Nautilus has been at the vanguard of Pinot Noir winemaking in Marlborough for over twenty four years, since crafting its first Pinot Noir in 1997. Early plantings of Dijon clones and experimenting with single clone/single site trials led to a rapid appreciation of the potential for this variety in the region. Each year we release a limited pack to share with our costumers, this year we are offering a triple pack with the following wines: Nautilus Awatere River Vineyard Pinot

The beautiful and mysterious Paper Nautilus is rarely seen in the open ocean but occasionally their shells wash up on secluded beaches around the Marlborough Sounds. With its paper-like shells, its delicate geometry and feather-weight texture, this distant cousin of the Nautilus in our logo has become the inspiration for a new direction of Sauvignon Blanc winemaking for the Nautilus team. 35 years’ experience has led us to prefer palate weight, texture and length in Nautilus

A few cool nights in early spring had us concerned about potential frost damage but none eventuated and a settled period during flowering resulted in a solid crop being set. Rains in November & December kept the soil moisture levels up and while January and February were warm and dry, we had sufficient water to get through the season. We began harvest on the 20th of February – still relatively early compared to the long-term average. The 1st week in March was busy with ha

Vintage report 2019 The 2019 season started well with no significant frost issues and reasonable spring rains to develop healthy canopies.  Some cool weather during flowering affected the bunch size of some varieties – particularly Chardonnay and Pinot Noir – and as a result, crops were naturally slightly down.  January and February were then extremely dry with virtually no rainfall for two months and warmer than average temperatures.  We began to anticipate an early harvest

The beautiful and mysterious Paper Nautilus is rarely seen in the open ocean but occasionally washes up on secluded beaches around the Marlborough Sounds. With its paper-like shells, its delicate geometry and feather-weight texture, this distant cousin of the Nautilus in our logo has become the inspiration for a new direction of Sauvignon Blanc winemaking for the Nautilus team. 30 years’ experience has led us to prefer palate weight, texture and length in Nautilus Sauvignon B

We began making Nautilus Marlborough Chardonnay in 1989 buying grapes from a vineyard in Renwick. The fruit held such promise we bought the vineyard shortly afterward. Despite this early potential, it was undoubtedly a challenging beginning for Chardonnay in our portfolio.  We struggled with inferior clonal selection, high yields and faulty corks – you name it. So in the late 90’s we decided to reduce production and get back to the heart of our winemaking philosophy: making e

There is no doubt that 2017 was a year where we had to push things to the limits to make the best possible wines, and the experience of the crew really paid off. In a good year anyone can make good wines, however the more challenging years can be just as rewarding for a quality-focused producer and we are very proud of the wines we have been able to craft in 2017. Spring and summer kicked the season off with good growing conditions and healthy vines. We started picking a coup