Dave Clouston’s Black Cottage offers a range of wines full of character, or in their words, wines with ‘gusto’. Nested alongside Marlborough’s Opawa River, this estate offers a truly unique experience with its relaxed, down-to-earth vibes yet producing seriously good wines. Combining selected parcels of fruit with modern and alternative winemaking techniques, David strives to create very special wines which are approachable yet intense and full of character.

The grapes for the Sauvignon Blanc are sourced from two different plots both located in the heart of Wairau Valley in the Marlborough region. The stony soil and the long summer days present perfect growing conditions to harvest grapes with those classic punchy Marlborough characteristics: nettle and gooseberry with hints of fresh passion fruit on the finish. The fruit for the Pinot Noir is from Central Otago from a single vineyard in the Cromwell Basin. The 10-year-old vines are starting to deliver wines with depth and personality, while the diurnal temperature swings (from 30 +°C in the day to 5°C degrees at night) producing Pinot Noirs with pure fruit characters and bright acidity.

The wines from this estate have garnered many accolades such as four stars from Winestate magazine and Michael Cooper’s Fine Wine Buying Guide.