Corofin puts the b in boutique; it's a small scale production owned and run by Mike and Anna Paterson in Marlborough. The couple source grapes from top notch vineyards in the region, using organically certified vineyards wherever possible. Their Chardonnay is made from a blend of clones 6, 5 and Mendoza. Barrel fermentation adds creamy notes and nutty flavours to the citrusy aromas.

When winemaker Kevin Judd was still head honcho of winemaking at Cloudy Bay, he decided to register the name Greywacke, just in case. 

It turned out to be a foresighted thing to do and the brand has now taken off with his wide and rich experience translating into some of Marlborough's highest quality wines, both white and red - and sweet, as in this half bottle of deliciousness. This luscious Pinot Gris has lots of tasty botrytis, which adds a honeyed texture and rich layers of flavour. Think liquid marmalade and you're on the right track.

Looking for a treat? Here it is... with cheese or your favourite pud'.

This wine is pale lemon in colour with fragrant aromas of fresh apples, meyer lemons and a hint of almonds. The palate displays citrus characters with subtle floral characters and creamy texture with a crisp and refreshing finish. Opawa Pinot Gris is a versatile food wine and matches well with a variety of dishes especially lightly spiced Asian influenced cuisine.

Off-dry and simply delicious! Our pick for serious Riesling connoisseurs. The fruit character of the Southern Valleys is balanced by the minerality of the river gravels, all wrapped up in a dry, crisp acidity. 10+ years of aging potential if you have the self-control but drinking exceptionally well now.

Vinification
The grapes were machine harvested in the cool of the morning, cold settled and cool fermented in stainless steel tanks before blending and finishing for bottling in spring.

Analysis at bottling

pH 3.09 | T.A. 7.35 g/l | RS 4.5 g/l | Alcohol 12.5%

Fruit forward but dry and fresh with a light body, intense flavours and far too much drinkability for its own good. 

Organic certification

The organic story at Seresin

One of the greatest things about Seresin Estate is the organic certification. This came relatively early on for Seresin, who was dismayed by the amount used and the impacts of man made chemicals, which were routinely and frequently sprayed on vines. His early adopting philosophy of organic certification paved a positive path for the integrity of the wines as well as leading others to follow suit.

This Pinot Noir is from block with clay soil, which is planted in 2003. This wine shows full of charming red to dark fruits. A very charming wine to go with food.

This wine is a labour of love and was made from hand picked grapes grown on the organically certified Ashmore Vineyard in Fairhall, Marlborough. A combination of spontaneous yeast and inoculated ferments (50/50) were taken to 12.5% ABV and residual sugar of 19.5 grams per litre, which makes this wine medium dry in style. It tastes like lemon zest and fresh ripe Granny Smith apples on speed… a gorgeous refreshing, full bodied Marlborough white wine made from one of the greatest grapes on Earth. 

A must try. 

Churton Estate's Natural State Pied de Cuve is made by second generation winemakers, Ben and Jack Weaver, who use grapes from the Loin Vineyard, which is family owned and farmed using biodynamic principles. This Sauvignon Blanc was whole bunch pressed into old oak puncheons and fermented with wild yeasts which were cultured from the vineyard. It was aged for a year on yeast lees and bottled without fining or filtration, so it is vegan friendly. A small addition of SO2 was added at bottling to retain freshness. 

Churton Estate founder and winemaker Sam Weaver cut his teeth on the classic wines of the world while working in fine wine retail in the United Kingdom. He and his wife Mandy Weaver then moved to New Zealand and set about creating one of this country's most focussed small wineries; a brand that does live up to the dream of creating 100% estate grown grapes, 100% certified organic production and 100% bottled on site, nearly all of the wines without fining or filtration. All the grapes are hand picked and natural yeasts ferment the vast majority of wines they make. These qualitative decisions impact every step of their winemaking in a positive fashion, providing exceptional quality grapes which in turn express themselves in outstanding wines.

The Natural State wines are the brainchild of second generation family winemakers, Ben and Jack Weaver.

Beautiful bright black cherries are captured in a structured full bodied Pinot Noir with delicacy and light notes of earth, spice and summer berries. This is the best Whitehaven Pinot Noir yet, made mostly from grapes grown in Marlborough's Southern Valley sub-region.  A stunner and incredibly good value for money. 

This wine drinks beautifully now (in 2024) and will certainly age well for at least five years. 

Whitehaven Wines began life in 1994 as a romantic business for a couple of corporate escapees, Sue and Greg White, who had given up life in the rat race of Auckland for another kind of life aboard their yacht. When sailing around the country, they took shelter in the Marlborough Sounds from Pacific storms and fell in love with the region. An easy thing to do when harbouring in the spectacularly pristine waters of the Sounds. They decided to settle there on terra firma once more and try their hands at wine production, hiring a winemaker and beginning a business which has now been around for 26 years. Greg has sadly passed away now, leaving a legacy as well as his wife and daughter, Sam, to run the winery. Their winemaker is Peter Jackson.

Cloudy Bay Chardonnay is a savoury and complex wine with bright aromatics and a powerful palate. Notes of citrus rind and stone fruit take the lead in this wine, backed up by nuttiness, excellent minerality and a hint of spice.

Appealingly aromatic, this Pinot Noir reveals notes of Morello cherry and bramble ont he nose. On the palate - fine, silky tannins and juicy acidity provide an elegant structure, with complexity coming from gentle toast and woodsmoke characters.

Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand cricketing legend, Ross Taylor. This one is named after Ross Taylor's 181 not out off 147 balls. This was Ross's highest ODI score and helped the Black Caps chase down England's 335/9 at the University Oval in Dunedin on March 7, 2018.

This wine is a bouquet of summer memories; nashi pear, lemon blossom and elderflower cordial.  The palate hints at sweet basil and thyme with citrus notes and a lingering dry finish.

Vineyard Sites
We have planted our Arneis on a stony section of the Gibson’s Creek vineyard, right in the centre of the Wairau river valley – classic free draining silty, stony terroir hoping to give the wine its signature “wet stone” minerality. The variety is moderately vigorous and needs careful tending, crop thinning, leaf pluck and trimming to maintain vine balance.

Vinification
The grapes were machine harvested in the cool of the morning, cold settled and cool fermented in stainless steel tanks prior to blending and finishing for bottling in spring.

Analysis at bottling

pH 3.11 | TA 6.2 g/l | RS 5.03 g/l | Alc 12.0%