Herzogs are a favourite on the Marlborough trail, Erica and I had the most fantastic meal here. Also the spot where I tried Montepulciano for the first time.
I like the approach to closures and their sentiments on farming. Awesome wines. And yes, they do make bloody good pinot!
Bottled History
The Herzog families have grown wine in Switzerland since 1630. Hans Herzog is a graduate of the Wine University of Wädenswil, Switzerland, with a degree in viticulture and a master degree in winemaking plus the experience of over 40 years as winegrower/winemaker.
Hans Herzog is an innovative winegrower who likes to experiment. Despite a very successful estate in Switzerland, he still sought the ideal place to produce great Bordeaux-style wine and other varieties not possible to grow in the cooler climate of Switzerland. In pursuit of his dream to find the perfect land to grow the wines he loved and which could compete with the worlds best, his search led him to New Zealand where he found the perfect conditions in Marlborough.
Hans conscientiously identified a unique piece of land bordering the banks of the Wairau River providing all the elements to continue with his tradition, to lead the way with new grape varieties. Not influenced by commercial thoughts, he then successfully planted (in the mid-nineties) Pinot Gris, Viognier and Montepulciano, varieties rarely witnessed in New Zealand at the time.
Herzog Single Vineyard
The dedication to tend the vine with immaculate detail (extensive bud rubbing, shoot thinning, leaf plucking, bunch thinning, homicidal green harvests and of course hand picking), result in wines that not only reflect the land where they are grown but by the vigneron who nurtures them.
As part of Sustainable Winegrowing New Zealand, herbicides and pesticides are not used, and all pressings are returned back to the vineyard. Irrigation is judiciously employed, with 3 to 4 ‘soakings’ per annum.
- Vineyard area:
- 11ha
- Plant density:
- 5500 vines per ha
- Yield:
- < 2 tonnes per acre
- Grape varieties:
-
Red: Pinot Noir, Merlot, Cabernet-Franc, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Malbec, Montepulciano, Syrah, Nebbiolo, Tempranillo, Barbera, Petit-Verdot, Zweigelt White: Chardonnay, Viognier, Pinot Gris, Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc, Arneis, Rousanne, Semillon, Gewürztraminer, (Gruner Veltliner 2008)
