Greenhough 2006 Nelson Pinot Noir

Fragrant, lifted nose of ripe black cherries with dark chocolate/mocha and a dried herb complexity. The palate has a soft entry with good concentration of red plums and sweet raspberry fruit. There is spicy clove and oak to finish with a herbal, rosemary sappy complexity. Try with roast salmon, lamb and duck (may even stretch to the heavier meat dishes).

Greenhough is located in Hope, near Nelson at the top of New Zealand's South Island.

In late 1990, Andrew Greenhough and Jenny Wheeler moved to Nelson - from Auckland - to embark on a new challenge and way of life.

The four hectare property they bought had been established much earlier (1976) as a small vineyard and winery and it was here that the apprenticeship in viticulture and winemaking began.

In the intervening years the home property has been expanded to 11 hectares, the original plantings largely redeveloped and the winery modernised. A small block of much valued Riesling, Pinot Noir and Pinot Blanc vines, now over 30 years old, remains.

Our Philosophy

Our winemaking is premised on fruit quality, preserved and sensitively influenced. It is an approach which balances technology and intuition. The objective is to make wines with clear varietal character, expressive of our vineyard sites and our approach to winemaking.
Vineyard management is meticulous and labour intensive reflecting our belief that it is here that wine quality is first established. Since 2001 our vineyards have been managed by David McIntosh. His background in farming and horticulture together with a passion for wine, made viticulture a natural fit. Over time he has developed an intimate knowledge of each vineyard and evolved specific management practices tailored to nurture the best from each variety within the site.

Vines are grafted to phylloxera resistant, devigourating rootstocks while the mix of clonal material has evolved to better suit specifics of site and wine quality or style. An increase in plant density form less than 2000, (in the original vineyard blocks), to more than 5000 per hectare has also played an important part in the drive for balanced vines, lower yields and improved fruit quality.

Vines are pruned hard, to either a single or double cane, and trained to a simple canopy of vertically positioned shoots (VSP). This is the first step to moderating crop while the open canopy allows penetration of sunlight and ventilation, crucial to fruit character and disease control. Throughout the growing season, shoot thinning and positioning, leaf and lateral removal, fruit thinning and grooming and finally hand harvest are all aimed at advancing the harvest of evenly ripened fruit in optimum condition.

Developing from our belief in sustainable practices we have recently moved the Hope Vineyard into transition to organic certification with the aim of extending this to the other vineyards in time.