The Herd is a collaborative Pinot Noir project inspired by shared curiosity and an ongoing quest for true expression of terroir. Three winemakers, one vineyard, and an open invitation to explore how instinct shapes Pinot Noir.
These are wines that speak the same language, but with entirely different accents. Together, they become The Herd.
THE PEOPLE
The Herd is a collaboration between three teams of well established & well respected Marlborough winemakers. Visit each team’s website for background on them and more about their own wines too.
Roberta, Dan & Matt at Sorrell Wines – https://www.sorrellwines.co.nz/
Luc & Ben at Auntsfield – https://auntsfield.co.nz/
Richard and Stu at The Marlborist – https://www.themarlborist.com/
Scroll down for more about the project and details about each of the wines.
THE HERD
What’s the collective noun for a group of Pinotphiles? A Herd.
It’s a playful nod – not just to Auntsfield’s founding vigneron, David Herd, but also to the idea of being heard. Is the land being heard? The vines? The viticulturists and winemakers? Or perhaps it’s the wine itself, speaking of where it’s from.
This Pinot Noir comes from a block overlooking David Herd’s historic site – a fitting tribute to Auntsfield’s beginnings and to the ongoing conversation between place, people and Pinot. Three wines that tell the same vineyard story, each with its own expression of terroir.
More information about David Herd and the history of Auntsfield is here: https://auntsfield.co.nz/heritage/
THE PROJECT
All three teams have selected fruit from a single block within the Auntsfield vineyard, set in Marlborough’s Southern Valleys. This cooler, drier subregion is known for its mix of high-mineral Greywacke rock and old loess clay soils – ideal for Pinot Noir with structure, texture and a bit of edge.
The block sits on a steep, north-east-facing clay hillside, and has been certified BioGro since 2024. Two Pinot Noir clones, 777 and Abel, are planted side by side and split evenly between three collaborative winemakers from Auntsfield, Sorrell Wines and The Marlborist.
Each team takes care of their own shoot thinning, leaf plucking, fruit thinning and hand picking. All three wines are made entirely from this fruit, using a 50/50 mix of the two Pinot Noir clones, 777 and Abel, to keep the focus entirely on winemaking style rather than clonal variation.
Here are the Winemakers and Viticultural notes for each wine for the technically minded. More detailed Tasting notes and a technical comparison sheet are also available on the website.
Sorrell The Herd Pinot Noir 2023
Winemakers Notes: The grapes were gravity fed into open top fermenters with a total of 20% whole bunch inclusion. The inoculation occurred with yeast from ‘The Herd’ block. The skins were gently pumped over and punched down once a day during the peak of fermentation. The total time on skins was 25 days before being gently pressed and drained into 4 years old French oak where the wine aged for 16 months. In spring, malolactic fermentation occurred naturally.
Viticultural Notes: In the 2022/23 season, Matt, Dan and Roberta performed meticulous vineyard work to control disease risk and achieve ultra-low yields. Canopy management included perfectly timed shoot thinning, hand leaf plucking and bunch thinning to achieve balance and dappled fruit exposure to sunlight. Vines carried no more than one bunch per shoot, amplifying site expression. Fruit was hand harvested in pristine condition on 23 March 2023 for clone 777 and 31 March for clone Abel.
Auntsfield The Herd Pinot Noir 2023
Winemakers Notes: The fruit for this wine was hand-picked into small baskets then carefully and diligently hand sorted to ensure that no less than perfect fruit entered the winery. This fruit was then gently de-stemmed and moved to tank by gravity. A combination of indigenous and cultured yeasts was nurtured through fermentation in open topped tanks. Careful use of hand plunging was used to gently extract the flavours and tannins from the skins. Maturation occurred in French barriques for approximately 15 months.
Viticultural Notes: Vigour and fertility in this block is very low resulting from the dense Loess Clay and the lack of top soil. Vines are exposed to the strong hillside winds reducing shoot length and reducing berry size. These vines are spur pruned, then extensively shoot thinned and leaf plucked by hand to retain 18 small bunches per vine. The main slope block contributes earthy, dense, rich, ripe and savoury characters result from the high mineral Loess Clay soils the vines grow in.
The Marlborist The Herd Pinot Noir 2023
Winemakers Notes: Selectively picked over two weeks starting March 24th, the fruit was harvested by hand and transported to the winery where it was chilled overnight. The majority of fruit was carefully de-stemmed into small fermentation vessels while a portion of whole-bunch fruit was also included. After several days cold-soaking on skins, the fermentation spontaneously commenced by indigenous yeast and was followed by gentle, daily hand-plunging. Following fermentation, the wine was drained off skins and transferred to a combination of seasoned French oak puncheons and barrels. The wine was aged in oak for 24 months before and settled in tank for eight months prior to bottling in November 2025.
Viticultural Notes: Fruit was sourced from an elevated north-east facing hillside on the historic Auntsfield Vineyard in the Ben Morven Valley. An even split of clones 777 and Abel were grown on wind-blown, loess clay soils overlying greywacke bedrock that typify the sub-region. A combination of low yields and organic practices allow the vines to ripen beautiful, black bunches of intensely flavoured fruit.
Follow The Herd Project on Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/theherdprojectnz
JB’s TASTING NOTES
Auntsfield ‘The Herd’ Pinot Noir, 2023
A glossy, translucent deep ruby-red in colour. In the nose, inviting aromas of dark fruit, ripe plums, cherries, blackberries, dried herb, cocoa, toasted nuts & spice.
On the palate medium bodied, concentrated flavours of slightly sweet, dark & red fruit reflecting the nose, refreshing acidity, nicely textured with silky tannins & subtle oak influence, providing complexity & depth.
Long persistent dry finish. Excellent!
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The Marlborist ‘The Herd’ Pinot Noir 2023
Bright transparent, mid ruby to raspberry red in colour. A fragrant nose with aromas of boysenberries, raspberries, cherries, savoury earth, dried herb & subtle oak spice.
On the palate, medium bodied, luscious ripe red & dark summer fruit flavours, supported by nicely integrated velvety-smooth tannins & acidity, layers of texture from 24 months ageing in a mix of French oak, adding depth & complexity.
A long, dry, slightly savoury finish. Excellent.
Sorrell ‘The Herd’ Pinot Noir 2023
Shiny and translucent, ruby to cherry-red in colour, lighter at the rim. In the nose it’s enticing & varietal with aromas of ripe dark plums, cherries & dark berries, floral & dried herb notes & subtle oak.
Medium bodied on the palate, sweet plum, berry & cherry fruit flavours reflect the nose, nicely balanced & integrated with fine powdery tannins, a lightly grippy acidity & layers of barrel spice & textural complexity.
Concentrated persistent & moreish finish. Excellent.