Our driving force is to produce fruit of intense varietal character and superb quality. We also recognise our obligation to have a low impact on our environment. These things have led us to ensure that all of our vineyards are managed under the principles of New Zealand's Sustainable Winegrowing programme. This programme is an independently audited system that ensures minimum use of chemicals.
We concentrate on placing the right vines in the right places. The topography of our vineyards, with their multiple terraces, gives us diverse soil and climatic conditions. This is the key to the stunning quality of our wines. Our viticultural focus is on maintaining low yields and achieving the perfect vine balance to produce fruit that ripens uniformly, with maximum flavour intensity.
Winemaking
Winemaker Matt Mitchell sees himself as the custodian of the flavours delivered by the viticultural team. With a winery configured specifically to produce Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, Matt utilises time-honoured traditional methods in a state-of-the-art winery to capture the intense fruit flavours of Marlborough.
Using our own harvester, we are able to bring superb, clean fruit to the winery quickly, ensuring that flavour intensity is not lost. Sauvignon Blanc is fermented in stainless steel tanks at strictly controlled temperatures. Lees stirring is used to give complexity and texture. Parcels of fruit from individual portions of the various terraces are processed separately, so that Matt can assemble a final blend with a myriad of textures and flavours, making wines of refinement, elegance and intensity.
Our single vineyard (Medway) Chardonnay is cool fermented, with minimal skin contact, in stainless steel tanks. Hand picked Pinot Noir is fermented in specially developed stainless steel fermenters, in a separate cellar. The wine is then racked to French oak barriques for maturation.
Our driving force is to produce fruit of intense varietal character and superb quality. We also recognise our obligation to have a low impact on our environment. These things have led us to ensure that all of our vineyards are managed under the principles of New Zealand's Sustainable Winegrowing programme. This programme is an independently audited system that ensures minimum use of chemicals.