Made using carefully selected grapes, with ongoing attention to detail throughout production, Torrent Bay embodies all the quality and dedication that has governed the Drummond family since its first members arrived in the Motueka region in the late 1800s. While known first for exquisite examples of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, the Nelson region has a growing reputation for the aromatic varieties, Riesling, Pinot Gris and Gewürztraminer as well as its own distinctive take on Sauvignon Blanc and some superb stickies.
The softly rolling Moutere Hills are formed from the weathered gravels of an ancient river system, which originally reached from St Arnaud to the coast. The gravel threaded clay soils are reknown for producing wines of richness and texture. The Pinot Noir is deeply flavoured with fine tannins and elegance. The Chardonnay is complex, multi faceted with excellent structure. Winemakers also produce excellent Sauvignon Blanc, Riesling and more recently Pinot Gris.
Torrent Bay's founding family, the Drummonds hold firm to their belief that the rich fertile soils surrounding the Motueka township, coupled with balmy sea breezes and some of New Zealand's consistently highest sunshine readings are the ideal climate in which to craft their aromatic wines. Grapes from their vineyards in the nearby Moutere add a further dimension to their range of classic aromatic varieties.
Next door to the scenic adventure playground of the Abel Tasman National Park, their vineyards produce high quality Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer and Viognier, both for the Anchorage label and the company's export label Torrent Bay.
Pioneers in horticulture and agriculture in the region since the 1800s, the Drummonds now use their land-savvy and more than a century of local knowledge passed down from generation to generation to produce their own wine savvy.
The first of the vines were planted by the Drummond family in the spring of 2000 in rich river loam beside the mouth of the Motueka River with expansion since then to take advantage of terroir in surrounding fertile horticultural areas, already renowned for hops, black currants, raspberries and a variety of pip and stone fruit. Vibrant, fertile river flats with loamy, sandy soils ensure vigourous growth with careful vineyard management in the Motueka and Riwaka vineyards while the heavier but no less fertile soils in the Moutere are coupled with incredibly hot temperatures, combine to produce a mouth-filling array of aromas and flavours in the resultant wines. Fruit harvested from mature vines in the promising Motueka region of Nelson has produced a well balanced Chardonnay wine with a rich creamy nose and palate, ripe rounded mouthfeel and long malolactic finish. Hints of mealiness and toasted biscuits lead into a palate laden with subtle tastes of banana, peaches and tropical fruits combined with subtle oak integration.
Torrent Bay's Pinot Noir has a deep colour, a perfumed bouquet of cherries, plums, spices, and a hint of cherry oak. Subtle oak tannins together with an abundance of rich fruit flavours combine to give the palate a silky, generous mouth-feel with a creamy finish. The fine-grained tannins and acid balance lend the wine structure, while the fruit concentration gives it depth.
