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2024 was a brilliant vintage in Marlborough in terms of quality, not so good in terms of quantity. Mixed weather in the spring of 2023 resulted in a poor flowering and consequently low yields, down almost 40% on average across most of our varieties. Thereafter however the weather was perfect with several very hot days and crucially, later in the season, cool nights. This meant the low cropping fruit ripened perfectly and there was absolutely no disease pressure. It also meant we had one of our earliest ever harvests with these Gruner Veltliner grapes being picked on 15 March 2024.
This is our tenth vintage of Gruner Veltliner, making us one of the more experienced and successful “Gruner” producers in New Zealand. It comes from our Jacksons Road vineyard in the heart of the grape-growing area of Marlborough. We remove fruit during the ripening season so that the remaining low yielding fruit ripens perfectly and without any pressure from disease. This was certainly the case in 2024.
The fruit was machine harvested in the cool of the night, treated very gently throughout the whole wine-making process and handled totally in stainless steel to retain the aromatics. It was fermented quite dry to produce a very elegant, food friendly wine and was bottled on 6 November 2024.
Pale straw, lemon in colour, this wine has an elegant, spicy nose with nectarines, peaches, grapefruit and lime citrus, feijoas, and lovely floral and herbal notes, even a hint of wet river-stones. The palate follows on precisely from this. It is immediately soft and inviting, textured and mouth-coating with delicate complexity, perfect acid and fruit richness. Ripe peaches and nectarines are prominent on the palate, with mandarins and grapefruit, all on a spicy, peppery backdrop. The long, lingering finish is impressive, showing complexity and elegance with the characteristic white pepper finish. All and all, this is an elegant, refined, mouth-watering and food friendly wine.
Technical notes
Alcohol: 12.69%, Acidity: 5.63, PH: 3.25, Residual Sugar: 6.0 g r/s
Reviews
Fine and elegant, the inviting bouquet shows nectarine, fig, green tea, and white floral nuances. It's juicy and lively in the mouth, delivering fine flow backed by bright acidity, making it splendidly structured and lingering. At its best: now to 2029. ***** 94/100
Sam Kim. Wine Orbit. January 2025
Fresh and candied pears spring to mind on first sniff of this, a little spicy orange peel note comes through. The palate has plenty of fruit concentration and texture, again ripe pear and a touch of something creamy, but cut by zesty acidity. It's a really nice example this, in a richer style that pays a passing nod to Austria, but finishes with brightness and a fisson of energy. 91/100
Tom Cannavan. Wine-pages.com. May 2025
Engaging and floral, notes of lime zest and ground pepper are joined by peach and spice aspects, a touch of lanolin later. Fruit sweetness leads with accents of pineapple, pear and peach lifted by lime, ripe yet dry. The texture is a star here, silky, creamy, a lovely mouthfeel while the flavours carry long on the finish. Lots of interest, this just really works.Excellent Mark Henderson. ODT. May 2025.
The characterful 2024 vintage (****) is a youthful, vigorous wine, estate-grown in the Wairau Valley. Light lemon/green, it is full-bodied, with strong, fresh, citrusy, peachy, gently spicy flavours, and a crisp, dryish (6 grams/litre of residual sugar) finish. Best drinking mid-2026+. Michael Cooper. April 2025