MEDIA RELEASE
22nd November 2019
Family-owned Marlborough winery, Saint Clair Family Estate, has increased its estate owned vineyard portfolio with the purchase of an additional vineyard from Mills Reef, within the highly regarded Gimblett Gravels winegrowing district of Hawke’s Bay.
This is a welcome addition to the existing portfolio of Saint Clair’s vineyards. The majority of Saint Clair’s vineyards are located within the Marlborough region in the Southern Valleys, Awatere Valley, Lower Wairau, Rapaura, Omaka Valley, Doctors Creek and Waihopai Valley.
The growing demand for Saint Clair wines of classic Bordeaux varieties has driven the purchase of this additional 18 hectare Gimblett Gravels vineyard, which has produced some iconic and trophy-winning wines over the years. It has been rated by leading New Zealand wine critic, Michael Cooper, as one of New Zealand’s “notable vineyards”, an endorsement granted only after many years of producing consistently excellent wines.
The Gimblett Gravels is an exciting sub-region that has become world recognised as the premiere area in New Zealand for the production of classic Bordeaux blend varietals and Syrah. This unique winegrowing region was once underwater. The river slowed and dumped gravels and heavier sands and silts that were exposed following a large flood in the 1860’s. The free-draining deep gravel soils are naturally low in fertility and act as heat storage for the vines. Wines are rich and ripe and full of concentrated fruit flavours.
This vineyard expansion will continue to create further avenues to provide customers with wines of excellence across a range of price points and varieties. It will contribute to the ongoing constant evolution of quality and success from the leading New Zealand family wine producer.
