Gillman Vineyard is a tiny single-vineyard estate at Matakana, north of Auckland, established from 1998 by Toby Gillman and his father John after years spent volunteering at New Zealand wineries. The roughly 1.5-acre site sits on a steep, north-facing slope of free-draining, iron-rich volcanic clay, sheltered from rain and warmed by the nearby Pacific - conditions well suited to Bordeaux varieties. The vineyard is planted about two-thirds to Cabernet Franc, with the balance to Merlot and Malbec, and is farmed intensively by hand; Toby notes the plot is small enough that he knows every vine. The estate makes a single blended red each year, and the warm 2019 Auckland vintage was well regarded for reds.

Grapes are hand-harvested in April, with damaged berries removed by hand before fermentation. In an Old World, Bordeaux-influenced manner, the must ferments on natural yeasts and is hand-plunged, then pressed in a traditional basket press. The blend of Cabernet Franc, Merlot and Malbec is matured for around two years in French oak before bottling, building the wine's fine, long tannins and its cedar and spice notes while keeping the red-plum and earthy, savoury fruit to the fore. The small scale allows gentle, largely manual handling throughout, in an elegant, food-friendly style.