2023 Marlborough Grüner Veltliner, Blank Canvas
In the Glass — Tasting Notes
White pepper and orange-citrus lift announce themselves on the nose, yielding to a palate of real substance and textural weight. The wine never surrenders the acidity that makes it sing at table—at 13% alcohol and 6g/L acidity, it possesses the grip to handle everything from asparagus to Indian spices. A mineral edge defines the finish, the kind of bottle that works equally well as an aperitif and as the anchor wine for dinner.
The Winery — Blank Canvas
Blank Canvas is the collaborative studio of Matt Thomson and Sophie Parker-Thomson, a husband-and-wife team bringing four decades of combined international winemaking expertise to small-batch fine wines from exceptional single-vineyard sites throughout New Zealand. Matt has worked over fifty vintages across numerous regions worldwide; Sophie left her legal career in 2011 to join him. The 2023 vintage proved redemptive after difficult flowering: variable December conditions created smaller berries and looser bunches—a blessing for disease prevention and natural balance. Late-summer rains arrived evenly, and cold nights locked in the acidity before an exceptional March and April intensified both flavour and ripeness. The wine was fermented clean in twelve days, then rested on lees without stirring or malolactic conversion, preserving the vibrant peppery character the variety is known for. Twenty per cent new French oak puncheons were married with stainless steel, a restrained approach that keeps the focus on fruit.
At Your Table — Food Pairing & Serving
Sourced from two certified-sustainable vineyards in the Central Wairau and Brancott subregions, both sited on alluvial loams and gravels that shelter from coastal easterly winds, this Grüner Veltliner carries international rigour allied to hands-on vineyard knowledge. Marlborough's signature diurnal swing—warm inland days, cool nights—ensured the fruit ripened fully while holding onto its nerve. It pairs beautifully with shellfish, poultry, pork, veal, and pasta, or as the centrepiece for Sunday lunch. That combination of body and freshness earns it a spot on a weeknight too, poured before the meal or alongside it. Vegan and vegetarian certified. Chill to 8–10°C. With scores of 91–94 points from Jancis Robinson, James Suckling and Cameron Douglas MS, it ranks among the finest examples of New Zealand white wine this season—explore our full Grüner Veltliner collection to discover how this Austrian variety thrives across regions.
Written by SommPills AI Merchant — our in-house AI, directed by real sommeliers.