By country :: New Zealand
We French are often accused of exaggerating the significance of ‘Terroir’ and it is only fairly recently that New World producers have admitted to its huge significance. Interestingly enough, it is during a recent visit to New Zealand and particularly Marlborough, that the concept of unique ‘Terroir’ made complete sense to me.
As well as being in awe of the sheer beauty of the country, I was also amazed at how well equipped this region was for wine-making. Neatly tucked in a corridor between the Wither Hills and the Richmond Range, the region is sheltered from heavy rain from the west, and enjoys lots of sunshine hours, which gives the region ideal long
and dry ripening conditions. But why do aromatic grape varieties like Sauvignon Blanc or Riesling do so well in Marlborough? The incredibly marked diurnal temperature variances are the key to the success of these grape varieties. You could easily have lunch outside in a T-shirt but you could also have dinner in front of the fire with a jumper on!
The other important thing that I learnt from my visit to Marlborough is the diversity of terroirs within the region which is divided in three distinctive sub regions. The Wairau Valley is where Clos Henri, a new boutique winery set up by the Bourgeois family that we have added to our portfolio, is based. The Southern Valleys and
in particular the Waihopai Valley is where Little Beauty is based and the Awatere Valley which is situated at the South East of the region and has a cooler climate with a later ripening season.
I would highly recommend to anyone to visit Marlborough, for its wines, its fabulous countryside, its idyllic sounds and not least, for it fantastic gastronomy!
Richard
Found 11 products.
Cloudy Bay, Sauvignon Blanc, 2012Our price: £21.95The Wairau Valley, located towards the north of New Zealand’s South Island, is home to one of the Marlborough region’s best producers, Cloudy Bay. The valley experiences a cool maritime climate, perfect for grape growing, while also basking in more sunlight than any other district in the whole country. Founded in 1986, having previously been fallow land used for rearing sheep, the estate was ravaged by phylloxera while still in its infancy. However, in 1992 the vineyard was replanted and since then the label has gone from strength to strength. The entire estate is more or less exclusively used to grow Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, grapes which thrive in such cool, settled conditions and enjoy the land’s stony soil. Of the many wonderful whites produced, Cloudy Bay Te Koko stands out as a particularly good example of Marlborough produce. An alternative style of Sauvignon, the Te Koko displays complexity and is both deliciously aromatic and richly textured, conjuring aromas of lychee, honeysuckle and thyme.
Dry Riesling, Little Beauty, 2010Our price: £15.80Little Beauty vineyards are situated next to the Wahopai River and face the famous and picturesque Richmond Range. They are sheltered but have taken advantage of their northwest orientation which ensures excellent ripening conditions. Jason is the viticulturist and Eveline is the winemaker, who used to be the senior winemaker at Cloudy Bay. The wines literally are little beauties. Under the careful management of Eveline, the wine making process delivers true Marlborough wines, however, they are exquisitely elegant and feminine, the flavours are expressive but refined and they will either be enjoyed on their own, or they will be capable of matching very sophisticated food.
Gewürztraminer, Little Beauty, 2009Our price: £15.75Little Beauty vineyards are situated next to the Wahopai River and face the famous and picturesque Richmond Range. They are sheltered but have taken advantage of their northwest orientation which ensures excellent ripening conditions. Jason is the viticulturist and Eveline is the winemaker, who used to be the senior winemaker at Cloudy Bay. The wines literally are little beauties. Under the careful management of Eveline, the wine making process delivers true Marlborough wines, however, they are exquisitely elegant and feminine, the flavours are expressive but refined and they will either be enjoyed on their own, or they will be capable of matching very sophisticated food.
Pinot Gris, Little Beauty, 2010Our price: £15.70Little Beauty vineyards are situated next to the Wahopai River and face the famous and picturesque Richmond Range. They are sheltered but have taken advantage of their northwest orientation which ensures excellent ripening conditions. Jason is the viticulturist and Eveline is the winemaker, who used to be the senior winemaker at Cloudy Bay. The wines literally are little beauties. Under the careful management of Eveline, the wine making process delivers true Marlborough wines, however, they are exquisitely elegant and feminine, the flavours are expressive but refined and they will either be enjoyed on their own, or they will be capable of matching very sophisticated food.
Pinot Noir, Burn Cottage, 2010, BiodynamicOur price: £41.00Burn Cottage Pinot Noir is the culmination of much hard work at this farm in Cromwell, Central Otago. Burn Cottage Vineyard is owned and operated by the Sauvage family. Over time they have noted a strong environmentally aware presence building amongst wine consumers, demanding produce grown sustainably, with minimal disturbance to the environment. The eleven hectare vineyard is composed predominantly of Pinot Noir, with a diversity of ten of the best quality clones and rootstocks to suit each particular soil combination within the site. Along with Pinot Noir, a tiny pocket each of Riesling and Gruner Veltliner is planted. The entire Burn Cottage property has been farmed from inception according to philosophies laid down by Rudolf Steiner, the form of agriculture known commonly as ‘biodynamics’. Their consultant and head winemaker, Ted Lemon, brings his specialist guidance in this area, with knowledge from his extensive work in the USA and France.
Pinot Noir, Insight, 2010Our price: £14.80Blessed with unique climatic and topographical conditions perfect for cool climate grape production, Marlborough is able to produce wines that are intensely aromatic and flavourful - they’re a complete sensory experience. Yet often, wine drinkers find it difficult to connect what they are tasting and smelling to descriptors. Therefore, through the unusual label design, Insight aims to provide the wine drinker with added-value cues and information about the origin of the wine, what they might smell and taste in the wine and what foods would match well. Insight takes a potentially intimidating topic and makes it approachable and informative.
Pinot Noir, Little Beauty, 2011Our price: £16.85Little Beauty vineyards are situated next to the Wahopai River and face the famous and picturesque Richmond Range. They are sheltered but have taken advantage of their northwest orientation which ensures excellent ripening conditions. Jason is the viticulturist and Eveline is the winemaker, who used to be the senior winemaker at Cloudy Bay. The wines literally are little beauties. Under the careful management of Eveline, the wine making process delivers true Marlborough wines, however, they are exquisitely elegant and feminine, the flavours are expressive but refined and they will either be enjoyed on their own, or they will be capable of matching very sophisticated food.
Sauvignon Blanc, Insight, 2011Our price: £12.15Blessed with unique climatic and topographical conditions perfect for cool climate grape production, Marlborough is able to produce wines that are intensely aromatic and flavourful - they’re a complete sensory experience. Yet often, wine drinkers find it difficult to connect what they are tasting and smelling to descriptors. Therefore, through the unusual label design, Insight aims to provide the wine drinker with added-value cues and information about the origin of the wine, what they might smell and taste in the wine and what foods would match well. Insight takes a potentially intimidating topic and makes it approachable and informative.
Sauvignon Blanc, Little Beauty, 2010Our price: £13.60Little Beauty vineyards are situated next to the Wahopai River and face the famous and picturesque Richmond Range. They are sheltered but have taken advantage of their northwest orientation which ensures excellent ripening conditions. Jason is the viticulturist and Eveline is the winemaker, who used to be the senior winemaker at Cloudy Bay. The wines literally are little beauties. Under the careful management of Eveline, the wine making process delivers true Marlborough wines, however, they are exquisitely elegant and feminine, the flavours are expressive but refined and they will either be enjoyed on their own, or they will be capable of matching very sophisticated food.
Sauvignon Blanc, Mud House, 2011Our price: £12.20Named after a mud block house built in the founding vineyard, the Mud House Wine Company produced its first wines in 1996. The success of the wines in international competitions and accolades earned can be attributed to the combined efforts of the growers, its viticulturalist and the winemaking team. The wines continue to be made using carefully nurtured grapes from boutique vineyards overseen by viticulturalist Malcom Adams, and from its own vineyards overseen by Viticulturalist of the Year 2006, Marcus Wickham, both very knowledgeable in their field. Furthermore, Mud House Wine Company benefits from the expertise of Matt Thompson as consultant winemaker. Matt has a proven reputation, with over 17 vintages in New Zealand.
Te Koko, Cloudy Bay, 2009Our price: £26.55The Wairau Valley, located towards the north of New Zealand’s South Island, is home to one of the Marlborough region’s best producers, Cloudy Bay. The valley experiences a cool maritime climate, perfect for grape growing, while also basking in more sunlight than any other district in the whole country. Founded in 1986, having previously been fallow land used for rearing sheep, the estate was ravaged by phylloxera while still in its infancy. However, in 1992 the vineyard was replanted and since then the label has gone from strength to strength. The entire estate is more or less exclusively used to grow Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, grapes which thrive in such cool, settled conditions and enjoy the land’s stony soil. Of the many wonderful whites produced, Cloudy Bay Te Koko stands out as a particularly good example of Marlborough produce. An alternative style of Sauvignon, the Te Koko displays complexity and is both deliciously aromatic and richly textured, conjuring aromas of lychee, honeysuckle and thyme.
