Description

2016 Horizontal Sampler – Three-Wine Vintage Collection

A curated tasting of the 2016 vintage across three cellar-aged estate wines

The 2016 Three-Bottle Horizontal Sampler offers a captivating way to experience the story of a single vintage through three distinctive, cellar-aged wines. Rather than tasting 2016 through just one variety, this collection reveals the shared rhythm, structure, and elegance of the season—expressed through Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir from the Foxes Island Awatere Valley estate.

As Founder and Vigneron John Belsham reflects, “When you taste several wines from the same vintage, you gain a deeper sense of the year itself. Each wine speaks with its own voice, yet all carry the same quiet thread of vintage-driven harmony.”

Since 1992, Foxes Island has been the only winery in New Zealand to cellar-age all its wines before release, a deliberate commitment that allows each wine to evolve with balance and finesse. Crafted using indigenous fermentation and non-manipulative winemaking, these three wines reveal purity, precision, and a true expression of terroir.

Perfect for gifting, sharing, or exploring the 2016 season at home, this sampler provides exceptional value and an elegant introduction to the depth and artistry of the Foxes Island portfolio.

What’s Inside – The 2016 Vintage

2016 Sur Lie Aged Sauvignon Blanc
Vibrant, textural, and age-worthy. Citrus blossom, white peach, alpine herbs, mineral flint, and satin-like lees richness. Pure, architectural, and refined.

2016 Estate Chardonnay
A single-vineyard Chardonnay from the upper terrace of the Awatere Estate. Warm citrus, apricot, chalk, and brioche with elegant structure and natural balance. Indigenous ferment and cellar-aged.

2016 Estate Pinot Noir
Crafted from three Dijon clones grown across seven sculpted river terraces. Dark cherry, sweet spice, savoury herbs, silky tannins, and long, graceful lines. Beautifully composed and evolving with time.