• Delivery
Wine clubWine clubWine clubWine club
  • Gift registry
  • Wishlist
  • FAQs
Greg Melick embarked on the prodigal road to gambling and booze as a mere teenager, after winning the daily double at Werribee and spending the lot on good red wine. He ultimately returned to the straight and narrow, achieving the rank of ADF Major General, Senior Law Counsel, Master Wine Judge and Officer of Australia AO. Melick now grows his own, he remains besotted with les grands vignobles de Bourgogne, the illustrious Pinot Noir of Cote de Nuits and Cote de Beaune. There are few places in the world, more akin to the 1er Grand Cru style of Pinot Noir, than the temperate pastures along Tasmania's River Derwent. It was here in 2002, amongst the woodland idylls of the apple isle, that Melick established Pressing Matters, a meagre four hectares of superior European clones Pinot Noir. Mr Melick has come full circle, this time exchanging his wager in good wine, to win the highly coveted Royal Melbourne James Halliday Trophy for the finest Pinot Noir in Australia... Pressing matters in pinot noir»

Drift Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc CONFIRM VINTAGE

Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough Awatere New Zealand
The Awatere Valley sub region of Marlborough offers a unique mesoclime, shaped by the strong coastal winds, low rainfall, intense sunshine and cool nights. Vines enduring these conditions yield vibrant, intensely flavoured grapes which can make vigorously fruit driven Sauvignon Blanc wines with a palpable mineral character. Distinctively Awatere Valley, a range of characters on the nose and palate transpire from the synergy between parcels of fruit, hand selected off choice sites.
All in all, over seventy individual parcels of grapes are harvested, predominately from five choice blocks grown to select vineyards in Awatere Valley. Parcels are individually handled, treated to a long cool temperature controlled vinification in fermenters, ensuring optimal fruit characteristics are captured and maintained. Upon completion, batches are racked off fine lees and settled. After a lengthy session to determine the final assemblage, components are stabilised and filtered for bottling.
Bright light straw hue. Crushed thyme aromas with hints of wet stone on the bouquet, complimented by mineral and distinctive regional tropical expressions, guava and passionfruit. These aromas follow on to the palate, intense with flavours of passionfruit and lively citrus. A long and memorable, crisp and elegant finish completes the well balanced, finely textured palate.
Drift
1 - 3 of 3
1
1 - 3 of 3
1
Drift
Welcome to Marlborough, home of Drift Wines

At the northeast tip of the South Island of New Zealand lies a unique patch of land which is known the world over for producing wines of elegance and sophistication. What makes this area so special is the soil, formed over centuries by slow glacial movement, the seriously cool nights, which help the men and women who tend the vineyards produce fruit which capture the unique flavours of the region. All around the world, certain areas are more suited to growing particular grape varieties due to differences in their climate and soil. In France, Bordeaux produces Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot whilst Burgundy produces Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. While very different, wines from both regions can easily command thousands of dollars per bottle, as they are revered for capturing the essence of these grape varieties.

Drift

It is because of this that Drift wines come from Marlborough, to deliver the best possible wine for you to enjoy. The fruit for Drift wines is selected from specific sites within the Marlborough region which best express the vibrant characters of the area. This selection goes beyond the broader Marlborough area, the Drift team select the best valleys and the best vineyard, from that vineyard the best fruit. Drift also believe in minimal intervention for winemaking to ensure that the wine clearly expresses the unique characters of the fruit. This means that the grapes are chilled and gently crushed, that they only tend to the juices if there's a need to ensure that none of the vibrant characters are lost.

The Awatere Valley lies in the south east of the Marlborough region, and is close to the coast. This proximity to the ocean results in the Valley being cooler, drier and windier, and is better suited to grape varieties which benefit from longer ripening periods, such as Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Gris.

The Waihopai Valley is further inland, west of Blenheim and a tributary of the Wairau River. This area can be significantly cooler than other sites due to the cold air which descends from the mountains surrounding the valley resulting in much later ripening of fruit. Fruit for our Pinot Noir is grown in the Waihopai Valley, as it benefits from the richer soils.

Drift

Drift aim to make wine which is accessible, enjoyable and memorable. Whether you enjoy a sip or two at the end of the day, or share with friends and family on the weekends, Drift will take you to a place you'd rather be. To achieve this, the winemaking team at Drift have one simple rule, use fruit from Marlborough which express the vibrant flavours that everyone loves to drink.

Drift