Spoke

The Glover family have farmed at Dillon's Point in Marlborough for four generations, first as dairy farmers. In the 1980s Owen and Wendy Glover pioneered vine plantings in the sub-region, and the estate is now run by the next generation.

Dillon's Point sits at the eastern end of the Wairau valley where the river meets the sea, and the soils are heavy alluvial clay laid down by centuries of flooding rather than the free-draining gravels found further inland. Clay holds water and restrains vigour, and the maritime position keeps temperatures moderate, which together give a fuller, more textural style of Sauvignon Blanc than the classic Marlborough model.

The wine names follow a bicycle theme, from which the estate takes its own: Spoke, Amped, Brink, Rudimental. The wines are made in small quantities with more oak and lees work than Marlborough usually receives, and they reward the extra attention.