Settlement Ashmore Riesling
Founded by Steve Planthaber, originally from Adelaide but post school left for the South Island of New Zealand. A move to Marlborough with his partner Kirsty Sutherland cemented his love for all things wine. Hard not to be inspired when meeting the Sutherland’s who were one of the pioneers of viticulture in the region, part of the original success of Cloudy Bay followed by establishing their own estate Dog Point. Steve was keen to find his own path and after 12 years running the production and operations at Cloudy Bay decided to begin his own wine brand, Settlement. Settlement, named after the stunning Amphitheatre single vineyard site in the Omaka Valley, is dedicated entirely to the production of organic, old vine single vineyard expressions of very special sites in Marlborough. Planted in 1997 the Ashmore vineyard is located in the southern end Wairau Valley hence why it has a soil type reflecting the signature of the Southern Valleys, with silt loam soils overlying clay Although the vineyard has irrigation it’s never used, simply due to the now established 23 year old plantings and terrior. Hand-picked, whole bunch pressed to tank. Marlborough of course produces wines with naturally very high acidity (in this case a PH of 2.88) and with this in mind Steve was keen to balance this in the Riesling, finishing the ferment early to retain some residual sugar,15 grams to be exact. 12 months in bottle before release.
Amisfield Sauvignon Blanc
Aromatics of freshly cut pineapple and pink grapefruit notes, the palate shows subtle creamy notes and texture with refined minerality.
Settlement Heritage Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc
Lively organic Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from an excellent new producer.
Catalina Sounds Chardonnay
Mud House NZ By Nature Marlborough Pinot Noir
Mud House NZ By Nature Marlborough Pinot Noir is an amalgamation of everything that makes New Zealand unique. Dark cherry fruit flavours pair with aromas of bramble and berries for a rich, yet elegant, red wine. Enjoy with friends.
Mollet Pouilly Fume
This fantastic Sauvignon Blanc from France shows notes of orange blossom, lime peel and traditional Pouilly Fume gun-smoke on the nose, which blends seamlessly with the slatey, stoney minerality of the palate, all underpinned by classic Loire acidity. Crisp, refreshing and downright tasty!
42 Degrees South Sauvignon Blanc
This premium cool climate Sauvignon Blanc from the Coal River Valley in Tasmania displays fresh aromas of citrus and tropical fruit, soft and creamy with delicate flavours.
Meltwater Marlborough Chardonnay
A rather hedonistic nose suggests ripe pears, fresh peach and oatmeal while the palate is taught and chalky with nectarine, pear and iodine notes and a driven freshness. Unmistakably Marlborough for its cleansing hit of salty goodness, this is harmonious, balanced and dry. Established in 2011, Corofin is the new home for ex-Jackson Estate winesmith Mike Paterson and his partner Anna, until recently GM at TerraVin. At this early juncture, while Mike is contracted to another project and Anna busy raising the couples two young daughters, Corofin craft two (soon to be three) single-vineyard Pinot Noirs, each in tiny 100-150-case lots. You can read about two of these pretty special Marlborough sites below (the third being the Weavers Waihopi Slopes at Churton). Not too far down the line well see a little Chardonnay as well. For the time being the wines are made out of temporary digs at Fromm. Having spent the majority of their working years in and about Marlborough, Mike and Anna have no doubt regarding the potential of their adopted region, and were well placed to approach their first choice of vineyards. Indeed, Patersons selection of sites reflects both a winemakers enthusiasm for Marlboroughs Southern Valley hillside vineyards plus the dedication of certain grape growers whose vineyards he believes act as a beacon of Marlborough individuality. Not by accident do these growers focus on organic and/or biodynamic principles. In addition, Patersons artisanal approach in the winery does the necessary justice to each site; hand-harvesting and sorting, whole berry/cluster ferments, fermentation with indigenous yeast, no fining nor filtration and zero new wood, with the wines raised in 2-4 year old barrels. In a region where for much of the time money talks and terroir walks, Corofins 2013s show that great, singular terroir is thriving in Marlborough (a cliché that has sometimes hit troubled waters in its journey across the ditch). Paterson goes one step further in demonstrating that precocious, ripe Marlborough Pinot can be made without confected fruit, nor winemaking artefactPatersons are beautifully aromatic, detailed and sculpted Pinot Noir, which combine the best of all worlds: finesse, freshness, terroir transparency. We can already tell you hes got a similar way with Chardonnay. The wines have the aromatic prowess and elegant texture that will appeal to Burgundy fanatics, but also youthful generosity and reasonable price tag; qualities all Pinot lovers can get behind. In short, were delighted to be working with this talented and classy young project.
Rapaura Springs Bouldevines Vyd Chardonnay
Complex and enticing grapefruit, citrus and white peach characters are complemented by struck-flint, spice and vanilla. In the glass the wine is loaded with texture. Stone fruit and citrus are underpinned by a flinty mineral flavour and toasty complexity. The Bouldevines Vineyard is located at the entrance to the Omaka Valley, inland from the coast. This vineyard sits in the Southern Valleys, with soils that are stony, alluvial, and free draining. The inland location is cooler, allowing the Chardonnay grapes to achieve optimum ripeness and expressive fruit flavour, while retaining vibrant acidity.
Voyager Estate Sauvignon Blanc Semillon
Voyager Estate in the Margaret River seem to have a mortgage on this style! An attractive herbal edge on the nose is supported by a lemony/minerally palate with terrific acid and length.