The poorer the soil, the greater the wine
Frenchmans Hill Estate
Nau mai haere mai – welcome to Frenchmans Hill Estate Wines; boutique wines that reflect the evolution of their flavour complexity while showcasing the unique terroir of their origin.
The Poorer The Soil, The Greater The Wine
Frenchman’s Hill Estate wines are grown across three ideally positioned and distinct coastline sites in the east , centre and west of Waiheke Island. On these specifically selected sites the soils are highly weathered, varied, free draining sandy/ gravelly clays over greywacke base rock. A perfect combination for wines that lend themselves toward cellar aging.
As the French say...."Plus pauvre le sol, plus grand le vin"
The Terroir
The french concept of “ terroir” refers to the combination of the four energies and interactions from: The climate, the people, the vine itself and the earth it lives in. Luc believes there is a 5th energy; the spiritual energy that exists in a given place. That energy comes from all the forms of life human, plant and animal that have existed there through millions of years which confers a mysterious ‘ soul’ to the wine.
The History
In 1821, wanting to avenge previous defeats by Tamaki tribes, the Ngapuhi leader Hongi Hika launched an attack on Waiheke. With 2,000 men and 1,000 muskets, he stormed two Ngati Paoa pa (forti‑ed settlements) adjacent to Frenchmans Hill Estate. According to legend, the battle turned the waters red.
Luc is acknowledged by local Tangata Whenua as Kaitiaki, guardian of this sacred site and our famous Blood Creek 8 pays homage to this battle.
Luc Desbonnets
Winegrower Luc Desbonnets started his wine journey smuggling bladders of cheap table wine into the pub to avoid drinking beer whilst studying business at Massey University 1985-88. Thankfully, he moved on to work and study wine growing across France’s finest appellations 1989-1996 before contracting multiple vintages each year across the globe.
In 2005-2006 Luc designed and established three distinct “ highly impoverished” coastline hilltop sites on Waiheke Island. In 2010 he began to produce what are now broadly acclaimed to be amongst New Zealand’s finest examples of cellar aged table wines.
Now, with almost 40 years of experience Luc believes: “Growing fine wine is the magical pursuit of combining unique earths, applied techniques, sensory/ artistic interpretations with spiritual land and people energies, all sprinkled with some luck from the Gods !”
Finding Turangawaewae
Magnetic land you called to me across the Anzac Bay
and as I passed you day to day your luminous warmth glowed
And as I passed you day to day a seed within me sewed
Once my leathered fingers broke
and plugged your sacred ancient earth
A spear of light passed through my heart
twas here my senses woke
I heard a wailing karanga call
Whilst to me ancestors spoke
My fingers foraged deeper still to rivers far beneath
pierced salty veins of history
blends of bloody battles past
Into these my body fell and melded to these bloods
That wailing cried now distantly
In whispered sighing floods
There I saw great bravery the pride of iwi past
Here I saw cold savagery and bloodied waters vast
I tumbled through 8 coarsing veins with each a beating heart
Te Arawa, Ngati Paoa,
Nga Puhi with the musket guns
and then came my epiphany
8 bloods becoming one
Sentinel spirits stand guard here now
for they those battles won
