OUR VINEYARDS

Spanning 102 hectares, the sheer size of the site has offered unique opportunities to explore a wide variety of soil types, aspects and slopes, and perfectly match these to a variety of Pinot Noir clones.

The lower terraces of Northburn are comprised of gravelly glacial fans, crushed and deposited by successive ice ages. Angling towards the lake, they capture the reflected sunlight and achieve earlier ripening and softer tannins long before the higher vineyard blocks.

The mid range of terraces is comprised of primary schist, incredibly hard and almost completely bare of topsoil. These schist soils lie at elevations between 250-300 metres above sea level. The highly reflective stones are home to Central Otago’s largest single planting of Chardonnay.

The highest plateau features deep pockets of clay interspersed with rocky outcrops. These variable soils grow wines with nuance and complexity. Eons of northerly winds have deposited soils across this high terrace, resulting in a fine soil structure overlying the parent schist below. The combination of clay, primary schist and wind blown loess create 3 distinct zones between 280 and 323m above sea level.

Small parcels of Gamay Noir, Cabernet Franc, Pinot Gris and Sauvignon Blanc have been planted in unique microclimates across the site, and the full potential of these plantings is only starting to unfold.