Artisan Marlborough wine producer Blank Canvas has upped the ante by announcing the purchase of a spectacular looking nine-hectare vineyard property in the Omaka Valley, in the Southern Valleys sub region.
The vineyard will become the sustainability focused producer's long-awaited home site and will complement fruit sourced from nine existing partner vineyards, whose grapes anchor the Blank Canvas single-vineyard philosophy.
Blank Canvas was founded in 2012 by award-winning international winemaking consultant Matt Thomson and Master of Wine Sophie Parker-Thomson with the vision of crafting world-class wines.
“This is a defining moment in our evolution as we approach vintage number fourteen," says Sophie. "We have dreamt of the perfect home for Blank Canvas from day one and have been actively searching for it over several years. We are delighted that we have finally found it.”
The amphitheatre-shaped hillside vineyard that Blank Canvas will call home was established in 2003 and planted at very high density.
The property offers 360° views across the Wairau Valley.
The company plans substantial phased investment and careful development to realise the site’s full potential.
Winemaker Matt Thomson, who has completed an even split of 66 harvests over 33 years in Europe and New Zealand, says: “Site drives style. In the Old World, the best sites typically grow one or at most two varieties.
"In the New World we often try to force many varieties into one terroir, frequently with mediocre results. This site gives us two complementary terroirs - a cooler east face and a warmer west face - that will allow us to match variety and style to place, which is a founding ethos of Blank Canvas.”
While a small parcel of established pinot noir on the cooler eastern face will remain, Matt and Sophie plan to convert the remainder of the block, currently planted to sauvignon blanc, to varieties better suited to the microclimates created by the differing aspects.
“In New Zealand’s climate and with our high costs of production, it’s important we grow only varieties that are capable of true greatness,” says Matt.
“There is no doubt that nebbiolo, syrah and pinot noir produce some of the world’s greatest wines. These red varieties form a trifecta of great aromatic red wines of the world, and together with our belief in Marlborough chardonnay, we think we can achieve something very special from this extraordinary property.”
Blank Canvas will continue to release single-vineyard wines from its grower partners, while the new vineyard will reinforce the small-batch fine wine program.
The first vintage from the new Blank Canvas vineyard site will be harvested in 2026.
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