Why it matters
The producer
At 50, Peter Yealands planted his first vineyard in Grove Town, Marlborough, in 1998. He developed a 300 hectare vineyard in Northbank in 2000 and later sold it to Matua. In 2023, the Yealands vineyard exceeded 1,000 hectares, with another 200 hectares in development.
Yealands merged with Ager Sectus in 2011 to form Yealands Wine Group. Ager Sectus owned Crossroads and The Crossings. In 2015, Marlborough Lines paid NZ$89 million for an 80% stake in Yealands Wine Group. In July 2018, Marlborough Lines acquired Peter Yealands' remaining shares, and he resigned as a director.
Place and vineyards
Where the wines begin
Yealands is associated with Marlborough, New Zealand. Its coastal estate setting includes rolling hills, native wildlife, coastal winds and ocean spray. Sauvignon Blanc is the grape at the centre of the wines described here, bringing citrus, herbal and tropical notes in the bottle.
Wines to know
The range in view
Yealands Sauvignon Blanc 2024 is 100% Sauvignon Blanc and draws fruit from Awatere and Wairau Valley vineyards. The parcels were fermented separately with selected yeasts, then blended, stabilized and filtered before bottling.
Yealands Reserve Sauvignon Blanc 2023 is also 100% Sauvignon Blanc, made from selected parcels in Seaview Vineyard. The grapes were gently pressed and fermented in temperature controlled stainless steel tanks with selected yeasts.