Trade and media guests saw Marlborough at its best a couple of weeks ago for the biannual Marlborough Wine Weekend. Nautilus featured strongly throughout the event with the Cuvee Marlborough Brut NV included in the Methode Marlborough seminar and the Nautilus Chardonnay 2012 featured in the Marlborough Chardonnay masterclass. Both of these sessions focused on styles that are perhaps the underrated stars of the region and encouraged great debate amongst the panel and the audience.
Day two focused on getting down and dirty in the vineyards – tasting Sauvignons and Pinot Noirs with a sense of place in the sub-regions from which they are drawn. Our Pinot Noir and Four Barriques Pinot Noir were shown in the Southern Valleys tasting at the Auntsfield Barn – a beautiful setting for some delicious wines.
At lunch, guests were encouraged to try some of the more adventurous varieties. Nautilus Gruner Veltliner 2013 was showcased here and we received very good feedback about the wine. Although we only make a small amount of this variety it is highly allocated and there is lots of interest – something that bodes well for its future within this region.
Finally, guests enjoyed the delicious and decadent food and wine at the Twilight Garden party. Here Nautilus Vintage Rose 2011 was the first wine to run out (I may have had something to do with that personally…) and fantastic food was provided using local artisan ingredients and guest celebrity chefs.
