creating wetlands and forest corridors that now shelter more than 250 kiwi, while little blue penguins nest in areas adjacent to the beaches.

The Landing achieved carbon-zero certification in 2021 and donates thousands of young trees annually to Auckland residents through the Coopers’ Greening the City project. The vineyard is also trialling posts made from recycled plastic milk bottles, and low-impact farming remains a guiding ethos.

Chardonnay and Syrah were first planted in 2007. Over time, the vineyard has grown from 2ha to 13ha, with a smorgasbord of varieties.

A steer towards freshness

Tereza, who joined in 2014 to help oversee one expansion, ticks through the blocks and clones, noting one offers ‘spikier acid’, another ‘rich ripeness’, and yet another unfolds with savoury, vanilla length. These observations reflect the detailed mapping Tereza and her husband, winemaker Ben Byrne, have undertaken.

Ben had already been working with The Landing’s fruit at Marsden Estate, where its early wines were made. ‘I could always see the potential,’ he recalls, ‘but at Marsden we couldn’t separate out blocks.’

That changed in 2019 when The Landing opened its own winery and cellar door, and Ben became its winemaker. Blocks and clones could then be vinified individually; Chardonnay and Syrah quickly emerged as standouts.

Ben has steered the wines towards freshness and elegance. Chardonnay sees less oak, lees and malolactic influence, with wild ferments, large wooden fermenters and puncheons adding texture and savouriness.

Syrah, previously picked later, now reflects the lift that the coastal fruit can deliver. ‘Working to numbers was counterproductive for us,’ Tereza explains. ‘An observational approach has been far better.’

A tricky place to make wine

The range comprises three tiers: Boathouse, The Landing and the flagship Madre wines, first released in 2020 and named for matriarch Sue Cooper. Chardonnay accounts for about half of production, followed by Syrah, with smaller volumes of rosé, Pinot Gris, a red blend called Vino Rosso, plus occasional experimental bottlings.

Exports are growing strongly in the US, where Cooper’s son Adam manages distribution. Recognition has also followed, with multiple accolades, including Gold at the 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards (for the 2021 Chardonnay in The Landing tier of the range).

Two centuries ago, New Zealand’s first vines were planted in Northland (by Samual Marsden); today, a handful of commercial wineries remain. Conditions can be demanding: plentiful rainfall, salt-laden winds, deep (clay and volcanic) soils and increasingly unpredictable seasons, but these challenges energise the Byrnes.

The Landing offers a model of measured ambition, and thanks to Tereza’s observant viticulture and Ben’s thoughtful, quietly confident winemaking, this corner of Northland is now showing just how fine its wines can be.

North stars: the estate’s flagship wines

The Landing, Madre Chardonnay, Northland, New Zealand 2021 – 95-points

Aromas of ripe lemon, melon and yellow peach, a touch of orange blossom and struck match. This has a stylish, layered palate with good flow, lively acidity and fine, toasty oak, plus a long, dry, savoury finish. Citrus-rich and mouthfilling, but for all its richness, this is a very harmonious, well-made wine with good balance and freshness.

Drink: 2025-2035 / Alcohol: 14%

The Landing, Madre Syrah, Northland, New Zealand 2022 – 93-points

Generous, spicy fruit underpinned by an earthy richness and savoury bay leaf notes. The plush, supple palate shows plenty of brambly, plummy fruit depth and good concentration, as well as firm but fine, sandy tannins. Somewhat brooding to start with, but unfolds very nicely in the glass with a bit of air.

Drink: 2025-2032 / Alcohol: 14%

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