When it comes to excellence in winemaking there is no doubt that consistency in vital - you can’t build a legacy without setting the expectation of quality and a recognisable style or signature that befits your brand. Achieving these things especially when wine as a by product of a natural process will change vintage upon vintage isn’t simple. But when you have a winemaker who is as technically brilliant as he is passionate, it can be made to look easy.
Congratulating the incredible Malcolm Rees-Francis on 20 incredible years at Rockburn.
This from Rockburn…
The 2025 vintage at Rockburn marks a major milestone for Central Otago winemaker Malcolm Rees-Francis, who celebrates his 20th vintage at Rockburn. His journey began far from the vineyard rows—in the rural heart of Waimate, a South Island town known more for sheep and cattle than Pinot Noir.
At eighteen, determined to take a different path, Malcolm left rural life behind to study microbiology at Otago University. But it wasn’t long before science gave way to a newfound passion: winemaking.
After university, Malcolm immersed himself in the New Zealand wine industry, working cellar roles in Marlborough and Central Otago. His big break came in 2001 when he joined Felton Road as Assistant Winemaker to Blair Walter. Four years later, having further broadened his Pinot Noir horizons with multiple vintages in Oregon, USA, Malcolm took up the reins at Rockburn, where over the next two decades he would help shape the winery’s signature style—elegant, expressive, and benchmark Central Otago.
Fittingly, Malcolm’s 20th vintage was one for the books. The 2025 season began with a rare one in 20 year frost hitting in early November, striking at a critical moment in vine growth. A swift and successful recovery plan was enacted to stimulate secondary shoot growth.
The remaining growing season brought near perfect conditions. Above-average temperatures through the growing season allowed the vines and fruit to thrive. While overall yields were down in 2025, the hand-harvested fruit is of exceptional quality, and Malcolm and the team are excited to craft wines with outstanding concentration, finesse, and regional expression.
Over the past two decades, Rockburn has proven to be one of New Zealand’s most consistently awarded Pinot Noir producers, earning numerous trophies, gold medals, and five-star ratings for their wines globally. It’s a true testament to Malcolm’s deep understanding of the vines, soil, climate, oak, and the winemaking process—skills perhaps only a microbiologist-turned-winemaker could truly master.