RIVE VINEYARD

I can thank the Byrne’s for the introduction to these guys. We started talking to Ruth and Clive before their first harvest and have been taking this fruit ever since.

The vineyard is located on Rapaura Road, in a relatively warm part of the valley, but interestingly is planted on a small silty outcrop, rather than directly onto stoney ground.

It is planted solely with Pinot Noir, with the favoured Burgundy Clones of 115 and 667, and to date it consistently produces some of the densest Pinot Noir that we get in our winery.

Both Ruth and Clive have great attention to detail and are focused on producing extraordinary fruit, rather than being satisfied with the mediocre. Fastidious and quality-driven, their vineyard is always a treat to visit and the fruit continues to improve in quality as the vines age and the roots dig deeper into the soil.

Clive and Ruth currently live in Washington DC, but the vineyard is most ably run by Murray Patterson in their absence, and regular visits back to Marlborough ensure that their contact and influence continue.

We have made a single-vineyard wine from this block in both 2005 and 2007 and look forward to many more in the future.