Tinpot Hut wines are made primarily from fruit grown on winemaker Fiona Turner’s vineyard in Blind River. Fiona, who has worked with Matt Thomson for a number of years, supplements her own grapes with fruit from other growers in Marlborough and Hawkes Bay. The tinpot hut that gave its name to Fiona’s wines is an old mustering hut in the remote hills between the Wairau and Awatere Valleys. The huts were used as a base for musterers as they rounded up the sheep that had been in the hills from spring to autumn. The name links Marlborough’s past as a sheep farming centre with its current state as one of the world’s most dynamic wine regions.
This stylish, rich Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc reveals classic aromas of freshly cut thyme and lemongrass combined with tropical notes. On the palate, the ripe fruit and mineral character from the grapes grown in the Blind River sub-region of Marlborough mingle with more tropical notes of passion fruit and melon from the Wairau Valley vineyards. The vibrant aromatics and a fine balance of acidity lead to a lingering finish.
This Pinot Noir is ruby red in colour with a purple hue. It has elegant aromas of red and black cherries and plum, which mingles with a hint of redcurrant. Savoury mushroom and toasty oak characters complete the attractive nose. On the palate, it has classic black cherry notes that dominate and are supported by hints of bramble, reflecting the aromatics. Structurally, the tannins are soft and silky, and well-balanced acidity ensures good length and weight.
This Riesling is pale straw in the glass. It has fresh citrus aromatics of sweet lime and grapefruit with subtle floral notes. Light bodied, it is fresh and appealing with flavours of lime and grapefruit carrying through to the palate and a distinct mineral finish reflective of the Blind River sub-region. Rounded and well-balanced acidity with mineral notes on the long finish.
Pale straw in colour, the Tinpot Pinot Gris has fragrant aromas of spice, pear and stone fruit mix with underlying notes of brioche and freshly cut spring flowers. This wine is medium bodied and textured with flavours of ripe pear and white peach and a touch of spicy nutmeg - all characteristics that are synonymous with Pinot Gris grown in the Blind River sub-region of Marlborough. This wine has beautifully ripe fruit flavours and is silky with good palate weight.
This Grüner Veltliner has delicate aromas of orange blossom and citrus blended with hints of sweet floral honeysuckle. It has great texture with a full mouth feel. Flavours of white peach mingle well with the subtle peppery spice notes. Mineral complexity gives this wine a clean and crisp appeal. The balance of the fruit, acidity and phenolics work very well together and lead to a long, dry finish.
Pale straw in colour, the Tinpot Pinot Gris has fragrant aromas of spice, pear and stone fruit mix with underlying notes of brioche and freshly cut spring flowers. This wine is medium bodied and textured with flavours of ripe pear and white peach and a touch of spicy nutmeg - all characteristics that are synonymous with Pinot Gris grown in the Blind River sub-region of Marlborough. This wine has beautifully ripe fruit flavours and is silky with good palate weight.