armit - our key wine producers

The strength of personal relationships between ourselves and our key suppliers and customers has been the armit bedrock and will continue to be for the next twenty years and beyond.

The Gimonnet family have been growing vines and making Champagne since 1750, but it was the period between the two world wars which saw the greatest development of this house under the control of Pierre Gimonnet. From 1955, his son, Michel, took the philosophy of focusing specifically on vineyard sites and expressions of terroir as the benchmark and ethos for the production of Pierre Gimonnet Champagne. Today, the house of Gimonnet is run by Michel’s sons – Didier and Olivier, who have taken this philosophy and exacting attention to detail to new heights.

The Guinaudeau family has owned and lived in Château Grand Village since 1650, and owned Château Lafleur since 1872 when it was founded by Henri Greloud, great great-grandfather of Jacques Guinaudeau. Château Lafleur has continued to improve, generation after generation. In 1984 the leasehold was passed on to Jacques Guinaudeau and his wife Sylvie who continue to look after the estate and became sole owners in 2001. However, their home remains Grand Village where they have made tremendous efforts to up the quality of the wine, to be a worthy stablemate to Lafleur.

Château Haut Brion has had one of the most colourful and celebrated histories of any château culminating in its purchase by the American fi nancier Clarence Dillon. Today, it is still run by the Dillon family with Prince Robert of Luxembourg at its head. The vineyards are only 5km from the centre of the city and it is without doubt due to the fame and prestige of the property, ultimately stemming from its outstanding terroir, that has enabled the vineyard to continue unaffected by the spread of the urban sprawl.

Château Lafleur is a mythical wine, a little jewel which lies between Pétrus and inevitably, Lafleur Pétrus, at the heart of the greatest wines of Pomerol. Unlike any other major Bordeaux property, Lafleur is almost like a Burgundian domaine. The scale is very much smaller than is generally the case – there are only 4.5 hectares of vines here, in one single parcel, producing only about 1,000 cases of Lafleur and 400 cases of Pensées each year.

Margaux is one of the most historic and celebrated estates in the whole of Bordeaux and is considered to be a national treasure. The estate has changed hands many times over the centuries, passing through a who’s who of French nobility as well as the hands of powerful merchants such as the Ginestet family. Today it is 100% owned by Corinne Mentzelopoulos, daughter of André Mentzelopoulos, the Franco- Greek supermarket magnate who purchased the estate in 1977.

Since Christine Valette took over this property in the mid-1980s, the quality of the wines has reached new levels. The brilliant 1989 and 1990 vintages showed just how great the wines of this perfectly-situated château can be. In 2006, recognition was officially won with an upgrading to the coveted ranks of 1er Grand Cru Classé.

The history of Langoa and Léoville Barton is the history of a family who have managed to preserve their inheritance for more than 2 centuries. From one generation to another the wines produced by the two properties have maintained the quality of their classification, offering wines at the very top of their appellation.

The collection of 12 estates in Saint-Emilion and Pomerol promote the company’s ambition to present a unified approach to winemaking. The jewel of Pomerol is undoubtedly Château Pétrus which, following the death of Jean-Pierre Moueix in 2003, is now run by his elder son Jean-François.

The name Arnoux has been a feature in Vosne- Romanée since the mid-19th century. Since the early 1990s, Robert Arnoux’s son-in-law Pascal Lachaux has been running the estate. Pascal has proved himself to be a hugely talented winemaker and his drive and ambition have ensured that the Domaine is now regarded amongst the top tier in Vosne-Romanée.

The legacy left by Jacques d’Angerville is being carried forward in the same authoritative, passionate and committed manner by his son, Guillaume and son-in law Rénaud de Villette. The d’Angerville philosophy is still resolutely in favour of letting the terroir speak and there is mis-trust of new oak which if badly handled can mask the character of the wines, especially in wines as delicate and fragrant as Volnay.

Patrick Bize is one of the best winemakers in Burgundy. Were he working with a more well-known appellation he would have a reputation on a par with his friends Christophe Roumier, Jean-Marie Raveneau and Dominique Lafon. His wines have that rare quality that when you drink them you think they must cost twice as much.

This domaine consistently makes amongst the greatest wines of Burgundy; wines which are at once elegant, complex and charming. Not only are they delicious for drinking young, they are also wines which genuinely benefit from ageing.
Anne-Claude Leflaive succeeded her father in 1990 and was the first of the great Burgundian owners to pioneer the biodynamic system of vineyard management.

Mischief & Mayhem (M&M) is a relatively new venture in Burgundy that brings the very best of this wonderful region up to date. Founded in 2004, it is a partnership between two old friends from opposite sides of the globe who are united by their passion for the region but also by their recognition of its ability to bring frustration and elation to the consumer virtually in equal measure. The dynamic duo are Englishman Michael Ragg and Australian Michael Twelftree.

The Brunel family has lived in the area since the 18^th century, although André’s grandfather was the first in the family to turn his hand to winemaking and the tradition has continued since. André joined his father in 1971 and during his carreer as a vigneron has turned Les Cailloux into a world-class domaine, best known for producing premium, highly sought-after Châteauneuf-du-Pape.

The estate owners, Herbert Tiefenbrunner and his son Christof, both experienced winemakers, are dedicated to the creation of the top quality wines. From the north, the German influences in the region result in wines of great finesse, elegance and aroma, finely complemented by wild Italian flair from the south.

Now managed by third generation Cantele, this estate adopts a fresh and modern approach to winemaking. From the beginning, the winery’s focus was on the potential of local and historic varieties of Negroamaro and Primitivo but they also began work with international and adaptable varieties such as Chardonnay, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon.

The Piedmontese origins of the Gajas go back to 1856 when the family opened a small tavern in the town of Barbaresco and began serving its own wines to complement the food. The subsequent success of the winery has much to do with the exceptional continuity provided by the four generations of Gajas which have presided over it. Angelo joined the family business in 1961, since when he has made many changes resulting in the incredible success of the vineyards today.

Established in 1871, Bruno Giacosa is the third generation of his family to produce wine in this Neive estate and has worked in these family cellars since he was a very young man during World War II. Today, he is ably assisted by his daughter Bruna who markets the wines throughout the world.

Founded in 1981 by Lodovico Antinori, the Ornellaia Estate on the Via Bolgherese, set in a triangle formed by the sea, the medieval hamlet of Bolgheri and the town of Castagneto Carducci. This beautiful, once-wild area has become synonymous with winemaking of the highest order and the estate’s wines reflect the exceptional terroir of the region, complemented by the wonderful Mediterranean climate of coastal Tuscany. Ornellaia is rated amongst the world’s greatest wines.

The Tenuta San Guido estate lies 5 miles inland from south-western Tuscany’s Mediterranean coast. It extends across 5,000 acres, of which 148 are under vine. The first vineyard was planted on the estate in the early 1940s (with some French grafts of Cabernet Sauvignon purchased from Château Lafi te) near Castiglioncello, the Incisa Della Rochetta fortress which dominates the local landscape.

The history of the estate dates back to 1890, when five Basque and Rioja-based vine growers created "Sociedad Vinicola De La Rioja Alta" in the Haro Station District. This was the beginning of a fascinating business venture where the dream of the founders was to craft and age high quality wines. In 1891, the company changed its name to "La Rioja Alta".
The company still has enormous respect for the history and the original philosophy, which is still evident in how the wine is made today.

The history of Quinta Vale Das Escadinhas dates back over 5 generations when the Quinta was established by the Costa Barros de Figueiredo family. The estate spans 23 hectares in the Silgueiros sub-region of Dão, located 10 miles from Viseu. The four vineyards – Vale das Escadinhas, Barreiro, Esmoitada and Falorca – cover 13 hectares on the steep banks of the Dão river facing south with full exposure to the sun.

Birgit Eichinger began her winemaking career experimenting with 3.5 hectares from her parent’s business. She went on to establish Weingut Eichinger in 1992 with her husband Christian, whose experience in the building industry proved invaluable in creating a stateof-the-art winery. The vineyard area has since expanded and fruit is now sourced from more than 8 ha of the finest traditional sites of Strass.

Originally a monastery dating back to 1561, the winery as it is known today was founded in 1806. The Estate is located in the historic wine village of Nierstein on the Rhine. The first vineyards were planted in 1475 and now sprall across the premium ‘Roter-Hang’ (red slope) appellation, with holdings in every significant vineyard. The principal aim of the Estate has always been to combine classic grape varieties and the red slate soil to produce a unique expression of the terroir of each plot in each individual year.

Norm Doole and Drew Dowie joined forces in 1995 to form Dowie Doole, and were soon joined by Leigh Gilligan as an equal partner. Dowie Doole is enjoying a growing reputation both in Australia and overseas, and produces a range of wines from premium through to the excellently priced Spitting Spider wines, which are exclusively labelled for armit. The boys are dedicated to producing classic McLaren Vale wines using only estate grown fruit, as demonstrated in the Dowie Doole, Hunt and Spitting Spider wines.

The winery was established in cool climate Geelong, South West Victoria, in 1982 as a family business, when Richard and Pamela Austin planted five acres of vines with the aim of producing the best Pinot Noir in the World. The Estate now boasts 90 acres of Pinot Noir at Sutherlands Creek, which they believe is the second largest family holding of Pinot in Australia.

Hand grown, handpicked and handmade, Seresin wines have forged a reputation for individuality and complexity. Established in 1992 by filmmaker Michael Seresin, a combination of own vineyard selection, organic and biodynamic viticultural practices and subtle winemaking techniques have ensured Seresin’s commitment to premium wines.

Located in the heart of peaceful Wairarapa northeast of Martinborough lies the Borthwick family vineyard. Having had 15 years’ experience of wine making, 7 of which were spent abroad, Paddy established the Estate in 1996 and has since been going from strength to strength. He believes passionately that the quality of his wines is as much a testament to the excellence of the Estate fruit as to his undoubted skill in the winery.

Steenberg is located in the heart of the Constantia Valley on the foothills of the magnificent Stone Mountains, at the southern tip of South Africa. The farm is also on one of the most historically significant landmarks in the country. The land was originally granted to a young widow from Germany, Catharina Ras, in 1682, and wines were first produced here in 1695. The property then passed through many generations over the course of the next 300 years before being sold in 1990, when it was redeveloped as a golfing estate, hotel and premier winery. Steenberg holds the distinction of being the oldest farm in Constantia Valley.

To discerning wine lovers, the name Mulderbosch needs no introduction. The estate is situated in the prime Koelenhof area of Stellenbosch and has been producing wine since the farm was established in 1989. Mulderbosch is widely considered to be one of the best white wine producers in the country and Mike Dobrovic one of the most talented winemakers in South Africa, who is also referred to as ‘Mr Sauvignon Blanc SA’.

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