This was an ideal growing season for sauvignon blanc as a warm spring and summer were followed by a long, dry autumn, which produced extra ripening, while at the same time allowing the grapes to retain good natural acidity.  Moderate crop levels has ensured the wine has good concentration.

Unseasonably cool weather when the vines were in flower impaired pollination, leading to a reduced number of berries in the bunches.  The rest of the growing season, however, was excellent so that the vines could easily ripen their modest crops and  produce beautifully mature fruit that was in optimal condition when picked. 

The growing season was very kind with a mild spring and a warm summer.  A period of rain in the autumn caused some initial anxiety, but it was followed by fine weather enabling us to harvest optimally ripened, healthy fruit.   

An exceptionally early budburst was brought about by a very mild spring.  Warm summer days with cool nights and a balmy, dry autumn produced healthy, beautifully ripened fruit while retaining a wonderful balance of natural acidity.

An exceptionally early budburst was brought about by a very mild spring.  Warm summer days with cool nights and a balmy, dry autumn produced healthy, beautifully ripened fruit while retaining a wonderful balance of natural acidity.

TipinuiThis growing season was definitely one where “the best wines were made in the vineyard”.  A large crop of grapes set on the vines in Marlborough and, after naturally modest to low levels of crop in 2007, some growers were tempted to leave an excessive amount of fruit on the vines. The grapes for this wine, however, were thinned at an early stage to ensure better ripeness and concentration.

The Donaldson Family traces its Kiwi roots back about 1000 years. In keeping with this we have chosen to honour this special New Zealand wine with an ancestral name.

The fruit came from an elevated vineyard on clay, limestone slopes looking north-west over the Waipara Valley. This was an ideal growing season for pinot gris with an early bud-burst, a warm summer and a long, lingering autumn.

With an early budburst and a warm summer this growing season was ideal for pinot gris. A long, dry autumn meant we were able to delay picking the grapes until they were perfectly ripe. They came from an elevated vineyard on clay, limestone slopes, looking northwest over the Waipara Valley.

ChardonnayCool breezy weather in late spring and early summer impaired the pollination of the grape flowers and this resulted in a relatively small crop of chardonnay grapes forming on the vines.  The rest of the summer was excellent and the autumn was warm and dry.  The grapes were thus beautifully ripe and they were able to be picked in optimal condition.

Coolish weather over the flowering period of the vines impaired pollination, which reduced the size of the overall crop.  The rest of that season, however, was excellent.  The hand harvested fruit was beautifully ripe and in optimal condition when picked.  The fruit came from gentle north facing clay slopes in Marlborough’s Brancott Valley.