Tohu Wines takes The Coterie Wine of Provenance Trophy for the second time with Pinot Noir

Tohu Wines takes The Coterie Wine of Provenance Trophy for the second time with Pinot Noir

Image: Richard Briggs photography

If you’re searching for a taste of the Awatere Valley, you’ll find it in a bottle of Tohu Whenua Awa Pinot Noir 2019.

Tohu Wines picked up The Coterie Wine of Provenance trophy for the second time at the 2022 Marlborough Wine Show, sponsored by QuayConnect, showing their expertise when it comes to capturing a sense of place in the bottle.

With a name like Whenua Awa, it’s hardly surprising. Literally translating to ‘river lands’, the Tohu Whenua single vineyard series is all about expressing the distinct contours and complexities of the Marlborough landscapes their vineyards sit upon.

Tohu Wines Chief Winemaker Bruce Taylor says the Pinot Noir represents all that is unique about where it’s grown.

“Our vineyard Whenua Awa is in a pretty unique corner of Marlborough and the Awatere Valley; it’s perched on a few terraces about the Awatere River, literally at the end of the road on the south bank of the river,” he says.

“So its exposure to wind and cool temperatures, as well as its high altitude, 240 metres above sea level, gives it a particular character that we think is quite special and distinctive.”

Seventeen of the 45 gold medal-winning wines at the 2022 show were single vineyard wines, making them eligible to win The Coterie Wine of Provenance trophy.

Pinot Noir was a particular stand out at the Marlborough Wine Show this year.

“It’s great to be awarded this for what we think is such a distinctive expression of Pinot Noir that speaks strongly of its place in the valley,” Bruce says.

“Being lucky enough to taste many of the other winning Pinot Noirs from the Show was a humbling experience, too, as they were especially strong on the back of some great vintages over the last few years. 

To win the trophy not once, but twice with a wine dedicated to the land upon which it’s grown felt particularly special, he says. “It’s a great endorsement of our vineyard and winery crews over the years.”

Tohu Whenua Awa Pinot Noir 2019 was also awarded the Classic Oak Products Champion Pinot Noir, 2019 and older trophy this year.

At The Coterie, striving for quality through sustainable and holistic thinking is a key focus, making the Wine of Provenance Trophy a fitting award to sponsor, Winemaker Pierre Vienings says.

“One of the cornerstones of our ethos is ‘tūrangawaewae’, one of the most well-known and powerful Māori concepts. It is often translated as 'a place to stand'. Tūrangawaewae are places where we feel especially empowered and connected. They are our foundation, our place in the world, our home,” he says.

“We are very proud to be sponsoring this specific trophy, as it is celebrating a wine that has a “sense of place” and origin that speaks of where it’s from and that is championing Marlborough, and more so, that specific subregion/vineyard it hails from.”