In late 2004, owner John Valmorbida, went on a spontaneous trek up to a hilltop restaurant near Queenstown. In awe of the wild goats that traverse Central Otago's rugged mountains, John named the vineyard Nanny Goat. This name embodies Nanny Goat's connection to the land and the spirit of exploration that drives our winemaking journey. ‘Nanny Goat Vineyard’ perfectly encapsulates their determination to succeed, adapt and thrive in the rugged and often extreme climates of Central Otago; much like the nimble and sure-footed wild goats of the region have done long before their arrival.
From their inaugural release of Pinot Noir in 2005, Nanny Goat Vineyard has strived to produce wines with elegance, concentration and balance whilst allowing each individual parcel of fruit to tell its unique story.
Nanny Goat Estate Vineyard sits between 270m and 290m above sea level spread across two ancient, North East facing terraces. This region experiences climatic extremes with scorching hot summers, fleeting autumns, and brutally cold winters. Indeed, these are challenging conditions for producing world-class cool climate Pinot Noir and Chardonnay. Successive periods of glaciation and recession, followed by erosion by Mata Au / Clutha River have shaped the Nanny Goat Estate landscape by creating distinct terraces of alluvial soils that are a mosaic of loess, gravel, schist and mineral quartz. Generations of farming and the associated cultivation of lucerne (pasture legume) and other feed crops have added organic matter to the wind blown loess topsoil providing us with a nice balance between vine vigour and free draining attributes.
Central Otago unique terroir produces wines of extraordinary intensity and distinction that show varietal and regional definition. The soils are free draining, with poor natural fertility. These challenging conditions for producing world-class cool climate wines are integral in our pursuit of magic.
