Old Coach Road Nelson Pinot Gris 2025

Silver (94 Points) - The New Zealand International Wine Show 2025
90 Points (4.5 Stars) - Sam Kim, Wine Orbit June 2025

Vineyard: Seifried Brightwater, Redwood Valley & Rabbit Island vineyards
Date of Harvest: Mid-late March 2025
pH of Wine: 3.40
T.A of Wine: 6.0
Residual Sugar: 9.3g/L
Alcohol: 12.5%
Suitable for Vegetarians and Vegans: Yes

The 2025 Old Coach Road Pinot Gris was harvested from three vineyard sites. This allows us to take advantage of the various clones and nuances each block has to offer.

Our Brightwater vineyard lies about 15km from the coast and is nestled under the Richmond Ranges on the southern end of the Waimea Plains. The soil is a combination of rocks and river boulders, which is hard on farm equipment but vital for holding the warmth of Nelson’s sun and ripening grapes. Low nutrient and water levels in the vineyard help to restrict plant vigour, producing fruit with lively, concentrated flavour.

Our Redwood Valley vineyard is an unirrigated, gently sloping, north-facing clay site; the vines range in age from 10 to 30 years. Vertical shoot positioning helps to expose the berries to sunlight, thus getting maximum intensity and optimal ripeness. The clay holds moisture well, supporting deep root systems and producing fruit with good texture and complex flavours.

Our Rabbit Island vineyard is situated on a wide river flat, about 1.5km from the sea, which helps moderate temperatures. The soil is gravelly sandy loam, which marks the sites of Māori kūmara (sweet potato) beds prior to European settlement in the early 1800s. Scrub was burned to give ash and charcoal, which increased soil fertility and characteristic topsoil. This fertility is now considerably reduced due to modern farming. The soils are, however, very sandy and free-draining. The water table is relatively high, ensuring adequate underground water.

We used separate parcels of Pinot Gris from across a range of soil types from our vineyard properties on the Waimea Plains. The result is a complex wine, pulling together fruit from our varying Estate vineyards to make the best our terroirs have to offer.