Catalina Sounds Pinot Noir
Approachable, generous and flavoursome with a silken elegance. Berry fruits come to the fore with gentle dried herb notes in the background. Medium bodied, the palate is finely structured with lovely soft lingering tannins which integrate perfectly with the soft supportive acid and plush fruit.
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.
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.
Valli Waitaki Vineyard Pinot Gris
Hunter’s Pinot Noir
Aged for 12 months in French oak barrels. Deep dark red core with black tinged edges and a dark red hue. Spicy red to dark cherry aromas mix with hints of stalky cedar, earth and meaty notes. On the palate generous dark cherry fruits are intertwined with strawberry, earth, spicy dried meat characters and dried herbs. Good flesh with slightly grainy tannins and a savoury medium length conclusion. Drink over the next 3-4 years. Alc. 13.5%
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.
Villa Maria Private Bin Pinot Noir
Family owned Villa Maria Estate has been rated as New Zealands
Forrest The Doctors' Marlborough Rose
Dr Forrest and his wife Brigid (also a doctor) use techniques in the vineyard to allow the grapes to obtain maximum flavour, but keep sugar (and therefore alcohol) levels down. No fancy winery or laboratory tricks – just some very clever canopy management and timing as to when they pick. This delicious lower alcohol (9.5%) Rosé melds Pinot Noir with the white grape Arneis to create a delightfully fresh and lively pink, bursting with fresh strawberries, ripe red cherry, and just a hint of aromatic herbs like sage and thyme.
Field of Stones Sauvignon Blanc
Forrest Estate now have vineyards in premium Otago and Gimlett Gravels but grapes for Field of Stones Sauvignon are pure Marlborough, grown on the very stony soil adjacent to the Forrest winery, hence the name ‘Field of Stones’. The fruit is harvested in the cool of the night and early morning to maximise the mineral freshness and the lemon thyme, elderflower and guava flavours. Bring on the seafood platter!
Settlement Poplars Chardonnay
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. Poplars vineyard is further south in the Brancott Valley, just next to the famous Section 94 vineyard. Named after trees surrounding the site the vines were planted in 1992, Mendoza clone (now 28 years old). Alluvium soils over a clay subsoil as opposed to the river rock/silt of the Wairau valley floor. Hand-picked, racked of solids, wild ferment in barrel, then elevage for 12 months, 15% new.