Churton

Proprietors Sam and Mandy Weaver focus on making wines with the flavor and intensity of Marlborough fruit combined with the finesse and complexity of European wines.  They moved to New Zealand in the eighties from England where Sam was in the fine wine business. Sam became a winemaker in New Zealand and a respected winery consultant. In the nineties, they started their own winery from scratch. They carved out their vineyards in the foothills of the mountains in Marlborough at 150 to 200 meters above sea-level; no one else had planted at this elevation in the area at the time (most vines in Marlborough are on the valley floor). All of the work in the vineyards is done by hand, which is not a requirement of the appellation. They are making their wines with minimal intervention in the cellar.  They employ extended lees contact on the Sauvignon Blanc and use French oak on the Pinot Noir. They farm organically (they will be certified as of the 2011 vintage) and they apply the principles of the biodynamic calendar to their viticultural and winemaking practices.These are wines that re-define Marlborough.