Pinot Noir “Settlement” Marlborough 2020 – Blank Canvas

The grapes to produce the Pinot Noir “Settlement” Marlborough Blank Canvas  were hand-harvested and 50% of the fruit was tipped into an open-tank fermenter with the balance crushed over the top. The fruit was kept cool until natural fermentation commenced after five days. The tank was hand-plunged throughout its 15-day fermentation period after which the wine was drained and pressed to 100% French oak barriques (35% new, low-toast) for natural malocatic fermentation. After 12 months in oak, the wine spent a further three months in tank to gently and naturally settle.

The stunning Settlement Vineyard is in the Omaka Valley microregion of the Southern Valleys. Blank Canvas are entrusted with a small one-hectare parcel of Clone 777 Pinot Noir, a perfumed Dijon clone that delivers naturally small bunches. This hillside block, called the ‘Back Block’, is north-facing and planted to a high density of 3788 vines per hectare on wind-blown loess over low vigour clay loams. The vineyard was planted in 2009 and is now Bio-Gro certified and farmed organically. It is cane pruned and VSP trained.

Blank Canvas is the vinous studio of award-winning international winemaking consultant Matt Thomson and Master of Wine Sophie Parker-Thomson. With over 40 years of collective experience in the global wine industry, they produce small batch fine wines from exceptional single vineyard sites throughout New Zealand under their art-meets-science project. Matt has worked over fifty vintages in numerous wine regions around the world and has worked with David Gleave since 1994. Sophie has been travelling to Europe and working with Matt since 2011, leaving her career in law behind her. This international experience is the founding inspiration for this husband-and-wife team.