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
Frenchmans Hill Estate wine was grown on the ideally positioned steep northern slopes at the base of the Te Whau Peninsula on iconic Waiheke Island. Here the earth is described as quartz kaolinate over greywacke sub-rock which is mineral rich.
As the French say "plus pauvre le sol, plus grand le vin".
The Terroir
The impoverished sandy/gravelly clays of Waiheke are ideal viticultural soils for the expression of truly cellar-worthy 'complex' reds that will evolve favourably over time.
All Frenchmans Hill Estate wines are grown and made by Luc from vineyards that he established in 2006. Perfectly matching grape varieties to various micro sites to achieve what he describes as "unique earth expressions".
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 has over 30 years global experience in wine growing and wine making since his debut in France in 1989.
After completing a business degree, Luc travelled to France to learn his father’s culture and completed another degree in winemaking and viticulture in the Medoc appellation area of Bordeaux. Leaving Bordeaux seven years later, Luc furthered his craft by managing large Eastern European productions in Hungary and Moldova for a further three years.
In developing Frenchmans Hill Estate, Luc steadfastly sticks to the techniques and protocols learnt whilst working in the 'grand cru' appellations of Bordeaux and Burgundy. He believes with the right sites and an uncompromising approach toward yields, vine and soil management, New Zealand matches it with many of the world's greatest wines.
Luc’s vision is for his artisan wines to be enjoyed, collected and shared by whanau and friends alike.
An Ode To The Land
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
And here my senses woke
I heard the wailing karakia 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 cry now distantly
In whispered sighing floods
There I saw great bravery the pride of iwi past
There I saw cold savagery and bloodied waters vast
I tumbled through 8 coarsing veins with each a beating heart
Te Arawa, Ngati Poaoa,
Nga Puhi with the musket gun
and there came my epiphany
8 bloods becoming one
Sentinel spirits stand guard here now
for they those battles won
