Our Story
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![Jinx the cute back kitten climbing in the grape vines during harvest season]()
Tend it... carefully looked after by everyone living and working on the vineyard throughout the ten growing months it takes to bring each season's fruit to maturity
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![worker driving a tractor through vineyard rows during grape harvest season]()
Prune it... by hand or by machine, a 'light' summer haircut to the canopy so the sunlight can get to the ripening grape berries below
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![worker picking grapes by hand during grape harvest season Marlborough New Zealand]()
Pick it... gently by hand, reducing the amount of free running precious juice escaping before getting the grapes into the winery. Late autumn, Mar - Apr
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![worker working in the winery cleaning out stainless steel fermentation tanks during grape harvest vintage]()
Press it... the grapes, storks and all! are gently squeezed within a couple of hours of being picked
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![beautiful looking bottle of pinot noir wine sitting on yellow rich glacial clay soils that the grapes were grown in]()
Bottle it... after the fruit has gone through its fermention stage, it sits in French oak barrels for over a year maturing before blending, bottling and ageing
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![a big family group of all generations sharing lunch, wine and laughter at the table]()
Enjoy it!
FAQs
How many varieties of grapes do you grow?
On our 7-hectare (17-acre) vineyard we grow 6 varieties of grapes, but predominantly Pinot Noir. Of the four hectares of Pinot, we have four different clones.
The interesting thing about different clones is that each brings something unique to the party (and we do like a party)! Some plants are better suited to growing in our very hard, dry clay soils, while others struggle, producing smaller, more concentrated, flavourful berries. Did you know? Most of a grape’s flavour comes from the skin of the fruit, while the juice comes from the pulp in the centre.
Once pressed, these different clones of Pinot Noir are selected and blended into the final version of that season’s wine by the winemaker. This is the “true art,” as the fruit differs so widely in taste from year to year depending on the season. We want to make a wine that tells you the story of that year’s toil—our ups and downs—in a single sip (or sips)!
Our grape varities we grow in order of acerage:
Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris, Chardonay, Riesling, Syrah, Vionier.
What is special about growing grapes in clay soil?
The Southern Valleys region within Marlborough are known for their heavy, dry clay soils — and these soils are a big part of what makes our wine distinctive. Clay holds water differently from the region’s more common alluvial and riverbed gravel soils (which grow the best tasting sauvigon blanc in the world) but we might be slighlty bias!
Clay soil drains slowly, warms slowly, and naturally limits vine vigour.
This means the vines put more of their energy into producing smaller, more flavour-intense berries rather than lots of leafy growth. Smaller berries have a higher skin-to-juice ratio, which results in deeper colour, richer texture, and more concentrated flavours
Combine this with Marlborough’s cool climate, long growing season, and the unique behaviour of different Pinot Noir clones in these soils, and you get wines that truly tell the story of the place — bold yet elegant, expressive yet grounded in the clay that shapes them.
How can I order Clay wines?
Currently our wine is only sold in the UK, we work with our distrubitor Tony Wellings from The Antipodean Sommelier
www.taswines.co.uk
In the first intanse email Crispin Clay and he’ll sort everything out for you
crispin@brookbyhill.co.nz
What is the ageing potential of CLAY ON CLAY wines?
Pinot Noir wines produced from the Southern Valleys will age beautifully for 7–12 years, and in exceptional seasons even longer. Over time, the bright cherry and plum characters soften into savoury, earthy layers with silky texture and real depth.
It’s a style that starts vibrant and juicy, then slowly reveals the story of its place — and its season — as the years go by.