Family Winemakers Since 1949
Čuvar Winery, grounded in proud Croatian heritage, marks a new chapter for the Fistonich Family. Launched in 2023 and based at a historic Hawke’s Bay winery in Bay View, Čuvar crafts contemporary classic wines defined by purity, balance and structure, wines shaped by place and guided by experience.
A New Frontier
Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand — Čuvar Winery, founded by Sir George Fistonich, announces the release of its first Čuvar Guardians Syrah from the exceptional 2024 vintage, sourced from the Cornerstone Vineyard in the Gimblett Gravels, alongside the Čuvar Guardians Chardonnay 2024.
The 2024 vintage had close to ideal conditions. A cool, extended flowering period led to lighter crops and naturally concentrated fruit, followed by a settled growing season of warm days and cool nights. This long, even ripening window has resulted in wines with both energy
and generosity, showing depth without heaviness and precision without austerity.
Senior Winemaker Dave Mackintosh, who joined Čuvar earlier last year, says:
“This is a Syrah that speaks volumes of both the Cornerstone site and the 2024 season. There’s a beautiful perfume of black Doris plum and wild blackberry, with layers of liquorice and brown spice. On the palate you see that classic Gimblett Gravels character coming through, black pepper, savoury notes, dried herbs, all carried by fine, chalky tannins and fresh
acidity.”
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Cornerstone Vineyard
A site long trusted by Sir George Fistonich over many decades and widely regarded as one of Hawke’s Bay’s finest for Syrah. The grapevines are planted on free-draining alluvial gravels along the Ngaruroro River, naturally producing low yields and concentrated fruit, giving wines of clarity, structure and depth
