Marlborough season report
Marlborough had, for the most part, a classic vintage: great weather, great conditions, great fruit. The early months got off to a flyer, with an even budburst, a settled flowering, and fruit set tracking neatly behind. Things looked brilliant right until the end of December.
Then it all quietened down, and January gave our viticulture teams a bit to think about. But February turned on the Marlborough summer, and we began picking our Pelorus parcels from the 18th. Apart from a 36-hour pause for Sauvignon Blanc, the entire harvest hummed toward what Hannah Ternent, our technical viticulturist, called 'a focused, fast, and furious finish.'
Moving the pieces
"This year was like moving chess pieces around the board, setting things up strategically. Adjusting the tempo a few times."
John Flanagan - Viticulture Director
Sauvignon Blanc took a little more thinking this year. There was exceptional fruit everywhere, but the different blocks ripened on their own schedules.
"Some years it's all ready at once, and you bring it in," says John. "This year was like moving chess pieces around the board, setting things up strategically. Adjusting the tempo a few times."
Partway through, 36 hours of rain settled over Marlborough. When the weather lifted, everything came in at once. One day stays with John in particular, where he and his team were managing machines picking Sauvignon Blanc in one block, hand harvesters working through Pinot in another, and Te Koko and Chardonnay arriving at the winery all at once. It became the biggest day we've ever had at Cloudy Bay.
In years gone by, it might have been a concern. But John says the team were so confident in the fruit and the winery's ability to handle it, the call to go full-pelt was an easy one.
"It was absolutely humming," he says. "Our team handled it beautifully."
For Hannah, it's that weekend day that will stay with her. "They're amazing every year," she says. "The communication, commitment and dedication. This year it really stood out, because we got into that situation where we really needed to go, and everybody stepped up."
For Kelly Stuart, the winemaker in charge of our Sauvignon Blanc, the surprise of such a complex season was that it didn't feel that way. "This is the first vintage I've done just twelve hours a day. Sometimes it's nice to have a vintage without any dramas."
She saw the 36-hour pause as a gift. "It gave us a chance to reset, make sure everything is absolutely ready for when the next blocks come in, so we could give the fruit our full attention."
Behind the vintage
Vio Santis, our assistant winemaker, runs the cellar through harvest. This year, that meant thirty-five people from ten different countries, most of them on their first Cloudy Bay vintage. Vio sorts out their housing before they arrive, and she's the first person to greet them at the winery.
Before the fruit arrives, there's a welcome BBQ and a training week. Tastings led by Kelly on the day shift and winemaking director Nikolai on the night shift walk the new cellar hands through Sauvignon Blanc from different blocks, so they really get to know what they're working with. They also get roped into the Vinolympics, a fourth-year tradition featuring harness-wearing, bung-tossing, and sponge-based water transportation.
"They're a little bit scared because they're young, and they're new to the country," Vio says. "After one or two weeks of training, they find their place. They relax. They're ready to give everything."
When we asked Vio what she loves about harvest, she was unequivocal.
"I love being busy. I love running around. I always say to everyone, I wish it was a longer harvest, although not everyone agrees with me!"
The last day of hand-picking in Marlborough was marked with lunch at Barracks, Hannah's favourite vineyard. More than a hundred people gathered in a valley filled not just with vines but with native plants and old established trees, sharing food and wine and enjoying each other’s company.
"I stood back, and I was like, wow," Hannah says. "All these people are here, helping us achieve a common goal. It was really special."
Grape expectations
So, what are the team most excited about?
"I'm really excited about our Chardonnay," says John. "It's going to be one of the standout wines. And Te Koko will be unbelievable."
Hannah is excited about the Sauvignon Blanc picked from across the region. "Everywhere we went, we were greeted with lovely ripeness and concentration," she says, crediting the growing season for the vintage's character. "The fruit ripened evenly across our different vineyards, giving us richness, depth, balance and punch. Different blending components that speak to both the climatic conditions and the terroir they're grown in."
Kelly, tasting through the tanks now, is seeing a wide spectrum. "There's a large range of aromas and flavours in each tank. Some are more citrus, some are very tropical with rich concentration, almost syrup-like. Others have a lovely herbal element, almost mineral, salty notes. I'm hoping we'll see a very complex wine, with good concentration and texture, but still that lovely crisp finish we all love in Sauvignon."
Pinot Noir from Barracks surprised everyone, especially John, who'd walked into harvest with modest expectations. And Pelorus already has all the characteristics a sparkling winemaker could ask for.
"We started hitting home runs right out of the gate with Pelorus," says John. "The Chardonnay we had for sparkling was incredible," Kelly adds. "Hopefully we'll be able to make a vintage from that."