Saint Clair Chardonnay ‘Omaka Reserve’

Neal and Judy have been viticulture pioneers in Marlborough since 1978. The grapes from their vineyard were originally supplied to local wine companies, however they wanted to showcase the quality they had achieved in their vineyards through to the finished wine as well. This desire is what led to the establishment of Saint Clair Family Estate in 1994.

The property where this vineyard is located was first settled by the Sinclair family. Pioneer James Sinclair built one of the first homes in Blenheim, and was closely associated with the early development of the town. Over time, the name of the property reverted back to the original Saint Clair, which is where the Saint Clair name originated from.

Saint Clair Family Estate was founded by Neal and Judy Ibbotson who are the directors of the winery with more than 30 years viticulture knowledge of the Marlborough region. The company is a family business with the next generation also involved.

Son Tony is responsible for the design of all Saint Clair’s packaging, promotional material and advertising. He owns a design consultancy business, the Creative Method, in Sydney. Tony designed the original Saint Clair labels back in 1994, when he was a student. He has been refining and expanding the range of Saint Clair labels ever since.

Daughters Sarina and Julie both work within the business in sales and marketing after studying wine business marketing at Adelaide.

With quality as a company value it is essential that the very best fruit is sourced and utilised to make the best wine possible, and hence adhere to a core company value.

Neal and Judy Ibbotson are viticulture pioneers within Marlborough. Judy planted the first vineyard in 1978 (with three pre-schoolers and a group of ladies) which was one of the first vineyards within the Marlborough region.

Over the last 30 years Neal and Judy have both developed a great deal of viticulture knowledge themselves and hence recognise the true importance of the understanding of viticulture to the final product.

Jarrah Prior is Saint Clair’s head viticulturist. He comes with a wealth of experience both within winemaking and viticulture. Saint Clair Family Estate utilise a mixture of fruit from contract growers combined with fruit from estate grown vineyards.

Jarrah communicates Saint Clair’s values and shares his viticulture expertise with the contract growers. With an added incentive to growers who provide exceptional quality fruit, grape growers will continue to strive for excellence. Origin comes from the very first vines planted in 1978.

ABOUT the Wine:

Colour: Pale gold. Aroma: Ripe stone fruit, lemon curd, hazelnut, burnt orange and spice. Palate: Elegant and full bodied layered with peach, citrus, brioche and sweet spice. Ageing Potential: Drinking beautifully now and will continue to reward for at least three years from vintage date when the palate will become rounder and develop further complexity. Viticulture and Winemaking: Fruit was carefully selected from several quality vineyards within Marlborough’s Wairau Valley. Each parcel was chosen to add complexity and fullness as well as impart balance and offer particular characteristics to the final wine. The wine is partially fermented in new and seasoned French and American oak barrels. Each barrel underwent malolactic fermentation to add depth and give fullness to the palate. After nine months barrel aging the wine was blended and carefully prepared for bottling. Wine Analysis: Alcohol 13% v/v Residual sugar 2.4g/L Acidity 5.4g/litre pH 3.45 Food Match: A wonderful accompaniment for grilled chicken or poached salmon