2022 Čuvar Iris Malbec/Merlot, Hawkes Bay
$30.00
“Dark hues of ruby and purple lead to a bouquet of plums, black berries and black spices, dark chocolate and wood smoke. Flavours of the palate of blackberry and black currant then plum, vanilla and clove are held together with a backbone of acidity and wood smoke, tannins and synergies of all. A dry wine with a salivating mouthfeel, texture and fruity finish. A wine that still needs some time for integration and a littl softening. Best drinking from late 2024 through 2029”
– Cameron Douglas, Master Sommelier, Jan 2024
Čuvar
The Fistonich family wine story began in New Zealand in 1949, when Croatian immigrants Andrija and Mandica Fistonich were granted their first licence to sell wine, made to share with family, friends and their local community.
Their son George grew up among the vines and, at twenty-one, established Villa Maria in 1961. Over the decades that followed he helped shape the modern New Zealand wine industry, championing quality, investing in Hawke’s Bay and leading the move to screwcaps. He was knighted for services to the industry in 2009.
After the family sold Villa Maria in 2021, Sir George began again. At eighty-four he founded Čuvar Winery as the family’s next chapter, for the love of great wine.
Čuvar (pronounced chu-var) means “guardian” in Croatian, honouring the pioneers who built New Zealand’s wine industry and the family’s responsibility to leave a stronger legacy for future generations.
Today Čuvar is led by Karen Fistonich, Sir George’s daughter, who has worked in the family wine business for almost three decades. From three estate-owned Hawke’s Bay vineyards, Čuvar crafts contemporary classic New Zealand wines across the Iris and Guardians Collections.
