(L-R) Holly Girven Russell, Hester Nesbitt and Casey Motley of Three Fates Wines. Three Fates Wines
Most of us can still remember what we were doing when COVID-19 swept across the globe in 2020; the turmoil and grave medical emergencies which gripped every community of the world while we waited for vaccines to be developed. Remarkably, it was in this environment—forged by fire as it were—that Three Fates Wines was born.
Holly Girven Russell, Hester Nesbitt, and Casey Motley were all still in their 20s when they started the project. It began with the three young women taking on a viticultural project, the Noetzli family vineyard in Maraekakaho of Central Hawke’s Bay. Planted in 2007, this sheltered and sunny hillside vineyard is home to arneis, albariño, cabernet franc, and a small amount of syrah. It is far enough inland that no coastal influence is found, unlike most of the well-known parts of Hawke’s Bay.
Their wines have, since release, been a little left of centre, yet always identifiable, like a remastered, livelier and more relevant remix of well-known tunes.
They are no strangers to wine either. Holly, as the observant may have guessed from her name, is the daughter of winemaking legend Gordon Russell—the creative and winemaking force behind Esk Valley‘s great pedigree of wines. She has accumulated several vintages experience at Elephant Hill, Tawse (in Canada) and Mac Forbes in Yarra Valley.
Hester has worked at Adelina in the Clare Valley, Greyfriars in up-and-coming Surrey, England, Domaine François Villard
This Article was originally published on The Real Review
