Now he can uncross them, his Rockburn 2012 Pinot Noir having been named the top wine in the magazine's pinot noir rankings for this year.
The magazine's judging panel awarded the Cromwell winery five stars and ranked its pinot noir first out of the 159 wines tasted. Mr Rees-Francis said he had known about the wine's accolade for about two months.
''We had to keep it under our hats for a long time before telling people, but now the magazine is due out this week,'' Mr Rees-Francis said.
''When we first heard, I was very excited and somewhat relieved, because with the first wine I made here for Rockburn I got No 2 [in the Cuisine list].
''I thought No 1 would not be too far off, but it is another eight years down the track.''
His wines have won awards and accolades in several national and international competitions and have featured in Cuisine's top 10 list before.
''We punch above our weight,'' he said.
''It is always gratifying to get recognised for the work that I do.''
The judging panel said the Rockburn 2012 Pinot Noir was a ''dark, dense wine that immediately seduces with the generosity and exuberance of its dark-fruit flavours''.
''Behind that pretty face is real depth and structure, with fine tannins and acidity giving it focus and length.''
The company's pinot noir is a blend of fruit from its two vineyard sites at Gibbston and Parkburn, near Cromwell.
The company's viticulturalist is Brett Duffy.
''We have really good sites and the viticulturalist does the best job he can to deliver the best fruit he can for me to work with,'' Mr Rees-Francis said.
When he first started making wine he had a basic list of things to do to the wine, which he felt were important when making a good product.
''Over the years I have been doing less and less and just let the wine be itself.
''If I don't mess with it too much, it is going to taste pretty good.
''All I am ever aiming for is for the wine to tell a little story about where it came from.
''I don't need to mess with it too much, as we get plenty of good fruit with a good texture, not too aggressive and with longevity and presence on the palate.''
A wine might be quaffable and easy to drink but not memorable, and he wanted the good memory to linger.
''I want to keep making good wine that people will enjoy,'' he said.
- by Yvonne O'Hara
