Product Description
Vandal is a micronegociant project based in Marlborough, New Zealand. It began in the 2016 vintage, and it’s a collaboration between three local winemakers who all had kids, and who wanted to get out of the house more. They’d all been making Sauvignon Blanc since they were young, and now wanted to make something different: not the commercial, bright style they’d been taught to make at all the big wineries. The idea is to work with good sites, all in the southern valleys of Marlborough, and to use winemaking techniques they don’t get to use in their day jobs. The whole secrecy thing is because their contracts allow them to make some home brew, but not to promote it. ‘We all reached the point at the same time when we wanted a creative outlet; a side project,’ one of them explained. ‘We met up over beers and came up with this.’ The term vandal comes from ancient times when the vandals couldn’t fight Ceasar on the open battlefield so instead they defaced his statues. ‘We are defacing the commercialization of Marlborough, showing that it isn’t just a one-trick pony’ The approach isn’t natural, but rather lo-fi – It means winegrowing with integrity. It is much more than sustainability. It’s a holistic approach to growing, making and even selling wine in the most authentic way possible.
Pinot Noir with a bit of Viognier. This is picked and fermented whole bunch carbonic for two to three weeks. Pale garnet in colour. Beautifully fragrant and supple with sappy, bright raspberry and red cherry fruit. Has some nice savoury grip. Natural and expressive. Lovely white pepper spiciness on the finish.