Walnut Block
Walnut Block is a gorgeous and manicured vineyard in the heart of the Wairau Valley just outside of Blenheim. The vineyard gets its’ name from the oldest Walnut tree in the region which lies right in the middle of their vineyard.
The vineyard is owned by the Sowman family, led by husband and wife team Clyde and Helen. Clyde is a Marlborough native while Helen heralds from the UK. They met while Clyde was working for the Harrods Wine Department in London. They decided to come back to Marlborough and start their own venture which included the Walnut Block vineyard and cottages.
I was lucky enough to stay at one of the beautiful cottages on the vineyard which gave me an interesting perspective on the property. My background is in viticulture and oenology so I am always interested in how people run their vineyards. What I saw at Walnut Block immediately impressed me. The fastidious attention to detail was admirable. The grapes were culled back to very low crops, the vine canopies were managed every day, the vineyard was netted to protect from birds and the effect was stunning.
The vineyard is managed by Nigel Sowman and the wines are made by Gordon Ritchie. I was very interested to see if the winemaker was able to translate this awesome vineyard into an equal product. I was not disappointed. The Walnut Block 2008 Sauvignon Blanc and the 2007 Pinot Noir were two of the best wines I tried on my trip. Interestingly, they have been using natural yeasts in the fermentations to increase complexity. The results were delicious, just enough bready, yoghurt-like density to increase the overall appeal of the concentrated fruit. Sauvignon Blanc can sometimes lend itself to one dimensionality and I was pleased to see someone seriously trying to alter that image. The Pinot Noir also showed great depth of flavour and oak balance which made it a perfect wine for us.
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