ALTIMARLOCH VINEYARD

The 2022 “On The Quiet” Sauvignon Blanc was sourced from the beautiful Altimarloch Vineyard, one of the highest and most picturesque sites in the Awatere valley. This jewel of a vineyard, located 24kms inland, right on the terraces below the Black Birch Range, is one of Jules’ favourite spots.

“It’s such a beautiful vineyard" says Jules. "The flavours we get are so tasty, I think from the longer, slower ripening period we get down here. Not only, that but there is no cell phone reception here so I love to come up here to escape the craziness during harvest! “

Altimarloch is probably one of the coldest vineyards in Marlborough over late Autumn Winter and Spring it has a high risk of frost. This is due to its elevation and the shadow effect of the Black Birch Range. However, in Summer we get elevated daytime temperatures in the mid 30’s. We have large diurnal swings in temperatures which is great for developing intense flavours. Hot days/Cool Nights.

The vineyard is named after the Altimarloch Peak (1693m) the only named Peak in Marlborough’s Black Birch Range. It was formerly a sheep and beef Station but the original homestead burned down in 1857. The remaining land, comprising just over 384 Ha is where the vineyard is located. Just over half of that area has been planted in grapes, mainly Sauvignon Blanc, along with around 5ha of Pinot Gris. Development took place in stages over the years with the original plantings occurring in 2004. The section of vines that Jules takes the fruit from was planted in the spring of 2018.

Although there are several soil types across the site, Jules’ sources grapes from blocks located on the lower terraces. Soils here are Omaka Gravelly Silts. The blocks are adjacent to the Awatere River and contain a lot of stones.

The site is managed based on sustainable land use practices, with two Wetland Regenerative projects underway with 4500 native species being planted and invasive species removed to restore two wetland areas on the site. There are further plans to rehabilitate the banks below the Upper Vineyard Terraces.

The Altimarloch crew, lead by Shane Rohloff, love working with Jules and are stoked to see grapes from their site showcased in this premium single vineyard bottling. Shane says it is “great to be able to showcase the high quality grapes we produce, in an exceptional single vineyard wine produced by one of New Zealand Leading Winemakers.”

And what of the wine itself?

The 2022 On The Quiet Sauvignon Blanc is complex and elegant with aromas of citrus, lemongrass and pineapple. On the palate, the fruit is augmented with secondary notes of toffee and almonds whilst still retaining Sauvignon Blanc's trademark fresh acidity. It is mouthfilling, complex and harmoniously balanced, giving way to a very lengthy, refined finish.