Vineyards
At the core of Southbank Estate
is a collection of superb vineyards. Spanning 138 hectares (340 acres),
they are in the most renowned viticultural regions in New Zealand.
With more than 11,000 hectares (27,000 acres) under vine, Marlborough, at the northern tip of the South Island, is New Zealand’s largest and most internationally recognised appellation.
On the east coast of the North Island lies Hawkes Bay, one of the original viticutural regions of New Zealand, with a 130 year history of winemaking. Hawkes Bay now has more than 4,700 hectares (11,600 acres) of mature vineyard.
The Southbank Estate team has selected vineyard locations in these
regions that ideally suit the grape varieties we have chosen to craft
into fine
wines. Our priority was to seek free-draining soils with low vigour
in sun-drenched locations.
Marlborough Wine Region
More than 60% of New Zealand’s grape harvest comes from Marlborough,
yet when the first vines were planted there in 1973 few people realised
the region would become New Zealand's largest and best known
winegrowing area in little more than two decades. The distinctive
pungency and zesty fruit flavours of the first wines captured the
imagination of New Zealand’s winemakers and wine drinkers alike, and
sparked an unparalleled boom in vineyard development.
The region’s free-draining alluvial loams over gravelly subsoils in the Wairau and Awatere River valleys ,provides ideal growing conditions. Abundant sunshine with cool nights and a long growing season helps to build and maintain the vibrant fruit flavours for which Marlborough is now famous.
Marlborough records some of New Zealand’s highest sunshine hours and lowest rainfall – both of which contribute to the production of ripe grapes, rich in flavour. Cool night-time temperatures during March and April allow the grapes to ripen slowly, developing beautifully balanced sugars and acids.
More than 70% of the vineyard area of Marlborough is located within the Wairau and Waihopai Valleys, home to Southbank Estate’s vineyards.
New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc is the most planted grape variety with Chardonnay in second place, followed by Pinot Noir and Riesling. Sauvignon Blanc may be the star but Marlborough has also earned an enviable reputation for Méthode Traditionelle sparkling wines as well as a wide range of both white and red table wines.
The Confluence
The vineyard that started it all, The Confluence, lies in the
upper Wairau Valley at the junction of the Wairau and Waihopai rivers.
The 49 hectare (120 acres) vineyard is predominantly planted with New
Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. Three distinct terraces provide varying soil
structures which deliver a spectrum of flavours, providing complexity in
the finished wines. Soils range from the very stony former riverbed of
the lower terrace, through to fine alluvial silts on the highest. The
vineyard enjoys an average of 2300 sunshine hours each year. The Growing
Degree Days (GDD)* measured during the growing season (Sep – May) is
1145 and the long term average rainfall is 350mm (13.8in) for the same
period.
Terrace Road
The Terrace Road vineyard is just 4km to the east of The
Confluence, a 16 hectare (40 acre) vineyard on alluvial river gravels.
The name is derived from its location on an elevated terrace above the
Wairau River. The climatic conditions are similar to those of The
Confluence vineyard.
Hawkes Bay Wine Region
Hawkes Bay is the country's second largest wine region and has a respected 100-year heritage in wine. Considered the original home of New Zealand’s winemaking industry, Hawkes Bay was identified as ideal for viticulture by early European settlers who planted vines there as early as 1850. The region’s benign climate and an array of low vigour soils ensure red wine grapes flourish.
Hawkes Bay remains the region with New Zealand’s greatest viticultural diversity due to more than 20 different soil types. An enormous array of river valleys, plains and seaside locations provide an assortment of climatic variation. This, along with the macro-climatic factors of the Pacific Ocean to the east and the North Island dividing ranges to the west, ensures that Hawkes Bay remains iconic as a producer of superb quality wines.
Growing conditions in Hawkes Bay compare very favourably with Bordeaux, although annual rainfall is 25% lower in Hawkes Bay. Given these factors, the region produces some of New Zealand’s benchmark red wines. It is also renowned for startlingly rich Chardonnay and delightfully complex aromatic wines.
Southbank Estate, Elms & Mere Road
Situated on the renowned Gimblett Gravels,
these vineyards provide us with stunning reds. Beautifully ripe Cabernet
Sauvignon,
Cabernet Franc, Merlot
and of course Syrah are the stars
from these vineyards which total 12 hectares (30 acres).
The Gimblett Gravels are a unique medium for viticulture as they provide almost no soil. Laid down by the fast-running Ngaruroro River over millions of years, the gravels were left high and dry by a devastating earthquake in 1867, which resulted in a complete change in the course of the river. The vineyards receive an average of 2280 sunshine hours each year. The GDD measure during the growing season (Sep – May) is 1392 and the long term average rainfall is 391mm (15.4in) for the same period.
Kereru Road
The beautiful Mangatahi Valley (meaning “one stream” in Maori),
with the Ngaruroro River at its heart, is the location for our Kereru
Road vineyard. Four terraces totaling 61 hectares (150 acres), sloping
north to the river are planted in Merlot,
Chardonnay,
Pinot
Gris and Sauvignon
Blanc.
When our team carried out a complete soil mapping programme they found that there are more than 30 distinctly different soil strata. This enabled us to select ideal locations for the grape varieties we chose to plant. The vineyard receives an average of 2270 sunshine hours each year. The GDD measure during the growing season (Sep – May) is 1310 and the long term average rainfall is 342mm (13.5in) for the same period.
*GDD – An international standard measurement of accumulated heat units. 1 GDD is allocated for each hour that the temperature is recorded above a base temperature – in the case of grapes, the base temperature is 10ºC (50ºF).
