Shaking up the New Zealand Sauvignon Market, according to The Tasting Panel.

Recently Rich spoke to Amanda M. Faison from The Tasting Panel, on The Marlborist and Alpine Rift, to hear about where we started and where we’re going. Here’s a snippet below, or read the full article here, page 133

Aiming at rewriting the next chapter of Marlborough wine with a particular focus on a new style of Sauvignon Blanc, Rich got together with Stu and Dave to form The Marlborist in 2020. “I want more subtlety – it’s about really diligent viticulture, lower yields, and greater concentration of fruit flavours” Says Rich. “We’re exploring an unfined, unfiltered path with the knowledge that we don’t want to strip anything from the wines. We want them to be reflective of their terroir”

Fast forward to 2021, Alpine Rift was formed when The Marlborist was offered an exceptional parcel of fruit that they “simply couldn’t turn down”. “We had never intended to produce a classic style of Sauvignon Blanc in The Marlborist lineup, so we created Alpine Rift, through which we could showcase our interpretation of a more elegant, restrained Sauvignon Blanc.” Bright and polished, the label is named for the geological instability that has shaped New Zealand's mountain-to-sea landscape – which in turn forms its wine country.  

Both brands are designed to challenge the established notion of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc with their “less-is-more” profiles. “We want to create beautiful, expressive wines and believe there’s space for a new brand, new story and younger generation to carry Marlborough forward.”