Saint Clair Family Estate

Saint Clair Family Estate Gold Success at the Easter Show Wine Awards 2015 19/02/15

Saint Clair Family Estate has been awarded a total of six prestigious gold medals at the Easter Show Wine Awards announced yesterday. Gold success across a range of varietals and price points display Saint Clair’s commitment to quality at each and every opportunity.

Saint Clair Family Estate is owned by Neal and Judy Ibbotson, viticulture pioneers in Marlborough since 1978. Grapes were originally supplied to local wine companies; however a desire to extend the quality achieved in the vineyard through to the finished wine led to the establishment of Saint Clair Family Estate in 1994. The Saint Clair name originates from the vineyard property, first settled by the Sinclair family. Pioneer James Sinclair built one of the first homes in Blenheim and was closely associated with the early development of the town. Over time the name of the property reverted to the original Saint Clair.

The company's mission is to create world-class wines that exceed their customers' every expectation. Neal Ibbotson combines his extensive viticultural expertise plus Marlborough’s mix of climate and soils with the talent of one of New Zealand’s leading winemaking teams, led by Matt Thomson and Hamish Clark.

From 1994 when wines from the first vintage all won medals including gold, the name Saint Clair has been synonymous with quality and its award-winning record continues today. Top International accolades include the trophy to Matt Thomson of Saint Clair for White Winemaker of the Year at the London International Wine Challenge, September 2008 and the coveted trophy for Best New Zealand Wine Producer of the Year at the International Wine and Spirit Competition 2005. Saint Clair Family Estate also has the distinction of being the first New Zealand wine company to win major international trophies for Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir in the same year.

A wide choice in Marlborough Vineyard sites, including the Wairau, Awatere and Ure Valleys, allows Saint Clair to specialise its plantings by grape variety in the sub-regions that provide the most suitable terroir for each.

Saint Clair has developed six vineyards in different sites in Marlborough, including the Rapaura, Awatere, Waihopai and Omaka Valleys. Only superior fruit from the best locations for each individual variety is selected for the Saint Clair label.

In 2001 Saint Clair introduced a ‘grading system’ for all its vineyards different wine batches and marks them out of 10 for quality each year. This provides valuable information with records now over a period of time showing which vineyards provide the best fruit and which varieties produce the best quality in each of the vineyards. The grading system is also used extensively as a management tool for identifying and improving best vineyard practices, and for payments to growers.

Other factors contributing to wine quality include a sustainable approach with minimal use of vineyard sprays, open canopy with good light and airflow, leaf plucking, fruit and shoot thinning and selection with no cultivation. After harvest the fruit is moved rapidly from vine, to press, to tank and barrel, to preserve fruit quality and character.

Saint Clair has one of the leading winemaking teams in the country headed by Matt Thomson (B.Sc and M.Sc Biochem, Otago). Matt has been involved with Saint Clair since its inception in 1994. He also has had winemaking experience on a regular basis in a number of areas in Italy and in Bordeaux. Matt is uncompromising on quality. Comparatively little emphasis is placed on technological gadgetry. This natural, uncluttered approach helps produce wines with distinctive characters, which are clearly appreciated by an increasingly sophisticated wine drinking public in an increasing number of world markets.

Up until harvest Matt spends most of his time monitoring the changing flavour profile of the grapes. He notes the difference in flavour between bunches and between the different vineyard areas to ensure that they are picked at optimum time. Neal says, “Matt has a great palate and tremendous skill for optimising these grape flavours at harvest.”

Matt’s skills and the time he spends in the vineyard are extremely important in Saint Clair’s viticulture and winemaking process and they are being rewarded through the outstanding quality of their wines.

Screw Caps are gaining rapid acceptance in New Zealand and in many of the countries New Zealand wines are exported to. To ensure the best quality wines Saint Clair is in the process of introducing screw caps to all of our wines.

We wish to produce the best quality wine possible 100% of the time. Traditional corks do not allow us to do this. The various quality of corks can affect wines in numerous ways from cork taint that can dull a wine’s flavours and aromas, to off smells of mould and rotten cardboard. Some corks can also promote oxidation of wine where the wine is prematurely aged, becomes flat, and fruit flavours are totally destroyed.

We believe our 2003 Saint Clair Wairau Reserve Sauvignon Blanc which was awarded the Trophy for the best Sauvignon Blanc at the IWSC Show in London had approximately 50% affected to a greater or lesser extent by cork. But only in a low percent of bottles did the wine actually taste corked. What we found in tasting this wine on many occasions was when it was good it was amazingly good, with great nose, great intensity and power in the palate. However in many instances whilst the wine was still good to drink it was subdued both on the nose and the palate. Many wine drinkers still thought it was great, however, we knew it was back a notch on where it should be. This experience happened repeatedly and we only became aware of it because we knew the wine so well.

Saint Clair wants to provide you with the best quality wine possible, with no bottles cork tainted or even mildly affected causing variation to our wines. There are many benefits of using screw caps including user friendly openings, confidence you will receive your wine in the top quality condition intended, no longer cork affected and screw caps will allow each wine to mature and develop to its full potential.

As one of New Zealand’s leading producers of wine, quality is paramount. It actually costs more to provide customers with Screw caps (with associated additional bottle cost), than cork. We ask your help in educating others to enjoy a better quality product and help us to move to a product, which will be markedly better, and no longer cork affected.

Neal Ibbotson
Managing Director
Saint Clair Wines