Dog Point Vineyard

Dog Point Vineyard represents one of the most significant departures from institutional winemaking in New Zealand's history. Ivan and Margaret Sutherland were among Marlborough's earliest grape growers, planting their home vineyard block in 1979. In 1991 they bought the adjoining Dog Point Fairhall property, and later added further vineyard land. While Ivan was building this estate, he and James Healy worked together at Cloudy Bay, where they shaped that brand's global reputation over roughly two decades. The company was registered in November 2001, and the Dog Point label was launched in 2004 using fruit from the 2002 vintage. The name itself dates to Marlborough's earliest European settlement, when sheepdogs abandoned or lost by shepherds formed wild packs that gathered on the tussock-covered hill now overlooking the estate.

• First plantings by the Sutherland family in 1979; one of the oldest privately established vineyards in Marlborough; Dog Point Fairhall property acquired 1991
• Label launched 2004 from 2002 vintage; Ivan Sutherland spent approximately 18 years at Cloudy Bay as chief viticulturalist; James Healy approximately 12 years as oenologist
• Family-owned; next generation now running day-to-day operations with Matt Sutherland as General Manager and Murray Cook as winemaker
• Name derives from wild packs of abandoned sheepdogs that gathered on the hill overlooking the estate during early European settlement of Marlborough

Dog Point's commitment to organics is as comprehensive as any estate in New Zealand. In 2009, rather than converting in stages as advisors suggested, Ivan Sutherland applied for BioGro organic certification across all vineyards simultaneously, wanting to establish a unified organic culture with staff from the beginning. By March 2012, 150 hectares were fully certified with a further 60 hectares in conversion; total certified organic area has since grown to approximately 280 hectares, making it New Zealand's largest certified organic vineyard. The 2016 vintage was the first in which all grapes processed could be labelled as organic. Biodiversity is central to the philosophy: cover crops including buckwheat and phacelia are planted between vines in spring, prunings are composted and returned to the soil, and over winter approximately 2,500 sheep and 25 steers graze the property.

• Organic conversion began 2009 across all vineyards at once; 150 ha fully BioGro certified by March 2012; approximately 280 ha total certified as of 2023, New Zealand's largest certified organic vineyard
• 2016 was the first vintage where all grapes were fully certified, enabling organic labelling on bottles
• Winter grazing by approximately 2,500 sheep and 25 steers adds organic matter; spring cover crops (buckwheat, phacelia) encourage beneficial insects; vine prunings composted and returned as fertiliser
• All fruit hand-harvested; approximately 95% of New Zealand vineyards are machine-harvested, making Dog Point a genuine outlier in the region

Dog Point produces exactly four wines, all from owned estate fruit. The standard Sauvignon Blanc is sourced from eight parcels within the Wairau Valley, cropped at approximately 10 tonnes per hectare, whole-bunch pressed, cold settled, and aged 4 to 5 months in stainless steel with a portion fermented on indigenous yeasts, then bottled without fining. Section 94, named after the survey title given to the parcel on the original 19th-century land map, comes from a single block planted in 1992; it is hand-picked, whole-bunch pressed, settled for 24 hours, then fermented and aged for 18 months in older French oak on 100% wild yeasts, bottled without fining. The Chardonnay blends approximately 75% Mendoza clone with 25% Clone 95, pressed directly to barrel (10% new French oak) for 18 months on wild yeasts. The Pinot Noir, from vines dating to the early 1980s cropped at around 5 tonnes per hectare, is also aged in French oak and bottled without fining.

• Sauvignon Blanc: eight Wairau Valley parcels, approximately 10 t/ha, whole-bunch pressed, 4-5 months stainless steel, partial indigenous yeast, bottled without fining
• Section 94: single parcel planted 1992, named after original 19th-century land survey title; 18 months in older French oak, 100% wild yeast fermentation, bottled without fining or with minimal filtration only
• Chardonnay: approximately 75% Mendoza clone, 25% Clone 95; some vines planted 1981; whole-bunch pressed directly to French oak (10% new) for 18 months on 100% wild yeasts
• Pinot Noir: estate vines from early 1980s, approximately 5 t/ha; aged in French oak; all four wines vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free

Dog Point has earned a reputation as one of New Zealand's most important producers almost from the moment the label launched. Section 94 is widely cited by critics including Jancis Robinson MW, who described it as New Zealand's most distinctive Sauvignon Blanc, and the Wine Society regards it as the most distinctive Sauvignon Blanc being made in New Zealand. A Robert Parker Wine Advocate score of 95 points for the Sauvignon Blanc places it in company fewer than 200 Sauvignon Blancs in the publication's history have reached. Recent vintages of the standard Sauvignon Blanc score consistently around 91 to 93 points across major publications. The Chardonnay is considered by some influential critics to be among the most exciting white wines produced in New Zealand. The estate was supreme winner of the 2017 Cawthron Marlborough Environment Awards.

• Section 94 described by Jancis Robinson MW as New Zealand's most distinctive Sauvignon Blanc; widely regarded as one of New Zealand's greatest white wines
• Standard Sauvignon Blanc scored 95 points from Robert Parker's Wine Advocate; consistent 91-93 point range across recent vintages from major critics
• Supreme winner of the 2017 Cawthron Marlborough Environment Awards for combining wine production with conservation excellence
• Chardonnay considered by multiple influential voices as potentially New Zealand's highest white wine achievement; Pinot Noir regarded as among the finest in New Zealand

Dog Point's vineyards sit at the confluence of the Brancott and Omaka Valleys within Marlborough's Southern Valleys subregion, a location widely regarded as one of the most desirable sites in the region. The property features undulating terrain with a desirable northerly aspect. White wine varieties are mostly planted on free-draining silty clay loams on the valley floor, which express the citrus and grapefruit characters characteristic of the wines. Hillside blocks with a dominant clay influence contribute to the complexity of the Chardonnay, while gentle clay loam slopes are used for Pinot Noir. Most soils were laid down within the last 14,000 years, shaped by glacial erosion in the high country and carried to the coast by meltwater rivers. Vine age is considerable: Sauvignon Blanc averages 25 years old, with the oldest over 30; Section 94 vines are 30 years old; Chardonnay averages 30 years with some vines planted in 1981; Pinot Noir vines date to the early 1980s.

• Located at the confluence of Brancott and Omaka Valleys, Southern Valleys subregion; undulating terrain with northerly aspect; first Sutherland plantings 1979
• White wines on free-draining silty clay loams on valley floor; Chardonnay benefits from clay hillside blocks; Pinot Noir on gentle clay loam hill slopes
• Soils laid down within the last 14,000 years by glacial and meltwater processes; significant diurnal temperature variation supports slow, even ripening
• Vine age: Sauvignon Blanc averages 25 years (oldest over 30); Section 94 block planted 1992; Chardonnay averages 30 years (oldest vines from 1981); Pinot Noir from early 1980s

Dog Point occupies a premium position in New Zealand and export markets, priced to reflect hand-harvesting and organic estate farming without reaching the luxury tier. The standard Sauvignon Blanc is among the most accessible wines in the portfolio at approximately USD 20 to 25 in export markets, representing exceptional value given the production costs of hand-harvesting and organic certification. Section 94, Chardonnay, and Pinot Noir sit in the moderate-to-premium range. The estate distributes selectively in New Zealand, Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with growing recognition among fine dining establishments globally. Production is boutique by New Zealand standards, with the Chardonnay being the smallest of the three barrel-fermented wines.

• Standard Sauvignon Blanc approximately USD 20-25 in US markets; Section 94 and barrel-fermented wines USD 35-55 depending on market and vintage
• Selective global distribution across New Zealand, Australia, United Kingdom, and United States; growing presence in fine dining internationally
• Chardonnay is the smallest-production wine in the portfolio; all three barrel-fermented wines produced in limited quantities
• Wines made exclusively from owned estate fruit; no contract fruit used, ensuring consistent terroir expression across all vintages