Dog Point Vineyard - New 5* Vintages

We are absolutely delighted to announce that our shipment of Dog Point wines has finally landed. Dog Point is one of the oldest private vineyards in Marlborough, New Zealand's premium wine-growing region, and they produce outstanding top-quality wines year after year. It is the label from two Marlborough legends, Ivan Sutherland and James Healy, who were part of the success story behind Cloudy Bay and put New Zealand wines on the map. They produce a small but high-quality portfolio of four fascinating wines, and the new vintages got 5 stars all round in the 2022 edition of "New Zealand Wines: Michael Coopers Buyers Guide!!

Jancis Robinson is also a fan and describes them as "a seriously admirable wine estate that manages to produce great Pinot Noir as well as Sauvignon Blanc in Marlborough – and, also unusually for an NZ producer, takes Chardonnay seriously."

Incase you need a little more persuasion and before we introduce you to these 5 Star wines, here's some background information and 10 great reasons to choose Dog Point wines.

BACKGROUND

Dog Point winery was established in 2002 by partners Ivan & Margaret Sutherland and James & Wendy Healy. Ivan and James were once part of the team that made Cloudy Bay one of the most admired wine brands in the world; during their time there, they discovered they shared the same passion and decided to return to a more hands-on approach and establish their own wine label.

The name "Dog Point" dates from the earliest European settlement in Marlborough. In this area, shepherd's dogs either wandered off or became lost, eventually breeding to form a marauding pack that attacked the same flocks they were meant to protect. Over time, the settlers removed these wild dogs, and the area was named Dog Point. Dog Point Vineyard is also home to one of New Zealand's cultural and ecological treasures, the native "ti kouka", or cabbage tree, which is an aesthetic feature of the Vineyard landscape and a stylised version has become a key part of the Dog Point Vineyard brand, under this brand they produce wines that reflect the experience and passion of the people that make them.

Dog Point is one of the earliest private vineyards established in Marlborough's Wairau Valley. Ivan and Margaret purchased and developed the land in the 1970s, meaning it has some of the oldest vines in Marlborough. The Vineyard is centrally located at the confluence of the smaller Brancott and Omaka Valleys. These older, well-established vines situated on free draining silty clay loams are supplemented with fruit from closely planted hillside vines on soils with a clay loam influence.

It is managed using organic viticultural practices. The Vineyard and winery are certified organic under the Biogro New Zealand programme, an independent certification process established to promote environmentally friendly, sustainable and responsible practices. During the winter months, 2,500 sheep and 25 steers are brought onto the property to keep the grass and weeds down, and to add organic matter to the soil. Beehives dot the landscape, while groves of olive trees and pine nuts complement the organic vegetable garden.

These organic philosophies drive their approach to winemaking and help ensure the vines are their best for next year's harvest. Today, four wines are produced at Dog Point Vineyard - a sauvignon blanc typical of the Marlborough style, 'Section 94', a barrel-fermented Sauvignon Blanc, a Chardonnay and a Pinot Noir. In every bottle of wine, there is impeccable attention to detail and a thoughtful hands-on approach. Before we introduce you to these wines, here's a quick reminder of why you should absolutely try them!!

10 REASONS TO TRY THEM.

DOG POINT IS 100% FAMILY-OWNED AND ONE OF THE OLDEST PRIVATELY ESTABLISHED VINEYARDS IN THE MARLBOROUGH REGION WITH PLANTINGS ESTABLISHED OVER 30 YEARS AGO

IT IS NEW ZEALAND'S LARGEST CERTIFIED ORGANIC VINEYARD BY BIOGRO NEW ZEALAND

THE VINEYARD'S TOPOGRAPHY IS UNIQUE TO MARLBOROUGH, TAKING IN HILLSIDE BLOCKS AND FLAT LAND PARCELS, WITH CLAY AND SILTY LOAMS

THEY FOCUS ON PRODUCING FOUR QUALITY WINES – SAUVIGNON BLANC, SECTION 94, CHARDONNAY, PINOT NOIR

ALL FRUIT IS HAND-PICKED FROM LOW-CROPPED VINES

WINES ARE BOTTLED WITHOUT FINING AND MINIMAL FILTRATION, A REFLECTION OF OUR LOW INTERVENTIONIST ETHOS

THEIR GOAL IS TO PRODUCE WINES THAT HAVE AGE-ABILITY AND CELLAR WELL

SECTION 94 IS AN ICONIC BARREL-FERMENTED STYLE OF AGED SAUVIGNON BLANC RELEASED AFTER 5 YEARS

WINES ARE VEGAN, VEGETARIAN AND GLUTEN-FREE

BIODIVERSITY ON THE PROPERTY WITH NATIVE PLANTINGS AND WALKWAYS, AN ORGANIC VEGETABLE GARDEN, ORCHARDS, BEEHIVES, OLIVE AND PINE NUT TREES

Dog Point Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2021

€27.95

Zesty, smart and refreshing, this perfect pick-me-up features on acclaimed UK wine writer Jane MacQuittys list of "Top Sauvignon Blancs To Buy Now".

A classic dry aromatic style of Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc. The citrus core of flavours are juicy and intense with deliciously refreshing saline acidity. The wine calls for simple, fresh seafood but can also be enjoyed as a pre-dinner aperitif.

Cropped at an average of 7.5 tonnes/hectare. Fruit is organic, hand-picked, whole bunch pressed, and cold settled before fermentation for 2-3 months in stainless steel tanks. A portion of this wine is fermented using indigenous yeast. Bottled without fining.

"The classy 2021 vintage is a bright, light lemon/green, vigorous, full-bodied wine, with intense, vibrant, tropical fruit flavours, a herbaceous undercurrent, and a crisp, dry, lasting finish. A wine with a powerful presence, it's benchmark stuff." 5* Michael Cooper.

Dog Point Vineyard Chardonnay 2019

€46.95

This classy, single-vineyard wine is considered as one of the best Chardonnays in New Zealand.

A citrus driven Chardonnay with complex flinty, toasty biscuit notes derived from extended barrel ageing on full solids.

2/3 Mendoza, 1/3 B95 clones from vines dating back to 1981. Cropped at 5 tonnes/ha from the home vineyard in the Brancott Valley. Fruit is organic, hand-picked, whole bunch pressed, and transferred directly to French oak barrels (15% new) and left to undergo indigenous primary and secondary malolactic fermentation for 18 months in barrel. Bottled without fining and minimal filtration.

"The 2019 vintage is bright, light yellow/green, with a fragrant bouquet. Full-bodied, it is still very fresh and youthful, with concentrated ripe stonefruit flavours, hints of toast and butterscotch, lively acidity, and impressive vigour and length." 5* Michael Cooper

Dog Point Vineyard Pinot Noir 2019

€54.95

This stunning new vintage of the sensational Dog Point Pinot Noir is a bright perfumed, supple expression of Marlborough pinot noir from clay hill slopes.

Bright, lifted, red fruit-driven with Marlborough’s hallmark spiciness complemented by dried herb, smokey and meaty notes in the background.

Comprising six different pinot noir clones from vines dating back to 1983. Vines are cropped at 5 tonnes/ha. Fruit is organic, hand-picked and hand-sorted, before de-stemming (15% whole bunch included). Fruit is fermented in small stainless steel open-top fermenters without pumping. Fermentation is conducted by indigenous yeasts over a period of 2-3 weeks before pressing into French oak barrels (40% new) for 18 months. Bottled without fining or filtration.

"The 2019 vintage is deep ruby, mouthfilling and supple. Full of cellaring potential. It has rich, ripe cherry, plum and spice flavours, gently seasoned with nutty oak and excellent vigour and harmony." 5* Michael Cooper.

DOG POINT VINEYARD "SECTION 94" SAUVIGNON BLANC 2019

€46.95

Dog Point's flagship single vineyard sauvignon, is wild-fermented in barrel resulting in a fuller bodied, textural style of Sauvignon Blanc. A wine that can be enjoyed now but also ages well while retaining its freshness.

Section 94 wine uses Sauvignon Blanc fruit from a 27-year-old single-site vineyard on the property. Vines are cropped at 8.1 tonnes/hectare. The fruit is organic, hand-picked, whole bunch pressed, fermented and aged in old French oak barrels for 18 months. The hint of struck match aromas reflect the use of solids during fermentation and ageing, adding a dimension of complexity and interest due to time on lees. The name 'Section 94’ was given to that particular parcel of land by early surveyors who divided Marlborough up into sections. It is located at the lower reaches of the Brancott Valley.

"This ranks among the countr's greatest oak aged Sauvignon Blancs... Bright, light, lemon/green, it is a distinctive, mouth-filling wine with a minerally streak and impressive depth, vigour and complexity. 5* Michael Cooper.