Quarters Vineyard / Brancott Valley
Subregion: Wairau Valley
Region: Marlborough
Grows: Pinot Noir
Planting density: 4347 plants per ha
Clones: 5, 6, 117, 10/5, 777, Abel
Planted: 1999
Rainfall: 600-800 mm / annum
Mean Annual GDD: 1100-1250
Soils: Mostly rich, nutrient‑dense clay loam with a small percentage of stones
Elevation (m): 54 m
Hectares: 3 ha
Quarters Vineyard - Climate & Soils
After many seasons at Quarters we’ve realised that it has its own unique microclimate. The 3‑hectare vineyard is snugly protected by walnut and pear trees, their close sheltering canopy softening the prevailing north‑westerly wind and holding warmer air among the vines. It’s about 3°C warmer than the main Wairau Valley plain in summer and about 3°C cooler in winter. Summer daytime temperatures can reach 35°C, while winter lows may fall to −5°C, and because of this the vines can be vulnerable to frost on a cold spring morning.
The Brancott Valley is a small U‑shaped valley, carved long ago by glaciers. Clay from higher in the hills has been slowly pushed down onto the valley floor and mixed with stones dragged across the plain by the Fairhall River. Today the Quarters soil matrix is mostly rich, nutrient‑dense clay with a small percentage of stones woven through it. That mix is relatively free draining with the clay component bringing richness and roundness to the wines — exactly what we love.
