Whitehaven

We awoke on our second morning in New Zealand to a chorus of beautiful bird songs and chicken clucks. After coffee and breakfast, we got ready for the day’s adventures. My friend, Amy (wine buyer at Mission Wines) was able to arrange a private tour and tasting for us at Whitehaven. We had seen signs for Whitehaven on the way back from our tasting tour yesterday, and it looked like an easy walk, so off we went. Well – it turned out that the signs were for the cellar door and we needed to be at the winery. The cellar door kindly called ahead for us and the general manager, Simon Tonycliffe, with whom we were scheduled to meet, came and picked us up.

Whitehaven was founded by Greg and Sue White in 1994. Theirs was something of a fairy tale story – both worked in finance and decided to cash it all in, buy a sailboat, and set off to explore. While sheltering from the Pacific hurricane season, the couple found themselves in the Marlborough Sounds. Entranced by the beauty and inspired by the region’s famous wines, they decided to return to life on land, purchase some property, and start a winery. They found great success for many years and are one of the most well-known Marlborough brands. Tragically, cancer took Greg in 2007. Sue took over as the sole managing director and remains at the head of Whitehaven today.

After a brief drive around the property with Simon, we proceeded to the winery and were introduced to Rowan Langdon, winemaker, and Diana Katardzhieva, senior winemaker and production manager. Rowan’s passion is Pinot Noir and he has been instrumental in determining the best growing areas for the finicky grape. We were ushered into a barrel room and had the privilege of tasting a 2019 single vineyard Pinot Noir that was aging in second year French oak barrels (oak imparts flavor to wine over about three years, with the first year of use being the strongest). The 2019 harvest produced somewhat smaller grapes of high flavor intensity. The Pinot we tasted will stay in barrel until February or March and then will be bottled under the “Greg” label that celebrates founder Greg White. Already, it was delicious with excellent structure and should be outstanding when released.

The winemakers needed to get back to work, so we saw a bit of the winery and then went upstairs to the private tasting room. From this vantage point, we looked out over acres of vineyards. Whitehaven owns 200 hectares (just under 500 acres) and sources from an additional 550 hectares. After giving us some additional Whitehaven history, Simon guided us through half a dozen of their wines. The 2019 Rosé was absolutely glorious – 100% Pinot Noir – and one of those rosés that smells like a basket of ripe strawberries. The 2016 Hidden Barrel Sauvignon Blanc was a most intriguing wine. This Sauvignon Blanc, not made every year, was hand picked, foot stomped, and fermented with wild yeast at high temperatures. It was then oak barrel aged, resulting in an entirely different flavor profile than a traditional Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. Of the wines we tasted, the 2017 Greg Pinot Noir was my favorite, an elegant, full bodied wine bursting with ripe fruit flavors and undertones of spice.

It was time to wrap up at Whitehaven and a discussion of where we could go for lunch ensued, limited by our lack of transportation. Simon told us that we really should make a visit to Brancott Estate because of their delightful restaurant and beautiful views and that he would drive us. We were overwhelmed, throughout our visit, by the kindness, generosity, and friendliness of everyone we encountered.

Brancott was as promised. We sat by a window and drank in the incredible views along with glasses of Brancott Sauvignon Blanc. After lunch, we wandered over to the tasting bar where we sampled two of the delightful sparkling wines, a rosé and the Brut Cuvée. The Brut Cuvée is a classic blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir that combines the bright citrus notes of the Chardonnay with the complexity and body of the Pinot Noir.

We called a taxi and moved on to our last stop of the day, No 1 Family Estate. This fascinating winery is dedicated to making only sparkling wine. Owner and wine maker, Daniel Le Brun, has roots in France where ancestors began making Champagne in 1750. Daniel and his wife, Adelle, were determined to make world class sparkling wines in the Wairau Valley of Marlborough. Known by his neighbors as “the crazy Frenchman,” Daniel persevered and today the winery produces eight award winning sparkling wines. Hilary and I could have purchased a bottle and stayed there indefinitely – but it was time to walk back to our cottage.

The next day, with regret, we packed up, said goodbye to our animal friends and amazing hosts and departed for the next leg of our journey which would take us to the Hunter Valley of Australia and the Wine Media Conference.

I hope you’re enjoying reading my posts – it is wonderful reliving our trip.

Cheers!

No 1 Sparkling Wines

Rose in Hand – Just in Case