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Clayridge’s Cute Little Sister
The perfect accompaniment to any light spicy dish is this wonderful Clayridge Pinot Blanc. Sometimes described as Pinot Gris’ cute little sister this wine is hand picked, whole bunch pressed and then wild fermented in seasoned barriques. ClayridgeVineyard Clayridge is a young Marlborough vineyard, planted around a steep hillside by Mike and Paula Just. As one of the highest sites in Marlborough, and one of the only non-irrigated ones, the vines have had to develop a naturally deep rooting system which makes the very best of the flavour potential of the low vigour clay soils. “We planted at the start of several very dry summers,” laughs Just. “It’s hard to imagine it now but there were a few moments when we questioned our decision.” The vines are planted close together and produce a comparatively low yield. Mike and Paula grow their own Pinot Noir, and have a small group of equally passionate people growing the other varieties for them. One of the advantages of the Pinot Blanc variety is that even in cooler climates it can be picked earlier than Pinot Gris leading to a softer, more delicate aromatic wine with a slightly lower alcohol level. Just feels this makes it a “nice alternative to the mainstream”. Because of the remoteness of the site they depend on a hands-on approach to viticulture and pride themselves on their environmentally friendly practices. “I don’t know of any other industries that allow you to manage the process so completely; from seed right through to the pouring the finished product at a trade show on the other side of the world,” says Just. Just trained in Germany in the late 1980’s followed by several years working in German wineries. Before returning to New Zealand in 1995, Mike and Paula travelled together for three months in the US. They chose Marlborough as their New Zealand base because of its established tradition of wine making and the strong reputation it was building around the Marlborough Sauvignons. They spent a year at the Merlen winery before moving to Lawson’s Dry Hills. During his eight years at Lawson’s Just’s wines were awarded six Trophies, 20 Gold medals and achieved Top 100 status in the US. It was on the crest of this wave of success that Just decided to plant his own vines. With Mike being a direct descendent of England’s King Edward III, there is a family aspect to the business that is clearly deeply important to the Justs. Older members of the family contributed to the finances required to get the business up and running. These days the younger generation keep things on track with four year old Joshua and two year old Rhianna watching over the winemaking and viticulture! Alongside the Clayridge Vineyard, Just runs a winemaking consultancy and is Consultant Winemaker for a number of other labels. He also manages the purpose built Pinot Noir cellar at the Indevin Winery each vintage. Wine is very much his life. He loves the traditions and mystique of winemaking and has an obvious sense of the honour in being part of the noble art. “Every bottle is an ambassador for New Zealand,” he says. “That’s something I feel really proud of.” Pinot Blanc The Pinot Blanc variety originated in Burgundy and was popular there until the appellation controlee system was introduced in 1937 which defined which grapes should be grown in Burgundy. Pinot Blanc lost out to Chardonnay and is now to be found primarily in the Alsace region, California and Italy. A wine that sets the record for the ways in which it can be presented in the bottle, the Clayridge Pinot Blanc is a complex yet delicate style of wine with subtle floral aromas, notes of honeysuckle, spice and white peach on the palate and a surprisingly long rich finish. Ideal for the light tangy taste of this month’s Tamarind Chicken Recipe. www.clayridgewines.co.nz Thanks to Advintage for this wine recommendation. Buy Clayridge Pinot Blanc https://www.advintage.co.nz/ProductDisplay.aspx?ID=2002 
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