Three Fates releases chenin blanc after Cyclone Gabrielle challenges

Gordon Russell with daughter Holly Girven Russell. Photo / Richard Brimer

Hawke’s Bay-based Three Fates, the wine brand founded by Holly Girven Russell, Hester Nesbitt and Casey Motley, has just released a 2024 chenin blanc.

This wine is more than just another addition to their range – it’s the result of a father-daughter collaboration between Holly and Gordon Russell, a winemaker with more than three decades of experience at Esk Valley Estate.

It is also an achievement of grit, hard work and determination needed after the heartbreak of Cyclone Gabrielle.

Luckily, three weeks before the cyclone, the Three Fates team had bottled their last wine from the previous vintage and moved it out of the Esk Valley winery where they operate.

However, their fruit-picking bins floated away and off to sea, with the already-broken ones never to be seen again – but miraculously, their good ones found their way home. How lucky is that?

For Three Fates, this wine represents the culmination of four years of learning, growth and experimentation together.

The trio of women behind the brand have always worked with a sense of curiosity, using an intuitive approach to winemaking garnered from a decade spent working in wineries across the world.

Holly Girven Russell, Casey Motley and Hester Nesbitt. Photo / David Robinson

This is the first in a series of collaborative wines; an attempt to respect the knowledge accumulated through a life in wine and acknowledge how that is passed on to younger generations.

In essence, a celebration of the stuff you can’t learn in wine school.

Why chenin blanc, you may ask? When Ian and Linda Quinn from Two Terraces Vineyard in Hawke’s Bay, who have consistently produced exceptional fruit for Gordon, offered a parcel of grapes to Three Fates, the opportunity for the daughter-father collaboration was too good to miss.

Chenin blanc is a chameleon of a grape which, under the right conditions, produces a wine full of sunshine, with pineapple, passionfruit and honey flavours. It has the ability to “show you the season” and, as Holly says, “it is a wine with soul”.

Chenin blanc.

Though the variety has previously fallen out of favour with the public, you may find things are about to change.

Gordon’s journey with chenin blanc began when he joined Esk Valley in 1989, a time when this variety was struggling to find its place in the New Zealand wine scene.

Over the years, he worked tirelessly to champion chenin blanc, and in doing so helped secure a legacy that gained international recognition.

When Holly and her team had the opportunity to work with chenin blanc, it was only natural to turn to Gordon. His decades of expertise, combined with his connection to the site, made him the perfect collaborator.

He knew the Two Terraces combination of gravelly soils, hot days and cool nights created a unique environment for the grapes, and under his guidance, Three Fates was able to craft a wine that respects both the fruit and the vineyard.

“I’ve always had a deep respect for the land and what it gives us,” Gordon reflects.

“When I started at Esk Valley in 1989, I had no idea that chenin blanc would become such an integral part of my winemaking life and that I would still be working with it all these years later.

“With the 2024 vintage being one of the greatest of all Hawke's Bay vintages, and the fruit in perfect condition, all the components fell into place to make a wine of the highest quality.”

The label for this wine features a yellow design, chosen to reflect the bright, fruit-forward nature of the variety.

Chenin Blanc. Photo / Supplied

The illustration is based on a painting by famed New Zealand artist and Russell family friend, the late Fane Flaws. Bird Watcher is a piece that has hung in the Russell family home since 2004.

“This label is a fitting tribute to the close connection between family, art and wine.”

For Three Fates, this release marks an important milestone.

Hester Nesbitt, Casey Motley and Holly Girven Russell. Photo / David Robinson

Nesbitt, Motley and Russell have always been focused on creating wines that are personal, authentic and reflect their own journey.

Working with Gordon was an opportunity to weave that history into the fabric of the brand.

The 2024 Three Fates x Gordon Russell Chenin Blanc is a testament to what happens when you blend tradition with fresh, new ideas – and when you make wine with people who share your vision.

Three Fates will be continuing with their collaboration journey this year, crafting a wine with another of their heroes, Jenny Dobson, the first female winemaker in Bordeaux.

They are looking to draw on her experience and expertise to produce a special sauvignon blanc, so watch this space.

The 2024 Three Fates x Gordon Russell Chenin Blanc is now available for purchase through Three Fates’ online store and select retailers (Advintage, By the Bottle and Puffin).