The Marlborist is rooted in the belief that Marlborough’s best wines come not from mass production, but from careful site selection, close grower relationships, and low-intervention winemaking. Founded in 2020 by winemaker Richard Ellis, viticulturist Stuart Dudley, and wine communicator and filmmaker David Nash, the label reflects a shared desire to honour Marlborough’s vineyards by making wines that tell a deeper story - of place, season, and intent.

The idea was sparked during the 2019 harvest, when Stuart and Richard’s wives - neighbours and ‘vintage widows’ - joked about their husbands joining forces. The pairing made perfect sense. Stuart, then Villa Maria’s regional viticulturist, had an encyclopaedic knowledge of Marlborough’s best sites and had built strong relationships with top growers. Richard, with over a decade of winemaking experience and seven years at Greywacke under Kevin Judd, had refined his approach to focus on thoughtful, restrained winemaking. David Nash, fresh from producing the acclaimed wine documentary ‘A Seat at the Table’, brought a sharp eye for narrative and presentation.

They launched The Marlborist just as Covid-19 restrictions took hold. Despite the uncertainty, they had early access to some of the vineyards at the top of their wish list - most notably Auntsfield Estate. The wines - Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and a wild-fermented Grande Sauvignon - aim to reflect Marlborough’s landscape in finer detail, offering an alternative to the region’s more commercial offerings. “We want to make benchmark Marlborough wines,” Richard says. “But we just want to do it in a minimalist style, with wines that speak quietly but confidently, if we can.”

In the winery, The Marlborist takes a ‘less is more’ approach. The goal isn’t to replicate last year’s wine, but to let the fruit speak clearly of where and how it was grown. Fermentations are native. Malolactic fermentations happen naturally. Oak is always old and neutral - used for structure, not flavour. Richard avoids fining and filtering unless absolutely necessary. “We’re not trying to shape the wine,” he explains. “We’re trying to preserve what was already there in the fruit - if you’ve treated it right, you don’t need to manipulate it.”

This hands-off approach is most evident in the Grande Sauvignon - a far cry from the grassy, high-acid style many associate with Marlborough. It’s hand-harvested, fermented in seasoned oak puncheons, and left on lees to develop weight and complexity. It’s a full-bodied, savoury expression of Sauvignon Blanc, far from the punchy, green-fruited styles most associated with the region. Richard credits his time working in Sancerre for reinforcing that Sauvignon Blanc can have structure, longevity, and elegance. The 2024 vintage included golden, sun-exposed bunch picks, delivering a wine that’s rich, textural and softly structured.

Alpine Rift, the label’s more classic counterpart, is made from machine-harvested fruit and neutral yeasts - but even here, careful canopy management and ripeness targets help avoid excess green flavours. “We’re not rejecting Marlborough’s signature,” Richard says. “We’re just showing it through a more refined lens. Whether it’s Grande or Alpine, it has to reflect what’s good and real about the site, not just tick a flavour box.”

Richard describes each Marlborist wine as a ‘photograph in time’ - a direct impression of the growing season, vineyard character, and decisions made along the way. “I’m not trying to make the same wine year on year,” he says. “If it’s honest to the season, it should taste a little different each time, whether that means more generosity, more tension, or more structure.”

This commitment shows in every bottle. The Grande Sauvignon may surprise those expecting typical Marlborough punch; instead, it offers depth, a layered mid-palate, and savoury tension. The Pinot Noir, from hillside slopes, shows soft red fruit, fine tannins, and spice. The Chardonnay balances richness with freshness, drawing on the warm days and cool nights of the Southern Valleys.

These wines are precise, but never formulaic. Richard credits his years at Greywacke - and guidance from the likes of Dog Point - with shaping his views. “If you press gently, age patiently, and intervene only when needed, the wine rewards you with complexity and calm.”

Now five vintages in, The Marlborist is quietly redefining how Marlborough can be seen and tasted. With roots deep in the region and eyes focused on refinement, the label is making space for subtlety, story, and a broader conversation about what New Zealand wine can be.