A very important tasting in the calendar this year was a visit to Marlborough to see the Te Manawa Vineyard, just off Brooky Road south of Renwick, a new project for Matt Thomson and Sophie-Parker Thomson. They continue to source fruit from specific sites around the region. The Te Manawa vineyard is planted with to Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Syrah and Nebbiolo.

The tasting on this occasion was to bring the visiting wine writer palates up to speed with the brand, the vision for the future and try a very special red wine made with Pinot Noir using Amarone techniques which Matt has been researching and planning for over a decade. See my notes in the red wine section below.

Thank you, Sophie and Matt. Thank too Emily for all the background work,pick-ups and drop-offs.

Above: Matt and Sophie have named their vineyard Te Manawa, meaning ‘the heart’ in te reo Maori. Sophie explains: “this vineyard will become the heart of our brand, and, rather fittingly the amphitheatre is in the shape of a heart when looked down on aerially, so we thought it was a perfect fit.” Sophie whakapapa’s back to Ngai Te Rangi on her father’s side, and both Sophie and Matt feel incorporating their cultural heritage into their business is a really important aspect to telling the Blank Canvas, and New Zealand story.”

“The site is a natural amphitheatre with a West face (east facing - cool) and an East face (west facing – hot), We have top-grafted all of the Sauvignon Blanc over to other varieties better suited to the site (low vigour clays, high density plantings, steep slopes), the Pinot Noir was already there (1.4 ha) and in the right spot (on the cooler side) so we have retained that. We’ve top-grafted to Chardonnay, Syrah and Nebbiolo.

Blank Canvas Anandale Farm Riesling 2026 Blind River Marlborough. A pristine bouquet, no mistaking the scents of sweet pomaceous fruits, perfumed florals and gentle spice qualities from fruit, a clear site or soil voice - stone and clay. Off-dry with a rush of sweetness then acidity wakes the palate to purity of fruit the clear flavours that reflect the nose. Lengthy. 94. Points. RRP from $38.99

Blank Canvas Holdaway Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2026 Dillons Point Marlborough. Classic, intense and vibrant, big cape gooseberry and lime, makrut and fruit spice, the tropical fruit voice is noted though mild. Crisp and fresh, salivating, and saline. Just dry, lengthy and enticing. Delicious, lots of fruit purity and style. 93 Points RRP from $32.00

Blank Canvas 'Abstract' Three Rows Sauvignon Blanc 2024 Dillons Point Marlborough. Distinctive and intense bouquet, smoky soils and fine lees, barrel-ferment scents from the nose translate through the palate beautifully adding texture and length, concentration points. Dry, taut and with a fine lees complexity builds into the palate. Deep cape gooseberry and citrus flavours then apple and some dried herb. 94 Dry farmed. Reminds me of a white Bordeaux quality as the wine warms. 15 months on lees 95 Points RRP from $60.00

Above: Te Manawa West facing slope to the right of the building and in the foreground part of a slope facing somewhat due-north

White wines tasted

Blank Canvas Axe-house Vineyard Gruner Veltliner 2024, Omaka Valley Southern Valleys Marlborough. Varietal and dense in character, there's a white peppercorn and white root vege-quality. Nice weight and richness, developing with a complexity building from bottle-development and a satin quality. There's a softness to the style and mouthfeel, lovely finish and intrigue. 92 Points. RRP from $42.00

Blank Canvas 'Tano' Chardonnay 2023 Blind River Marlborough Clone 95. Unmistakable clarity of variety with the scents of citrus then apple, a very quietly spoken peach moment. A dry wine with texture and mouthfeel, fineness and textures from lees and fine fruit tannins. Not flinty though it has a light cheese and nut quality. The oak is quiet yet present with a gentle spie and oxidative layer. Lovely weight and intensity, length and power. Complex and delicious, still ageing. 94 Points RRP from $65.00

Blank Canvas 'Tano' Chardonnay 2024 Blind River Marlborough. A distinctively different expression lead by the vintage, with a cooler more precise aromatic, grapefruit and lemon, some sweet pith then stone and pomaceous fruit layer. Lengthy and complex, satin and taut. 94 Points RRP from $70.00

Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Chardonnay 2018 Central Wairau Valley Marlborough. Always a favourite with a tautness and tension, nut and barrel spices, lees and barrel smoke moments. A deliciousness and umami of its own. A lovey weight and intensity, length and mouthfeel. Fabulous complexity and richness, a wine with a very long finish. 95 Points Library wine

Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Chardonnay 2019 Central Wairau Valley Marlborough. A bouquet of intrigue and some power, scents of wood smoke and earth with an alluvial stony soil idea. A silky creamy mouthfeel with a backbone of acidity and tension. Grapefruit and nutty stone fruit ideas. Some fine tannins and pith notes. Lengthy and delicious. 96 Points Library wine

Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Chardonnay 2020 Central Wairau Valley Marlborough. A wine of youth and power, tension and poise. The Reed voice shows both site and winemaking, a gentle flinty quality, fine tannins, mineral earth and some gentle woodsmoke suggestions. Fine nut and pith moments, tension and poise from youth, a wine still developing and showing complexity and length. 94 Points Library wine

Above: Matt showing us the top-grafted Nebbiolo vines

Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Chardonnay 2021 Central Wairau Valley Marlborough. Taut, dry, youthful and dry. A classic expression reflecting the Reed style. There's a flinty solids and deliciousness. Dry, poised and silky with a lovely acid line and length. A lovely style and finish, complexity and personality. 95 Points Library wine

Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Chardonnay 2022 Central Wairau Valley Marlborough. The Reed style is loud and clear with a distinctive fruit purity framed by delicious oak, a leesy youthful energy and fresh raw nut quality. A wine with a finesse from the fine tannins and gentle phenolics, core fruit flavours of ripe grapefruit and a light flinty quality which I. Like a lot. A satin through silky creamed texture, excellent acid line and long finish. Perhaps just a little lighter on its feet, but that could be vintage driven. Excellent example. 95 Points Library wine

Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Chardonnay 2023 Central Wairau Valley Marlborough. A distinctive bouquet yet still with the 'Reed' voice, ripe citrus and spices, nut and a gentle flinty reductive quality. Dry, taut, excellent tannins and acid line. The youthful tautness adds grip and tension. Great acid line and length, some white peach and citrus pith. A wine that will develop well. 95 Points Library wine

Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Chardonnay 2024 Central Wairau Valley Marlborough. Fabulous bouquet with a Reed voice, youthful and taut, a wine with tension and poise, great acid line and length. Dry, taut and quite pure with a light flinty quality. Some soil smoke and barrel voices are aligned. Lengthy and pure, delicious. Needs time. 96 Points Library wine

Blank Canvas Reed Vineyard Chardonnay 2025 Central Wairau Valley Marlborough. A naturally youthful wine on the nose and palate with a newness and power that seems to be approaching a sweet spot for readiness. A delicious wine with a youthful power and tension. Very fresh and new, a wine that will be even better in 12 months and better again in 24. A wine to leave alone. 95 Points RRP from $70.00

Above: Showcasing the bio-diversity in action within this vineyard

Reds

Blank Canvas Settlement Vineyard Pinot Noir 2022 Omaka Valley | Southern Valleys. Earth and wood smoke, dried herb and intense. A wine of texture and power, length and focus. The complexity and signatures of site and personality (last vintage - vines pulled). Excellent mouthfeel and tension, acidity and poise. WB is noted though not to the point of distraction, more of a youthful urgency and intent. Lengthy. 94 Points

Blank Canvas Upton Downs Pinot Noir 2023 Upper Awatere Valley. Stony, saline and floral bouquet, scents of fresh red cherry, heirloom plums, tart red berry fruits then WB layers, again not overdone. Excellent tannins and acid line build in the structure for ageing. Lengthy, taut and held. 94+ Points

Blank Canvas Anthem Vineyard Pinot Noir 2023 Gibbston. The voice of fresh raspberry and tart cherries the red apple then soils, of silty loams and stone. Dry, taut and salivating. Quite fleshy and new, WB is again noted, but could go higher based on the fruity concentration. A lovely wine with power and length. 95 Points

Blank Canvas Una Volta Pinot Noir 2024 Bannockburn. Fabulous bouquet and allure. Aromas and flavours of boysenberries and wild raspberries, a core of mineral stony/schist like qualities. Chalky tannins and saline fresh acid line, there's a chalky quietly savoury quality. Very fresh and lively, some tautness and youthful energy. Delicious. 95+ Points

Blank Canvas L’Ultima Volta Pinot Noir 2024 Bannockburn. Arguably a more 'typical' nose of PN from the region with a wild thyme-like dried herb quality, a bouquet and palate of power and tension. Great acid line, firm tannins. VG length and complexity. Young, taut and needing time. 94+ Points

Blank Canvas 'Pinonui' 2025 Omaka Valley | Southern Valleys. The first and second aroma re unmistakably PN, the second is concentration and alc, the third is skins and a touch of jam. There's a deeply personal signature of clone and flowers, perhaps violets and blue borrige. Dry, warm and concentrated with an enormous fruit core framed by the abundance of tannins and earth, med+ TA delivers decent acidity levels, all well absorbed by the oak. Lengthy and delicious. Something new and very appealing.

Te Manawa: The amphitheatre-shaped hillside vineyard that Blank Canvas will call home was established in 2003 and planted at very high density on steep, even, low-vigour clay slopes. The property offers sensational 360° views across the Wairau Valley and contrasting aspects, where vines now over 20 years old are planted and in excellent condition. The company plans substantial phased investment and careful development to realise the site’s full potential.

Winemaker Matt Thomson, who has completed an even split of 66 harvests over 33 years in Europe and New Zealand, explains, “Site drives style. In the Old World, the best sites typically grow one or at most two varieties; in the New World we often try to force many varieties into one terroir, frequently with mediocre results. This site gives us two complementary terroirs - a cooler east face and a warmer west face - that will allow us to match variety and style to place, which is a founding ethos of Blank Canvas.”

While the small parcel of established Pinot Noir on the cooler eastern face will remain, Matt and Sophie plan to convert the remainder of the block, currently Sauvignon Blanc, to varieties better suited to the microclimates created by the differing aspects.

Their extensive experience and decades of vintages in Europe inform these decisions. They believe the warm, clay-based amphitheatre offers one of the rare terroirs outside of Italy suited to producing outstanding Nebbiolo, while also showing strong potential for compelling cool-climate Syrah. The balance of the property will feature Chardonnay from their preferred clone in Marlborough, B95, which will grow on the cooler side alongside the Pinot Noir.

Blank Canvas Wine Update October 2026