Grove Mill Chardonnay 2002
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1998-
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Established in 1988 by a group of local winegrowers, Grove Mill crafts wines that reflect the best of Marlborough’s Wairau Valley with minimal environmental impact. Their winemaking practices – from establishing a wetland which protects southern bell frogs to its landmark 2006 carbon-neutral certification – protect the nearby Wairau River, which is at the heart of Marlborough’s largest sub-region.
Since their first plantings in 1988 Grove Mill has continued to pioneer vineyard management techniques. They utilize natural and sensitive vineyard practices to enhance the regional character of our wines, which foster and further develop the unique Grove Mill style.
In 2017 winemaker Greg Lane joined Grove Mill, and was subsequently named New Zealand Young Winemaker of the Year in 2018. Greg continues to drive and define the style of Grove Mill’s wines – balanced, modern styles of Marlborough wine that give a clear representation of our fantastic vineyard sites.
To produce a Sauvignon Blanc that reflects the Wairau’s diversity of terroirs, they source fruit from multiple home vineyard and premier sites throughout the valley floor and foothills. The resulting spectrum of flavors creates a truly multi-dimensional expression of the Wairau: pure, tropical and passion fruit flavors and aromas with a weighty, layered palate and long, generous finish. These are wines to enjoy today, from a place Grove Mill is safeguarding for future generations.
One of the most popular and versatile white wine grapes, Chardonnay offers a wide range of flavors and styles depending on where it is grown and how it is made. While it tends to flourish in most environments, Chardonnay from its Burgundian homeland produces some of the most remarkable and longest lived examples. California produces both oaky, buttery styles and leaner, European-inspired wines. Somm Secret—The Burgundian subregion of Chablis, while typically using older oak barrels, produces a bright style similar to the unoaked style. Anyone who doesn't like oaky Chardonnay would likely enjoy Chablis.
A relatively young but extremely promising wine producing country, New Zealand is widely recognized for its distinctive white wines made from the aromatic, Sauvignon blanc.
The world’s most southerly vineyards are found here, with significant climatic variation both between and within the warmer North Island and the cooler South Island. Overall, the climate is maritime, with plenty of rainfall, as well as abundant sunshine. Producers have almost unilaterally embraced cutting-edge winery technology, resulting in clean, high-quality New Zealand wines at every price point from wallet-friendly to premium.
Sauvignon blanc, known here for its trademark herbaceous character, is at its best in Marlborough but thrives throughout the nation, accounting for an overwhelming majority of the country’s exports. While this is indeed the country’s most planted and successful variety, it is certainly not the only New Zealand grape capable of delighting wine lovers.
Chardonnay is the second-most important white variety and takes on a supple texture with citrus and tropical fruit aromas in Gisborne and Hawke’s Bay, respectively. Pinot noir, second behind Sauvignon blanc in national production numbers, is at its best in Central Otago—the most southerly winegrowing region in the world! These New Zealand wines are known for bright and juicy red fruit. Taking cues from the wines of Alsace, aromatic varieties like Pinot Gris, Riesling and Gewürztraminer shine in Martinborough, while red wine Bordeaux varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot have found success in Hawke’s Bay. Throughout New Zealand but especially in Marlborough, Pinot noir and Chardonnay are used to produce traditional method sparkling NZ wines.