Loveblock is an organic estate in Lower Dashwood in the Awatere Valley in the Marlborough region of New Zealand. It was founded by Erica and Kim Crawford in 2004.
Owners: Erica and Kim Crawford. Erica is a graduate of the University of Cape Town who started life as an aspirational medical scientist and then progressed to the pharmaceutical industry where she cut her teeth on business principles. Erica made New Zealand home after marrying Kim. They have two children, Rory and Pia. The couple previously forged a brand [Kim Crawford] for nine years but then sold their company and brand name. Loveblock (formerly Duelling Banjos) marked their return to the wine business.
Vineyards–Marlborough: 2015 60ha and 40ha in two blocks on the hills overlooking the Awatere Valley. North-facing for ideal sun exposure. The winds help keep diseases at bay, check vigour, and aid the formation of smaller, more aromatic and deeper flavour grapes. The Woolshed vineyard was planted in 2003. At the foot of a hill. Stoney topsoil over silt and clay to help minimise heat stress.
Vineyards–Otago: Central Otago Also 8ha of Pinot Noir in Central Otago (Bendigo loop In Awatere mainly Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Noir, Pinot Gris plus Arneis, Riesling and Viognier with future plantings planned. The grapes are sold – to Mudhouse. In 2010 some Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewurztraminer was made at Te Whare Ra and bottled elsewhere but not sold under TWR label.
Biodynamics: Cows in the vineyards when I visited in July 2015. They make Horn manure 500 and Horn silica 501 with the Marlborough BD group and buy in preps from the NZ BD assocation. In 2010 the couple were making 1,000m cubic metres of Biodynamic compost from marc, grass, cover crops, cow manure. They have their own Red Devon and Red Devon x Angus cattle. Make their own seaweed liquid manure with the Biodynamic compost preparations 502-507 inserted – this is used as a foliar feed. The make Peter Proctor’s Cow Pat Pit Preparation 502-507 too. A 7 unit flowform is used for dynamising. Had issues with grass grub beetle in the spring.
Organic certification: ‘The Loveblock Farm, the anchor estate vineyard in Marlborough’s Awatere Valley is certified organic by BioGro New Zealand. | 2009: 160-ha (C1) by Demeter. | 2012 First vintage with organic certification.
White wines
Gewurztraminer, Marlborough: 2011. 14% alc. Organic. Uneven ripeness on the bunch means having to wait for the greenest berries to ripen = 26 Brix in this case = winemakers’ nightmare. 14%. 26g/l RS. Bit fat during a tasting on the first evening of the Organic Wine Conference, Blenheim 08th July 2015. Savoury, bit fluid and simple, some uneveness in the texture, warm end, light honey and blowsiness, OK but not fantastic (Visit 2015).
Pinot Gris: ‘We get one more g/l of acid here compared to Wairau (wind slowing down sugar accumulationo and cold nights slowing acid degradation). With dry Pinot Gris we do not want too much alcohol,’ Kim told me.
Pinot Gris, Marlborough: 2012 Bit oily and fluid during a tasting on the first evening of the Organic Wine Conference, Blenheim 08th July 2015. | 2014 Loveblock Pinot Gris, Marlborough Organic. From the woolshed end, planted 2003 and the top of the hill. Machine picked. Straight in. Gelatin floating. Pick in morning, in ferment in the afternoon. 500 cases of organic and 3,000 cases of sustainable. 90% sold to USA with Terlato (do Santa Margherita Pinot Grigio). Little bit sold locally. Bento for protein stability. ‘NZ markets tough right now. Some sold to Australia. Want this at 20 US dollars retail.’ | 2018 7.1g/l residual sugar.
Riesling: Quite fertile, adapts well here. Tight, small, compact bunches and plenty of them (hormanal response to the wind?).
Loveblock Bone Dry Riesling, Marlborough: 2011 12.0%. C2 organic. Bone dry. No MLF. Creamy, lightly floral, light lemomade character, nice mouthfeel, hint of creaminess (Visit 2015). Kim said “it took around two years to come round. You couldn’t get anywhere near it before then.”
2012 Loveblock Riesling, Marlborough 8.0% alc. 30g/l RS. Certified organic. Savoury. Citric and buttery-orange and lemon marmalade sweetness but very savoury (Visit 2015).
Sauvignon Blanc
Loveblock Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, 2013: 13.5%. Organic. 500 cases of organic (15,000 cases in total) and sold to NZ and Australia (Sydney somms). 4-5g/l RS. Savoury, some lactic notes, subtle, nice line during a tasting (Organic Wine Conference, Blenheim 08th July 2015). Lovely acid/fruit/citric balance and nice understated Sauvignon Blanc fruit (Visit 2015). Kim Crawford said with organics you do get more understated fruit – you lose a bit of nose, gain texture and mouthfeel, with creaminess (10% MLF). Drinkers’ wines, not sniffers’ wine. Won’t do well in a wine competition. US$20 on the shelf. | 2014 13%. Organic. 500 cases of organic (15,000 cases in total) and sold to NZ and Australia (Sydney somms). 4-5g/l RS. US$20 on the shelf. Nice and crisp, citric and gooseberry in a minor key, well balanced, creamy with 10% MLF (Visit 2015).
Red wines
Pinot Noir: Bought the land in Central Otago. Kim Crawford had sourced fruit from the next door vineyard (Mud House’s ‘Claim 67’ vineyard, now belongs to Accolade. The neighbour is ‘Mondilo’). 8ha of vines on a 10ha site. Planted roughly 20% each of 667, 777, 115, Pommard 5, Abel.
2012 Loveblock Pinot Noir, Central Otago 14.0%. Sustainable (Rabbits – had to put Pindone down). Oak on nose, bit sticky and blunt, youthful (Visit 2015). 10% new oak, rest into tank. Add VR Supra (tannin) to stabilise colour. Pick this at 23-24 Brix whereas 25 Brix normal down there. $35 retail USA.
Chenin Blanc
Noble Chenin Blanc, Marlborough: 2014 Planted 2010. Sustainable. Rich bright Muscat nose, quite heavy (Visit 2015). No oak. Feels weighty, heavy. 44 Brix. Too much, so added some Chenin from a mate to cut it down a bit. 12.5% = 200 g/l residual. Maybe 14 grammes of acid so make it taste less sweet. Nice weight, bright and Chenin, orange marmelade. Sold here and a bit to Japan and Australia.
Contact
Loveblock
155 Ugbrooke Road, RD 4 Seddon, Marlborough
Website: www.loveblock.co.nz
Bibliography: Visit Tuesday 14th July 2015