Heaphy, Nelson – a breath of fresh air, born on Sunrise Road

Heaphy Vineyard is Boutinot’s newest home, an established winery and 9.8ha vineyard on the rolling slopes of Upper Moutere, high above the port city of Nelson.

A region of broad bays, indigenous forest, and mountains under an intense purity of light, Nelson Tasman is blessed with the country’s most sunlight hours, something which over the decades has drawn a community of artists and makers to the region, recognised now as the country’s artistic capital. This vibe continues today, along with wild landscapes for the restless, yet a laid-back beach vibe for those who prefer to rest. We were hugely struck by the quality of the ever-changing light in Nelson, its hills and indigenous jungles heaving with abundant flora and fauna. It is an absolute breath of fresh air and joy to experience. Even Heaphy’s physical address, 4 Sunrise Road, fills the mind with a sense of renewal in this long-established wine country.

Hermann Seifried planted on Moutere’s rich, clay soils what were to become Heaphy’s blocks in the early 1970s, indeed our Moutere Old Vine Riesling 2023 celebrates its 50^th harvest, amongst the oldest working vines in New Zealand. The vineyard itself is dry grown, allowing for the roots to fully delve into this ward’s unique Moutere Clays and Mapua Sandy Loams that shape the resulting body and texture, whilst our proximity to the vast Tasman Bay brings salinity to all the wines. Today the farm’s 9.8ha focuses on its long-established blocks of Mendoza-clone Chardonnay, Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc. We continue the existing grower relationships built over years with neighbouring farms to augment Heaphy’s own vineyard.

All Boutinot’s Homes champion their local truths on, as well as in, the bottle, and in refreshing the Heaphy brand we sought the same route. As most of our new local colleagues seemingly rock up to work in Hawaiian shirts and flip-flops it seemed only fitting to depict the indigenous flora and fauna on our doorstep with a shirt-pattern design and breezy colours that reflect our maritime clime. The label shapes borrow from Nelson’s abundance of Art Deco facades and fonts found on the older commercial buildings, whereas our logo reflects the sun, waves and mountains of the Nelson Tasman region, caught in the eye of artist adventurer Charles Heaphy, for whom the wild, local Heaphy Track is also named.

Beyond the bounds of Heaphy itself, our Home-grown NZ winemakers and viticultural team bring Boutinot real on-the-ground presence in this key country, a hugely important wine region in which to put down roots.

Wines

Our first UK releases in the UK will be Heaphy’s Nelson Sauvignon Blanc, Nelson Riesling from the 5th April 2024, followed by Upper Moutere Old Vine Riesling in June.

NHE001 Nelson Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is a crisp, textural thing with the region’s signature taut acidity and maritime aromatics. Sourced from Heaphy clay blocks of Sauvignon Blanc with a judicious marriage of the gravellier Waimea Plains fruit this is an expression of Nelson’s bright acidity, with generous depth of fruit and teasing salinity in the finish. 

NHE005 Nelson Riesling 2023 expresses fruit from Heaphy’s 30 year old clay blocks. Its juicy, tangy and lifted with notes of green apple and lime, gentle richness of body at roughly 7g residual sugar but quickened with our regional salinity in the finish.

NHE010 Moutere Old Vine Riesling 2023 celebrates the 50^th harvest of Heaphy’s most venerable blocks, aged in a single 1,000 litre amphora. Its very dry, racy, and firm and yet opens up with lively jasmine and white tea floral notes over a structured palate and intense, mineral finish.

We can’t wait for you to try them! For more info please visit www.heaphyvineyard.com