In 2008 the Giesen brothers Theo, Alex and Marcel challenged the team to craft a collection of wines true to their vineyard, wines that speak of their place. Giesen Wines owns 13 Marlborough vineyards across 287 hectares each with different soil, aspect, water, sunshine and elevation. It is this diversity, supported by meticulous viticultural practice, which is the essence of the Single Vineyard wines. In the winery, Giesen’s winemakers let the wines speak for themselves practicing ‘hands off’ winemaking where possible. The use of finest French oak allows the sense of place to shine. All this precision adds up to ensure the Giesen Single Vineyard Selection are wines of texture that articulate the terroir of their origin.
Clayvin Pinot Noir 2013
Marlborough’s Wairau Valley started the growing season with cooler temperatures. With the onset of flowering in early December, temperatures were 2 degrees higher than the average. Summer enjoyed long hours of sunshine, with little rain, and as a consequence little disease pressure. The Clayvin’s high density planting helps the vines to develop a deep root structure, enabling water supply during the hot summer months. While high sunshine hours, the average temperatures weren’t, the high density planting and low fruiting wire ensures the grapes are closer to the ground where heat generated of the foot hill settles, enabling the fruit to ripen beautifully while retaining flavour and acidity.