Address: 45 Lanark Lane, Renwick
Region: Marlborough
Size: Small
First Vintage: 2002
2004 CQI: 4.33 (3 reviews)..
Exported to US: Yes
Gravitas is owned by native New Zealander Martyn Nicholls and his wife Pamela. Martyn has been all over the world during his banking career and along the way became enamored with fine wine. Leaving his banking life behind, he started into viticulture in the fields and the classrooms. garnering an International Wine MBA in Bordeaux and currently enrolled in the Master of Wine program.
Martyn notes that he has been described as being “on the lunatic fringe of the quality spectrum”. At the very least, the cycling term hors catégorie (beyond classification) comes to mind. It starts in the vineyard where yields are kept extremely low and flavor concentrations high through leafplucking, shoot thinning, and excess bunch removal. During harvest, the grapes are hand-picked over many days and hand-sorted on tables. The wines are made in up to 12 different batches with differing techniques then blended for greater complexity. Seven types of French oak are used in their oaked wines.
Martyn tracks each of his 80,000 vines on a computer. At the rate he is picking up competition awards, he'll ultimately have a medal to hang on each vine.
Wines:
Soon to be released: