History
Little Beauty is young and says so. Its first vintage was 2008. The name is a Kiwi phrase of affection, the sort of thing you say when something excites you. The winery says it fits because it's a small wine company that wants to make beautiful wines, from a small country with beautiful scenery.
Fleur McCree and Mark are both named on the winery's site as co-founders. A 2025 report on a winemaker's dinner in Edinburgh says Fleur founded it with her husband and a small team. The winery stresses how limited it is. It says its yearly production is a tiny fraction of the world market and it will only ever be a limited release.
Grapes, vineyards and winemaking
Everything comes from one vineyard in the Waihopai Valley, one of Marlborough's Southern Valleys. The winery describes the site as discreet, once a sheep farm, under the mountains on stony, free draining river terraces with water running beneath. It holds five varieties, five blocks, nine clones and several soil types and microclimates. The winery describes the Southern Valleys as hot by day, cool at night, sheltered from the sea breeze and later ripening.
Marlborough is one of the sunniest places in the world to grow grapes, with about 2,400 hours of sun and 600mm of rain a year. Mark's line on the site is that the wine is made in the vineyard, and vine health and balance come first.
Eveline is the winemaker. The winery says she has made 22 vintages in Marlborough, six of them as head winemaker at Cloudy Bay and thirteen so far at Little Beauty. Jason, Melissa and Geoff run the vineyard, with more than 90 years in the industry between them. Sauvignon Blanc and Riesling are machine picked. Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer are usually picked by hand.
Farming and how it's run today
The winery says every berry and every bottle is made under Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, and the vineyard holds New Zealand's 100% sustainable accreditation. Fleur's line is that they see themselves as guardians of the land. The site mentions streams and natural wetlands around the vines and sustainably managed frost protection.
The range comes in three collections. The Limited Edition covers all five varieties. The Black Edition is three varieties, made only in exceptional vintages. The Noble Edition is two sweet wines, each made only once.
Wines we stock
Limited Edition Sauvignon Blanc is the flagship of the Limited range, single vineyard and 100% Sauvignon Blanc. Machine picked, by the winery's own account.
Limited Edition Pinot Gris is from the same vineyard and picked by hand.
Black Edition Pinot Noir is from the top tier, which the winery only makes in exceptional years and describes as showing what its team can do. Pinot Noir is hand picked.
