Marlborough at 50: Tohu, the first Māori-owned and operated winery in New Zealand
Website: https://www.tohuwines.co.nz/
Over recent years, the New Zealand wine industry address some of the historical imbalances that saw Māori culture and language marginalized. It’s now common to see Māori names on wine labels: some of these are Māori-owned brands, but more commonly the names have been used by non- Māori wineries, and in many cases respectfully after discussions with the local communities.
Tohu was the first Māori-owned and operated winery in New Zealand. It’s part of a larger group called Kono https://www.kono.co.nz/ , which has over 4000 owner families. They started in 1998, but have grown quite a bit, and purchased a 6000 ton winery in the Awatere Valley of Marlborough back in 2012.
There are other Māori-owned wineries in Marlborough, perhaps most notably te Pā, which is part of the TUKU collective https://tuku.nz/home.
THE WINES
Tohu Sauvignon Blanc 2022 Awatere Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand
13% alcohol. This is really bright and aromatic with a leafy green edge to powerful citrus fruit. With good acidity keeping a sense of freshness, there are some delicate elderflower and tomato leaf notes as well as plenty of bold lemony character. There’s a lot going on here, but the wine stays focused and sophisticated, never descending to caricature. Impressive stuff. 92/100
Tohu Whenua Awa Single Vineyard Sauvignon Blanc 2021 Awatere, Marlborough, New Zealand
13% alcohol. This Sauvignon is from a single site in the upper Awatere, and has been partial barrel fermented. It has a lively nose with a toasty citrus character as well as some herbal hints, leading to a vivid lime and lemon palate with fine toasty hints and keen acidity. This is still very young and primary, but I’d expect it to develop in interesting ways over the next few years. 92/100
Tohu Pinot Gris 2021 Awatere Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand
13.5% alcohol. This has nice density to the appealing table grape, mandarin and lemon fruit with some apple and rose petal notes in the mix. Lovely fruit here, with good acidity but also a bit of weight and ripeness on the palate. Finishes dry. 89/100
Tohu Unoaked Chardonnay 2021 Wairau Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand
13% alcohol. There’s some nut and caramel character here as well as honey, apple and white peach. It’s a fresh but generous wine that captures the essence of Chardonnay well, and adding some savoury notes to accompany the sweet fruit. Finishes with some mealy, spicy notes alongside the lively citrus fruits. 90/100
Tohu Pinot Noir 2019 Awatere Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand
13.5% alcohol. This is juicy and bright, but has some savoury, spicy depth to the black cherry and plum fruit, as well as a touch of citrus peel. Bright, vivid and linear with purpose to the red and black fruits, and with some nice spicy edges. A brisk expression of Marlborough Pinot with some nice personality. 91/100
Older notes:
Tohu Sauvignon Blanc 2019 Awatere Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand
13% alcohol. Highly aromatic, this is rich and expressive. Lovely passionfruit nose leads to a ripe, lush palate with more passionfruit, some melon and crystalline citrus fruit. Has some grapefruit freshness. Has lots of flavour, and finishes with a really fruity flourish and good acidity. This is really good. 93/100
Tohu Unoaked Chardonnay 2018 Wairau Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand
13.5% alcohol. This is bold and peachy with soft pear and apple notes as well as a hint of dairy. Has nice depth of fruit with good balance. This is quite easy and friendly. 88/100
Tohu Whenua Awa Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2017 Awatere Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand
13% alcohol. This has a really aromatic nose with toast, spice and peach as well as some citrus brightness. Lovely depth of flavour with really well integrated spicy oak framing the citrus and pear fruit, with really nice freshness. Such a layered, multidimensional Chardonnay with a core of rich fruit. Exotic but also well balanced. 95/100
Tohu Pinot Gris 2019 Awatere Valley, Marlborough, New Zealand
13.5% alcohol. This is bold and rich with pear, ripe apple and some table grape. Has richness with just a hint of sweetness on the finish. This is concentrated and appealing with good depth of flavour. 91/100
Tohu Whenua Matua Pinot Noir 2017 Upper Moutere, Nelson, New Zealand
12.5% alcohol. This is fresh and elegant: it’s relatively light in style, but there’s a lovely richness and texture to the ripe cherry and plum fruit, with a touch of spicy oak and also a bit of sour cherry on the finish. Lovely brightness here. This is really expressive and beautifully balanced. 94/100
UK agent: North South Wines
MARLBOROUGH AT 50
