We planted Mt Beautiful vineyard with a clear vision of the wines we wanted to make. Guided by consultant viticulturist Murray Paterson, we opted for 60% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Pinot Noir and 5% each of Riesling and Pinot Gris vines for our first stage of development.
Vine rows are spaced at 2.4m (2m for Pinot Noir) and run generally north-south, with up to 15º variance to make best use of the land. Vine spacing within the rows is mostly around 1m, the exception being Pinot Gris at 1.5m. We use the Double Guyot trellising system for all varieties except some closely planted Pinot Noir, where we’re trialling Single Guyot. This is a vertical shoot position system, allowing maximum exposure of leaf to light, so the vine generates maximum energy to ripen the fruit.
Sauvignon Blanc - 50ha 128,320 vines
After much consultation and deliberation, we have mainly planted the Californian UCD 1 clone on a mix of 101-14, 3309 and Schwarzmann rootstock. This is the most popular clone in New Zealand, responsible for the flavours that made this country’s Sauvignon Blanc world famous. About a quarter of the vines are Bordeaux clones BDX 316 and BDX 317 respectively, on Riparia Gloire rootstock. The Bordeaux clones tend to give a definite lift to Sauvignon Blanc flavours, with less cut grass and more tropical flavours.
Pinot Noir - 12ha 56,930 vines
Our mix of Pinot Noir clones is highly unusual, with 50% of the vineyard planted in Burgundy clones. Clone BDX 667 fills out the middle palate, while BDX 777 provides a long finish. The rest of the vines are a mixture of seven other clones, including UCD 5, UCD 6, 114 and 115. The aim of these selections is to build sound palate structure in the wine.
Pinot Gris - 5ha 11,980 vines
Here, we opted for a variety of clones to give the winemaker more options. Mostly we planted the Berrysmith clone, which provides richness in the middle palate. This is backed by plantings of the German Geisenheim clone 2/21 and the new clonal reselections from South Africa, e.g. clones 7a, 14a and 52b. As we track the performance of these clones in our specific terroir, we may shift the balance in the selection going forwards.
Riesling - 3ha 11,287 vines
These plantings focus on German Geisenheim clone Gm 239, which fills the mid-palate more than others and adds mandarin flavours to the wine. This is backed by clones Gm 198 and then Gm 110, adding lemon and lime flavours to the blend.
