Clark Estate Pinot Gris (2018)

INTRO TO CLARK PINOT GRIS –

Clark Estate Pinot Gris from Marlborough in New Zealand is crisp and fruity with a broad mouthfeel finishing on a slightly honeyed note.

FULL TASTING NOTE AND WINE MAKING –

Clark Estate Pinot Gris is a delicate wine with subtle aromatics that can be enhanced in the winery. However, most of the flavour is generated in the vineyard. Structure and texture is created by producing quality grapes, minimal handling of the fruit in the winery and clever winemaking techniques such as barrel ferments and occasional lees stirring.
Intensive work is done in the vineyard with excess shoots being taken off in late spring. A green harvest takes place in late summer to strip off unwanted fruit allowing the main crop to mature and ripen fully. The fruit is processed as soon as possible to preserve the delicate flavours. The clear juice is racked and fermented under cool conditions until the natural sweetness is balanced by the lovely Awatere Valley acidity and subtle phenolic nuances.

THE PRODUCER –

After long careers as soldier and nurse, Peter & Jane bought a few sheep paddocks by the Black Birch Stream in the Awatere Valley and established 20 acres of Sauvignon Blanc, from scratch. From 1999 to 2002, the early days, they set about learning how to manage a vineyard. To help fund the venture Peter would often be working in Wellington during the week leaving Jane to train the 22,000 new vines on her own. They would work together all weekend spending the night in their old caravan.
In 2003: dark clouds and a silver lining – after two modest harvests the new crop was completely destroyed by a late spring frost with no grape income for another 18 months and more travel for Peter. Facing the reality of the hardship in operating a vineyard they faced the possibility of giving up. However, the story took a different turn and the hope of realizing their dream was renewed. In 2003 their son Simon Clark joined the team after completing his BVO and working vintages in Australia, Germany and New Zealand.
In 2003 they relocated an old villa from Blenheim to the vineyard and achieved Sustainable Wine Growing New Zealand accreditation and in 2007 daughter Sarah joined them in the sales and marketing role and her sister Jen also helps with wine dispatch.
In 2008 The Clark Estate/Boreham Wood label was born as they converted their entire crop into their own wine. With 12,000 cases and a global recession they had to get better at selling. By early 2009 the gamble paid off with major new export customers in the USA and Australia and a growth in sales in New Zealand. In 2012 Simon took the reins as head winemaker and they won their first gold medal for their Sauvignon Blanc setting the scene for the years to date with more medal winning wines.

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